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HEADLINES:

Road Projects Advance in County Areas…

Funding Sought for National Trails Highway Replacement Bridges…

Mitzelfelt Advocates High Desert Corridor to Washington, D.C. Leaders…

Respected Leaders Volunteer for Mitzelfelt Team…

Supervisors Secure Volunteers to Assist Returning Veterans…

Phelan Memorial Library Celebrates First Anniversary…

… Listen to Brad and Cesar Milan, “The Dog Whisperer”, Discussing Brad’s Pit Bull Control Ordinance Here … or enter this URL in your web browser’s navigation window: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N45kPwkDrc0&feature=player_embedded#at=14

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APPLE VALLEY – The Boy Scouts of America, High Desert District, will honor San Bernardino County Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt as their 2010 Distinguished Citizen of the Year at an annual benefit dinner on Wednesday, June 30.

The Distinguished Citizen Award is bestowed upon individuals who have demonstrated integrity and genuine concern for others in both their professional and personal lives. The recipient need not have been a Scout but must carry the “Spirit of Scouting” into their adult life. … (Continued below) …

… From Vote29.com, June 7, 2010 … By Dan Obrien (Continued below) …

… Supervisor Mitzelfelt is founder and Chairman of the Brad Mitzelfelt Foundation, a non-profit public benefit organization. A Marine Corps veteran, he has ensured a significant expansion of the county’s jail system while increasing fire protection, child-predator controls and gang suppression and intervention. He created a sex-offender tracking team within the Sheriff’s Department and a program that identifies and deports illegal immigrants from High Desert jails.

In the past three years, Mr. Mitzelfelt has secured more than $45 million for new and improved county facilities, including a new Government Center, new fire stations, a new library, and significant new park projects. He also acquired the Victor Valley Museum to prevent its closure, and donated the Boys and Girls Club building in Adelanto. He helped establish and operate the School of Aviation Technology at Southern California Logistics Airport, expanded nurse training at Victor Valley College, and provided sustaining funds for the local Red Cross. He has also contributed more than $20,000 in private donations to local charities. …

Link to online article: http://vote29.com/newmyblog/archives/6064

‘New post on transportation authority will speed up local projects’

SAN BERNARDINO – In his new post as president of the regional transportation authority, 1st District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt said he’ll push to speed up the construction of local projects through creative funding and streamlining the approval process.

On Wednesday Mitzelfelt was unanimously elected president of San Bernardino Associated Governments, or SANBAG, which builds major transportation projects, distributes local transit funds and oversees regional planning efforts. … (Continued below) …

… From the Daily Press, June 3, 2010 … By Natasha Lindstrom, Staff Writer … (Continued below) …

… “I’m really looking forward to just taking advantage of this opportunity for its benefits to the High Desert and my district,” Mitzelfelt said. He added that his role will provide the desert region “more of a voice” and “ensure that our needs and impacts on our area aren’t overlooked.”

Victorville City Councilman Ryan McEachron said in a statement that “Mitzelfelt’s leadership will allow for the expedition and completion” of several transportation projects, including the La Mesa and Nisqualli interchange in Victorville. That project, the Yucca Loma Bridge in Apple Valley and the Ranchero Road interchange in Hesperia are each set to begin construction this year.

Aside from transportation, Mitzelfelt said he’ll work on convening local city officials to work together on solutions to regional problems. As an example, he plans to help cities implement legislative mandates such as SB 375, which calls for reducing greenhouse emissions through planning for more-compact, walkable communities.

“It’s another obstacle to government and to our ability to deliver projects in a timely manner, so we want to minimize the extent to which it does that,” Mitzelfelt said.

Mitzelfelt said his experience as vice president over the past year has helped him gain strong administration and budget knowledge over SANBAG, while also improving ties with the state and federal legislators controlling the purse strings.

SANBAG’s 29-member Board of Directors is made up of all five county supervisors and elected representatives from each of the county’s 24 cities.

Natasha Lindstrom may be reached at (760) 951-6232 or at nlindstrom@VVDailyPress.com.

SAN BERNARDINO • Now leading the agency that oversees local boundaries and services, 1st District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt said he will push to build more cooperative — and less adversarial — relationships with local agencies.

The San Bernardino Local Agency Formation Commission on Wednesday unanimously elected Mitzelfelt as its chairman. He had previously been serving as vice chairman.

