The San Bernardino County Sun from San Bernardino, California • Page 39

THI SUM Fear of 'witch hunt' stalls review of county agencies could be better." Goodwin, endorsing McElwain's program review idea but warning that the question of how to implement it is a "tricky" one, said agency and department heads need to understand that one reason for the proposal is the supervisors' desire for better information with which to respond to their constituents' questions about the efficiency and costs of county government. "I join with Mr. McElwain and other supervisors in wanting to give a clear accounting to our constituents," Mayfield to a vote. Supervisor Robert Townsend was absent. Goodwin later said he nevertheless will prepare some suggested alternatives for consideration.

The proposal, going beyond normal budget review and analysis of new program plans, calls for complete, in-depth investigation of about one fourth of all county operations each year for four years. At the session and a later luncheon discussion on how to engender more of a "team" approach among county managers, most supervisors said they are concerned r.rrv 7 fV "I know we're No. 1. But darn it, we could be better. over a seeming lack of frank and open discussion between the board and its agency and department heads.

Contending county executives should be more responsive to the board, as well as more willing to suggest new ideas and raise issues, Mayfield said he still believes county government here lives up to its reputation of being one of the best managed in the state, but he added: "If we want research or information on things, we've got to practically pry it out of you I know we're No. 1. But darn it, we said. "I think program review is essential." Denying he has any intentions other than to improve communication and streamline county operations, McElwain said he visualizes his proposed program review analysts as "part of a team" not as investigators superimposed on agency staffs and doing their job for them. "Hopefully, they don't look at this as a witch hunt," he said of county executives.

"I want to review programs." By BILL ROGERS Sun Staff Writer SAN BERNARDINO Fears of a "witch hunt" temporarily stalled a proposal to the Board of Supervisors that it establish a separate new staff to help it conduct systematic in-depth reviews of all county government programs. Those fears, along with concern that new staffing would duplicate existing management, surfaced in debate Tuesday over Supervisor. Cal McElwain's proposals for a four-year cycle of detailed program reviews that could be likened to the "zero-based budgeting" concept. The supervisors, at a workshop session with some 50 agency and department heads, generally agreed on the need for such reviews to see if costs can be cut and programs eliminated. But Supervisor Dennis Hansberger, questioning the need for new staffing, said the county already maintains an administrative office and six agency offices to conduct program reviews.

And Board Chairman James Mayfield, echoing concerns expressed by several county executives, warned of the "suspicion" and morale problems that could arise if the board assigned "investigators to investigate the investigators" a step Hansberger said would encourage "a system like the Nixon White House." "There's an old saying in the sheriff's office," Mayfield recalled amid laughter, "that 'if they'll snitch to you, they'll snitch on McElwain, who originally suggested filling five vacant analyst positions for the job and assigning them directly to the board, modified his proposal in Tuesday's discussion and moved to hire only two analysts who would report directly to the board chairman and administrative officer. The two analysts would be assigned to a management assistance team that now specializes mainly in efficiency studies. Supervisor Robert Hammock seconded the motion with the understanding that county administrative officer Earl Goodwin submit further recommendations on how to conduct the reviews. But the misgivings expressed by Mayfield and Hansberger kept the motion from coming Plane crash kills two FORT IRWIN Two Navy, officers who died on impact in the crash of their light attack Corsair aircraft in the military reservation here, were identified Thursday as Lt. Cmdr.

Peter L. Leum, 37, and Ensign Steven D. Herning, 22. Leum, of Media, was 13-year serviceman. Herning, from Los Vegas, had graduated from the ons Center were on a routine flight Wednesday when the plane crashed, said Payne.

The cause of the crash will not be known for months, Payne said. This was the second plane crash this year for China Lake Naval Weapons Center. The first oc-curred Aug. 13 in Ridgecrest in Kern County, killing the pilot, Payne said. Naval Acadamey May 30.

He would have been 23-years-old today and was scheduled to began flight training in a couple of months, said public affairs officers S.G. Payne. Herning was only an ob-server on the plane, Payne said Neither man was married. The two men of the two-passenger plane out of China Lake Naval Weap Staff photo by Tom Kaitor Mike Seratton, president of the East Baseline Little League Association, surveys the vandals' work. Vandalism wasting.

