The Yucca Valley Police Department along with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department will conduct a sobriety and driver’s license checkpoint on September 3, 2010, from 6:00p.m. – 02:00a.m, in the area of Twentynine Palms Highway and Trojan Lane, where a significant number of DUI-related collisions and DUI arrests have occurred. Officers will screen drivers passing through the checkpoint for sobriety and for a valid driver’s license. Drivers found...
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Yucca Valley, Ca.- The Yucca Valley Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the Hi-Desert Water District Candidate Forum this evening, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, in the Yucca Room at the Yucca Valley Community Center. This Forum will give the candidates an opportunity to state their views on many issues facing our area at this time. The format will include a two minute opening statement by each candidate, pre-selected...
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Reach Our Morongo Basin is at it again. These folks never cease to bedazzle the community with their overwhelming outpour of fantastic program and new challenges to better serve the community. Their current Sept/Oct  newsletter announces yet another meaningful gift to the community. This one   teases our emotions with good things to come. Christmas carol singers are needed. Isn’t it true we all just feel a tad more compassion...
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Twentynine Palms, Ca– The Twentynine Palms Police Department will be conducting a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint on September 6, 2010, from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., in the area of Twentynine Palms Highway and Larrea Avenue. In an effort to reduce the number of persons killed and injured in alcohol involved crashes, DUI checkpoints are conducted to identify offenders and get them off the street, as well as educate the...
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Rubidoux, Ca– The National Institute of Justice awarded the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Cold Case Unit with a grant to aid in the testing of DNA evidence in unsolved homicides. The solving of this cold case homicide is based off of  DNA being found on evidence left at the original 1977 crime scene. The following was the third case solved by the Cold Case Unit since being award the...
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I would like to take this time to thank each of you that contacted me, voted in the Desert Trail poll, or attended the Council meeting last night about Chalk Fest 29. As the dust settles on this event I would also like to make clear what actually was approved last night. The debate was long, at times contentious, and the final outcome may be unclear. In a nutshell here...
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Twentynine Palms, Ca– While the Twentynine Palms Council was busy spending taxpayer money for another Artist Boondoggle Encelia and the Highway was the scene of another injury accident last night. Citizen Reporter John Kidwell sent us these photos of the Accident that took place in front of Stater Brothers. The Gauntlet as the area is called was the location of last month’s fatal pedestrian auto collision. This is also...
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I have never seen a more hideous and pathetic display of abject arrogance from any human being in my entire life. Two City Councilmen brought their brains with them to the meeting tonight. Those honorable Councilmen were Jim Harris and Steve Spear. The remain three councilmen, Klink, Cole and rotating Mayor Flock, were brain-dead concerning ethical issues of prohibitions of gifts of public funds and government transparency. Flock is...
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Tonight’s Twentynine Palms City Hall started with honoring Silver Star recipient Colonel Dube. After graciously accepting the city’s heartfelt thanks, he talked about the teamwork and the sacrifice that it took to save a pilot’s life in Viet Nam. Colonel Dube left to a well- deserved standing ovation. After the Colonel left, the comic tragedy began. It was well scripted, like all good theater. Once the city council began...
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Twentynine Palms, Ca.– It was a hot night at the Twentynine Palms City Hall. The Council room was full. Ben Holstrom was like a  bull dog and in vain asked the questions of the council, Mel Berlin, the City Manager and the mayor of who authorized the advertising of the Chalk Fest before it was ever approved. I actually went to the podium Tuesday night, which is as rare...
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* REGARDING  THE CHALK-FEST AFFAIR * I read the following comments early this morning from one of our local 29 Councilmen and publisher of The Sun Runner, the  talented Steve Brown. Said comments were posted in a  THORNS blog entitled The New “Strategery“. I apologize to Councilman Spear and Steve Brown for taking their comments out of the comment section and posting it in a new header. That is...
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Twentynine Palms, Ca– Tonight is the night where we find if the Council represents the People or Special Interests in town. This special meeting is to amongst other things decide if the City of 29 Palms is going to transfer up to $40,000 in taxpayer dollars to Action Council 29 to conduct a private fund-raising function on public property. Only one of the present Council is running for reelection...
