http://www.intheav.com/My Blognointheav.comintheav.com RSS-generatorhttp://www.intheav.com/blogs/newstoday/2011/03/04/despite-cuts-and-shortfalls-lancaster-school-district-board-ignores-staff-parents-protest-and-give-superintendent-a-raiseBy Fran Paolinelli LANCASTER – In spite of protests from staff and parents, the Lancaster School District voted to give Superintendent Howard Sundberg a $20,000 raise. The vote came after Los Angeles Fire Department officials told some protestors they would have to leave the room, which was supposed to only hold 149 people. According to board members, Sundberg was the lowest paid superintendent in the Valley. And if Sundberg decided to leave the office, a new superintendent would demand more. The district would also have to spend more than $20,000 to search for a new superintendent. With the new raise, Sundberg’s salary was increased to $178,000. District staff members said they objected because school employees have gone without raises while their hours have been cut and their duties increased. “I disagree with any raise for administrators until your budget is back where it should be,” said Margaret Soria. Sundberg, 60, did not comment. According to district records, Sundberg earned $158,000 last year but will earn 3 percent less this year because he took furlough days. The new contract will also give Sundberg $250 a month because he uses his own car for district activities and other benefits. We feel this is complete lunacy. Our students are lacking, our schools are failing, teachers are being laid off or fired, and the Superintendent gets a $20,000.00 a year raise. Whats your take?Fri, 04 Mar 2011 05:56:09 +0000http://www.intheav.com/blogs/newstoday/2011/02/28/palmdale-school-district-to-pay-school-sites-1-2-million-for-misusing-federal-fundsBy Fran Paolinelli PALMDALE – The Palmdale School District must pay back $1.2 million and layoff more than 30 librarians and media technicians because the district misused money slated for a program for low-income and non-English speaking students. Federal Title I funding is a program for kindergarten through 12th grade student and is geared toward schools with a high percentage of low-income and non-English speaking students. It is to be used to provide additional funding to ensure all children have an access to a high quality education and can meet their educational goals. However, the district used the funds to pay for librarians and media technicians at their 25 schools. Now, the district must repay that money, giving it to the schools sites for their Title I programs, and use money from the general fund to pay for any librarians and media technicians. “The state said we can’t use those funds and the $1.2 million must be paid to the schools sites to be spent appropriately,” said District Superintendent Roger Gallizzi. The school sites will now have $1.2 million more to spend, Gallizzi said adding that the district is just redirecting the money. However, the district cannot repay more than a million dollars to the schools site and also pay for the current number of librarians and media technicians. “Will that mean that people go to the unemployment line? Yes,” Gallizzi said. There will be 32 layoff notices sent. However, Gallizzi said, the district will rehire eight to ten media technicians. They district also will rehire enough librarians for at least two hours of library time per day at each of the schools. Some who are laid off may be offered other positions, if they qualify, or if they had another job previously, they may be allowed to return to that job if they want, Gallizzi said.. “These are really beloved people. It is really going to be difficult,” he added. According to Gallizzi, even with the layoffs, the district will still provide for its students. “We have been richly staffed in these positions for many years,” Gallizzi said. The district has had full time, fully benefited librarians and media technicians at each site working four hours per day. However, knowing that the financial situation school districts throughout the state would face in the future, the district had already began to reduce their library staff. As someone retired, another staff member would take over their responsibility, covering more than one school site, Gallizzi said. "The Palmdale School District students were getting more library time than students in other districts,” Gallizzi said. “Little Keppel School District students were only receiving three house of library time per day while Palmdale students received four hours per day.” Next year, Palmdale students will receive only two hours per day per site.. Misuse of funds? Redirecting? What is your opinion? www.avnewstodayonline.com Mon, 28 Feb 2011 23:58:25 +0000http://www.intheav.com/blogs/newstoday/2010/11/22/avta-investigation-turned-over-to-district-attorneyBy Fran Paolinelli LANCASTER – The Antelope Valley Transit Authority board of directors is working closely with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office in the investigation of alleged misconduct of three administrators who resigned last month. Auditors are also examining the past audits and financial records of the agency, according to board chairman Norm Hickling. One of the allegations was the misuse of the agency’s credit cards. “It is one of the allegations and we have turned the investigation over to the DA’s office. It is something they definitely want to look at,” Hickling said. The board chose to turn to the DA because, “it is the best and foremost agency” and has public integrity, Hickling said. The problems at the transportation agency came to light soon after Hickling and Cano were sworn in. “People working at AVTA started coming to us with concerns,” he said. They arranged to sit down and talk with the employees and then started asking questions. Some of those questions involved who had access to the credit cards. According to minutes of board meetings, directors also wanted a better accounting of how funds were spent and how it was reported to them. Then during the closed session of Oct, 26, Executive Director Randy Floyd faced a public employee performance evaluation. No report was given to the public on the outcome of that evaluation. However, just prior to the conclusion of the public meeting, Director Sherry Marquez, a Lancaster City Council member, requested an addition to the agenda. According to the minutes of that meeting, Marquez stated the addition of the item “is due to the findings that there is a need to take immediate action and the need for action came to the attention of the agency after the agenda was posted.” Terence Boga, AVTA’s attorney, told the board members they could add the item but there was no need to reveal what was discussed during closed session. At that time, Director Marvin Crist, also a Lancaster City Council member, suggested the board suspend all travel and use of agency credit cards until Oct. 29. All six of the directors approved the motion to suspend the travel and use of the credit cards. An arrangement was made to hold an emergency meeting the next day, Wednesday, Oct. 27. However, one director, Palmdale Mayor James Ledford said he was unable to attend due to a prior appointment. The board rescheduled for Thursday, Oct. 28. “Lancaster had some concerns and said they thought it would be a good idea to post deputies at the AVTA building. I agreed, just to make sure to protect everything in the office,” Hickling said. Los Angeles