“I really relish the role as a challenge and opportunity to ensure good government throughout the county,” said Mitzelfelt said, who succeeds LAFCO chairman Mark Nuami, mayor of Fontana. …(Continued below)…

… From the Daily Press, May 20, 2010 … ‘Mitzelfelt elected LAFCO chairman’ … By Natasha Lindstrom, Staff Writer … (Continued below) …

The seven-member commission is charged by the state with reviewing the boundaries and finances of cities and special districts every five years and proposing changes to improve the efficiency of local services. LAFCO approves annexation and cre – ation of special districts, including the Helendale and the Phelan Piñon Hills community services districts.seriously.

LAFCO also evaluates government performance, and often reports concerning issues to the San Bernardino County grand jury. Last year they released a scathing report on the city of Adelanto’s shaky finances.

“Particularly in the desert, there’s a lack of participation and there’s a lack of oversight over how these agencies operate, and in some cases money is misspent,” Mitzelfelt said.

But Mitzelfelt said LAFCO needs to build better partnerships with local agencies to ensure they take their recommendations

“It’s a watchdog whose teeth aren’t all that sharp,” Mitzelfelt said. “There’s not a whole lot of enforcement power behind LAFCO’s recommendations, so what I would like to see is for LAFCO to become more of a collaborative partner so that when we look at a community and we talk to the local government entity, that we can get them to cooperate voluntarily.”

He plans to do that in part by becoming more involved with reviews, starting with ensuring that commission members personally visit the local agencies they’re reviewing.

At the state level, Mitzelfelt said he may support a move to separate from the California Association of LAFCOs, instead creating a separate Southern California entity. The switch would allow for a more regional body that can differ from the rest of the state on certain issues, such as SB 375 — a climate-change bill supported by northern LAFCOs that would force cities to plan more urban, walkable communities.

Next month, in one of his first meetings in his new post, Mitzelfelt is set to review Victorville and Helendale annexation proposals that have drawn criticism from Oro Grande residents, county officials and the region’s biggest business, TXI cement

APPLE VALLEY – With exhibits at the Victor Valley Museum temporarily closed, San Bernardino County employees will spend the next few weeks designing updated displays with plans to reopen in early fall under the theme “Discover your Backyard.”

The county in November acquired the museum, just south of Bear Valley Road in the Jess Ranch Marketplace, to keep it from shutting down for good as the museum association struggled with declining revenue. The Board of Supervisors approved $330,000 toward museum expenses and improvements, including upgrading displays and facilities to meet accreditation standards.

The county’s takeover should benefit local students through new regionally recognized educational outreach programs, both at the museum and in nearby areas through the “Museum on the Road” program. “We are planning to interpret the cultural and natural heritage of the High Desert and all of the Mojave Desert for K–12,” County Museum Director Robert Kernan said by e-mail.

The museum will focus on a range of cultural elements of the Mojave Desert, including American Indians, biodiversity, climate effects, water education, air quality, geology, mining, the Old Spanish Trail, dry lakes, earthquakes and native plants, Kernan said. (Continued below) …

…From the Daily Press, April 20, 2010 … By Natasha Lindstrom, Staff Writer (Continued below) …

… County workers are now completing inventory on the collection area and determining the ownership of the objects, artifacts and specimens, some of which are owned by local families. Additional work such as painting and carpet removal will commence in coming weeks. Some portions of the building, including meeting areas, remain open.
    
Officials hope to reopen the Victor Valley Museum as an accredited institution in late August or early September. Fees will stay the same, at $5 for general admission, $4 for senior/military and $2 for students.
    
Local residents will have a chance to share their input on museum designs at upcoming community meetings. To offer your input or for more information, call the County Museum in San Bernardino at (909) 307-2669.

VICTORVILLE – Karl Rove, former Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush, joined San Bernardino County Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt March 31 at a luncheon event in Victorville.

Mr. Rove, who received a standing ovation from the almost 300 guests at the conclusion of his remarks, said “I like coming to the High Desert because I grew up in the desert.” The Colorado native and transplanted Texan later added that while California has a regulatory system that is hostile to businesses and employers, “There are places like the Victor Valley that have enlightened leadership. They understand how to help business.”

Rove, who was dubbed by Mr. Bush as “The Architect” of his two winning elections, is currently on tour promoting his recently published, best-selling book, Courage and Consequence. The memoir includes candid accounts of some of America’s most turbulent years. It tells how President Bush got to the White House and what happened during his consequential and sometimes controversial presidency.

“I am honored that Karl took the time to join us here in Victorville this afternoon,” said Supervisor Mitzelfelt. “Mr. Rove’s insight and perspective into the world of politics is unmatched, and he was a key witness to history.”

Click here: http://www.youtube.com/joinbrad#p/u/1/SzmEeKZATJY

Ben Stein, a pop culture icon who is an economist, sees opportunity in the High Desert.

