The Bakersfield Californian from Bakersfield, California • Page 8

S.P.R.R. White (numbered) areas show new areas included in the Greater Bakersfield Separation of Grade District following yesterday's action in 'Kern County Superior Court. Many of the small areas were bypassed during earlier annexations. Blue area indicates district prior to Jan. 10.

Grade district expansion official With formalizing procedures taken in Superior Court Friday and yesterday expansion of the Greater Bakersfield Separation of Grade District became official. The district, which is responsible for building overpasses and underpasses at railroad-street intersections, now covers essentially the same area as the Golden Empire, Transit District. For people in the new portions of the district Oildale, Stockdale, South Bakersfield and a score of "islands" this will mean a new tax bite of 3' or 4 cents per $100 of assessed property value starting Oct. 1, according to Roland Woodruff, attorney for the district. However, for the people in the older part of the district the expansion means they will be getting a tax break.

Woodruff said their tax would drop from "about 6 cents per $100 to the 3- or 4-cent level. The expansion was accomplished without a of the people. That was done in accordance with the provisions of the law which established the district in 1954. It required the district to conduct public hearings before expanding. They were held in 1974.

Protests made against the expansion at the hearings were less than the number required by the law for it to be brought to a vote. "Actually, the protests we received were very few, indeed," said Woodruff. The expansion was approved by the district board and finalized by action of the secretary of state in 1975. The newboundaries, however, did not become effective until Jan. 1 of this year.

The actions of thecourt now were described by Woodruff as "mere formalities." The precise tax assessment will be set later this year by the district's directors and the Board of Supervisors. With its expanded boundaries the district now has the following extremities: Seventh Standard Road on the north; Vineland Road on the east; Panama Lane on the south, and Calloway Road on the west. Since being created the district built the undercrossing of the Santa Fe tracks on Chester Avenue; the Truxtun Avenue overcrossing of Union Avenue, and the Beale Avenue overcrossing of the Southern Pacific tracks. 4 1 I Panel rejects METROPOLITAN NEWS SECTION PAGES 9 TO 18 SF hearing location undecided By W. J.

McCANCE Staff Writer "We certainly would like to know exactly where in San. Francisco the school compliance hearings will be held so we can begin preparing for the March 15 move," said County Counsel Ralph Jordan. Jordan said yesterday Stephen Spitz, chief Health, Education and Welfare Department counsel, still didn't know the exact location where the BULLETIN The. executive committee of the Downtown Business Association this morning voted to send telegrams to Washington in support'of Rep. Bill Ketchum's hid to halt the move of the HEW-Bakersfield City School District hearings from Bakersfield to San Francisco.

DBA president Dick Ramkey said telegrams opposing the move will be sent to President Ford, HEW Secretary David Mathews, and California Sens. John Tunney and Alan Cranston. A telegram also will be sent to Board of Supervisors Chairman LeRoy Jack- hearing will be moved next week. John Ohanian, presiding at the hearing to determine if Bakersfield City School District violated the 1964 Civil Rights Act, Friday ordered the more than 80-day hearing moved to San Francisco beginning March 15: In the ruling Ohanian left the determination of the location up to Spitz. Spitz said yesterday he was awaiting word from regional HEW headquarters about where the hearing site will be.

Spitz was responding to questions asked by Dennis Reid, assistant county counsel who is helping. Jordan with BCSD defense against the HEW allegations. At the conclusion of yesterday's hearing, which started 2Vz hours late because the court reporter was delayed, Spitz told The Californian he still hadn't received word on the new location. Robert Tull, an Office of Civil Rights investigator, told The Californian he's sure the hearing won't be held at HEW regional headquarters. "There just Isn't room at the regional off ices," Tull said.

In another development yesterday Rep. Bill Ketchum, R-Bakersfield, sent a letter, to David Mathews, secretary of health, education and welfare, asking that the hearing remain in Bakersfield and inquiries be made into the procedural conduct of the hearing officer. Testifying at the hearing yesterday was Wayne Wong, director of food services for the district. Wong testified, despite objections from Spitz, about the relationship of see SF 10 Ketchum letter protests shift Many constituents there has been a common design suggesting collusion between the presiding officer and Health, Education and Welfare Department attorneys at the school compliance hearing, says Rep. Bill Ketchum, R- Bakersfield.

In a letter "hand-carried" yesterday to David Mathews, health, education and welfare secretary, Ketchum said: "Dear Mr. "For nearly one year, literally thousands and thousands of man-hours have been expended by members of the staff of the Bakersfield City School District, the California Department of Education, and the Kern County counsel's office.as they have tried to defend themselves in prolonged public hearings against a series of vague and ambiguous allegations that the school district is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. "Those charges were brought by HEW's office for Civil Rights signed on June 3, 1975, by HEW's deputy assistant general counsel for litigation, Albert T. Hamlin; by Stephen L. Spitz, of HEW's office of general counsel; and by Christopher Hagen, a HEW attorney.

They were received June 6, 1975 by Dr. Walter Hauss, superintendent of the Bakersfield City School District. "After more than 80 days'of hearings extending more than eight months, an order was issued last Friday by the hearing officer to move the proceedings to the regional office of HEW in San Francisco on March 15. "Mr. Secretary, this order represents the latest episode in an increasing catalog of actions, which not only threaten the ability of the Bakersfield School authorities to defend the district but also undermine the right of the district citizens to keep themselves informed of the daily progress of this highly complex, controversial and emotionally super-! charged case.

an order, Mr. Secretary, that I must vigorously see 10 public hearing Kern County Civil Service Commission denial of a Rosamond area building inspector's request for a five per cent incremental pay increase may go to the Board of Supervisors on appeal. on a 4-1 vote last night upheld a decision by the county Public Works Department to deny the annual salary boost to Ralph Smith, who had requested a public hearing on the issue. Smith said after the hearing he's still trying to decide if he'll appeal the decision to supervisors. If no appeal is made, the commission decision is final.