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Lancaster, Ca.– Getting older sucks. Having a sibling pass away sucks even more. My wife and I have been gone for a couple of days to the Lancaster area. My wife’s second oldest sister Rose passed at 1:08 PM today at the Antelope Valley Hospital. Rose was a complicated  soul. On the one hand a loving mother and grandmother and on the other hand the most stubborn woman in...
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A commentary. Food for thought. Obama plays the role of the caring compassionate president while behind the  scenes he is slowly destroying our freedom and security and bankrupting the country in the process.  Worth reading. ________________________________________ WAYNE ALLYN ROOT:  Overwhelm the system Barrack Obama is no fool. He is not incompetent. To the contrary, he is brilliant. He knows exactly what he’s doing. He is purposely overwhelming the U.S....
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Annual Rotary Event-Shoes Given to Needy Kids Yucca Valley, Ca.- 95 kids waited in line in front of Payless shoe store with their moms, aunts, dads, grandmas and siblings while the temperatures reached over 100 degrees, but that did not seem to matter to them. Each child, who had been preselected by their school or church as a child in need, was able to pick out their own brand...
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This short blog encompasses related ethical issues in the City of Riverside and 29 Palms. It tenders sharp criticism of Chalk-Fest organizers, and proffers suggestions to local candidates and  incumbents who are not up for reelection. The Press-Enterprise ran a feature story this weekend by reporter Alicia Robinson regarding the City’s  review of its ethics codes. “The political turmoil that has roiled Riverside for much of 2010 has some...
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Dear Steve Whitten, Thank you for your service to our country. It is great that you now want to be of service to the city of Twentynine Palms. In your statements of what you envision for our city you mention increasing businesses to increase revenue and bring jobs to our city. I think that is a good idea, but first I would like to know if you can tell me...
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You know what you get when you hope in one hand and crap in the other? If I hear another guy promise to bring 29 Palms a Big Box Store in his campaign I going to barf. It would seem that every couple of years we have to be told by some Madison Ave company  that we are at the end of the road. I believe we have a...
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By Steve Whitten, Candidate For 29 Palms City Council A blog reader asked my view of Big Box development along Highway 62.   Do we need to look like Yucca Valley? Absolutely not. We do need a Big Box store that has the ability to provide our citizens an alternative grocery store (Jobs) and a Big Box that will provide retail items of need & impulse buying such as clothing, sporting goods,...
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A Reach Out Morongo Basin volunteer coordinator, Mary Reeves, is reminding people that volunteers are need for the *Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program. Training begins in October and another in November. At any given moment, Zeus, King of the Greek Gods – god of the sky — whose symbol is the thunderbolt — could display his powers by bring widespread destruction and devastation, disorder or chaos. The entire...
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You know the one thing we do not need in “The worst economic and financial crisis in decades,” is to have the fringe left compound the problem by potentially putting a stop to mining and industry in out Basin. The same Birkenstock assholes that visit every government meeting, telling you and everyone else that they love the Earth and therefore you must die are at it again. We all...
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Morongo Basin, Ca- Help Identify this Female Doe – Hispanic DESCRIPTION: 5’1″, 145 lbs., Dark wavy hair Wearing ‘Wilson’ brand athletic pants(size medium)and matching jacket, Dark blue in color with black drawstring & elastic waist/ Black ribbed tank top/ Blue denim baseball hat/Also wearing stud type earrings –Gold with a red stone(see attached photo) UPDATED INFORMATION: On Wednesday, August 25, 2010, Coroner Investigators attempted to identify the victim by...
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By Steve Whitten For 29 Palms City Council City Council Members must always remember that they serve the public and cannot take that public for granted. Council Members must possess the moral courage to “do the right thing” for the community as a whole. I promise to carefully listen to members of the community when they speak during Council meetings. I promise to go out of my way to...
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By Steve Whitten For 29 Palms City Council I came to 29 Palms about 15 years ago. I was a Senior Marine on my twilight tour. I decided to retire, work and live here. I owned and operated a small business for a couple of years. I discovered how challenging it is to run a small operation in an attempt to make a living in this type of business...