$2,000 loss in damaged property and stolen equipment this year. During the past season the facilities were burglarized four times and, so far, have been hit five times in the offseason, Stratton said. Maple trees have been uprooted, the field lights were shot out, bleacher seats have been destroyed or stolen and the glint of broken beer bottles permeate the ground and the floor of the announcer's booth. The snack bar has been invaded numerous times. Two freezers, a refrigerator, a soft-drink machine, a public address system and a wall cooler have been stolen.

The field and diamond have deep tire marks courtesy of motorcyclists and dune buggy riders. The parents have taken preventive steps to curb the vandalism, but heavy locks have been cut and a portion of a fence was torn down. Sheriff's deputies patrol the area when they can, but their approach, from the lighted street, can be spotted easily from the darkened field allowing the vandals to escape, said a deputy whose two sons play in the league. All 17 Little Leagues, in San Bernardino's District 43, have had problems with vandals, district president John O'Grady said. "Vandalism is everywhere, but East Base Line (LL) Is the worst," O'Grady said.

East Base Line is one of four little leagues in district 43 that does not play on fields within the San Bernardino city limits. The East Base Line Little League, along with the league in Muscoy, must pay its own electric bill, which cost the league $1,898 last season, according to Stratton. The league boundries extend from some unin-corparated land into the city limits. (Continued from Metro) that they don't use. It seems like some of it could be provided for Little League." East Base Line Little League president Bob Asay said he has talked to officials at City Hall with Jittle response about purchasing the property from the federal government.

He said the city could buy the land well below its purchase price if the property is used for public recreation. But even if the league gets to keep its field, it still must cope with vandals. "We only have two fields and they are pretty Mickey Mouse as they are. And when you have to to keep coming out of your own pocket (to pay for damage repair), it can get pretty wearing," Stratton said Stratton estimates the league has suffered a A4 Tf i tit i I I f' I Vets celebrate. Hi1 life 9 I tt 'I fh IfJ and "if he knew anybody who was out of work and had a couple of kids, he'd always leave them a quart or two of milk every morning.

"That's how he went broke, poor guy. Every dime counted in those days." These days, the post's members include several prominent people in San Bernardino, including Mayor W.R. Holcomb, former Mayor Al Ballard, Ballard's son, Jim, former Chief of Police Louis Fortuna and real estate agent C.W. Kelly. The post reached its zenith in the early '70s when more than 900 veterans were registered, many of them from Norton Air Force Base.

"They were flying in and out of Vietnam. So it was the thing to do' at the time," recalls club manager Mary Watson. Last year, the chapter had 703 members, making it about the 12th largest in the state, a department spokesman said. As for the future, the post is expecting to remain large and active. But membership is a problem, officials admit.

"We don't go in for membership drives. We just try to hold the members we've got," says post member C.W. Kelly, who was the VFW's state commander in 1966-67. Echoing Hildebrand's remark about World War I veterans, Kelly said Vietnam vets Just don't seem to be Joiners. "I wish the Vietnam boys would come in and take over from us old guys." It would be only fitting, he noted.

"We took it over from the World War I vets." (Continued from Metro) veterans started popping up in the meeting halls of veterans organizations. By then Post 1744 was already firmly established. It started on Nov. 17, 1929, with only 25 members. But by the end of the first year 140 veterans had paid the $2 annual membership fee.

Ted Stegman, 80, of 232 W. 17th San Bernardino, was among those founding members. They named the chapter after World War I casualty Leonard Armstrong but it took 31 years for the post to move to its present location at 1541 W. 24th St. Stegman says he doesn't remember the politics or the incentives involved In the first membership drive.

But the post quickly centered around community involvement, he said. It had to. Prohibition was in full swing, so veterans organizations weren't permitted to operate the bars that have since become an important part of post life. Instead, the membership concentrated on helping families impoverished by the Depression, Stegman said. "We set out barrels in front of every grocery store," he recalls.

That way, persons who could afford groceries got an opportunity to donate a can or two of food as they left the market. Stegman, a World War I veteran of the Army's 11th Balloon Corps, recalls a Post 1744 member who went bankrupt helping needy families. The man owned a dairy. Stegman said, an Our contemporary fashions stress emphatic lines and sharp contrast with crisply pleated polyester, For a new our asymmetrical look with cap sleeves in a choice of yellow-and-white or blue-and-white, $26. Crushed terry softness floats a boat-neck and cuffed long sleeves.

in -fuchsia-and-white or navy-and-white, $29. Both from our selection of styles for the 5'4" and under figure, sized 6 to 16. women's dresses MONTCOMFRY IWARDJ.