San Bernardino Press MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2014 - NOVEMBER 16, 2014
sanbernardinopress.com
VOLUME 1, NO. 28
Students recant accusations against DA unhappy instructor accused of having sex with them with passage of by Vickie Vértiz Proposition 47 Amy Corinne Bramlett was accused of having sex with a current student and a former student arrested in September. According to the Sun, Bramlett, 46, is a program specialist at Indian Springs High. Last week, there was a break in her case. The two people who claimed to have had sex with the teacher recanted their statements, according to the lawyer of the accused woman. The two young men signed statements taken by an investigator working for the defense attorney, Michael Scafiddi, according to NBC4 News. The two young men did not release statements to the press, however. An investigation was lead by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, in their Specialized Investigation Division/Crimes Against Children Detail. The reports state that Bramlett had unlawful sex with a 17-year-old male between January and June of this year at her home in the 7200 block of Sunrise Court in Highland, said the Sun. The Crimes Against Children Detail found another student in their investigating of the case, that time it was a stu-
Vanir Development Company, Inc.; Vanir Energy, LLC; and Vanir Construction Management, Inc. H. Frank Dominguez also gave back to the communities where Vanir employees lived by frequently supporting underprivileged youth and
According to a report from the DA’s office obtained by this newspaper, officials were extremely displeased that voters approved Proposition 47. The changes enacted by this measure are effective immediately. (Cal. Const. Art. 2, sec. 10.) Numerous drug and theftrelated crimes that were previously felonies or “wobblers” are now misdemeanors, unless committed by “Prop 47 Ineligible” criminals— namely, 290(c) registrants, and those with a prior for the very serious crimes listed in PC 667(e)(2) (c)(iv)—such as homicide offenses and crimes punishable by death or by life in prison. A high ranking Law Enforcement officer, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Beacon Media this new proposition not only means more crime but the number of people being let out of prison ( who really deserve to be there) could reach 10,000. “Your houses are going to get broken into more often with these lenient laws…” Except as to “Prop 47 Ineligible” individuals, the following are now misdemeanors: • PC459.5—the new misdemeanor crime of “shoplifting” is entering a commercial establishment, during business hours, with the intent to steal, where value does not exceed $950. “Shoplifting” as defined may not be charged as theft or burglary. • PC 473(b)—forgery of checks and related instruments of not more than $950. • PC 476a—NSF checks totaling not more than $950 (unless 3 or more specified priors). • PC § 490.2—grand theft (any form) not more than $950. • PC 496(a)—receiving/concealing stolen property not more
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dent of hers who would have been 16 years old at the time of the alleged crime, reported the paper. At her arraignment in September of this year, Bramlett
pleaded not guilty, according to the Sun. On Monday morning, November 3rd, Bramlett was in court for a status hearPlease see page 4
Dominguez Elementary grand opening & adoption set for November 13 H. Frank Dominguez Elementary School is celebrating its official grand opening and first adoption on Thursday, November 13 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. “The school has been open and educating students since the start of the school year in August,” Principal Alejandro Hernandez said. “This event
is a chance for us to share our beautiful campus with the community and showcase our wonderful students and staff.” The school is named for H. Frank Dominguez, who passed away in 2004. He left behind a legacy of achievement and philanthropy. At the age of 25, Dominguez founded Vanir, which has grown into
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Events at the Feldheym Library Writer's Group Writers--looking for inspiration, feedback, and support? Join us Saturday November 15, 2014 at the Norman F. Feldheym Public Library in San Bernardino. This meeting will take place in Kellogg Room A at the Feldheym Central Li-
brary at 555 W. 6th Street in San Bernardino from 3:00-5:00 PM. The group is open to amateur and published authors of all genres. For more information call 909-663-4271 or 909381-8235 or visit www.sbpl.org
Book sale The Friends of the San Bernardino Public Library are planning a used Book Sale on Saturday November 15, 2014. It will be held in the Friends’ Room located at the rear of the Norman F. Feldheym Central Library, 555 W. 6th Street in San Bernardino. The member’s only sale is from 9 AM to 12 Noon. The public is welcome from 12 noon to 4 PM. The sale will feature all new books, no carry overs. They will have fresh novels, and cookbooks galore. If you are a teacher, be sure to ask about free books for teachers.
