San Bernardino Press MONDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2014 - DECEMBER 7, 2014
sanbernardinopress.com
Upset Protestors Rally Against Ferguson Verdict, Block Freeways by jennifer schlueter
who shot unarmed black teenager Michael Brown was not indicted, people everywhere went into the streets to show their disapproval of the jury’s decision.
seven minutes and 42 seconds from the time of dispatch. The first three companies arrived on-scene within six seconds of each other.” This timeline is within guidelines consistent with other responses over time, according to a news release sent Monday, November 25, Please see page 4
Please see page 2
- Facebook Photo
Whereas some protests in Ferguson escalated and shops were lit on fire, demonstrations in LA and its surrounding counPlease see page 2
Two Children Die in Fire by Vickie Vértiz In a battle stemming from the huge city budget cuts, the fire fighter union insinuated recently that those cuts contributed to the death of two children in a fire last week, said the Sun. City administrators pushed back almost immediately. “The actions of the San Bernardino City Professional Firefighters Association to po-
liticize the deaths of children for their own advantage are reprehensible,” Mayor Carey Davis said in a press release. “An independent full-review of the incident will occur to address any further public concerns.” According to the Sun, the service call report states that the first fire engine was “on scene
Community College District Honored for Energy Conservation The San Bernardino Community College District (SBCCD) was recognized for Leadership in Energy Conservation at the 2014 Green California School and Community Colleges Summit and Exposition in Pasadena on November 5. Green Technology, the summit host, is a non-profit focused on providing a forum at which government officials can communicate with those in the private sector who are developing, implementing and distributing green technologies. Chancellor Bruce Baron said, “We are very pleased to be recognized for our District’s “conservation culture”. The San Bernardino Community College District has saved $1.2 million dollars in the past 20 months through its implementation of a conservation plan that has reduced energy consumption by almost 24 million BTUs, which is the equivalent of having more than 38,000 trees grow for 10 years. In addition, the Solar Farm located on the Crafton Hills College campus in Yucaipa generates excess electricity that is sold back to the utility companies for about $50,000 per year.” Tim Oliver, Interim Vice Chancellor of Fiscal Services and Business for the SBCCD, accepted the award on behalf of the District. Oliver said, “We have been able to incorporate energy conservation at some level into virtually all of the new
Mike Brown, who was killed by a Officer Darren Wilson in August
With great suspense spectators all over the nation awaited the verdict of the grand jury in Ferguson last Monday whether to arraign police officer Darren Wilson or not. When the man
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Villaseñor Library Winter Hours The Villaseñor Branch of the San Bernardino Public Library service hours will change for winter effective Monday, Dec. 1 to be open on Monday and Tuesday from 1 – 6 p.m., following action today by the SBPL Board of Trustees. Villaseñor (525 N. Mt. Vernon) has been open on Monday and Tuesday from 3 – 8 p.m. It will return to those service hours on Monday,
March 9 after the return of Daylight Savings Time. Villaseñor’s direct line when open is 383-5156. “The library board wants the public to be able to make maxium usage of available library service hours,” said Library Director Ed Erjavek. The service hours at the Feldheym Central Library and the Rowe and Inghram Branches remain the same.
SBCCD Honored for Energy Conservation Continued from page 1
construction and renovation of buildings funded through Measure M, which means we are leveraging taxpayer funds and maximizing the benefits of the bond measure.” According to Green Technology, the leadership awards were established to recognize outstanding environmental achievements by government entities in California. The award
topics and winners are chosen in cooperation with the Summit’s Advisory Board. Award categories range from sustainability in transportation projects to climate change, energy innovation, water and waste management and may differ from year to year. All nominated projects are publicly financed and executed and have a measurable benefit to the natural and human environment.
