Panels and presentations

Deputy Chief David Austin is a long-time employee of the Riverside Fire Department who's being honored at this week's city council meeting as he retires from the department after years of employment. According to many people, it's an honor he richly deserves for a career of distinguished service to this city and others as well. Just after the terrorist attacks of 9-11, Austin led a special task force of public safety employees to Ground Zero in New York City for several weeks. At least six local fire fighters who were on that team filed workman's compensation claims as a result of experiencing respiratory illnesses after they came back as a result of exposure to toxins there.

Austin's being honored by the city council during the portion of the evening session which is reserved for its presentations including the recognizing of individuals and organizations for accomplishments. Just as former deputy chief, Dave Dominguez from the city's police department had been honored after leaving the city to head to Palm Springs to lead its department. Just as other employees who were high-ranking have been honored in similar ceremonies before leaving the city for retirement or other jobs. And now it's the deputy chief of the fire department to take his turn at the podium.

But Austin is also a number.


He's WCAB Claim No. 060001 and this number is on the city council's agenda as well for the same meeting where he's being honored for his service. Only this discussion about Austin is taking place behind closed doors in a meeting between the city council, mayor and the city's attorneys. It's not clear to the public whether the city will be as positive towards Austin in this meeting or whether they will be on the opposite sides of the fence and possibly on the opposite side of the courtroom if like some similar claims, this one ever went that far. So they will be complimentary in their speeches about Austin in the public session of the meeting, but what will it be like behind closed doors only hours earlier as they discuss Austin's workman's compensation case?

After all, when it comes to any situation where the city might either have to pay out a little money for compensation or pay out a lot of money in case it faces civil liability, the city's often in the position of looking out for its fiscal interests and not those of its employees. Hopefully, this situation is much different than that and that there's not that curious duality at work with an outgoing city employee.

But the case is stated as David Austin v the City of Riverside which presents a tone of its own just with the language. The presentation honoring him is not quite worded the same way.





Several local politicians and lots of high-ranking police officers joined community leaders, members and city employees at the re-dedication of the Riverside Police Department's Lincoln Field Operations Station.


In 1988, the first ribbon cutting ceremony took place with the cutting being done by the late former mayor, Ab Brown and former police chief, Sonny Richardson. That 30-year-old ribbon was intertwined with the new one which was cut by Mayor Ron Loveridge, several council members and current police chief, Russ Leach.


The $1.6 million renovation of the station was financed as a Riverside Renaissance project and will house the patrol officers and detectives assigned to the North and East areas of the city.

Loveridge said in his remarks that Leach had led the department from some of its darkest days to some of the brightest days in the city's history. The renovation of Lincoln Station was a "very wise investment of Riverside Renaissance funding".


"A gift to the community from the city of Riverside," Loveridge said.



Even though the building was only 20 years old, it had experienced many problems, including leaking and at one time, it crammed more officers into its roll call room and more sergeants into the sergeant working area than it does today. It will house officers, detectives, sergeants, lieutenants and one captain who are assigned to the North and East neighborhood areas.







City functions are great places to meet, greet and hold discussions on city issues and one of the ones that got the most attention was the plan to pack a special "blue ribbon" panel for the renovation projects involving the downtown library and museum with Ward One peeps. People really wanted to know what gave Ward One residents a special claim to two facilities which in reality serve everyone in the city and even those who don't live here.


This report includes the names of those appointed to the panel. It's interesting how only one school principal is included on the list and of course, it's the one from Riverside Poly High School and not North High School for example. And again, why are the only youth appointed to the panel from the Mayor's office's Youth Counsel? What about looking at other youth organizations either in schools or neighborhoods? Why aren't there any members of the panel who use the library but aren't identified through a title?



Why do only two elected officials get input into who gets to serve on a panel impacting a library and museum that residents of all wards frequent? If people are going to pack it with people they know (and it's mostly the mayor's circle who's represented on the current list), it should at least be equal opportunity for elected officials.







