MONDAY, JANUARY 26, 2015 - FEBRUARY 1, 2015
riversideindependent.com
VOLUME 2, NO. 4
Former city officials allegedly involved in Local Artist and Art embezzlement and toxic waste scandals by VICKIE VERTIZ AND NICK KIPLEY Collector Curate Exhibit at the RAM
channel, and its sister station, Fox Business Network. In the Los Angeles area alone, one of Dish’s largest markets, 500,000 subscribers went without the Fox channels.
The Riverside Art Museum (RAM) proudly presents The Art of Collecting: Recent Acquisitions and Pledged Gifts, running January 27 – March 25, 2015, with a free open-tothe-public Opening Reception on Thursday, February 5, from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. This exhibition, guest curated by artist Sue Mitchell and art collector Todd Wingate, features recently acquired art and pledged gifts. RAM has been a cornerstone of art and architecture in the Inland Empire region for more than sixty years, and this grouping of work, curated by two Riverside residents, will shed light into what our region has been collecting. Mirroring RAM’s diverse collection of approximately 1,500 objects, this exhibition will feature contemporary painting and photography, 18th and 19th century European prints, and California landscape watercolors. “Each year, the Riverside Art Museum is fortunate enough to add a rich variety of artwork to its permanent collection,” says Wingate. “Our goal is to educate visitors about the range of means that museums employ to obtain their permanent collection pieces.” The Art Museum’s current permanent collection of over 1500 pieces has been referred to by New York-based independent curator, Margaret
Please see page 4
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Former Riverside City Michael Beck and Siobhan Foster employees accused of involvements in Pasadena embezzlement and Riverside toxic waste scandal -Photo by Terry Miller
Two former Riverside city employees were fired from their positions “without cause” from the city of Pasadena on Tuesday, January 19, 2015 as they face a $6.4-million embezzlement case. Both are alleged to have fun-
neled money to a church where one employee had preached. Spokesman for the city William Boyer announced that Andrew Green, director of the finance department, and Siobhan Foster, director of the public
works department, were the terminated employees. Boyer confirmed the firings were related to the embezzlement charges. On suspicion of embezzling Please see page
Dish Network, Fox Negotiate Deal After Three Week Blackout by COURTNEY ALEXANDER Following a three week contract dispute and network blackout, Fox has returned to Dish Network, after the two parties came to a multi-year agreement. The blackout went into effect late on Saturday, Dec. 20, after Dish Network and Rupert
Murdoch’s Twenty-First Century Fox Inc. failed to come to an agreement on a new contract when the previous contract ended. 14 million Dish Network subscribers were left without Fox News Channel, cable TV’s number one watched news
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DUI Checkpoint Nets 8 Arrests Riverside Police Department Traffic Unit conducted a DUI/Driver's License checkpoint on January 16, 2015, at Van Buren Blvd. and Arlington Ave. between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. Checkpoints are placed in locations that have the greatest opportunity for achieving drunk and drugged driving deterrence and provide the greatest safety for officers and the public. DUI/Driver's License checkpoints have been shown to lower DUI deaths and injuries. A major component of these checkpoints are the deterrent effects it has on those who might drive drunk or drugged impaired, bringing about more awareness and encouraging everyone to use sober designated drivers. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), checkpoints have provided the most effective documented results of
any of the DUI enforcement strategies, while also yielding considerable cost savings of $6 for every $1 spent. Ninety Percent of California drivers approve of checkpoints. Results of the checkpoint: • 1398 Vehicles Screened • 6 DUI-Alcohol suspects arrested • 1 DUI-Drug impaired suspects arrested • 1 DUI-Alcohol and Drug suspect arrested • 25 Drivers cited/arrested for operating a vehicle while unlicensed • 17 Drivers cited/arrested for operating a vehicle while suspended/revoked • 54 Citations issued • 30 vehicles towed • We assisted 7 families by inspecting and instructing them on properly securing their children inside their vehicle by the use of car seats. Three car seats were provided free of charge to families who did not
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have proper child restraints for their children. Children left the checkpoint safer than they arrived. As part of the Riverside County Avoid DUI Task Force, the Riverside Police Department will be conducting another DUI/Driver's License Checkpoint in February 2015 and additional DUI saturation Patrol throughout the year in our ongoing commitment to lowering deaths and injuries upon our streets and highways. This checkpoint was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Report Drunk Drivers - Call 9-1 -1!