The region’s economy has been devastated by the recession but “the long-term trend is overwhelming … with the growth of future imports,” Stein said Thursday at a news conference at the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds in Victorville. “If you extrapolate that over time, the future is bright for this area.” … (Continued below) …

… From The Sun, Oct. 17, 2009 … ‘A bright future; Ben Stein optimistic about High Desert’ … By Matt Wrye, Staff Writer … (Continued below) …

… Stein spoke again later that day at an annual event hosted by High Desert Opportunity, a public-private partnership that promotes the region to outside companies.

The Yale law school and economics graduate said he drives through the High Desert “a lot” when traveling across the country from his homes in Malibu and Beverly Hills, and he’s taken note of the region’s warehouse distribution growth over the past decade.

The High Desert isn’t necessarily known as the nation’s “inland port” as some groups are marketing it, but it’s probably only a matter of time, Stein said. Right now, “Ontario is certainly known as the inland port,” he said.

Even though the Panama Canal is expanding its port capabilities to handle more cargo, and several East Coast ports don’t have nearly as many air-quality regulatory issues as California, Stein believes the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will still be the main conduit for future foreign imports.

“Nowhere else has this (logistics hub) concentration,” Stein said about the High Desert.

The region’s second bright spot: renewable energy production. Stein foresees major wind and solar projects moving into the region over the next 30 years.

“Once you have people working in alternative energy… you’ll have the dentists, doctors, grocers and businesses that follow along,” Stein said.

Besides having been a speech writer for presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, Stein is known for his columns in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Washington Post.

His career includes a famous scene in the movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” a stint on Comedy Central with the show, “Win Ben Stein’s Money,” and sitting as a judge on reality talent TV shows.

He offered some insight into the nation’s economic woes.

President Barack Obama’s federal stimulus isn’t being released fast enough into the economy, stifling the recovery, Stein said.

Stein is worried that health-care bills being crafted in Congress might hinder the small business owner’s ability to hire employees because of possible new taxes on those employers.

As for the national health care proposal’s cost, “it’s a fantasy that … they’re going to get the cost savings they think they’re going to get,” Stein said.

The national housing market’s recovery could stretch into 2015, Stein added.

And as the job market slowly recovers, the national unemployment rate will probably hover between 8 percent and 10 percent over the next couple of years before dropping, he said.

As for the High Desert, “growth is slow, but we’re still growing, and the slowness is only temporary,” county Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, who represents much of the High Desert, said before introducing Stein to the audience.

Stein echoed the supervisor’s comments.

“You’ll become the most important gateway for the planet,” he said. “I see a gigantic future for this area.”

matthew.wrye@inlandnewspapers.com

Link to online article: http://www.sbsun.com/business/ci_13580460

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has appointed four new members and re-appointed one member to the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) citizen-based California Desert District Advisory Council (DAC) which advises the BLM on public land issues.

The council’s new members are: Alexander Schriener Jr. of Bermuda Dunes who will represent renewable resource interests; Thomas Hallenbeck of Bishop who will represent transportation rights-of-way; San Bernardino County Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt of Wrightwood who will sit as an elected official and represent county government; April Sall of Pioneertown who will represent public-at-large interests; and Tom Acuna of Encinitas who has been re-appointed and will represent renewable energy industry interests. … (Continued below)…

…From the U.S. Dept. of Interior, Bureau of Land Management (California Desert District, Contact: Stephen Razo, 951-697-5217, email: srazo@ca.blm.gov…’Salazar Announces New Appointments to BLM Desert Advisory Council’, Aug. 27, 2009)… (Continued below)…

…The 15 member DAC works closely with BLM field office managers in Ridgecrest, Needles, Barstow, Palm Springs, El Centro and the desert district office in Moreno Valley. The California Desert District Advisory Council was established by Congress through the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976.

“The work of the desert advisory council truly highlights how unique partnerships can strengthen our management efforts and help promote cooperative conservation,” states Steven Borchard, BLM California Desert District manager. “We rely on their creative input and active participation to help us resolve the myriad of land management issues facing the California desert.”

The BLM’s resource advisory councils (RACs), composed of citizens chosen for their expertise in natural resource issues, help the agency carry out its stewardship of 261 million acres of public lands. The bureau, which manages more land than any other federal agency, has 24 RACs across the West, where most BLM-managed land is located. As an agency of the Department of the Interior, it is responsible for managing various public land uses – such as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production – while conserving the land’s natural, historical, and cultural resources.

For further information, contact David Briery at 951-677-5220.

Link to Official Release: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2009/august/CDD0966_DAC_appointments.html

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