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National Novel Writing Month Wrap Up at the Feldheym Central Library The Feldheym Central Library will host a Wrap up Party for NaNoWriMo writers on Saturday, December 6, at 4:00 PM. The 2014 National Novel Writing Month ended on Sunday, November 30th. If you participated in our “Come Write In” center or wrote on your own, you are welcome to come and meet other writers and celebrate your successes, whether you reached your 50,000 word goal, or gave it a good try. NaNoWriMo is shorthand for National Novel Writing Month, a worldwide celebration of creative writing that counted 500,000 writers in its 15th year in
2013. The end goal for NaNoWriMo participants is to write a novel of at least fifty thousand words between 12:01 AM on November 1st and 11:59 PM on November 30th. Quantity is emphasized over quality; the idea is not to produce the Next Great American Novel, but simply to get one’s brain rolling by building characters, plots and ideas for one month to see what develops. This event will be held in Kellogg Room A at the Norman F. Feldheym Central Library at 555 W. 6th Street in San Bernardino. For more information call 909-381-8238 or visitwww.sbpl.org
Ferguson Verdict Protests Continued from page 1
ties remained mostly peaceful; however, several freeways including the 5, 110 and 10 were blocked for hours. Sit-ins and rallies in Leimert Park, Beverly Hills, and other areas were reported, where people raised signs and their hands shouting “hands up, don’t shoot.” “We have had nothing at all,” San Bernardino police Lt. Dario Robinson told The Daily Bulletin. “Members of this community understand the situation.” The Los Angeles Times quoted a statement of Los Angeles County Sheriff-elect Jim McDonnell, in which he urges angry protestors to “respect the outcome and processes of our legal system.” He adds: “The greatness of our nation comes from our ability to come together peacefully and lawfully, to speak up about what is on our minds, and to respect one another.” According to the LA Times, Darrin Johnson of Redlands signed the petition “We Call on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to file federal crim-
inal civil rights charges against Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson in the Slaying of Michael Brown” on Change.org. He told the paper: “I’m frustrated beyond belief. Signing this petition is at the moment the closest thing I have to taking action. I want to see people of color treated with the same dignity and humanity that whites are by those in power.” Since the killing of their child, Michael Brown’s family have advocated body-worn cameras for officers, and started a campaign. In a statement, they wrote: “We need to work together to fix the system that allowed this to happen. Join with us in our campaign to ensure that every police officer working the streets in this country wears a body camera.” In Riverside County, 165 body-worn cameras for sheriff’s deputies have already been approved since early November. People hope for a more comprehensive clarification of facts in police encounters and more safety for both officers and citizens.
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Rep. Schiff Renews Push for Body Cameras for Law Enforcement On Tuesday Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), a former federal prosecutor who recently urged the Department of Justice to help fund local police departments’ purchase of small body-worn cameras in order to increase transparency, decrease tensions between police and community members, and create a record of events, released the following statement: "Last night, following the decision of a grand jury not to indict the policeman who shot and killed Michael Brown, several buildings were set ablaze and violence again plagued the streets of Ferguson. Brown's death and this new spate of violence has exposed anew the deep mistrust between many Americans, particularly those of color, and law enforcement. "I join the family of Michael Brown, the Attorney General, and the President in calling for an end to the violence, and for calm and restraint, both by protestors and police. As the President said late last night, we are a nation of laws and the grand jury's decision -- whether we agree with it or disagree -- was theirs to make. "We cannot undo the past -we cannot bring Michael back, but we can create a better future for our children and make our streets safer for citizens and police alike. That will not be an easy task, but a good start would be committing to further diversify our police forces so they are more representative of the communities they police, and equipping officers with body cameras -- cameras that may have put to rest the fevered speculation that has characterized this case, or better yet, avoided the deadly altercation altogether.” Schiff, along with other Members of Congress, recently sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder urging the Department of Justice to help fund local police departments’ purchase of small body-worn
cameras. From the letter: “Police departments around the country have begun adopting small body-worn cameras for police officers on patrol. These cameras provide a visual and audio record of interactions with the public, so that in the event of a confrontation or policeinvolved shooting, such as the one that occurred in Ferguson, there is an inalterable record of the events. There are also indications that the presence of body cameras has a civilizing effect on both police officers and the public, resulting in lower incidences of excessive force complaints and deescalat-
ing tense situations before they become violent. Perhaps most importantly, cameras can instill greater trust in police departments on the part of the public they are sworn to protect. In communities with frayed police-community relations, cameras demonstrate a commitment on the part of the local police department to transparency and accountability, while protecting officers from false or frivolous complaints. For all these reasons, the adoption of body cameras has been well received in the jurisdictions that have begun to use them, both by the public and the officers wearing the cameras.”