There will be a follow-up Bag Sale on Saturday November 22, 2014 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Buy a grocery bag for only $2 and fill it up with your choice of books. Memberships to the Friends are available at nominal cost in the library’s administration office before the sale and in the Friends’ room on the day of the sale. “Like” “Friends of the San Bernardino Public Library” on Facebook to get a coupon for the book sale. For more information, please call 909-381-8251 or visit sbpl.org
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Proposition 47 Continued from page 1
than $950. • PC 666—”wobbler” “petty theft with a prior” applies only to “Prop 47 Ineligible” defendants with specified priors, and certain elder abusers. For all other defendants, petty thefts are misdemeanors, regardless of the number of priors. • H&S 11350—simple possession of heroin, cocaine, listed controlled substances. • H&S 11357(a)—simple possession of concentrated cannabis. • H&S 11377—simple possession of methamphetamine, ecstasy, GHB, listed substances. In addition to these reductions, Prop 47 also enacted new PC 1170.18, which sets forth procedures for those previously convicted and sentenced for a felony that is now a misdemeanor under this proposition to petition for resentencing under the misdemeanor provisions. Unless a court determines that the person poses an “unreasonable risk” of committing one of the crimes listed in PC 667(e)(2)(c)(iv), the petitioner will get resentenced, and his/her conviction will be deemed a misdemeanor for all purposes, except possessing firearms. The provisions of “Marsy’s Law” will apply
to the resentencing. Whereas many of the previous felonies carried 3-year statutes of limitation and resulted in arrests, bookings, higher bail, in-custody filing deadlines, DA prosecution, preliminary hearings and felony sentences, the new misdemeanor classifications will generally mean 1-year statutes of limitation, citation and release per PC 853.6, city attorney prosecution in some jurisdictions, shorter trial deadlines, and lighter maximum sentences. In those cases where a loss above $950 makes the crime a felony, value will need to be established and included in crime and arrest reports, and must be pled and proved at prelim and trial, and included in the factual basis for a guilty plea. Officers should especially remember to obtain evidence of value from victims (or other sources) in cases where amount of loss was not previously relevant, such as theft of firearms and vehicles, and thefts from the person. Proposition 47 reduced specified offenses to misdemeanors, created a new “shoplifting” crime, and allows resentencing of certain convicted felons as misdemeanants.
Dominguez Elementary grand opening Continued from page 1
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schools, including the formerBurbank Elementary School in San Bernardino. The nonprofit Vanir Foundation was established to continue H. Frank Dominguez’s legacy of philanthropy and support of student achievement in math, science, language arts, and engineering. The Vanir Foundation has partnered with Dominguez Elementary to enhance student learning. Vanir Foundation has already funded the purchase of iPads for student use, and future projects include scienceand college-focused field trips. During the grand opening celebration, Crosswalk Church
will also partner with Dominguez Elementary through an official school adoption. As part of the adoption, Crosswalk Church has committed to providing educational supplies for students and helping the school improve the well being of students and families. Adopt-a-School is a joint effort of the San Bernardino City Unified School District and the San Bernardino Area Chamber of Commerce. Dominguez Elementary is located at 135 South Allen Street in San Bernardino. For more information about Dominguez Elementary, visit www.sbcusd.com/dominguez.
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Physical fitness test proves that California students are becoming more fit State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced that the percentage of students who met the Healthy Fitness Zone performance standards in all six areas continued to climb this year, according to the results of the 2013‒14 Physical Fitness Test. “It’s encouraging to see our students becoming more fit and healthy,” said Torlakson. “Students have to be healthy and alert to succeed in the classroom, in college, and in their careers, but also to lead a more fulfilling life. That’s why it is so important that all of us— teachers, parents and community leaders—teach our children the importance of eating right, and exercising regularly and following healthy lifestyles ourselves so we can serve as role models.” More than 1.3 million fifth, seventh, and ninth graders took the FITNESSGRAM® during the 2013‒14 school year — a series of six separate tests that measure aerobic capacity, body composition, abdominal strength, trunk extensor strength, upper body strength, and flexibility. In all three grades the percentage of students who performed all six tests at the highest level increased compared to the last two years. Overall, about 26.6 percent of fifth graders, 33 percent of seventh graders, and 38.1 percent of ninth graders scored at the highest levels, called the Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ). This represents levels of fitness that offer protection against diseases resulting from sedentary living. Torlakson, an avid runner and former high school cross country and track coach, demonstrated his commitment to fitness by launching a Team California for Healthy Kids initiative shortly after taking office. The initiative brings together educators, community leaders, athletes, and other celebrities to help schools offer
healthy choices to students. Students also improved in Aerobic Capacity, one of the six areas assessed annually and is considered among the most important gauges of health (Table 2). Aerobic Capacity is the ability to perform large muscle, high-intensity exercise for prolonged periods. Please note that the HFZ performance standards for the Body Mass Index (BMI), one of the three body composition test options under Body Composition, were updated for the 2013‒14 fitness assessment period. Thus, current Body Composition scores cannot be compared to previous years. This is the 15th year for
reporting physical fitness test results in California public schools. The program was first authorized in 1976 and reestablished in 1995 by Assembly Bill 265. The following year, the State Board of Education designated FITNESSGRAM® as the required physical fitness test to be administered to students in grades five, seven, and nine. The 2013–14 physical fitness results for schools, school districts, counties, and the state are available on the California Department of Education (CDE) Physical Fitness Test Results Web page. More information is also available on the CDE Physical Fitness Test Web page.