APCA Lunar Fest Jan. 31, 10a.m.-7p.m. Downtown Riverside, Mission Inn Ave. and Lemon St. Day of Food, Fun, and Family... Celebrating and commemorating the Asian Cultural Heritage in SoCal with a Parade, Live Performances, Music, Arts and Cultural Exhibits, Teas, Health Expo, Anime, Children's Village, Food and Fireworks Asian Dress Attire Most Welcomed Hosted by: Asian Pacific Cultural Association www.APCAsocal.org or http://lunarfestriverside.com/ event-101/
RAM exhibit Continued from page 1
Matthew Berenson, as “’a survey collection’…one that provides its audience a sweeping glimpse of the history of art.” “RAM continues to be the largest visual arts museum serving the Inland Empire,” says Mitchell, “and their ability to provide this art historical perspective is invaluable to the region.” A few of the artists whose work is in this exhibit are: Todd Walker, Jules Cheret, Douglas McCulloh, Suda House, Elke Zauner, Matthew Tyson, Jim Brown, Marco Casentini, Robert von Sternberg, and Darryl Curan. “Sue and Todd are on our acquisitions committee,” says RAM Executive Director Drew Oberjuerge. “They know our exhibition spaces, our permanent collection, our local artists and collectors, and this community. We appreciate their dedication, passion, and knowledge, as they share with you art collected in our region.” Related programming will
offer regional collectors insight into appraising, insuring, and gifting artwork, as well as the history behind the beloved tradition of collecting. RAM relies on the generosity of members and donors to support its exhibitions, education programs, and special events. A 60-plus-year-old, private, non-profit cultural arts institution housed in a National Historic 1929 building designed by Hearst Castle and AIA Gold Medal-winning architect Julia Morgan, the museum welcomes over 50,000 visitors a year. The museum is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Sunday, 12:00 noon – 4:00 p.m. For information on exhibits, events, classes, memberships, or sponsorship opportunities, visit www.RiversideArtMuseum.org. Find us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/riversideartmuseum), Twitter (RAMRiverside), Instagram (@riversideartmuseum), and Pinterest (www.pinterest.com/ramarts).
JANUARY 26, 2015 - FEBRUARY 1, 2015 | 3
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New CDE Fiscal Deputy Supe. Appointed State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson today named Nick Schweizer to the position of Deputy Superintendent for the Services for Administration, Finance, Technology, and Infrastructure Branch of the California Department of Education (CDE). “We are pleased to find an outstanding leader with a deep knowledge of education, the state budget, and fiscal issues,” said Torlakson. “Nick brings so much to the department. I look forward to working with him.” Schweizer has been at the California Department of Finance since 1998 and has served in a variety of roles, including overseeing and developing budget policies affecting K-12 education, community colleges, state universities, college financial aid, teacher credentialing, and child care. Schweizer also spent one year as executive director of the State Board of Education where he provided leadership and direction to the board members and staff. As Deputy Superintendent, Schweizer will oversee the CDE budget, accounting, information systems, personnel services; and assistance to local educational agencies for fiscal and business aspects of public schools. He replaces Jeannie Oropeza who recently became Deputy Secretary for Human Resources for the state Senate. For additional information on the CDE’s Services for Administration, Finance, Technology, and Infrastructure Branch please visit http://www.cde. ca.gov/
Firefighters Say You Only Have Two Minutes Imagine being sound asleep in the middle of the night when suddenly your smoke alarms start blaring. Your house is filling with smoke. Do you know what to do? According to our friends at the American Red Cross (ARC), Los Angeles Firefighters agree that people have about two minutes to escape a burning home. With this in mind, ARC created the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign to reduce the number of fire related deaths and injuries by up to 25 percent over the next five years. You can be a part of this movement by having a fire escape plan that includes the following: - Make sure all members of the household know how to get out of every room in the house;
- Pick a place outside where everyone can meet and be sure everyone knows where it is; - Practice waking up to smoke alarms, low crawling and meeting outside; - Practice your home fire drill until everyone in the house can do it in less than two minutes; and - Make sure everyone knows how to call '911'. The U.S. Fire Administration says people are at greater risk for home fires during the winter months. Now that the season is here, use ARC’s printable worksheet and begin planning; then check out this video from MySafeLAto learn how to conduct a fire drill with your family today!
