San Bernardino Press MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2014 - NOVEMBER 9, 2014
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Police officer recovering after having been shot to the head by Vickie Vértiz During an August shoot out, police officer Gabriel Garcia was shot I the head, but last week, his father told the press Gabriel is now speaking, repeating phrases for the most part. According to the Desert Sun, Garcia is still in intensive care at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center where his father, San Bernardino police Capt. Ron Garcia, the father of the recovering officer, said that “his voice ‘sounds like Gabe.” He is not in perfect condition, however, “He has good days and valleys,” Ron Garcia told the Sun during an event at the corporate headquarters of Stater Bros. Markets. It was there that CEO Jack Brown gave Ron and Lydia Garcia a $10,000 check to help pay for recovery expenses, said the Sun. The two families share a public service connection, given that CEO Brown told the paper he was giving the check on behalf of his mother, Rose Brown, who was the longest serving reserve officer for the San Bernardino Police Department, with 60 years of service, added the paper. “My hope is that this con-
California economy expected to grow strong in next 5 years By SHEL SEGAL
also enjoys watching movies, and he might become a filmmaker. Fifth-grader Daniel Mendoza-Cazares is constantly improving his keyboarding skills. He likes drawing and watching animation, so he might be an animator one day. George Brown Jr. Elementary School Outstanding Stu-
The Great Recession is long over with the California economy doing much better than the national economy, local economists said at a conference on Oct. 23. In addition, economists are predicting stronger job growth and a continued housing recovery. Kimberly Ritter-Martinez, an economist with the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corps said at the Pasadena Economic and Business Summit at Brookside Golf Club that strong growth will be a mainstay of the next five years. Ritter-Martinez added the county’s GPD will outpace the national average through 2019, with job growth in the county through 2015 recovering all the jobs it lost during the recession. But she did say that many recently hired workers are parttime as many employees are still nervous about California’s economy, meaning they don’t want to take a chance with fulltime hires. She also said she believes the Fed won’t raise short-term interest rates until next summer because of three reasons, one of which is a declining labor force participation rate “That refers to the percentage of people who are either working or actively seeking work. In September the national labor force participation
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tribution will encourage others to contribute as well,” Brown told the press. Brown was also a reserve captain in 2012 for the San Bernardino County sheriffs. Brown told the Sun that the sacrifice officer Garcia made through his service and
injury has “brought San Bernardino together.” The Sun had reported that a prayer vigil was held for Garcia the Monday evening after the shooting at the 66ers’ San Manuel Stadium. To reiterate Please see page 4
School district honors outstanding students The San Bernardino City Unified School District Board of Education honored 12 students with an Outstanding Student Award at the October 21 Board meeting. Outstanding Student Award winners are recognized for achievement in academics, athletics, fine arts, or citizenship or for showing significant improvement in these areas. Students are encouraged to
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have hope for the future by thinking about their long-term educational and career goals. Carmack and Harmon Schools Outstanding Students: Fifth-grader Malaky Alford is friendly and positive. He loves watching NBA games and hopes to become a basketball star one day. Fifth-grader Toribio Gonzales-Robles has strong language and computer skills. He
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Do you know someone who truly makes a difference? Someone who is truly exceptional? An Unsung Hero, if you will? by terry miller Do you know of someone in your community, town or city who has a remarkable story? If so, we want to hear about them. Someone who has made a significant difference in your life or the lives of others in the community? We’re looking for stories about everyday people doing wonderful things in this world, not for themselves but for the benefit of mankind. There are a million stories out there and we want to have your nominations so we may shine a Beacon on that individual with a feature story in our family of newspapers and companion websites. A couple of years ago we fo-
cused on a teenager who started a business collecting fruit from peoples’ trees and donated to fresh food banks. He did it not for cash but because he cared enough to want to ensure that people were eating fresh fruit every day and didn’t want any food wasted . It is truly inspiring to see a high school student devote his weekends to such a project. In the coming months and years we’ll be featuring people in your city but first we need to know a little about them. In your suggestions, please include the name of the person, age (approx.) and city in which Please see page 4
Change lives. Make wishes come true.