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Crestline, Ca– Corey and Beth both have wonderful loving parents. Corey and Beth were good kids. Corey and Beth fell in love. Corey and Beth had a baby. Corey and Beth also have a Heroine addiction. Corey and Beth’s baby is now in foster care.  Corey Foye and Elisabeth Shane both 20  of Crestline are now both in jail. Deputy David Mascetti went to a residence on Shady Lane,...
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Twentynine Palms, Ca.– Other than the fact that I believe that Jerry “Jay” Corbin is the literal reincarnation of “Boss Tweed” and anyone that would vote for such a psychopath should be held for a 72 hour psych evaluation at Arrowhead Medical, I’m not so quick to endorse anyone this year for 29 Palms City Council. I count as friends and at least have civil associations with all the...
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Joshua Tree, CA- Of the many creative people in this hi-desert who do bits of everything, Eva Stokes is the master of them all! A mother-taught painter whose first painting sold for $5000 and was used as an album cover, a gifted writer who has done some renowned works, such as 2006‘s hilarious “Hollywood Bimbo“ followed by equally funny “Joshua Tree Jezebel” and mind-expanding “The Awareness Function of X”...
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With the race is on, we are now wanting to know all about our candidates. The one that stood out the most for me is Steve Whitten. Steve has been a been a part of the Twentynine Palms community for 15 years. He chose to live here because he loved the ‘small town feeling’ where everyone knew everyone by their first names. He also had a thriving U-Haul business...
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The Only Things Newspapers Are Good for is Killing Trees by Nick O’Neill on January 19th, 2009 9:00 AM -Newspaper Stack-If you know me, you would know that I’m one of the most avid consumers of content. Then again, it is my job. One type of content that I don’t consume on a daily basis is newspapers. While I visit news sites of individual newspapers such as the Wall...
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Cleveland’s Trash Cans = Cash Cans The Cleveland City Council has approved spending $2.5 million on high-tech trash and recycling carts for 25,000 households across the city, expanding a pilot program that began in 2007 with 15,000 households, says the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The City of Cleveland plans to sort through curbside trash to make sure residents are recycling — and fine them $100 if they do not.  The...
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Bill Warner of Nolte Associate and the YV Planning Commission and Town Council earn the coveted Fickle Finger of Fate Award. Here is the story, a story about the failed leadership of Yucca Valley and unnecessarily insulting concerned citizens exercising their Fourteenth Amendment rights in a public meeting. YUCCA VALLEY - While the sale of new homes fell more than 27 percent in July, the like-minded Yucca Valley Planning...
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Apple Valley, Ca– On August 23, 2010 at approximately 7:23pm, Deputy Crosswhite from the Apple Valley Police Station responded to a call of a sex crime involving an 11 year old female. When Deputy Crosswhite arrived on scene he was informed by the victim’s mother that the suspect, Harry McDowell 66 of Apple Valley, had been caught in the act of molesting the 11 year old victim. The suspect...
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Essex, Ca– As you know I love  cold cases and like to report  to you the results of a good who done it. here is an update on a story we reported back in December of 2009. On December 29, 2009, a motorist reported that he had located a grave near Essex Road and Interstate 40 approximately 45 miles west of Needles, California. Colorado River Station detectives requested the...
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I can tell you I attended the meeting for the Historic Plaza opening and suggested Pioneer Days opening. Rob Fleck and Kevin Cole were both present….unfortunately many of the Plaza’s merchants were not present, which surprised me, since this could possibly benefit their business. I cannot recall if Rob Fleck asked Kevin Cole if the City would help out or Kevin mentioned that possibly the city could help. I...
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Are Yucca Valley leaders unaware of  the traffic safety needs along the 62 corridor through its City? There was a recent a reshuffling of Sheriff deputies in Yucca Valley.  According to the White Feather Sheriff Department Public Information Officer, some officers left, some came back in the shuffle. But the good news is that the City still has the same two motorcycle officers assigned to patrol the streets of...