County deputies were posted and a female administrator was seen leaving the building after midnight the following night. Deputies followed her to her home and spoke to her about her presence at the building so late at night. They reportedly searched her home and car. The AVTA board consists of two representatives from Los Angeles County, two from the city of Lancaster and two from the city of Palmdale. Norm Hickling and Michael Cano, from LA County Supervisor Michael Antonovich’s office, represent the county on the board, Ledford and Palmdale City Councilman Mike Dispenza represent the city of Palmdale and Crist and Marquez represent the city of Lancaster. During the emergency board meeting on Oct. 28, the board – with Ledford and Dispenza absent, - voted unanimously to accept the letter of resignation from Floyd and to appoint Michael Busch as interim executive director. Due to Floyd’s resignation, the scheduled discussion about an employee discipline or dismissal was not necessary, according to minutes of the meeting. The board discussed hiring an internal investigator to investigate alleged allegations and Crist recommended Debra Reilly. The four directors voted unanimously to hire Reilly. The board also voted to extend the suspension of agency credit cards and travel. Two other AVTA administrators, Kim Hemperly, administrative services manager, and Esmyrna Agustin-Jorge, chief financial officer also resigned www.avnewstodayonline.comMon, 22 Nov 2010 23:56:09 +0000http://www.intheav.com/blogs/newstoday/2010/11/21/interim-director-wants-to-axe-avta-investigationBy Fran Paolinelli LANCASTER - During the Antelope Valley Transit Authority’s Oct. 28 Special Board Meeting, directors voted unanimously to hire an investigator who is experienced in transit authority matters. Deborah Riley was chosen to investigate the allegations of misconduct and misuse of AVTA credit and travel cards and report to the board her findings. However, according to a report in the agenda for the Tuesday, Nov. 23 board meeting, Michael Busch, interim executive director, says he has completed an initial review of AVTA files and it is unnecessary to hire Riley to investigate anything. Riley was to conduct an independent, neutral investigation regarding allegations that former AVTA Executive Director Randy Floyd, former AVTA Administrative Services Manager Kim Hemperly and former AVTA Chief Finance Officer Esmyrna Agustin-Jorge violated state law and/or AVTA’s written policies in connection with the management of AVTA operations. Upon completion of her investigation, Riley was to prepare a written report of her findings and conclusions to the board. AVTA was to pay her an hourly rate of $235 for her services but Riley was not to receive reimbursements or payment of expenses. However, if the investigation took more than 50 hours, Riley would have to provide AVTA a list of any remaining tasks and the agency would decide whether she should proceed. Any information gathered during the investigation would be considered confidential and Riley could not release that information to anyone without permission of the AVTA. The recommendation by Busch that the agency not perform an investigation is very similar to an incident in Indio earlier this year involving Busch. According to an article in the Desert Sun Newspaper, Indio city employees had charged more than $805,000 for pricey meals, travel that took staff members across the country, professional sporting events and a trip for the city manager's wife — all on taxpayer-funded credit cards. “Use of credit cards continued despite the city's worsening economic conditions, which included a $9 million budget deficit, an early retirement offer to city employees, layoff warnings, and a pledge by (City Manager) Glenn Southard to ‘continue to operate in a fiscally prudent manner." A Desert Sun review of nearly 1,000 pages of credit card statements, however, shows that "through October, the city's 62 cardholders spent at least $43,000 more than they had during the same period last year.” Busch, who had worked with Southard, “was tasked with creating a ‘fiscal recovery plan’ that could include everything from a forensic financial audit to identifying positions for layoffs. And his work could be shielded from public scrutiny, given the attorney/client privilege clause in the proposed contract,” the article stated. As of press time, AV News has not been able to ascertain if any legal action was taken against anyone involved in the misuse of city credit cards in Indio, although sources say none was taken. The AVTA Board of Directors will meet at 10 a.m. in the Antelope Valley Transit Authority Board Room at 42210 Sixth St. West in Lancaster. www.avnewstodayonline.comSun, 21 Nov 2010 19:53:30 +0000http://www.intheav.com/blogs/newstoday/2010/11/20/was-av-transit-agency-board-asleep-at-the-wheelBy Tricia Tighe and Fran Paolinelli LANCASTER – Recently, three Antelope Valley Transit Authority administrators resigned amid allegations of misconduct and misappropriation of funds. however, the allegations and complaints were not news to the board of directors. Employees had been notifying them of problems at the agency for the past three years. The letters were dismissed as coming from disgruntled employees and nothing was ever done. However, this year things began to change with several board members questioning actions of AVTA administrators and demanding a better accounting of the agency’s spending and expenses. Suddenly, on Oct. 28, the executive director of AVTA, Randy Floyd, resigned. On that same day, two other administrators Kim Hemperly, administrative services manager, and Esmyrna Agustin-Jorge, chief financial officer also resigned. The announcement came at a special board meeting in which two board members, Mike Dispenza and Jim Ledford, did not attend. And with that announcement the story of what has been happening at the Valley’s transportation agency began to unravel. AVTA is a federally funded transit agency that provides bus services to the entire Antelope Valley. It is a partnership between the Los Angeles County and the cities of Palmdale and Lancaster. Because of this partnership the AVTA board consists of two people from each area. Norm Hickling, a field deputy of LA County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, and Michael Cano, a transportation deputy for Antonovich, represent Los Angeles County. Palmdale is represented by James Ledford, Jr., the city’s mayor for 20 years, and Mike Dispenza, a city councilmember for three terms. Lancaster has representatives Sherry Marquez, and Marvin Crist, who are city council members. Although Ledford and Dispenza have served on the transportation agency’s board for many years, Crist and Marquez are new. Lancaster was formerly represented by Councilman Ron Smith and then-Mayor Frank Roberts. Floyd and Hemperly worked for the city of Palmdale before their employment at AVTA. AV News has obtained copies of minutes of the agency’s meetings and discovered that the county began a closer scrutiny of the agency after the April 27 presentation of the proposed 2010-2011 budget. A proposed increase in salary for employees drew immediate objections from Cano. This time Ledford agreed with Cano. According to the minutes, the two men told Floyd that no one in their jurisdiction was offering raises and they believed it was not appropriate for AVTA to do so. However, Floyd told the board he wanted to leave the assumption