San Bernardino Press MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 2015 - JANUARY 25, 2015
sanbernardinopress.com
Bullet-Train Between LA and SF Needed? SB Airport Official Says No By NICK KIPLEY When construction started on the 605 Freeway in 1963, the population of the entire State of California was roughly what the population of the Los Angeles mega-region is today; therefore, California’s freeway system now far exceeds the number of commuters it was originally planned for, even though it effectively connects our many different regions. Following the recent election, voters have demanded a greener future, allowing space for new arguments in California’s old transportation debate to take root. The old model of, “just build more highways,” doesn’t seem a viable and sustainable solution for the future. Part of Governor Jerry Brown’s vision of transportation reform for the state involves linking the Bay with the Basin via high-speed rail in order to not just take pressure off of the interstate system, but to unburden the short haul flight between L.A. and San Francisco —the busiest such flight nationwide. Part of the appeal of the high speed rail program seems
to be a cut back of the amount of new roads and runways that would have to be added in order to accommodate future growth. Rather than make, “everything all grey,” as Brown said in a recent speech, the Governor hopes that the rail line will provide a more efficient, greener, alternative to ones the state has depended upon in the past. Brown’s critics can’t see where the money for such a huge public work’s project will come from. Brown himself doesn’t seem to know; he admitted at the groundbreaking ceremony for the project in Fresno: “I wasn’t quite sure where the hell we were going to get the rest of the money.” He added, “But, don’t worry about it. We’re going to get it.” The bullet train will definitely be a relief for freeway traffic, but is it really needed to relieve surrounding airports from the LA – San Francisco flight? According to officials at John Wayne Airport, Bob Hope Airport, and San Bernardino International Airport, it is not. According to local airports,
military veteran in his 50s or 60s, came out of his home and started firing. He hit the truck three times, witnesses told the paper. Lieutenant Richard Lawhead of the San Bernardino Police Department told the Sun that no injuries were reported Please see page 2
Please see page 4
Gov. Jerry Brown - Photo by Terry Miller
their ability to handle passengers and air traffic effectively is secure: they certainly have the collective space to compensate travelers into the region until Brown can secure funding for the bullet-train. Victor Gill of Bob Hope Airport in Burbank claims that if airlines are able to keep their planes as busy as possible between LA and San Francisco, they would even cut flights elsewhere. Please see page 2
By Vickie Vértiz At about three in the afternoon on Sunday, police arrived on the 700 block of West 19th Street after several people called reporting gun shots fired, the Sun reported. According to the paper, several kids were in line waiting to buy ice cream at the truck, when the man, who was described as a
Significant Drops in Suspensions and Expulsions for Second Year in a Row State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today announced a dramatic 20 percent drop in the number of students expelled in 2013-14 and a 15.2 decline in the number of students suspended. This marks the second year in a row of declines in both areas. The new figures come at a time when the California Department of Education (CDE) is working with districts around the state to implement innovative programs that reduce suspensions and expulsions, including some known as “restorative justice.” “These numbers show that the work of the department, districts, teachers, parents, and students around the state is paying off by keeping more students in school and learning,” said Torlakson. “You can have the best facilities, the best teachers, and the best curriculum in the world, but none of that matters if students are not in school. That’s why we have put so much effort into increasing school attendance and reducing expulsions and suspensions and will continue to do so.” Statewide, 49,987 fewer students were suspended in 2013-14 compared to the year before, down 15.2 percent. The
Man Shoots Ice Cream Truck and Officers; Two Schools on Lockdown A man in San Bernardino barricaded himself inside his house for hours, creating a standoff that ended Sunday night. The house burst into flames and police then took the man into custody who was said to have shot at an ice cream truck and police officers, officials told the San Bernardino Sun.
VOLUME 2, NO. 3