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San Bernardino, Ca– San Bernardino County Public Health Officer Dr. Maxwell Ohikhuare has issued an extreme heat advisory for San Bernardino County, due to high temperature forecasts for inland and desert regions.  Residents are urged to take precautions that will prevent heat-related illness. Some health conditions such as obesity, fever, dehydration, heart disease, poor circulation, sunburn, and drug and alcohol use can make it harder for the body to...
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On Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 5:54 a.m., a driver in the area of Hwy. 62 and Hollinger Rd. in Joshua Tree, witnessed a fire south of the roadway. The driver stopped and reported the fire. He also reported that he saw what appeared to be a body at the scene of the fire. Once the fire was extinguished, law enforcement and fire personnel found a body. The body...
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I just came home from work and started to read my emails. As usual there was the weekly Chamber of Commerce newsletter in my mailbox. I noticed that the Chamber will be holding the September mixer at the Historic Plaza as part of the Pioneer Days kickoff. As I read further I came across a phrase that seems to be the new “Strategery” for non-profits in our city that...
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A special meeting of the Twentynine Palms City Council will be held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, August 31, at City Hall, 6136 Adobe Road. Topping the agenda for this meeting will be a public hearing to consider a Temporary Use Permit application by Action Council for 29 Palms for a large-scale community event—“Chalk Fest 29”—at Luckie Park in November. The proposed three-day event would be held November 5,...
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When misinformation goes unchecked it easily becomes accepted as true. Here are some additional issues I have with his article. As co-founder and current president of Friends of Giant Rock (FOGR) I take exception to the accusation made by Community ORV Watch in the Sunrunner. I will try to bring to light information omitted that changes the slant, and Ill throw in a couple lies of my own just...
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“For the state’s most populous county, the number of uninsured increased by about 600,000 in two years, according UCLA study.” There are 490,000 in San Bernardino County without health insurance, and for an Inland Empire total of about 1.04 million. Thousands join uninsured ranks The Sun, by Jim Steinberg, SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY – The number of San Bernardino County residents without health care insurance soared by more than...
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On 08/23/2010 at 11:26 PM, Lorie Stewart, a 45 year old resident of Morongo Valley, was crossing the intersection of Twentynine Palms Hwy. and Park Ave., in Morongo, when she was struck by a 1998 Chevy Camaro that was traveling eastbound. Stewart was confirmed dead on scene by Morongo Valley Fire Department at 11:49 PM. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death. The California Highway...
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“If elected I want town hall style meetings and frequent round table discussions with citizens.” “I have 5 children and I see firsthand the challenges facing our young people.” BY Carey Alderson on August 23, 2010 at 8:40 pm (Edit) After spending a week thinking on how I wanted this to be written as well as received, this is what I have for the people, the voters. There will...
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And now: The stealth Obama ocean grab By Michelle Malkin  •  August 20, 2010 09:07 AM For the past few months, I’ve been spotlighting the Obama administration’s War on the West, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s War on Jobs, and the White House land lock-up (Part 1, Part 2). Today’s column exposes the next Obama environmental power grab — into the sea. *** And now: The Stealth Obama Ocean Grab by Michelle...
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There are no shortage of issues in 29 Palms, just a shortage of City Council candidates willing to get off their duffs and do some old fashion campaigning. TWENTYNINE PALMS – A few day ago The Desert Sun in Coachella Valley headlined a feature article about how the Coachella candidates have “come out swinging”. Here in Twentynine Palms most of the seven Candidates aren’t taking serious their obligation and...
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Managing and manufacturing the news is nothing new for the powerful corporation which also operates USA Today, over 50 television stations, and various Internet properties.
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Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack, a 12-year congressional veteran, is already a millionaire and married to a millionaire.
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BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation has filed an amicus curiae brief in the long-running Nordyke v. King case in California, arguing that Second Amendment issues must be decided on a “strict scrutiny” basis, and that an ordinance in Alameda County banning gun shows at the county fairgrounds is unconstitutional because it would not withstand that standard of review. This case was a catalyst for the U.S. Supreme...
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than one in five fatal drowning victims are children 14 and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another four received emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries. This weekend we had two incidents in the Inland Empire. One ended with tragic results. Rancho Cucamonga, Ca– On 08/18/2010 at 6:00 PM, Christian Cruz, an 8 year old resident...