of the raises in the budget while he worked with his staff on the issue so that AVTA would be consistent with what the jurisdictions recommend in their proposed budgets for 2010-2011. Employees and administrators were already receiving medical, dental, vision, life and long-term care insurance as well as short-term disability and long-term disability. And administrators didn’t and still don’t work on Fridays. Later, the board discovered that although Floyd had eliminated salary adjustments (raises), he did give the staff merit-based performance increases. Cano told Floyd when the board said, no raises, they meant no raises and demanded Floyd remove the merit increases as well. According to subsequent minutes, county representatives became concerned in late September about credit card and travel card spending - especially a $16,000 payment on the corporate credit card and the board began to demand a better accounting of agency spending. During the meetings, Cano and Hickling questioned Floyd about who had permission to use credit and travel cards. Cano requested monthly budget accounting instead of quarterly. He also requested credit card receipts rather than spreadsheets. In October, the three top administrators resigned unexpectedly. One of the three was seen leaving the agency’s offices on Sixth Street East after midnight the day before their resignations were announced. While examining the AVTA budget, AV News discovered numerous large increases. For instance, in 2009-2010 AVTA spent $138,700 on consultants. The proposed spending for consultants in 2010-2011 was $353,000 - an increase of 155 percent over the prior year’s budget. However, the budget and spending weren’t the only issues between the board and Floyd. Earlier in the year, Floyd wanted to end a contract with Veolia and make the maintenance and repair of the buses an in-house service. That meant that AVTA would be responsible for all repairs, maintenance, staffing those departments and taking over the liabilities associated with the take-over. Although insurance for the buildings, workman’s compensation insurance and a myriad of other costs would increase, Floyd promised a $240,000 savings from the first year alone. While board members from the cities at first seemed unconcerned about the change, the two members from county questioned the move. Cano said he had done a lot of extensive thinking about this issue. “I've discussed this with the Supervisor (Antonovich) and looked at other transit agencies throughout the area, especially the ones the county has partnered with. The thing that keeps coming to me, besides going into specific details, questions, and issues about the documentation, is that this would be purely a discretionary action. We don't have our backs up against the wall and we're not in a situation where there are no contractors available,” Cano said. “If you look back to where we were a few years ago and where we had near failures from the California Highway Patrol inspections, we had questions if there were other contractors out there. This board took a leap of faith in a sense to keep contracting as our model, where we started with and found Veolia. Since then, we have gone from being this close to being shut down by the CHP to having a functional transit agency,” Cano said. Cano said he did not feel it was necessary to switch to in-house and that it should be seen as a last resort. “You give up so much control and ability to keep the board safe, keep the jurisdictions safe from the issues that come with in-house,” he added. According to the meeting minutes, Cano enumerated the many agencies across Southern California that use Veolia as a contractor. He also pointed out that a lot of those agencies have a contractor model not an in-house model and that Northern San Diego took 20 years to get out of its in-house model that wasn’t working and put in a contractor model that does. Ledford disagreed, saying, “Reality shows there is $240,000 potential savings. The model that almost failed and sent us into this drastic step was the contract model.” Ledford then gave his endorsement of Floyd. “I have a lot of faith in Randy…We have an opportunity to put Randy in charge that will mean greater accountability and better results,” Ledford said. According to the minutes, Hickling said that at the last board meeting Floyd had said that everything was better with Veolia recently. Hickling also pointed out that if Floyd couldn’t manage one contract, then how was he going to manage all the issues that come up from being responsible for everything? Hickling also said he was concerned that no study had been done recently, so they were being asked to make a major change of how they’re running things based on very little information. Ledford again disagreed. “This is not a new issue. I'm willing to delve into the investigation, if that's where you want to go. Randy does have greater accountability when he’s in control versus a contract. Money in savings is worthy of consideration…. I find it very odd why we'd want to defend bad performance,” Ledford said. Dispenza agreed with Ledford. “I come from another side of this. Only in government would you argue about something that says we will save $240,000 and not want to do it. In my business, if someone comes to me and says they can save me $240,000. I'll be shaking your hand and giving you a party,” Dispenza said. “But before you gave that party you would ask them to prove it,” Hickling said. Dispenza said that he thought Floyd had already done that. “We've been looking at this thing for many years,” Dispenza said. “I believe it because there's no contract here.” What I'm seeing, since I've been here for a long time, the difference we have right now is not Veolia, it's the people they have working. They're very good. They are doing their job. They may not be here forever either. So you can't say that everything is going to stay the same whether we have a contractor or whether we are in-house. It doesn't work like that. They change too. We have a good group here. They're willing to work with us and that's something we haven't had,” Dispenza said. Ledford again stated his thoughts on the matter. “I have a high degree of confidence in Randy,” he told the county representatives. Floyd told the board that the agency was already in a process of trying to bring in a consultant. Marquez warned Floyd that if it’s a failure they’re going to hold him accountable it would be on his shoulders. When Floyd agreed with that, Marquez said, “ I would say that at this point, having two years batted this around quite a bit and come to the point where we are today. Because the questions that I'm hearing are basically what we've heard and discussed before. So, I would say that I would go ahead and move that we approve and go forward.” Crist seconded the motion. Interestingly, the board was voting on whether to amend the contract with Veolia, however, Dispenza had just stated there was no contract. He also had just said that the contracted people were good and doing their job. But because these people may not stay forever, the agency should get rid of them and go in-house. After Floyd, Hemperly and Agustin-Jorge resigned on Oct. 28, Crist recommended the board hire Deborah Riley who works for a firm that is experienced in investigations of transit authorities and who has no ties to any of the AVTA’s three jurisdictions. The board also approved hiring Michael Busch, president of Urban