The San Bernardino County Sun from San Bernardino, California • Page 22

Hesperia to get federal transit moneyB3 Army wants to double expansion at Fort Irwin centerB3 Woman faces prison unless victims are paid INLAND 0 The Sun mo: WEDNESDAY MARCH 18, 1992 1L Rick Farranl, Metro Editor (714) 386-3874; Fax (714) 885-8741 we off employees' Hospital wil lay increases in medical and hospital costs, he said. Medical center officials plan to re-evaluate plans for layoffs and raises in the coming months if the nation's economy improves. "It's a process that will be going on through the rest of the year," Cheatham said. Administrators are studying each department, looking for ways to avoid duplication of services, Cheatham said. "Our goal is to continue to provide the highest quality care in the most efficient manner." tor is so great." The medical center offers the world's only hospital-based proton accelerator, which uses atomic particles to kill cancer cells with pinpoint precision, avoiding damage to surrounding tissue.

Cheatham said the cost-cutting measures are necessary because of the deepening recession and rising unemployment, which has increased the number of people who have no health insurance and cannot pay their bills. The nation also is experiencing a health-care crisis caused by out-of-control ees who will lose their jobs was available, said W. Augustus Cheatham, vice president for public affairs. The layoffs will mark the second round Of cost-cutting measures at the county's largest Annual raises normally given each January to all 4,779 employees were withheld this year, Cheatham said. Not all hospital departments will be affected by the layoffs, he said.

"For instance, we are going to 16-hour shifts, using two shifts of employees a day, in the Cancer Treatment Center because the demand for use of the proton accelera Loma Linda University Medical Center tries to cut costs to cope with the recession. By Marilyn Leahy Sun Medical Editor Some employees will be laid off this month at Loma Linda University Medical Center in a belt-tightening move triggered by the troubled economy, hospital officials said Tuesday. No estimate of the number of employ THE BALL IS IN HIS COURT Desert city moving to land firms MEMORIES Binocular viewing cars in mountains Among my fondest memories of the San Bernardino area is sitting with a pair of World War II surplus binoculars on a front porch near San Bernardino County Hospital on a summer afternoon. A friend and I would make friendly bets on the color of the next car to round a particular curve on the Rim of the World Highway. I passed that same house last summer and couldn't see even a vague suggestion of mountains.

Another memory I treasure is being able to ride my bicycle anywhere I wanted to go without having my parents flinch at the sound of an ambulance. I could ride in a car with people my parents didn't know or hike alone in the Perris Hill area. The first television set in the neighborhood was owned by one of the few elderly cou- pies in a new development. My parents didn't know them. I never knew the couple's name either, but I often joined an evening crowd there to wonder at a flickering little screen.

William L. Runyan, Fontana 'Going to visiting 'cute boy' I was born in San Berhardi-. no and have good memories, in-: eluding going to town on Satur- day evenings and visiting with friends and relatives (and maybe a cute boy). We attended shows and won free groceries and Eskimo pies at the Rlalto (Theater), swam 1 in the canal or reservoirs around town, danced at Hart-i fords, Pickering Park, Eagles, By PRISCILLA NORDYKE The Sun's High Desert Bureau APPLE VALLEY Town leaders are intensifying their efforts to develop land around the Apple Valley Airport. Formed in February, the Apple Valley Airport Business Park Committee has been working with the town's economic development department to figure out how to spur industrial and commercial building on the undeveloped land south and west of the airport.

The "meeting of the minds" business people and property owners talking with town staff is a mainp stpn in fliiil strong economic base for Apple Valley, said Brad Kilger, deputy town manager of community development. "We believe this public-private partnership will provide the most viable plan for developing this key section of the town," he said. "We face a number of challenges in developing this indus- ttiinl ii naiiiiiiliilir in li 1 1 GINA FERAZZIThe Sun Jesus Lopez, 42, of San Bernardino uses the racquetball court at Arrowview Middle School in San Bernardino to practice handball Thursday. Man's death in crash hits family hard I area of infrastructure." The area around the airport is zoned for industrial use, and several businesses are settled along Corwin Road. But plans are needed for more roads, water and sewer lines to draw more.