Voting with the department recommendation were.Fred Lee, Dr. Samuel Baskerville, Linda Frick and George Menderhausen. Commission chairman Wayne Weaver, who said the county failed in his opinion to supply adequate evidence in the case, cast the dissenting vote. In brief statements, the other commissioners said the evidence presented in three days of hearings was sufficient to allow denial of the pay increment as a disciplinary action against Smith. Weaver, in a slightly longer "minority report," said he felt some of the county's contentions "were of such picky nature that it leads me to believe there was a personality conflict" rather than wrongdoing by Smith.

Last night's hearing was significant in that it was the first time the commission deliberated in a public session on an appeal by a county employe. Previous deliberations have been held in executive sessions, even when testimony on an employe's appeal was presented in public session. The deliberation issue was made recently- by Bud Kaye, general manager of Kern County Employees Association, Service Employees International Union Local 700, AFL CIO, representing Smith at the hearing. Kaye earlier asked County Counsel Ralph Jordan whether, under the Brown Act, the state's antisecret meeting law, the commission legally could deliberate in secret session after testimony is presented in a public hearing. The law provides public agencies may hold executive sessions if personnel matters or pending litigation is being discussed, but requires public hearings on personnel matters if this is requested by the employe involved.

A recent opinion approved by Jordan and prepared by Frank Fekete, deputy county counsel, states the commission must deliberate in public if this is requested by the employe involved. "We realize the commission has not followed this procedure in the past," the' opinion states. "We do not believe, however, that any decision reached by thef commission following discussions in executive session is subject to challenge itoy 1 see Panel 10 Pay, vacations, other benefits good Why do young folk join armed services? Cheryl Ottrawt, 17, M13 Eisenhower Avenue, who is leaving for bMtcMWk taifcmtattte pointers from dad, Lonnie Dear- a recruiter who soon will retire from the service after 20 ytars and taajia pJioJo by Jack Knight) (Most military recruits say they are enlisting to learn a trade; The benefits offered by the military are enumerated in this second part of a three part series on military recruitment in Kern County.) 0 By BOB MASULLO Staff Writer Each month about 80 people from the Bakersfield area enlist in the five branches of the military. This is less than half the number who entered during the draft days, but it is still a significant figure. What makes them agree to spend three or four years on active duty? Ask the average recruit and he or she probably will tell you that it is to learn some job skill.

The choices of jobs are almost, limitless in the services and many of their training schools are the best available. But the most basic aspect of any line of work is money. Entering service people, most of them in their late teens or early 20s, get $361.20 a month. They can elect to have it paid to them once or twice a month. After achieving their first rank elevation, usually right after boot camp, it goes up to $402.60.

Just in cold cash, this compares favorably with most just-out-Qf-high school jobs. The figures, however, are misleading. In outside endeavors you have.to pay for clothing, housing and food out of your own pay check. In the service all of these are paid for by Uncle Sam. One hundred per cent of all medical and dental costs are paid for by the government.

A housing allowance of $116 a month is provided for families. In the Army or the Marines there is a $1,500 cash bonus for signing with a combat unit. All services pay at least 75 per cent of tuition costs for any college course taken at an accredited institution; 100 per cent if the course is related to the per- son's'job in the service. And then there are the services' own training schools. Electronics, mechanics, laboratory technology, foreign languages, and scores of other skills are taught free.

Learning the same things on the outside would entail the expense of schooling or a long stint in an apprenticeship program. The military also provides free air transportation on its own planes during vacations (on a space available, standby basis). Commercial airlines give service people a 25 per cent discount. Vacations are 30 days a year. Life insurance up to $20,000 is also provided at low cost.

Save for hitting it big as a rock star or something equally improbable, a 17- to 21-year-old person the ages of most volunteers would be hard-pressed to find a job that offered half as. much. Most volunteers only stay in the service for one "hitch," three or four years, But equally good, deals are available for those who stay in longer. For one thing there are bonuses. The amounts vary depending: on skills and the services' need at the time, but they.can go as high as $10,000., For another, there is the retirement plan: for each year you put in, you get 2Va per cent of your final salary as pension for the rest of your life.

That figures out to 50 per cent after 20 years. A person entering at 17 couM': leave with that at age 37, still young enough to begin a second career with Chief Lonnie Dearmore, one of the recruiters at the Naval Recruiting Station- at 110 New Stine Road, is about to do just that. He will retire with the 50 per cent pension in three months and then take a civilian job. "It really is a good deal," he said. "The only reason more people don't do this, I think, is just that the general public is very ignorant about the Someone who is not ignorant, however, is Dearmore's 17-year-old Cheryl.

She has joined the Navy and is in for basic Tomorrow; Why Cheryl joined. Recruiters' locations listed All branches of the service maintain full-time recruiting stations in Bakersfield. The Army has two. The offices are normally open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m, However, appointments usually can be made for other hours by telephone.

Here are the locations of the stations and their phone numbers: ARMY (1) 800 Truxtun Avenue 861-4107 ARMY (2) 1820 Bruhdage Lane 327-7795 NAVY 110 New Stine Road 861-4337 AIR FORCE 110 New Stine Road 861-4334 MARINES 110 New Stine Road 861-4331 COAST GUARD 800 Truxtun Avenue 861-4117.