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373-8733 |
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March 27, 2008 |
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Important Information Regarding Emergencies |
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Emergencies occur without notice and can directly affect any one at any place. Emergencies can include, but are not limited too Fires, Earthquakes, adverse and severe weather conditions. In times of emergency, it is important that everyone, from the young to the elderly, be prepared. Emergency preparedness is the key.
In April, California will join the nation in remembering the anniversary of the San Francisco earthquake. This event is one of the most devastating in US history resulting in city blocks destroyed and claiming lives estimated in the thousands. Southern California is not isolated from these types of events. When a large scale emergency strikes, time is of the essence. Emergency personnel will respond to best of their abilities. Assistance to emergency personnel may be delayed in turn causing a trickle down effect creating a delay to you. In addition to the delay, needed supplies may become increasingly difficult if not impossible to find.
In an effort to promote emergency preparedness awareness, the City of California City encourages residents to evaluate their specific needs and establish an Emergency Kit capable of providing minimum essentials for a period up to 72 hours. Your individual emergency kit should be in a portable container stored in easily accessible location. Remember, you may have to evacuate or remain at a location for a period of time. Each family member is encouraged to participate in the planning of the kit.
Recommended items for a personnel emergency kit should include:
Water, Non-perishable food items, Clothing, Personal articles (toothpaste, baby wipes, sanitary products), Medications, Flashlight and spare batteries, and Portable radio. Remember to account for the needs of each family member! We hope you never have to use this kit. It is the responsibility for each of us to be prepared. |
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March 23, 2008 |
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Sunrise Service At Central Park |
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Story & Photos by Jean Paul LeBlanc |
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This year again, there was a beautiful "Sunrise Service in the Park" in California City's Central Park, on Easter morning. Attended by believers of many different faiths, this annual gathering is a wonderful mix of prayers, music and love. Many participants braved the cold morning chill and showed up as early as sunrise to enjoy the event in the Park's Pavillion. Pastor Samuel A. L. Pope, who officiated the service, thanked everyone that participated in any way to make this event an outstanding success, and quoting Pastor Pope: "I pray that we can grow from here into even greater successes in all areas of life in California City in the years to come. The MACC will always be available to hold the Sunrise Service for the city. We stand ready to aid the City in anyway we can." |
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March 22, 2008 |
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Easter Eggs Hunted By Hundreds |
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Story & Photos by Jean Paul LeBlanc |
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California City Parks and Recreation held an Easter Egg Hunt and Fun Saturday and the turn out was unbelievable! Hundreds of kids of all ages, accompanied by parents, invaded Central Park to enjoy an egg hunt, a petting zoo, a bouncing house, games and colorings, numerous prizes and of course the Easter Bunny, himself.
Thanks to Parks and Rec Supervisor Shelley Hornback and her team, led by Rita Sargeant, the whole event was a success and once again Shelley proved that, when it comes to event organization, they are the best for the task! Asked about her secret, Shelley said, "A lot of work, but also tremendous help from the Mojave Robotic Team, California City Community Club, Wimpy's, and Nathalie Buckley, who played such a friendly Easter Bunny. |
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March 20, 2008 |
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Bill Deaver Speaks At EDC Meeting |
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California City Economic Development Corporation had the pleasure to have Editor Bill Deaver as a guest speaker during their last breakfast meeting at Foxy's Restaurant. Bill gave his audience a brief resume of himself and commented about California City and the city of Mojave. Bill shared some of his goals and views on numerous actuality subjects like the economic development of East Kern County in general and the impact of industries on creating employment to benefit the whole area. According to one of his credo, if you create one job, the entire county benefits. Bill Deaver is not a new comer and is almost clairvoyant when he predicts the future impact of more wind and solar energy to develop employment and resources. The need for a local university is a must in his book. Not only to keep our youth in the region, but to educate the new generation to the advance of modern techniques and to excel in their field of choice. The future of the aerospace and energy production greatly depends on a changing of the guard in our communities. Mr. Deaver also noted that even well intentioned environmentalists contradict themselves sometime about clean energy versus protecting environment.
Bill, like his editorials, is precise and to the point when he addresses a subject and is not afraid of looking at the facts in different perspectives. The audience showed appreciation to his tirades with applause and he was thanked by Ed Waldheim, California City Optimist President and others for his (and the Mojave Desert News) effort to support every group and activities happening in our city and surroundings.