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In response to a Guest Rant in the Desert Trail this week by Patty Berlin, long time resident, Jeanne Bailey directs her response to Patty and tells it like it is. By Jeanne Bailey Interesting article, YES, Patty, there is “life before Death.” I arrived here in 29-Palms in the early 1960′s and in those years, we had a nice prosperous town. We Had Life…..Dr.Ince Memorial Hospital, Sears, Montgomery...
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Big Bear City, Ca– On Thursday, August 19, 2010 at approximately 8:00 p.m., Arthur Valenzuela, 54 a resident of Big Bear City, was witnessed at the Sugarloaf Park and was coaching a women’s league softball team. Valenzuela is a sex registrant and there were several children present at the park during the softball game. Adjacent to the park is a skate park, which was also occupied by several juveniles....
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Has Mel Berlin had *intercourse with any of the Councilmen or city officials? Are there Brown Act violations? MEL Berlin needs to go through the democratic process first, not subvert it, no matter who his cronies are at City Hall. I don’t think Mel Berlin is an incompetent fool. However, he’s evidenced he wasn’t too bright with his multiple blunders acting on behalf of Action Council 29, and by...
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How Obama is locking up our land, continued By Michelle Malkin  •  August 16, 2010 11:00 AM Over the weekend, I spotlighted the White House “Great Outdoors Initiative” and the administration’s campaign for federal land grabs-through-executive fiat. The Obama War on the West continues. GOP Rep. Rob Bishop of Utah has released the complete Bureau of Lands Management memo outlining a stealth federal land lock-up plan covering an area the size...
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Norco, Ca– On Saturday, August 20, 2010, at about 12:25 p.m., deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Norco Office were dispatched to the Albertsons grocery store located at 1100 Hamner Avenue in the City of Norco, reference an 18-month-old toddler left unattended inside a locked vehicle. Deputies arrived on scene within a minute and located the vehicle. Deputies were able to gain entry into the vehicle, at which...
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Twentynine Palms– I just picked up the most recent copy of my favorite quarterly the Sun Runner. Looking to the “Letters From You..” section there was a letter from Phil Klasky. You know the COW fellow.  I’m a little tired of the socialist Phil Klasky continually using of all things  antisemitism as some kind of club when he is interviewed or writes about me and my web site. Those...
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The Desert Hot Springs festival, which the city spent over $250,000 of city money to create, is one of a several similar festivals taking place in September and October. Desert Hot Springs, CA – The police department is well prepared for an upcoming music and yoga festival to be held in Desert Hot Springs, say city officials. Crowd control, parking and traffic are just some of the issues that have...
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A Patty Berlin wrote a letter to the editor in the Desert Trail, telling all us that we didn’t know dick. I thought I would answer her at least as to the way I see it. You all might think different. Dear Patty, You said, “An accusation has been thrown out regarding Action Council for 29 Palms Inc. being a “self serving” organization with special interests that are draining...
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Boron AF Station, Ca– On August 11, 2010, Barstow Sheriff’s Station Deputy Holm was assigned to investigate a report of theft that occurred at the Boron Prison located just north of the Kramer Junction. Investigation revealed that Bruce Peebles, 53 of Hesperia and Robert Louis Tucker, 33 of Apple Valley, had utilized various types of tools to locate, dig up, and remove multiple sections of electrical wiring both underground...
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Twentynine Palms, Ca– The continuing saga of the Event Promoters who could not shoot straight. Less than 24 hours after Action Council claimed that they now had a done deal to have their Chalk Fest 2010 instead at Lucky Park their website has completely taken down all references to the “Blessed” Event. Well I hate to burst the bubble boys and girls but once posted always there. Can you...
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Feds suspend desert race promoter’s events | PE.com By PAUL LAROCCO The Press-Enterprise The federal Bureau of Land Management this morning announced it has suspended future events by the promoter of last weekend’s off-road race in the San Bernardino County desert that led to the deaths of eight spectators. South El Monte-based Mojave Desert Racing had scheduled its next competition for Sept. 25, in the same area where Saturday’s...
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