Outstanding students honored Continued from page 1
dents: Fifth-grader Lily Alvarez uses logic to draw conclusions and solve problems. She hasn’t decided on a career, but her intelligence will take her far in any career. Fifth-grader Destiny Alexus Laporta is an amazing writer. Her creativity will serve her well in writing or her goal of becoming a fashion designer. Sixth-grader Leslie Saucedo has a positive attitude and consistently works hard. Both traits will serve her well as she works to become a teacher. Cole Elementary School Outstanding Students: Fourth-grader Zulema Betancourt is a model student who consistently performs above grade-level expectations. Her goal is to attend college and become a lawyer. Fifth-grader Elija Donaldson recently scored above the eighth-grade level on the statewide math test. He wants to attend Yale and become a teach-
er, police officer, or firefighter. Fifth-grader Jayana Northam is skilled with technology and music. She plays the viola and wants to someday study music at a New York college. North Verdemont Elementary School Outstanding Students: Sixth-grader Qimon Bullocks-Brown is mature enough to realize that school offers opportunities to learn and grow. He hasn’t decided on his career goal, but he does know he wants to be involved and engaged in planning his future. Third-grader Bradley Chavez has faced many challenges in his short life, but he chooses to focus on helping others. He plans to join the Navy and serve as a navigator. Sixth-grader Ryan Hernandez is very kind and willing to help his classmates whenever they need assistance. He plans to someday become a police officer.
Economy growth for California Continued from page 1
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rate was 62.7 percent, down from 62.9 percent the previous month and 63.2 percent a year earlier,” according to a published report. Also speaking at the conference was Selma Hepp, a senior economist with the California Association of Realtors. Hepp said while the market is strong, there are some areas for concern, mainly affordability among 18- to 34-year-olds. Hepp added that while housing inventory is up, it is still situated well below the demand, adding young and first-time buyers face a lack of information when trying to purchase a home with many thinking a bank will not give them a loan. Mike Ross, CEO of Pasadena Center Operating Co., the nonprofit corporation that
manages Pasadena Convention Center, the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, the Pasadena Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Pasadena Ice Skating Center, also spoke at this business summit. He said the city has seen a steady increase in hotel occupancy rates. Ross said the occupancy rate has jumped to 85 percent from 68 percent in 2010, adding there are plans to build several new hotels in the city and that is expected to help boost business to the convention center. This economic and business summit was a collaborative presentation by the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and the city of Pasadena. (Shel Segal can be reached at ssegal@beaconmedianews. com. He can be followed via Twitter @segallanded.)
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hlr media EDITORIAL editor@sanbernardinopress.com Editor Jennifer Schlueter Publisher HLR Media Advertising advertising@hlrmedia.com Submissions:
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California ranks 48th best on business taxes Annual release of the State Business Tax Climate Index California has the 48th best tax climate in the U.S. according to the latest edition of the State Business Tax Climate Index, released last Tuesday by the nonpartisan Tax Foundation. The Golden State’s rank remains unchanged from its 48th place ranking last October. The Index, now in its 11th edition, measures how well structured each state’s code is by analyzing over 100 tax variables in five different categories: corporate, individual income, sales, property, and unemployment insurance taxes. States are punished for overly complex, burdensome, and economically harmful tax codes but are rewarded for transparent and neutral tax codes that do not distort business decisions. A state’s ranking can rise or fall significantly not only because of its own actions, but also because of changes or reforms made in other states. The breakdown of California’s ranking this year is as follows (1st is best, 50th is worst): •California’s overall State Business Tax Climate ranking: 48th •Corporate tax structure: 34th •Individual income tax structure: 50th •Sales tax structure: 42nd •Property tax structure: 14th •Unemployment insurance tax structure: 14th “The federal government is gridlocked, but state policymakers on both sides of the aisle are enacting truly fundamental reforms,” said Tax Foundation Economist and Manager of State Projects Scott Drenkard. “States are doing their part and it’s time that Washington steps up.” The report’s key findings include: •The 10 most competi-
tive states are: Wyoming (#1), South Dakota (#2), Nevada (#3), Alaska (#4), Florida (#5), Montana (#6), New Hampshire (#7), Indiana (#8), Utah (#9) and Texas (#10). •The 10 least competitive states are: New Jersey (#50), New York (#49), California (#48), Minnesota (#47), Vermont (#46), Rhode Island (#45), Ohio (#44), Wisconsin (#43), Connecticut (#42), and Iowa (#41). •The most notable ranking changes occurred in North Carolina, Nebraska, North Dakota, New York, Wisconsin, Maine,
and Kansas (see state specific press releases for more details). The goal of the State Business Tax Climate Index is to start a conversation between taxpayers and policymakers about how their states fare against the rest of the country. This report helps answer the questions: How well is your tax code structured? How competitive is your state compared to the rest of the county? Are businesses in your state spending too much time complying with onerous tax provisions? Are you double taxing things you shouldn’t?