EDC Vice President, Jim Quiggle, closed the meeting by thanking all the people who donated to the K9 fundraiser, and thanked Mary Ann LeBlanc and Shelley Hornback for their extra efforts. Finally, Jim thanked Bill Deaver for his speech and support to the community. he next EDC Breakfast will be April 17 and will feature another community leader to be announced soon in your local medias. |
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Story & Photos by Jean Paul LeBlanc |
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March 15, 2008 |
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K-9 Attack At Ramon's Restaurant |
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Story & Photos by Jean Paul LeBlanc |
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California City K-9 supporters literally attacked Ramon's Restaurant, Saturday, March 15, at dinner time to show their encouragement to the K-9 fundraiser organized by the Police Department in collaboration with California City Economic Development Corporation and the Chamber of Commerce. Local merchants and even individual parties gave numerous prizes to be raffled and auctioned during this special dinner. Recently appointed Chief Steve Colerick, MC'ed the event and Larry Adams called the auctions like only he can do. Among all the donations, Sandy Stewart, representing Mojave Desert Bank, delivered a $500.00 donation to the fund. Some of the other benefactors were Ace City Hardware, AltaOne, Bunn Warmer, Cal City Fitness, California City Studios, Digital Art by Jean Paul, Friends Tires, Martha's Cleaning, Mayor David Evans, Mojave Desert Bank, Mojave Desert News, Old Cal City Coffee Co., Pizza Factory, Ramon's, Radio Shack, Sears, Teamwork Salon and Wimpies. The Chief of Police also acknowledged the works of our Dynamic Duo: Mary Ann LeBlanc and Shelley Hornback. Queens and Princesses from from California City and East Kern County helped with the raffles. Chief Colerick thanked everyone who attended and pronounced the fundraiser a success! |
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March 14, 2008 |
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Resident Arrested For Murder |
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Story & Poster by Chief Steve W. Colerick |
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Early this morning, Detectives from the California City Police Department arrested Phillip Ellison, 40 years, for the murder of teenager Jamesha Terry. Ellison a California City resident, was located in his apartment in the 8100 block of California City, and was taken into custody without incident. This arrest was a culmination of a year long investigation involving significant forensic evidence analysis and comparison by the Crime Lab of the District Attorney’s Office.
Jamesha, 14 years old at the time of her death, attended California City Middle School and was reported missing on March 19th of last year. 13 days later, her badly decomposed body was discovered in a dirt field near the apartment complex that Ellison lived in. Though cause of death was declared “undetermined” by the Kern County Coroner’s Office, the forensic evidence linked Ellison to the body.
Ellison was booked into the County Jail in Bakersfield on the no bail felony warrant for murder and rape. His arraignment is expected for the first of next week in Bakersfield Court.
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March 10, 2008 |
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Oakley Alius Wins Optimist Essay Contest |
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Story & Photos by Jean Paul LeBlanc |
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Busy night at the California City Optimist monthly meeting. The guest speaker was T.G. Thomas, zone governor, who entertain the crowd about the benefit of being an Optimist International Member and all the beneficial projects going on to help our youth. California City Optimists donated and collected donations to help Hacienda Elementary School buy books for their library, and to everyone's surprise, Marcia Omo of Honda, personally delivered a $600.00 check to help the cause. Honda always gives back to the community! Oakley Alius, winner of the Optimist Essay Contest, received a Certificate of Achievement and a $50.00 bond certificate from Past President Mary Edmiston. Oakley is now automatically entered in the district essay contest and will enter the international competition if she win. Shelley Torres introduced our most recent new member: Carol Ann Peterson and Julie Phelps introduced a few members of the JOOI Club. California City Optimists tries to encourage all local businesses in town and changed their meeting place again. After Pizza Factory and Guido's, it is now Chuck's Pizza who let the Club use their new meeting room. The Club will meet there every second Monday of the month until further notice. Ed Waldheim, President, thanked all the participants and specially Essay Contest Chairperson, Mike Edmiston (who could not attend because of civic duties) and Marcia Omo for the generous donation. |
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March 6, 2008 |
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Police Chief Colerick & Councilman Edmiston Recognized |
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Story & Photos by Jean Paul LeBlanc |
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Last night, two California City officials were recognized for their outstanding achievements and contribution to Kern County. The COG (Council Of Government) acknowledged the works of Police Chief Steve Colerick and Councilman Michael Edmiston at a yearly dinner and remit the coveted award for being one of the most valuable contributors to Kern County and their fellow citizens. Chief Colerick dedicated his whole career to the safety and well being of California City residents and visitors, and initiated many activities to pursue this goal. One of his main accomplishments, the D.I.R.T. team, is constantly improving and continues to save the lives of many residents and visiting Off-Roaders. Councilman Edmiston, the most experienced person on the California City Council, proved his leadership and professionalism countless times and is the most heavily involved council member in all city groups and activities on top of his councilman duties. No awards were more deserved than those two. Congratulations is in order. |