Futures, to serve as interim executive director. Busch has reportedly worked in city government for many years, including positions in Lancaster, Indio and Claremont. www.avnewstodayonline.com Sat, 20 Nov 2010 05:10:46 +0000http://www.intheav.com/blogs/newstoday/2010/09/29/city-council-approves-urgency-ordinance-prohibiting-criminal-street-gangs-from-city-eventsBy Fran Paolinelli LANCASTER – What began as heated discussion of a proposed urgency ordinance Tuesday night, ended with two unlikely groups getting together to solve a problem. Lancaster City Council members Marv Crist, Sherry Marquez and Ken Mann with Mayor R. Rex Parris were scheduled to discuss and pass an ordinance that would amend the city code to prohibit criminal street gangs from attending city events. The change in the ordinance would “prohibit members of a criminal street gang from attending or being physically present at a city event with the intent of publicizing criminal street gang dominance over a territory to control it or keep others out or to conceal on going criminal activity,” said City Attorney David McEwen. “We’ve carefully crafted the section so we focused, not them being present, but being there with the intent to do certain criminal things,” McEwen added. Some of those crimes included murder, rape, looting, assault, possession of firearms, illegal drugs, etc. The groups would have to be engaged in specific course of conduct, Parris said. “Does it apply to groups that are just flying their colors?” Crist asked McEwen said it did not apply to these groups. However, the ordinance was challenged by members of motorcycle clubs who filled the council chambers saying that it would infringe on their constitutional rights. Also in attendance was an attorney who said he represented bikers’ rights and that the ordinance was unconstitutional. “Which group do you represent? The rapists, the murderers, the drug dealers. Which group do you represent? …This ordinance is very clear that this ordinance is directed at those groups that engage in a consistent pattern of robbery, rape, murder, extortion, mayhem and the list goes on, and now there is an attempt to come up and claim it is every motorcycle group,” Parris said. The groups, which the ordinance is focused on, are certain groups that terrorize our neighborhoods, he added. Attorney Norman Fernandez said that members of the motorcycle groups should have the right to liberty and justice. “I do not support liberty and justice for rapists, murders, drug dealers, extortionist and thieves. I want them out of my community,” said Parris. Parris reminded the attorney that nowhere in the ordinance did it mention motorcycle clubs. Fernandez also said it would give unfettered discretion to law enforcement. “This is unconstitutional,” he added. However, McEwen said there was a precondition that they would have to be a member of a criminal street gang…three or more people who have engaged in criminal activity. If they haven’t engaged in criminal activity, it doesn’t apply and they can’t be hassled. Motorcycle club members spoke out against the ordinance, fearing that it would be abused. Many said the clubs had no criminal records here in the Antelope Valley and that they were not a menace to society. Parris agreed that the ordinance was probably too broad and that he wanted it to go back to the Justice Commission to rework it. During the meeting, a disturbance broke out in the audience by a few motorcycle club members. Parris pounded the gavel loudly and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies had to escort the man creating the disturbance outside. Afterwards, Bob Fulbright, a member of the Vagos Motorcycle Club, spoke about being stopped by deputies. The first was a routine stop, he said, but the second resulted in his head being slammed into a police car. “I’ve done a lot for this community,” Fulbright said encouraging deputies to work and communicate with the motorcycle groups. “Up here in the Mojave Desert we have made a practice to get along,” he added. Fulbright said the groups are allowed to wear their soft patches – tee shirts – at Thunder on the Lot. Parris replied that he didn’t think that would be a problem in the city of Lancaster. “This really is something I really want to resolve,” Parris told Fulbright. “I’ll tell you what I am planning. We have the Streets of Lancaster coming up and so I need an ordinance for that. After that, I’m going to ask that it go back to the Justice Commission and be rewritten and I would love to have you involved in that process,” Parris said. Parris also said that if Fulbright was going to attend the Lancaster events, he would like for him to be involved in the ordinance rewriting process early. “The only thing I want to accomplish is that these families will be absolutely safe,” Parris added. Fulbright agreed. “I don’t want to be ringing my hands after the 14-year-old is dead,” Parris said referring the a recent gang shooting that left a 14 year old Lancaster girl dead. The council voted 4 to 0, with Councilman Ron Smith absent, in favor of the urgency ordinance. www.avnewstodayonline.comWed, 29 Sep 2010 14:32:27 +0000http://www.intheav.com/blogs/newstoday/2010/09/16/citizens-say-sheriff-s-department-guilty-of-racial-profilingBy Fran Paolinelli Palmdale -- There were no names and no addresses allowed and leaders advised everyone to remain calm in what they described as an emotional time. Following an announcement of the results of the Merrick Bobb Report on black and Hispanic arrests in Antelope Valley, some community members got together to form the “Merit Commission.” The commission is a citizen-oversight organization whose goals are to “work on positive change and communication to embrace the mission of community trust policing of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.” According to the report, there is a large number of arrests for “obstruction or contempt of cop.” Darren Parker, president of the Antelope Valley Human Relations Commission, said that there are “numerous and increasing reports of over-zealous policing from both communities.” A series of “Town Hall” meetings began Wednesday night to address those issues. During that meeting, people spoke about their experiences with deputies that patrol Antelope Valley. Most claimed their experiences with the sheriff’s department were the result of racial profiling. One woman, who said she and her boyfriend had been set up by Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies, also claimed deputies stripped searched her and then placed her in a patrol car for about an hour. It turns out, that the woman is a member of the Denver Lane Blood gang that was recently target by deputies in both Lancaster and Palmdale. She was arrested at the time but has since been released. Her boyfriend, also a member of the violent gang, is still in jail. A man said he was cited because he didn’t have a business license. Another woman said deputies came into her house illegally with guns drawn and asked where the guns and drugs were and about the man that lived there. She also said they questioned her daughter illegally. Jonathan Ervin ,a former candidate for the Lancaster City Council, was one of the people who lined up to speak about their experiences. “No one is immune to racial profiling. I was walking down the street and the sheriff’s truck drove past, stopped and backed up,” Ervin said. When the deputy said Ervin looked like someone they had a warrant