Kilger believes the Apple Valley Airport Industrial Park could position the town as one of the Springs, Waterman Canyon and even on the main streets of town. On my 16th birthday, we danced in the middle of High Desert more attractive business locations. A consultant has been hired to develop an economic develr opment plan to identify the ways to attract businesses, especially non-polluting ones. The town recently worked uiitVi fJmhh PlUic Roal Fctnto in lip Officials are awaiting autopsy results that could explain Tillie's condition. Amasiu's Wife, Air Force Master Sgt.

Dahna Amasiu, 34, was in England on temporary duty when military officials told her what had happened. "I didn't want to accept it. It was just too hard," said Dahna Amasiu, who flew home on Monday. She believes her husband was headed for the Price Club either to buy tires or parts to fix a beat-up Volkswagen one of his hobbies. When she got home, Dahna Amasiu had to try to explain her husband's death to their 8-year-old son, Alika.

"He took it hard He kind of begins to understand that his dad is not coming back." A native of Honolulu, Hawaii, James Amasiu came to San Bernardino in 1974 as an Air Force sergeant based at Norton Air Force Base. Family, friends and co-workers said he had a positive attitude and always offered to help others. "He pretty much looked out for a lot of people," said his wife. "He lived one day at a time. and he enjoyed it." By Tommy Li Sun Staff Writer Family man, altruist, musician, volleyball player, car lover.

(' i Those were the words family members and friends used to describe James "Kimo" Amasiu, the Redlands resident killed earlier this week by a' wrong-way driver on Interstate 10 in Colton. "He's one of the finest men I've met in my life as an individual and family man," said Chris Chris-tianson, Amasiu's longtime friend and co-worker at Wilden Pump Engineering Co. in Grand Terrace. The 36-year-old Amasiu was driving his 1992 Ford Ranger pickup west on Interstate 10, east of Pepper Avenue, Sunday morning when he was hit head-on by a Nissan Maxima driven by mortician Frank Tillie 77, of San Bernardino. Investigators still don't know why Tillie, who also died, drove against traffic with his car's emergency lights flashing.

James 'Klmo' Amasiu Killed by wrong-way driver convince one manufacturer to locate in Apple Valley. Though the company. General Marble, later decided against opening the site because of the economy, the ex-, perience was a positive one, May or Rob Turner said. "We did all the right things. We worked as a team with other agencies to secure a major new business." Ex-supervisor chews on mid paper delivery Biologist tracks down local secret of eagles Waterman Avenue and 19th Street.

Cars came by very sel-I dom. We played in the grain fields, slid down the haystacks and waded in the irrigation ditches. Nobody complained. And then there was the street car that ran from Moun-'; tain View and Highland avenues to Valley College. We just got on and relaxed no traffic worries.

It was a very peaceful existence. We weren't afraid to go out at night. Times have changed and maybemost of the old landmarks have disappeared, but the memories remain. I wish I i could turn back the clock, but it's still home to me. RoMly Carter, San Bernardino Saw moon landing at service station The date was July 20, 1969.

I can't exactly recall the time. I know it was sometime during the early hours of the morning, i 1 was working part time in a gas station in Pomona. I had placed a small television set out on the gas islands so I could watch the landing on the moon. When the lunar module finally landed, the patrons in the station with me simply stopped what they were doing and we all began to watch the TV. When Neil Armstrong stepped out of the module and onto the surface of the moon, we all clapped our hands and began to shout.

It really made me feel proud to be an American in those early hours of the James Qarvey, Yucaipa By RCHARD BROOKS Sun Staff Writer "One of these sites is right next to where we'd proposed to put in a hiking trail," Butler said. "Now, we can make sure the trail is rerouted and that we don't cut trees down at the roost site." Bald eagles traditionally return to the place where they were hatched. But if all the prime nesting places are taken because of a population explosion, they'll move. At least one pair has tried to resettle in the mountains. A couple of years ago, bald eagle eggs were laid near Lake Arrowhead, Butler said.

