New graffiti removal program

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Graffiti in the unincorporated areas of the High Desert is expected to be much less visible this week now that a contractor has been hired to remove the unsightly tagging left by gang members and vandals. “This type of pernicious vandalism affects the quality of life, the property values, and even the safety of residents in too many neighborhoods throughout the High Desert,” said Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt. “It’s very much the ‘broken window’ phenomenon, in which one patch of graffiti leads to more graffiti and more problems.”… (Continued below)

From the Victor Valley Daily Press, May 24, 2008… (Continued below)

…The removal team will work throughout the unincorporated areas of the High Desert.

They will patrol high volume areas and clean up graffiti as they find it as well as respond to complaints with a goal to respond within 48 hours. However, officials caution that the workload early on will be heavy, and that response times may be longer than two days for the first month or so.

Complaints can be called in to the Graffiti Hot Line at (877) 44 ABATE, or residents can call Code Enforcement at (800) 722-3181. The $101,400 contract is for one year with a provision for extensions.

May

16

‘Helendale gets check for park’

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The Helendale Community Services District got a surprise boost to their parks and recreation division with a check for $225,000 to buy land for the community’s first public park. …

…From the Press Dispatch, May 17, 2008, By Ryan Orr, Staff Writer (continued below)…

… “We were just very pleased,” said CSD General Manager Kimberly Cox. “We had no expectation, but we were thrilled.”

At the request of San Bernardino County 1st District Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors on May 6 approved the funds for the purchase of land.

The funds came from Mitzelfelt’s priority policy budget.

“Parks are an essential component of the quality of life of a community,” Mitzelfelt said. “Helendale is an attractive and growing area and the addition of this park will add new recreational opportunities for both children and adults.”

Cox said the CSD had been evaluating several plots of land in Helendale and are close to picking a final spot for the park.

Although the Silver Lakes Community has parks, they are all private and can only be used by members of the Silver Lakes Association, Cox said.

Cox said the District is aiming to find around 74 acres of land that will someday house a community center, football fields and baseball fields.

The CSD will develop a park master plan that may also include soccer fields, a skate park and basketball courts.

“As soon as we get land, we’ll build it project by project,” Cox said.

She said they hope to purchase land in time to have baseball fields operational by March.

“We’re very excited,” added Cox.

Ryan Orr may be reached at 951-6277 or rorr@vvdailypress.com.

Link to online article: http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/helendale_6461___article.html/park_check.html

May

16

Mitzelfelt Interviewed By ABC World News About Sex Offender Ban

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The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors’ approval this week of Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt’s proposed ordinance to ban sex offenders from working on ice cream trucks has attracted national media attention, including that of ABC World News.

Today, Supervisor Mitzelfelt appeared on ABC World News with Jim Avila, and a webcast of the interview can be accessed by clicking on the following link or pasting the URL in your browser window: http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=4867721.

The ordinance followed the Legislature’s failure to pass Assemblyman Paul Cook’s bill to achieve the same protection for children statewide. Cook, of Yucca Valley, proposed his bill in response to residents in Riverside County’s City of Perris, who discovered that their neighborhood ice cream truck driver was a sex offender last year.

As the first county in California to implement this protection, ABC World News and Good Morning America joined many other regional and national media outlets in covering the story.

Supervisor Mitzelfelt says he hopes San Bernardino County’s new ordinance will encourage other municipalities across the state and nation to adopt similar measures.

“Public safety is my highest priority,” said Mitzelfelt, who last year successfully pushed for a new sex-offender tracking team in the Sheriff’s Department. “This new ordinance is an additional tool we can use to protect our children and communities from dangerous sex offenders.”