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4 | JANUARY 26, 2015 - FEBRUARY 1, 2015
Network Dispute Continued from page 1
The terms of the contract have not been disclosed; however, sources close to the deal say that Dish has agreed to pay Fox $1.50 per subscriber per month, up from $1 per subscriber as per the previous contract. “We thank the viewers of Fox News and Fox Business and Dish customers for their patience throughout this process,” said Tim Carry, executive vice president of distribution for Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network, and Warren Schlichting, Dish senior vice president of programming, in a joint statement. The dispute was over contract fees. Each side blamed the
other for the blackout. Dish said that Fox was trying to include in the negotiations other channels that were not a part of the contract up for renewal. “It’s like we’re about to close on a house and the Realtor is trying to make us buy a new car as well,” said Warren Schlichting. “Fox blacked out two of its news channels, using them as leverage to triple rates on sports and entertainment channels that are not in this contract.” Fox said that Dish shutdown broadcasting before an agreement was made “in an attempt to intimidate and sway our negotiations.” Dish replaced Fox News
with Blaze, the news channel owned by Glenn Beck, and replaced Fox Business Network with CNBC. It would appear that Fox had the upper hand in the negotiations being the top rated cable TV news channel, and having a loyal customer base. According to Tim Carry, Dish Network lost an estimated 90,000 subscribers since the start of the battle. His estimate was based on the number of people who have contacted the www.keepfoxnews.com website, 888 numbers and other people who have directly contacted Dish Network. He also said that the site had garnered 22,000 emails and 7,000 phone
calls requesting that Dish return Fox News to its lineup. The Dish Network disagreement with Fox was only one of three within recent months. The other two disputes were with CBS Corp and Turner Broadcasting. In October, several Turner Broadcasting channels, including CNN and Cartoon Network were blacked out, returning on Nov. 21, after the two sides agreed to continue broadcasting for several months while an agreement is worked out. On Dec. 5, CBS blocked Dish from broadcasting the local channels owned by CBS Corp, before a deal was struck on Dec. 6.
Former Riverside city employees involved in scandals Continued from page 1
more than five million dollars from Pasadena, former Pasadena employee Danny Wooten and two friends were taken into custody in December. The embezzlement is suspected of occurring over the course of more than ten years. The Independent said that Wooten, who is 51, worked in the public works department where he is accused of using false invoices and forging signatures to funnel millions of dollars to churches where he was affiliated and other bank accounts under his name, ac-
cording to Los Angeles County prosecutors. In May of 2014, Pasadena officials brought in authorities once they discovered that $6.4 million in unauthorized payments were made from a utilities fund, the paper added. The ultimate destination of the funds has not been found and city officials are considering filing civil suits to recover them. This is not the first scandal involving Foster and Green. Foster first worked in Riverside as a management assistant in the office of the City Manager,
then became the Head of the Department of Public Works of Riverside, the same position she had in Pasadena. In 2010, Foster had a law suit filed against her by the City of Riverside Contracts Administrator for “bid rigging” and falsification of documents, according to the Pasadena Independent. Wooten and Tyrone Collins are both in custody and have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges. A third person, Melody Jenkins, 46, pleaded not guilty and is out free on bail. At a January 5th council meeting, Green and Foster presented Powerpoints with suggested and existing policies that addressed the embezzlement, the Los Angeles Times added. Beck did not say if he believes Green and Foster are responsible for the multiple accounting mistakes. Up to four other employees were also put on paid leave until Pasadena can investigate the charges. Beck told the Times that Green and Foster were at-will employees, and therefore it was not necessary to wait for the results of any investigation.
Mayor Bill Bogaard told the paper that he supported the firing decision, even though he said Green and Foster were "dedicated and capable people who worked hard for the city." Michael Beck was in charge of the Department of Public Works (the one managed by Siobhan Foster) and also had oversight of Riverside Municipal Airport, while Assistant City Manager Riverside. Pasadena’s city website also states that, “His crowning achievement was the development of the financial plan and implementation of the transformative $1.8 billion Riverside Renaissance program – 30 years of public infrastructure investment in just five years.” For Beck, holding these three responsibilities would make him directly responsible for the alleged cover up of a 2003 toxic waste spill that eventually cost the life of one city worker, and has adversely affected the health of at least six others. For more information about this, please see http://www. riversideindependent.com/news/ featured/michael-beck-and-toxicpolitics/