for and asked for identification, Ervin said he provided his driver’s license and said that he must not have done a very good job of letting people know he was running for a seat on the city council. One woman said she was singled out by a school deputy, who claimed that the woman had grabbed the sign from a crossing guard and struck the guard with the sign. “I was not charged, but my Section 8 was taken away,” she said. One man gave a political speech, urging the audience to vote out of office those that are giving deputies orders to target black people. “No one is going to do anything about this so you are wasting your time,” he said. Another man, told people to use their cell phones when they saw deputies and take photos of what the deputies did and to stand up to the deputies. During the entire meeting, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Capt. Bobby Denham, of the Palmdale Station, and Capt. Axel Anderson, of the Lancaster Station, were seated on the stage with commission leaders. And although, the commission leaders said their goal is to "work on positive change and communication", neither Capt. Denham or Capt. Anderson was allowed to speak or communicate on the issues at any time. However, AV News was able to obtain some statistics for Part I Crimes ‘Suspects By Race’ from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The numbers, from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2009, are provided in a chart below. The grand total of Part I crimes by race is: Black-1,587. Hispanic – 628. White – 637. The next “Town Hall” meeting is scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Brunswick Bowling Conference Room, 43233 Sierra Highway in Lancaster. Another meeting is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. at the Livingstone Cathedral of Worship at 37721 100th St. East in Littlerock Please go to: http://www.avnewstodayonline.com/LancasterPageLASheriffRacialProfile.html for statistics and photo's Thu, 16 Sep 2010 14:27:21 +0000http://www.intheav.com/blogs/newstoday/2010/08/26/the-war-on-crimeBy Tom Bryant AV News Editor The war on crime has stepped up a bit in both cities and we're glad to see it. Day after day readers can see where our law enforcement is out there conducting criminal sweeps throughout the communities. From traffic stops to parole sweeps, the war on crime is heating up and it is an ongoing process. The AV News continuously reports on the war on crime here in the Antelope Valley. It is amazing to see how the cities here in the Antelope Valley continuously pour resources into our Sheriff's department to deliver the "one, two" punch needed to keep gang members heads down. It doesn't do any good to go out now and then and conduct a sweep here and there. It takes the dedication seen today by our Sheriff's department to continuously sweep through the communities and let the criminals know that when they rise up, the Sheriff's department will be there to knock them back down. It is merely my opinion but the war on crime must be seen tactically the same as in any war. Hit them, hit them again, and hit them yet again until they cease their preying upon our citizens. Crime and gang violence is homegrown terrorism, what other name can you put on it? Criminals terrorize the very citizens who send their young off to fight on foreign shores or work within our community to rebuild our cities. Businesses must survive to support our economy and they are targeted by criminals and gang members who fail to, or refuse to make an honest living. Terrorism Defined: Legal Dictionary Main Entry: ter·ror·ism Pronunciation: 'ter-&r-"i-z&m Function: noun 1 : the unlawful use or threat of violence esp. against the state or the public as a politically motivated means of attack or coercion 2 : violent and intimidating gang activity terrorism > — ter·ror·ist /-ist/ adj or noun — ter·ror·is·tic /"ter-&r-'is-tik/ adjective We cut and paste this definition directly from our resource dictionary to prove a point. In definition 1 and 2, the reader can see that there is no difference between what the educated minds who wrote the definition believe terrorism to be as we the public believe it to be. Terrorism is violence used against the weak and innocent. Crime and gang violence sends communities into hiding. Locking themselves into their homes, arming themselves and becoming a defensive fortress. Gone are the days that homes could openly enjoy windows and doors open, sitting on the porch late at night or taking late night walks to enjoy the night air. Fear and intimidation has become part of our lives. The war on crime in the Antelope Valley is a frontal assault on these criminals and gang members who have caused this negative evolution in our lives. Between the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the Cities of Lancaster and Palmdale, the war on crime must continue to assault these criminals who would take your life at any instance. These organizations have realized that "talk is cheap" and it's time to "put up or shut up" and the powers that be have decided to "put up". Each and every time we give a pass, warning to criminals, it is taken as a weakness and the cities have realized that and have opened a major front against these people. Lancaster city mayor R. Rex Parris has let it be known that criminals and gang members are not welcomed in his city and directs law enforcement to act accordingly within the legal limits and it has been effective. Some say lawsuits follow and this type of behavior by the mayor must stop. However, if lawsuits are what we must endure to give our children and grandchildren a safe future then we must all stand behind him and let those groups know that threatening lawsuits and filing lawsuits will not scare us off. After all, don't they have to win? Isn't it about time that we as a people allow the majority rule once again? Just a thought. Recently the city of Lancaster has also decided that it may file suit to stop the mountain of Section 8 that is pouring into its city. Statistics show that more Section 8 is being pushed into Lancaster then anyplace else. We believe that this is the right move as Section 8 has become notorious for crime. It is unfortunate that those in the Section 8 system that bust their butts everyday to do the right thing and raise their families are rolled up into this system. The people that oversee the Section 8 program need to be held accountable for an out of control system that has caused this to happen. The City of Lancaster's stand against this system is a first step into bringing our cities back into the prime they once were but only a first step. We can all do our part in assisting local law enforcement by using "Crimestoppers" or just contacting your local law enforcement and report crime in your area. Its time to stop being afraid of our neighborhoods and support those who are out on the front lines daily to give those neighborhoods back to us. Continued sweeps, DUI check points, tougher zoning laws, objections to Section 8 and tougher sentencing guidelines will give this community back to the people who support it. When a population is afraid to venture out into the public it hurts us all. When businesses close up and leave due to crime, when people fail to shop locally due to crime, when we as a people believe that the rights of a criminal or gang members outweighs the rights of our grandparents, parents and family who have been victimized, we are truly headed