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San UCLA Study finds ancient Chinese exercise lessens inflammation in breast Bernardino School District cancer survivors Current research indicates Dr. Michael Irwin, researchers con- many do not have immediate acto adopt new women diagnosed with breast can- ducted a five-year clinical trial be- cess to breast cancer treatment. Previous research indicated cer in the past ten years are three tween April 2007 to August 2013. times more likely to suffer from His team analyzed blood samples that the majority of women who math materials lack of sleep. Insomnia leads to increases in inflammation, which places breast cancer survivors at risk for cancer recurrence as well as cardiovascular disease. New five-year UCLA study shows that Tai Chi relieved chronic inflammation in breast cancer survivors with insomnia. Researchers encourage clinicians to implement this low-cost martial arts technique as a therapeutic option to reverse inflammation, and potentially lower the risk for cancer recurrence and other chronic diseases in cancer survivors. In a new randomized trial that could improve longevity in breast cancer survivors, UCLA researchers have discovered that the Chinese practice of Tai Chi can reduce inflammation in breast cancer patients who have insomnia following diagnosis and treatment. Led by UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center member
from 90 participants between 30 to 85 years old, before and after they started the Tai Chi routine. “When people practice Tai Chi, there’s a decrease in the stress hormone system by the sympathetic nervous system,” said Irwin, who is professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at UCLA. He and colleagues also discovered that Tai Chi relaxes the body to a certain point that it can reduce inflammation, commonly seen in most breast cancer survivors after treatment. “We saw that Tai Chi reversed cellular inflammation, by producing a down-regulation of the genes that lead to inflammation,” said Dr. Irwin. “Tai chi is a movement meditation, and we have found that similar anti-inflammatory effects occur when people practice other forms of meditation.” Dr. Irwin hopes the exercise will gain in popularity, particularly in low-income communities where
successfully fought breast cancer were three times more likely compared to the general population to battle insomnia for at least ten years or more after the initial diagnosis. Two-time breast cancer survivor Linda Tucker has had many sleepless nights until recently. “I absolutely did not sleep, my eyes would not stay asleep, my body just would not relax and I found myself awake until six in the morning,” said Tucker. Desperate to find a cure for her sleeping problems, Tucker decided to participate in Dr. Irwin’s Tai Chi study at UCLA despite her initial skepticism. “I said to myself, this has to be a joke, this is not going to work or do anything. But after two sessions the insomnia started going away. I just felt a sense of peacefulness.” The study was published online October 27th ahead of print in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Math is fun, or at least it can be with the right instructional materials. The San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) wants the public to help them find the right materials through a short review process. SBCUSD will provide the public with two opportunities to view new math materials under consideration for grades kindergarten through 12. The materials will be on display from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 18. Both dates coincide with SBCUSD Board of Education meetings to make it convenient for parents to attend both events. For more information about the new math materials, contact Kate Durst, elementary grades, at (909) 381-5040 or Sabrina Katyal, grades 7–12, at (909) 891-1035.
Students recant accusations against instructor accused of having sex with them Continued from page 1
ing where her attorney made a statement.
“Our position from the beginning has been — and we’ve
told the DA repeatedly — is that our offer to resolve the case is to dismiss the case,” Scafiddi said in the Sun. “My client, 100 percent, maintains her innocence. She has made it clear to me that she will never accept a [plea] offer in this case because she’s committed no crimes.” The specific acts she was charged with in September was two counts of oral copulation with a person under 18 years old and one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor more than three years younger than legal adult age. The accused is currently out on $100,000 bail, which was reduced from an initial
$1.2 million bail figure, said the Sun. The San Bernardino City Unified district placed Bramlett on administrative leave. Bramlett will be in another court hearing on December 15, according to the paper. Her lawyer told the Sun, “I think once the DA gets the chance to review additional evidence, we [are] hopeful he [will] drop the charges.” The public is asked, if they have information regarding this case, to call Detective Lisa Guerra at (909) 387-3615. If people want to remain anonymous, they may call the WeTip Hotline at (800) 782-7463 or visit WeTip.com.