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Judge upholds state raid on city coffers
Recall process restarted
By REBECCA NEIPP, News Review Staff Writer
Armed Forces honored
starting Friday
starting Friday
By REBECCA NEIPP,
News Review Staff Writer
News Review Staff Writer
Voluntary recycling passes first
reading
reading
By LAUREN LOEWEN,
News Review Staff Writer
News Review Staff Writer
By REBECCA NEIPP,
News Review Staff Writer
News Review Staff Writer
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (second from right) outlines some of
the challenges facing state legislators. McCarthy appeared
at a luncheon in support of Assembly Candidate Shannon
Grove (second from left). Also pictured are Grove supporters
Capt. Mick Gleason, Gary Charlon and Arzell Hale. A report
on McCarthy’s message will be published in next week’s
News Review. Photo by Laura Austin
the challenges facing state legislators. McCarthy appeared
at a luncheon in support of Assembly Candidate Shannon
Grove (second from left). Also pictured are Grove supporters
Capt. Mick Gleason, Gary Charlon and Arzell Hale. A report
on McCarthy’s message will be published in next week’s
News Review. Photo by Laura Austin
Despite protests from cities across California,
Sacramento Superior Court Judge Lloyd Connelly has
upheld the state’s decision to take more than $2 billion
from local governments in redevelopment agency funds
over the next two years.
After a temporary stay was denied last week, the city of
Ridgecrest forked over its $2.5-million share on Monday.
Connelly blocked a similar attempt in 2008, when
redevelopment agencies challenged the state’s
proposal. What changed? Connelly said that this time it
is clear the money would stay with local schools. It is
unclear whether the same sum will make its way back to
Ridgecrest once those funds are reallocated by the state.
Councilman Jerry Taylor said the city’s loss is all the
greater because it will limit local spending on economic
development, “which in turn increases our tax base and
develops more RDA money.”
Sacramento Superior Court Judge Lloyd Connelly has
upheld the state’s decision to take more than $2 billion
from local governments in redevelopment agency funds
over the next two years.
After a temporary stay was denied last week, the city of
Ridgecrest forked over its $2.5-million share on Monday.
Connelly blocked a similar attempt in 2008, when
redevelopment agencies challenged the state’s
proposal. What changed? Connelly said that this time it
is clear the money would stay with local schools. It is
unclear whether the same sum will make its way back to
Ridgecrest once those funds are reallocated by the state.
Councilman Jerry Taylor said the city’s loss is all the
greater because it will limit local spending on economic
development, “which in turn increases our tax base and
develops more RDA money.”
World War II veteran Fred Weals reverently places a
wreath in Freedom Park during the 2006 celebration of
Armed Forces Day. Photo by Elizabeth Babcock
wreath in Freedom Park during the 2006 celebration of
Armed Forces Day. Photo by Elizabeth Babcock
Residents will have the opportunity starting on Friday to
celebrate Armed Forces Day and honor our country’s
servicemen and women with numerous special events and
presentations throughout the weekend including honorable
guest speaker, Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower
and Reserve Affairs) Juan M. Garcia III.
To begin the festivities, the Antelope Valley’s mobile
Vietnam Memorial Wall will arrive in Ridgecrest on Friday
around noon by motorcycle escort, coordinated by Greg
Vincent, a 20-year Navy and Vietnam veteran. Ridgecrest
has the honor of being the first host city of the wall, which
made its debut in Palmdale in November 2009.
Nick Coy, a Vietnam veteran, saw the wall in Palmdale and
was inspired to bring it to Ridgecrest in honor of Armed
Forces Day. “This has become much larger than I ever
expected,” said Coy. “The help I’ve gotten, and the amount
of people that have come out to make this happen and help
with this, is amazing.”
celebrate Armed Forces Day and honor our country’s
servicemen and women with numerous special events and
presentations throughout the weekend including honorable
guest speaker, Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower
and Reserve Affairs) Juan M. Garcia III.
To begin the festivities, the Antelope Valley’s mobile
Vietnam Memorial Wall will arrive in Ridgecrest on Friday
around noon by motorcycle escort, coordinated by Greg
Vincent, a 20-year Navy and Vietnam veteran. Ridgecrest
has the honor of being the first host city of the wall, which
made its debut in Palmdale in November 2009.
Nick Coy, a Vietnam veteran, saw the wall in Palmdale and
was inspired to bring it to Ridgecrest in honor of Armed
Forces Day. “This has become much larger than I ever
expected,” said Coy. “The help I’ve gotten, and the amount
of people that have come out to make this happen and help
with this, is amazing.”
After misfiled paperwork disqualified the last recall effort,
the group of residents behind an attempt to unseat the
five members of the Ridgecrest City Council have
restarted the process.
At last week’s regular meeting of the council, members
fired back with criticism of the effort — Why waste
thousands from city coffers on two individuals up for
reelection in November? Why are recallers not providing
candidates to run against sitting councilmen?
Perhaps most importantly, if the primary objective of the
recall is eliminating the city’s mandatory recycling
program — why continue now that the council has begun
enacting a city ordinance to achieve that very goal?
The controversial mandatory trash and recycling program
has been at the center of an ongoing debate between city
officials and a group of residents calling themselves Don’
t Tread on Me Citizens for Freedom.
For more than a year Don’t Tread has been objecting to
the fact that the city bowed to state pressure ...
the group of residents behind an attempt to unseat the
five members of the Ridgecrest City Council have
restarted the process.
At last week’s regular meeting of the council, members
fired back with criticism of the effort — Why waste
thousands from city coffers on two individuals up for
reelection in November? Why are recallers not providing
candidates to run against sitting councilmen?
Perhaps most importantly, if the primary objective of the
recall is eliminating the city’s mandatory recycling
program — why continue now that the council has begun
enacting a city ordinance to achieve that very goal?
The controversial mandatory trash and recycling program
has been at the center of an ongoing debate between city
officials and a group of residents calling themselves Don’
t Tread on Me Citizens for Freedom.
For more than a year Don’t Tread has been objecting to
the fact that the city bowed to state pressure ...
An ordinance that allows residential property owners to opt
out of the mandatory trash and recycling collection program
has passed the first reading.
“I’m ready to move forward with this,” said Councilman Ron
Carter. “We’ve been waiting a long time. We’ve all the input
we need from the public. We keep postponing this … I’d like
to take care of this first reading tonight.”
The council has been working on the voluntary option for
collection since receiving the green light from Cal-Recycles
earlier this year. However, the oversight agency warned that
if the city failed to meet its target of diverting at least 50
percent from the waste stream into recycling — the state
minimum — the city could still be subject to a mandatory
program.
Cal-Recycles will revisit the city’s progress at the end of this
year, when officials will decide whether to accept the
change long term.
out of the mandatory trash and recycling collection program
has passed the first reading.
“I’m ready to move forward with this,” said Councilman Ron
Carter. “We’ve been waiting a long time. We’ve all the input
we need from the public. We keep postponing this … I’d like
to take care of this first reading tonight.”
The council has been working on the voluntary option for
collection since receiving the green light from Cal-Recycles
earlier this year. However, the oversight agency warned that
if the city failed to meet its target of diverting at least 50
percent from the waste stream into recycling — the state
minimum — the city could still be subject to a mandatory
program.
Cal-Recycles will revisit the city’s progress at the end of this
year, when officials will decide whether to accept the
change long term.