in the wrong direction. It takes an entire community to wage war on criminals and street gangs. Whether it's the city Code Enforcement Officers, Police, Sheriff, Parole or CHP, they all do their part and it's time we do ours. Report crime and stop being victimized. Become educated and take part in the many programs offered by our law enforcement and city officials to educate us on what the war on crime is doing and what we can do to help. For any questions, call your local Sheriff's department and be part of what's right with the Antelope Valley. Here is my opinion, I welcome yours http://www.avnewstodayonline.com/ViewBlvd.html Thu, 26 Aug 2010 21:40:27 +0000http://www.intheav.com/blogs/newstoday/2010/08/26/the-conservative-curmudgeonBirth Control Revisited By Harry Brodock It is very pleasing to receive comment and/or criticism on something the author has written. The subject of the comments was the column on attempting to deal with the societal problem of teenage mothers and unwed mothers. So to answer some of the generated questions, this follow-on is delivered. One individual seems to not have heard of implantable contraceptives such as Norplant, which is effective for five years at a time, and commented on the problems with always having to take the pill. For implants, one need not worry about having to remember, and implanted contraceptives are proven safe. So that argument goes away. What about constitutional rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? The implanted female has not lost her life. Liberty is still there, and she can still pursue happiness. If the reader is defining happiness as having the right to consensual sex, then that is not interfered with. If happiness is defined as having the right to go through the pregnancy process, and possibly change the educational and financial future of the happiness seeker, then that happiness would be removed. Also the need to provide for another mouth to feed without the benefit of a ‘true’ family is eliminated. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) argues that a woman’s reproductive rights not be interfered with. Since when do unwed teenagers have reproductive rights? Voting rights happen at 18, and alcohol consumption is usually legal at 21, so why is pregnancy seen as legal and right at 12 to 13? If a paternity test for every present child of an unwed teenage mother would be required, then responsibility morally, legally and financially would be determined. No, there would be no involuntary marriage laws, but there would be levied a mandatory monetary amount from the sperm donor to ‘help’ with the work product until the work product has reached adulthood.. And failure to provide that monetary amount could result in involuntary servitude in a governmental institution or program, like cleaning roads or beaches. With the removal of the possibility of pregnancy, then teenage sex will expand exponentially? Not if we enforce statutory rape laws already in existence. All right, you say! There is just no way that we can have every possible teenage couple monitored. And there has been little success to date with the argument of abstinence in the presence of blatant sexual advertising and media. We are dealing with humans here, and humans are unpredictable. Since we do not have the resources to keep teens apart, and they will not willingly stop having sex, then society must remove the possibility of the secondary result of having sex (having children). Now there are those of you who may not agree that the primary purpose of sex is to have children, but I must insist on that. All this talk about having sex for pleasure! Who hasn’t watched the National Geographic Channel and seen elephants mating? Does that really look like they are having fun? Just because we as a society have gone from productive to reproductive as our daily goal does not mean that this must continue. But what about the possibility of the increase of STDs? (For those of you in Rio Linda, those are Sexually Transmitted Diseases, or you might know them as VD). Well, if you have the paternity problem removed from the relationship, then that will allow the female to list all of her encounters without risk of having the sperm donor run and hide, and thus treatment can follow. Actual progress could be made. And the number of violators of the statutory rape laws can be determined and measures taken. Another sidetrack…. Why can’t we apply the same philosophy to the male half of the equation? Well, WE CAN! Once an implantable contraceptive for males has been developed to the equivalent status of its female counterpart, then the second half of the argument could be accomplished. Implant all post-puberty males until they have married. Then remove the implant until/if a divorce happens. Then the implant is replaced because there is no longer a need for an unwed male to produce children. The question of lesbian and gay couples arose. Well, if one of the gay partners becomes pregnant because of lifestyle, then that becomes a write-off. If one or both members of a lesbian couple become pregnant somehow, then the situation is not really problematic. The situation would involve a sperm bank or a married male of some type. Let’s let them work out the logistics. It boils down to this. While you may have the best of intentions and will not even think of contributing to the growing population of Southern California, you cannot trust the person sitting/standing next to you. All possibility of the aforementioned unplanned pregnancies MUST be eliminated. And the world will be a better place, with a higher quality of life for all. Harry Brodock is a columnist for the AV News and offers his opinions monthly. You can keep up with Harry at: http://www.avnewstodayonline.com/OpinionBrodock.htmlThu, 26 Aug 2010 03:44:35 +0000http://www.intheav.com/blogs/newstoday/2010/08/13/raids-continue-in-palmdale-as-crime-assessment-center-is-deployed-for-the-first-timeBy Fran Paolinelli and Tom Bryant Palmdale -- In Palmdale Station’s continual fight to further drive down the crime rate in the Antelope Valley; they have teamed up with the Sheriff’s Department’s Crime Assessment Center (CAC) and the Crime Analysis Program (CAP), to implement a pilot program that will aid in future policing. Palmdale Station worked with members from both the CAC and CAP conducting an in depth study from January to Current of two reporting districts in the Palmdale Station area deemed to be the most active. Their research identified that the area had the following criminal elements; -220 Active Parolees. ·10 Section 8 Residents with outstanding arrest warrants. ·Year to Date, 528 residents had been arrested for various crimes within those districts. ·46 Robberies, 47 Narcotics Arrests, and 23 Assaults with Deadly Weapons. ·25 Armed and Unarmed Robberies in the last three months have all had similar suspect descriptions. Aided with this information as well as an onsite Crime Assessment Unit, 66 Deputies will be divided into 7 teams to target 350 active arrest warrants in the area, 33 parole and probation locations, and 10 section 8 locations. Deputies will also be conducting saturation patrols both in marked units, bicycles, and motor units to gain intelligence and identify potential suspects in the recent rash of robberies. This operation will focus on the area comprised in the boundaries of Ave Q to Ave R and from 10th Street West to 20th Street East. The information gathered during the