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March 5, 2008 |
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BAE Systems To Sell Flight Systems Business For $62.5M |
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Story by Dow Jones NewsWires |
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LONDON (Dow Jones)--BAE Systems said Wednesday that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its Flight Systems business, based in Mojave, California, to Calspan Corporation. The cash purchase price is $62.5 million plus additional consideration to be paid pursuant to an earn-out mechanism by reference to the revenues of the business over the next 5 year period. The transaction is subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals and to receipt of financing by Calspan. Flight Systems, with 170 employees, performs aircraft modification, aircraft operations, flight tests, and aerial full-scale targets production for military and commercial customers. It also has operations in Florida and Germany. |
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March 5, 2008 |
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Fur Flies At City Council Meeting |
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Story by Russell Michael |
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Attending last night's California City council meeting was better than a fight night on cable pay per view, and it was free. Those of you in this city that did not turn out for last night's bap-I'm bop, lost out. Doctor Nick Lessenevitch or ("Kick-em A Little Nick"), as I hope he will soon become known, took the high road last night and gloved up for 2 rounds of fierce questioning on a hard hitting facts finding mission to answer questions about sewer line cost and airport purchase stagnation. It was tough questions and little answers for the Doc, but he hammered away punch after punch, questioning facts and demanding answers.
It's the quiet ones you have to worry about, someone once told me. This last summer, I learned a little about that. Although I never got answers from anyone on the city council, and had to pursue them elsewere. I was assured by Dr Nick and Kathy Strong that I should do something. Their encouragement led me to ask the city council to investigate the decision by William Way. They, as whole did nothing, and I can understand now, why William Way never brought the issue before them. I had nothing to appeal. If I were to appeal it, I needed facts first. As a criminal defense investigator for law firms that worked mostly in murder cases, this fact finding to me is just protocol. Just routine to me, as I watched Doctor Nick fight for answers and not be worn down by confusion. I flashed back to when I would watch attorneys like my Friend Betty Bridger's fight for her clients or Irving Conarick fight for his. Irving was the first attorney for Charles Mansion. We need fighters on our city council. We need to deal in facts, not assumptions or whims. The person sitting on the city council that thinks he knows it all, should step down now and find new challenges for themselfs. The issue of church and state was broached last night by Councilman Kevin Shaffer. He babbled on about how there was never anything in the constitution about the separation of church and state. Well, I for one believe him, though his explanation was a little long and drawn out for me. The real issue was, he told someone in our community their troubles would be best handled had they attended church. This caused a fuss in the community. A lot of us take out of context, statements we hear about our constitution and our civil rights. This in itself may cause confusion and alarm when we think they're being violated. So, thank you Mr Shaffer for clearing that up. But the truth is, sitting on the city council and telling someone to go to church is wrong. Find another forum to recruit parishioners. The fight for facts is important. Finding those that will do this for you, next to impossible. In this election year, please keep in mind, we need people with passion to protect us and guide us. |
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March 1, 2008 |
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Grand Jury Decides In Favor Of Movie Studio And Dispute Ends With City |
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Attached is the Grand Jury report finding that California City City Manager acted wrongfully, when he shut down California City Studios for building movie studio sets on their back lots after 8 years of doing business in California City. Also, included in this attachment, a recent letter restricting the movie studios from normal everyday business. The Grand Jury states, this was in direct violation of their own ordinance and policy procedures. The movie studio is still prohibited from creating sets and a 14 day procedure has just been in acted to force the studio to reveal what types of movies will be shot at the studio. The studio owner has stated that his fifth amendment rights are being violated and that forcing us to reveal what types of movies we shoot under the guise of dust, glare, and admissions places him in an unfair position to capture business that would otherwise leave this state for area more favorable to filming such as states, city's, country's and county's that vie for this business on a regular basis. The new attempt to restrict the studio is just a reword of what was being force upon them with the attempted conditional use permit situation. |
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See The Grand Jury Report And Letter From City Manager Linda Lunsford |
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