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Girl Scouts to host Murder Mystery Dinner at historic Burrage Mansion Join the Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council for an evening of fine dining and intrigue! The Girl Scouts will be hosting a Murder Mystery Dinner to raise funds for girl-focused programming and invite the general public to dine at the historic Burrage Mansion in Redlands. The Burrage Mansion is not open to the public. Guests attending the dinner party will receive a rare glimpse inside this local treasure, as well as dinner and dessert. The mansion’s history begins in the year 1900, when Mr. Albert Cameron Burrage of Massachusetts – a California educated man who would later study law at Harvard University and become the “copper king” of Boston – purchased the 17.57 acre lot by telegram for the sum of $17,500 from the Redlands Orange Grove and Water Company. Mr. Burrage began construction in 1901 on what would become one of the most magnificent Spanish Mission Revival residences in Southern California. In 2008 Redlands native
Tim Rochford purchased the mansion with the vision to restore and preserve the historic site. Mr. Rochford hoped to utilize the property in a way that would benefit local children. Today, use of the mansion is offered to various Redlands-based nonprofits, such as GSSGC. Some of the 28-room, 37,000-square foot estate’s most striking features include the red Spanish-tiled roof, curved gables and two dome towers. It is said to be a full-scale copy of a Spanish mission. Other extravagant interest points are the polo field, where the Burrage family polo ponies entertained their esteemed guests two months out of the year, and a glass-covered swimming pool. Architect Charles Brigham, one of two architects to design the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in Copley Square, designed the home. The mansion’s enigmatic history makes for a fitting backdrop to the Girl Scout’s Murder Mystery Dinner. After Mr. Burrage’s death, the home was used as a convent from 1940 to 1974 by the Sisters
of the Order of Missionary Catechists of Our Blessed Lady of Victory. In 1974 new city requirements required renovations to accommodate people for worship services. The expenses were not feasible and the nuns reluctantly left the property. Today, paranormal enthusiasts and local legend propagators claim to see the spirits of several disgruntled, departed sisters haunt the property. Guests will dine while unraveling “The Mystery of the Purloined Séance,” brought to life by Mystery To Dine For based in Shadow Hills, California. Alcohol will be served; your first drink is provided and all guests are encouraged to wet their palates at the cash bar. Guests must be 21 years or older to attend. The Girl Scouts’ Murder Mystery Dinner will be Friday, November 14 from 7:00pm to 11:00pm. Tickets for this thrilling event are $65 and registration closes on November 11, 2014. Seating is limited, so early registration is encouraged! Death lurks in the darkness…can you solve the mystery?
Do you know anyone who makes a true difference? Continued from page 2
they live and of course a phone number. Tell us why you feel they deserve a special spotlight shined on their life. How long have you known this individual? Any special circumstances we should know about? Suggestions might include: someone who cares for injured/feral animals; a family who fosters children; a doctor who still makes house calls….we’re open to your suggestions. Nominations will be reviewed monthly by our Editorial Board. Please no phone calls, all submissions MUST be in sent via email . Decisions on whom we’ll profile remain entirely at the discretion of the Editorial Board. We appreciate any and all nominations. As the old adage goes” There are a million stories in the Naked City. This is one of them…” Please submit your suggestions to: jschlueter@hlrmedia.com
Police officer recovering after shot to the head Continued from page 1
from a prior article in this paper, Garcia has been a police officer for six and a half years
and is the father of a young child, said officials. According to Ron Garcia,
his son just went through what he believes is his last major brain surgery last week and is finally recovering in what he told the Sun was “a plateau.” Garcia was first injured on August 22 against a man who was heavily armed, as this paper reported at the time. Three men were charged in connection with that shooting which also left the suspected gunman dead after the early morning shoot out, as reported by the Desert Sun. Jonathan Contreras, 20, Orlando Cruz, 24, and Gonzalo Medina, 22, are all residents of San Bernardino, and were each charged with two counts of attempted murder of a peace officer and
one count of possession of an assault weapon. The San Bernardino County District Attorney also stated that the weapon was an AK-47, which was displayed at a news conference. The Garcias told the Sun that they were researching rehabilitation hospitals where their son could continue to recover once he leaves the hospital. One of the effects of the shooting have been “limited use of his limbs”, according to the Sun via Ron Garcia. Doctors reported that it would take at least six months and up to one year before the physical limitations of their son will heal, said the Sun.