contacts made by deputies will, for the first time, be “Real-Time” and processed by the on-scene Crime Assessment Unit to identify correlation to recent criminal activity. “It’s truly an honor that we’re seeing the latest in high tech law enforcement unveiled right here in Palmdale,” said Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford. “It’s certainly appropriate because not only are our Sheriff’s the finest in the world, but also because Palmdale has always been on the cutting edge in some of the world’s most advanced technologies, especially in the aerospace field.” Palmdale Station captain Commented, “This is an exciting step in the advancement of technology as it relates to law enforcement. I am very excited that Palmdale Station is able to implement another first in modern day policing here in Palmdale.” Similar real-time operations have been slated to occur throughout the Antelope Valley in the near future. Palmdale Deputies Stage Raids By Fran Paolinelli and Tom Bryant Palmdale -- Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputies assigned to the Palmdale station staged raids into an area of Palmdale Thursday night. Almost 70 deputies deployed into the area between 10th street west and 20th street east, Avenue Q to Avenue R in what Lt. Gregg called a "quality of life issue". The Palmdale station received some help Thursday with the "Crime Assessment Center" which was deployed from Headquarters to the Palmdale area. The 40 foot trailer was being manned during the operations and the operations are expected to continue until late into the evening. The system gives deputies "real time Intelligence" into the arrests, crime and incidents within the area saturated by deputies and is another modern tool used by the Palmdale station to continue bringing crime down. Updates to follow As of 7:15PM Thursday night deputies had arrested 23 subjects on various crimes including robbery, burglary, narcotics alcohol violations and warrants. www.avnewstodayonline.com Fri, 13 Aug 2010 03:14:19 +0000http://www.intheav.com/blogs/newstoday/2010/08/12/ervin-case-moves-forward-judge-sets-trial-date-against-city-of-lancasterLancaster -- Jonathan Ervin, former candidate for the Lancaster City Council, legally challenged the outcome of the election results in Los Angeles Superior Court. Ervin cited alleged discrepancies in the voting procedures, process, handling of the ballots, ability of constituents to find voting places and the violation of other serious election protocols such as possible candidate access to the ballots before the counting process. The court heard the arguments supporting Ervin’s claim on August 11 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles and ruled that the case will go forward and the trial date is set for December 13. Ervin's allegations include First and 14th Amendment rights of citizens were grossly violated; City clerk certified an out-of –area candidate for election; immediately following election, city clerk told candidate she was ineligible; and absentee ballots left unsecured and in the presence of an incumbent. Ervin charges that the city’s chief election officer administered the April 13, election with such negligence and impropriety that the rights of the citizens were trampled under the First and Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution. “I feel that the clerk’s negligence disenfranchised over 2,000 voters from casting a vote for a qualified candidate,” Ervin said. In addition, Ervin’s attorney, Alex Aaretakis, charges an incumbent candidate was in the same room as absentee ballots strewn about a hallway totally unsecured causing a breach in the chain of custody. Complaints were also lodged about the election officer censoring candidates’ biographies in the voting manual. www.avnewstodayonline.com Thu, 12 Aug 2010 04:21:41 +0000http://www.intheav.com/blogs/newstoday/2010/08/11/lancaster-mayor-accompanies-law-enforcement-on-raidsBy Fran Paolinelli Lancaster -- Driving through the darkened streets of Lancaster Tuesday morning, I wondered what top secret event was taking me to the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds long before sunrise. The only information we had been given was to be at the Poppy Pavilion by 4 a.m. Reaching the intersection of 20th Street West and Avenue H, I glanced over toward the northbound 14 Freeway off ramp. Cars, lots of cars, mostly black and white Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department patrol cars, were exiting the freeway and heading toward the fairgrounds. Cresting the top of the overpass, I looked down at the large parking lot of the fairgrounds and realized – this indeed was something big! The parking lot was filled with patrol and detectives cars. And more were coming behind me. What was the Sheriff’s Department planning, I wondered. Inside the Poppy Pavilion, usually filled with festive decorations for community events, I saw hundreds of deputies, detectives and parole agents mingling among the tables and chairs set up to deal with the day’s activities. Only truly something big would bring so many law enforcement personnel out this early and this far north into LA County. That something, we quickly learned, was a concentrated effort to eradicate one of the most violent gangs that had this past year begun to call Antelope Valley their home. The Pasadena Denver Lane Bloods had moved their operations to the Antelope Valley and their goal was to take over and control the local drug trade. Violence was their trademark. They were even brazen enough to shoot a deputy. The sheriff’s department and local officials had had enough and decided to act. Almost 500 strong, the deputies, federal and parole agents spread out over the Valley with federal warrants to arrest 23 gang members. Each team was assigned a specific house and at exactly 6 a.m. they knocked on 80 doors at the same time. Their good morning greeting: “This is the sheriff’s department. We have a federal warrant. Open up.” Those who were slow to open their doors received an extra wake up call – a flash bang grenade thrown through a window and a battering ram opening the door for them. Before the morning was over, 16 known gang members were in federal custody, one was giving himself up and the other six were expected to be taken into custody shortly. The Pasadena Denver Lane Bloods were through in AV. “Today, we’ve witnessed the eradication of a violent street gang,” said Chief Neal Tyler after the operation was completed and the gang members in custody and on their way to jail. Tuesday’s action came after at least a year of investigation work, Tyler said. Along with the arrests on federal warrants, another 27 people were arrested for various crimes or parole violations including possession of cocaine, cocaine for sale, marijuana for sale and ecstasy for sale. At one home, deputies discovered $11,000 in cash. Rock cocaine with a street value of $10,000 and a handgun were found at another home. The man with the cocaine and handgun told deputies he was on SSI - a federal income supplement program designed to help aged, blind and disabled people who have little or no income. It provides cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing and shelter. Along with the arrests of gang members, the Department of Children Services had removed four children from homes unfit for children to live in, according to Lt. Erik Ruble of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department’s Operation Safe Streets. Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris, who accompanied the deputies Tuesday morning, said the viciousness of the gang could not be understated. “If they were willing to shoot a deputy, they are not afraid to shoot anyone,” Parris said. After the operation was completed, Parris said, “Now gangs are afraid to live here. We want to crush them and drive them from our town.” Parris also cited how safe the operation was because no one got hurt. “The (gang) houses were taken down in minutes,” Parris said. He then advised any remaining gang members, “There are better places (for gangs) to live than here because all we want to do is hurt you.” http://www.avnewstodayonline.com/LancasterPageGangRaids.html We watched a violent street gang become extinct in Lancaster and Palmdale today. The Lancaster City Mayor rode along and watched as the Sheriff's department took it to them. We appreciate your feedback. Wed, 11 Aug 2010 01:42:38 +0000http://www.intheav.com/blogs/newstoday/2010/07/23/okay-aclu-where-are-you-an-av-news-commentaryWith all of the "Intervention" by the ACLU, just where are they? A.C.L.U. - WHERE ARE YOU? The ACLU has in the past shown that they want to interpret the U.S. Constitution. One part in particular is the separation of Church and State. Because of that, there can be no Christian activities on state/government supported schools. There can be no renting of facilities for Christian activities as well as restrictions of the use and display of Christmas materials. O.K. A.C.L.U. - Where are you? Many, many schools are bending over backward (forward) to make sure that Muslim children have times to pray. They have set aside rooms and prayer mats for the purpose. This practice is being done despite the fact that a religion is being allowed in a public school system. What the hell is the difference? Is a Muslim more important that a Christian? Are we afraid to offend? So what if they do not get to pray five times a day? Adapt! What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the camel.! ACLU – get off your dead butts and fix this or stay out of the way! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Speaking of that? The Identity Problem. We can solve a lot of difficulties by starting something that the Germans and the Russians did and probably still do. “Where Are Your Papers?” at the time was something to fear. But in this day of not knowing just who your neighbor is, or just who is getting on the airplane with you, the country needs a good, secure ID Card, and requiring everyone over the age of, say 16, to carry it at all times in public. Technology is such that such a card can readily be produced in a secure manner. What about privacy? What privacy? When you leave your residence, you no longer can expect privacy. There are too many television cameras and monitors for you to expect that you can remain ‘out of sight’. And if you are doing nothing wrong, then why would you be worried about privacy? But if you are trying to hide something, then someone else needs to know, So when asked, bring out your National ID Card, show it when asked, and go on with your life. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - and finally... The DUI Problem… Back East, a man has been told by the court that he has been permanently forbidden from driving a motor vehicle because of his history of driving under the influence of alcohol. In fact, this individual has been permanently banned from driving SIX TIMES! Just how are we to deal with this situation? What if your wife or child or husband were victims of a vehicle accident caused by this individual? Would you be accepting and merciful? Or would you take things to the point of making this individual room temperature? For all intents and purposes, the legal system just does not have a solution to this. After all, alcoholism is a disease, and you cannot punish someone for their disability. The case is open. By all means, if you have a suggestion or recommendation to make this situation go away, let’s hear it. Higher gas price is one of the lesser reasons why the author tries not to expose him and his family to the roads and traffic. It’s dangerous out there when we can’t seem to keep the drunks off the road. There! I said it. Drunks! Not alcoholics! Drunks. Make the first offense loss of vehicle. That would be a good start. Mr. Brodock was a Vietnam combat pilot and respected columnist with the AV News. You can read Mr. Brodock's column weekly at the AV News: http://www.avnewstodayonline.com/OpinionBrodock.html This is just our opinion, we welcome yours.Fri, 23 Jul 2010 21:16:23 +0000http://www.intheav.com/blogs/newstoday/2010/07/21/antelope-valley-tea-party-to-rally-in-support-of-arizonaBy Fran Paolinelli Palmdale -- Antelope Valley’s Tea Party Patriots will gather at the corner of Rancho Vista Boulevard and 10th Street West at the McDonald’s restaurant from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, July 24. The group, made up of about 100 members, invites everyone to join them while they show their support for SB1071, Arizona’s new law on illegal immigration. “We fully support Arizona and their implementing their new law on July 29,” said Edward Sandoval, media organizer for the group. Sandoval also said the groups is encouraging everyone to vote. “The upcoming elections are very important,” Sandoval said. Saturday’s rally at McDonald’s is not the first for the group. “We have already held four different rallies at McDonald’s. They are very supportive,” Sandoval said. For more information about the rally or the Tea Party Patriots, call Sandoval at (661) 860-0945. www.avnewstodayonline.com We would like to have a "point, counterpoint" in reference to rally's. Are they good, do they help at all, or hinder?Wed, 21 Jul 2010 01:28:29 +0000http://www.intheav.com/blogs/newstoday/2010/07/08/deputies-arrest-16-for-panhandling-loitering-in-home-depot-parking-lotLancaster - Los Angeles County Sheriff’s CORE and TOP team members conducted two raids of the Lancaster Home Depot parking lot and took 16 people into custody Thursday morning. The raids were done because of complaints received by Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich’s office. “There we reports of aggressive panhandling and even minor assaults,” said Deputy Mike Rust. “People were being assaulted or in fear of being assaulted,” he said. In the first raid held early in the morning, deputies chased and arrested 13 males – most in the 20s and 30s. In a later raid, three men were arrested. “Most of them did not have valid identification so we will take them to the station and wait for them to be identified. If they can provide proper identification, they will be cited for panhandling and loitering and then released,” Rust said. Anyone not able to provide proper identification will be turned over to the immigration department, Rust added. Asked whether the Sheriff’s Department will conduct other sweeps of the area, Rust said that it depends on if there are any more complaints. “It’s not just a Lancaster problem,” he said. “It is a statewide issue. People congregate in parking lots asking for money.” We tend to agree with the Sheriff's Department and the City of Lancaster leaders on this. Our town, if it's going to be safe, has to be safe for everyone to shop or visit localities without this type of problem...that's our opinion, we welcome yours. www.avnewstodayonline.comThu, 08 Jul 2010 21:18:34 +0000