The number of foreclosures in the Inland Empire continues to rise, putting Riverside County into the fourth spot in the state for foreclosures and San Bernardino, fifth.






Ontario, California which prided itself on its homeless village has now had second thoughts about it and is limiting itself to bout 170 homeless people who can prove they have local residency. Everyone else will have to leave next week.



(excerpt, Press Enterprise)



Those wanting to stay must have documentation proving some tie to Ontario, such as school records, birth certificate or past utility bill, according to a city news release.

Applicants will be given "sufficient time to present these documents and assistance will be provided in locating them if needed," the news release said.

The city will begin screening at the site Monday, said Brent Schultz, director of Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization for Ontario.

Those without ties to Ontario will be asked to leave and, if they refuse, will be cited for trespassing, he said.

"The area was really intended for Ontario homeless residents, but has swelled by more than 10 fold," he said.



It will be interesting to see what happens next week when they yank the rug that they've taken great pains into letting the world know about to improve their image as a humane city. Not to mention the consequences of the poor planning of suddenly limiting who can stay and who can go, knowing well that few homeless in Ontario will be able to produce this documentation.






The Eugene City Council exonerated the police auditor by a 5 to 3 vote.



(excerpt, Eugene Register-Guard)



After reviewing Swanson’s complaints and Beamud’s written response, most councilors on Wednesday said they had seen enough to convince them that the charges were unfounded.

“The auditor did nothing wrong,” said Councilor Alan Zelenka, who offered the motion approved by four other councilors, Betty Taylor, Bonny Bettman, Andrea Ortiz and Chris Pryor.

But Councilors George Poling, Mike Clark and Jennifer Solomon preferred to hire an independent investigator to look into the claims. They said they weren’t ready to find in favor of either Beamud or Swanson without more information.

“What we have here is a ‘he said, she said,’ ” Clark noted. The written materials that councilors reviewed “are insufficient to reach a conclusion,” he said. Councilors discussed the matter for nearly 1½ hours in an executive, or nonpublic, session before emerging to approve the motion.



A Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department deputy who crashed into three bicyclists killing two of them was fatigued.



(excerpt, San Francisco Chronicle)


She would not confirm witness reports that the deputy, 27-year-old James Council, told people at the crash scene Sunday morning that he had fallen asleep at the wheel. Council "doesn't know what happened" when he veered across the center line of winding, two-lane Stevens Canyon Road, killing the two cyclists and injuring a third, attorney Mary Sansen said.

"The possibility exists," she said, "that we're never going to know what happened."




What had happened in 2001 was that Council had been arrested and charged with drunk driving but plead guilty to street racing, receiving two years probation. Council's attorney urged her client to submit to blood alcohol testing in this case, not believing intoxication to be an issue.

Council also had a sister that had been hit by a car and killed at the age of 7.








The issue of subpoena power for the Orange County (Florida) Civilian Review Board has not been settled, according to the Orlando Sentinel. A judge said in a ruling that the board had the right to issue subpoenas to deputies through provisions in the charter. The Sheriff's Department and law enforcement labor union contested that so the judge has been asked to clarify her ruling.




Blood was found on the gun that New York City Police Department Det. Gescard Isnora used to shoot Sean Bell.



(excerpt, New York Daily News)



"That was dried blood that flaked off the slide," Det. Chris Florio said, pointing at a photo of the weapon. "When I went to take this picture I noticed when I picked up the gun and turned it over, some blood had flaked off. That's what drew my attention."

Florio said he did a chemical test to confirm it was blood and sent it off to the Medical Examiner for identification.

Prosecutors have not revealed whose blood it was, but the revelation that some was found caused revulsion among Bell's supporters in the Queens courtroom.

"Either he (Isnora) touched the victims with his weapon when the shooting was over, or it was spatter from when they were essentially shooting at point blank range," lawyer Michael Hardy said.

Hardy said if Isnora was close enough to get blood on his gun, he was close enough to realize that Bell and friends Trent Benefield and Joseph Guzman were not armed and posed no threat.