But the eggs were infertile and the eagles abandoned the nest. Since then, bald eagles have spent only the winter in the San Bernardino Mountains. Twenty-two birds were spotted this winter around Big Bear Lake. Nine were still around Saturday, bird watchers reported. Already, some pave resettled as far south as Lake Cachuma, near Santa Barbara.

Butler believes the birds, which head north after leaving the mountains, might become year-round residents of Big Bear Lake. "One of these days, one of our wintering eagles is going to decide this looks like a pretty good place to nest." Butler's work may hasten that. She helped fit tiny backpacks containing radio transmitters to six eagles this season. By tracking the birds, researchers punctured the myth that the eagles leave Big Bear Lake at night to sleep in remote canyons. One bird spent a night perched above a tavern in the lakeside village.

Six birds slept within a half-mile of the water, Butler said. Next winter, researchers hope to learn whether the birds return to the same night roosts year after year. One spent a night perched above a tavern in the Big Bear Lake village. By Richard Brooks i Sun Staff, Writer Bald eagles are finishing their annual winter visit to the San Bernardino Mountains and leaving behind the long-held secret of where they sleep. "They're roosting close to the lake," said U.S.

Forest Service biologist Robin Butler, who used radio transmitters to track the birds. "Now that we know where, we can make sure they're protected." The 3-foot-tail birds second-largest in North America after the condor are an endangered species. But their numbers are increasing throughout the Pacific Northwest. It was daybreak in the mountains, and John Joyner was contemplating rolling out of bed when he saw his newspaper being delivered by four wild burros. "It was the weirdest thing I'd ever seen," said Joyner, who presumably has seen many weird things as a former county supervisor.

Wild burros are permanent residents of the Big Bear Valley, so the appearance of these four at Baldwin Lake wasn't terribly surprising. But as they ambled up the driveway Tuesday, Joyner noticed that the last one was carry DAY IN HISTORY UPDATE LOTTERY March 18 Brother back from reunion FANTASY 5 1,16,29,33,38 Jackpot: $250,000 DECCO Tuesday 6 02 43 Lotto Information (714)938-4545 (English) (714) 938-4565 (Spanish) (619) 492-1720 (English) (619) 492-1742 (Spanish) The two were separated when authorities removed Heidi Russell from their Tulsa, home in 1985. Their father fled with the boy before he could be taken by authorities. James Russell, who will graduate from Rubidoux High School in June, now plans to spend the summer with his sister. M.S.EnkoJI James Michael Russell of Rubidoux is back from a four-day reunion with the sister who spent almost seven years looking for him.

"He's grown so much," said Heidi Russell, 21, of Amarillo, Texas. "It's unbelievable. We missed out on so many years." Heidi Russell found her 18-year-old brother after a television program publicized her search. I ONE YEAR AGO: A mountain hunt near Pinyon Pines for missing 3-year-old Travis J. Zwieg is called off by searchers.

1 10 YEARS AGO: A snowstorm closes highways 330 and 18 in the San Bernardino Mountains. I 20 YEARS AGO: A judge rules that two foster children from Czechoslovakia can stay In the U.S. as wards of the court and live with their grandparents in Yucaipa. I SO YEARS AGO: The names of hundreds of San Bernardino County men who registered for the military are added to an estimated 9 million nationwide. Compiled by Karen White ing tne paper in us moutn.

"As they approached the house, another burro latched onto the paper." The tug-of-war ended with a chewed-up paper delivered 20 feet from the front door. "They spit the paper out. Then they walked off." Joyner couldn't photograph the event. One camera was broken. Another was out of film.

But Joyner figures his neighbors will believe him. They're familiar with the critters. "They eat strange things." Fond Memories appears Wednea-days In The 8un.H you have fond memories olIHe In the Southland, we'd like to know about them. Send us a letter ol no more than 180 words and a picture ol yourself. Please Include your name, address and telephone number.

Mall to Metro Editor Rick Farranl, The Sun, 399 N. San Bernardino 92401 or fax to (714)885-8741..