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Community College District Honors San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in Recognition of Native American Heritage Month The San Bernardino Community College District (SBCCD) honored the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in recognition of National Native American Heritage Month at their regular board meeting on November 13. Acknowledging the longstanding partnerships and continuing active support of the Band of Mission Indians for the students of the SBCCD, Chancellor BRUCE BARON said, “We as a District want to recognize the contributions of Native Americans and indigenous peoples worldwide and locally, and especially The San Manual Band Of Mission Indians for its long-standing partnership with the District which has improved educational opportunities for so many students. In addition, through the Tribe’s generous support as a Founding Partner of the First Nation’s Experience (FNX) Channel, thousands have come to know the lives, stories,
histories, and cultures of indigenous peoples the world over. The SBCCD thanks The San Manuel Band Of Mission Indians and we look forward to many generations of continued friendship, working together to expand educational opportunities and to enhance the understanding of indigenous cultures among all people in the world”. The recognition of the Tribe’s involvement with the campuses also noted that San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC) annually recognizes the significance of the contributions of Native Americans with the presentation of speakers and programs during “Indigenous People’s Month” and that Crafton Hills College (CHC) annually hosts the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians for the California’s First Cultures: A Celebration at Crafton Hills/Waa’t for hundreds of elementary school children. The San Manuel Band of Mission In-
The San Bernardino Community College District honored the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians at their November 13 board meeting in recognition of National Native American Heritage Month. Shown left to right are student trustees Alexis Panaguiton (CHC) and Tiffany Guzman (SBVC; Board President Donna Ferracone; Dr. Donald Singer, trustee; Sabrina Nakjavanpour, Vice Chairwoman, San Manuel Education Committee; Trustee Nickolas Zoumbos; Chancellor Bruce Baron; Trustee Gloria Macias Harrison; Trustee John Longville; Dr. Kathleen (Katy) Henry, board vice president; KVCR/FNX General Manager Alfredo Cruz - Courtesy Photo
dians also directly financially supports both colleges’ work with students through grants to the Valley Bound Commitment pro-
gram and scholarships at SBVC and the ISEEK project, the Summer Bridge Program, and scholarships at CHC.
Two Children Died in Fire Continued from page 1
said the paper. But in a show of fairness, Fire Chief Paul Drasil said the Fire Department is talking to impartial, third party assessors to find one that can perform a
review of the event and is not connected to the city or the department. The Fire union president Jeff English, however, said in a news release on Thursday,
November 20, that they were also looking for a full review but their organization believes “that if Engine 224 [had been] in service, the response time could have been reduced by at least two minutes.” The City Council closed one station and removed “a water-bearing engine from another” said the Sun, which was the engine closest to the fire on Thursday. Two children died that day. The paper said they were identified by the coroner as “six-year-old Candra Brianna Leetch and two-year-old Saul Suarez.” Their father, Saul Leetch, was left in critical condition. Union President English did not respond to the comments Davis made, said the paper. The Sun also said that
relatives and charitable organizations are raising assistance for related burial costs. Relatives created a gofundme account which, at last tally, had raised $690 from 22 people, but the goal is $14,000. The Salvation Army is also helping fund raise. To help with that last project, people can write checks to the Salvation Army, and write “14th Street Fire Victim Fund” in the memo line, said the paper. Checks can also be mailed to the Salvation Army at 746 W 5th St. in San Bernardino. No final cause for the fire continue has been identified, added the paper. But officials are focusing on the area near the kitchen and the front door, according to the news release from the Fire Department.