The San Bernardino County Sun from San Bernardino, California • Page 12

Inside: Readers sound off in 'Feedback'B2 Inside: Residents seek clues to man's identityB5 Inland Emhre Randell Beck The Sun Asst. Managing Section EditorMetro Wednesday (909)386-3874 July 2, 1997 Fax (909) 885-874 1 CountyEast xfteoncfl s(Me tfwe pscti Schwab said. County fire officials have said they can save $1 million a year by ending the state contracts and lighten staffing requirements to lower costs in areas like Highland and Grand Terrace. However, Highland and Grand Terrace officials believe the union eventually will demand that staffing levels be increased. "We are not looking for a savings," Schwab said.

"We just want to maintain the status quo." By filing papers with LAFCO before the 1996-97 fiscal year ended, the cities can use 1995-96 as a basis for the revenue and cost projections needed to determine the revenue they should receive if they secede. "We think they spent more in '95-'96 than they did in '96'97," Schwab said. Area cities served by state move to create their own fire district. By Frank Geary Sun Staff Writer SAN BERNARDINO County supervisors on Tuesday extended a state fire-protection contract for another year even as two of three cities served are taking steps to set up their own fire district. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection will continue to protect County Service Area 38 which includes Highland, Grand Terrace and Yucaipa while county fire officials continue to study the benefits of handling the job themselves.

services in the past, Grand Terrace and Highland eventually will go their own way, he said. "It is an evolutionary process," he said. Neither city plans to set up a fire district any time soon, but they will analyze tax revenue and fire-protection costs to see if there are financial benefits. Both cities are worried their fire costs will increase if the county assumes control in areas where it now contracts with the Department of Forestry, Schwab and Highland City Manager Sam Racadio said. In areas served by the county, three firefighters are needed for each fire engine as required by the county's contract with the firefighters' union.

The state has only two firefighters aboard each engine, resulting in lower costs, Meanwhile, amid competing claims of cost savings from state and county fire administrators, Highland and Grand Terrace approved resolutions last week to secede from the county-run area in favor of an East Valley fire protection district. The new district likely would be operated by the state Department of Forestry. It could encompass just the two cities but could also include any of the other communities in the 1,500 to 2,000 square-mile CSA 38, Grand Terrace City Manager Thomas Schwab said. Officials in Yucaipa could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening, but Schwab said they are expected to consider joining the movement July 8. Other communities that have expressed in if 11 1 (PSMM 'l I 1 11 Wsk Pv -WH News digest Council votes to revive subcommittee REDLANDS City Council members unanimously voted on Tuesday to revive the dormant Trails Subcommittee.

The group will be a standing committee under the Parks Commission, which is expected to approve a list of 13 candidates who want to serve. Theodore Banta will be committee chairman; Roger Bell, adviser; Frank Sissons, Yucaipa liaison; and Craig Wesson, Parks Commission liaison. Potential members are Suzanne Coonradt, Valerie Tonto, Darlene Deckwar, Mike Kelly, Linda Dillon, Carolyn Layman, Dee Woodbury, Harry John and Roger Pierce. Sulipsa LuqaeThe Sun (909) 335-6732 Redlands YMCA gets new director REDLANDS Ken Stein, who has worked for YMCAs for 25 years, became general director of the Redlands Family YMCA on Tuesday. He replaces Mark Malak, who left in May to head the Riverside YMCA.

Stein, formerly of Oakland, spent the past seven years at the YMCA of the East Bay in Oakland. He was vice president and chief financial officer four years and was vice president development three years. Before that he was associated with the West Contra Costa YMCA for 18 years, serving eight years as general director. Stein and his wife, Robin, have moved to Redlands. They have one son, Toby, who is attending Humboldt State University.

Maria GarciaThe Sun (909) 307-5829 Campus lunch issue will wait until fall YUCAIPA The decision on whether to close the Yucaipa High School campus during lunch lies in the school district superintendent's hands, for now. Superintendent Dan Steele will make a recommendation to the school board this fall. He has not provided details of how he will arrive at the recommendation. He said he wants to get community comment by some means other than a committee. The Yucaipa sheriff's station will report to Steele on traffic accidents during the school's lunch period and other student-involved activities.

The high school's Parent-Student-Teacher Association asked the board June 10 to consider closing the campus. Jill WalkerThe Sun (909)307-5833 Swim clubs may ask for assistance BARSTOW Members of youth swim clubs and their parents asked the county Board of Supervisors for financial help Tuesday to keep the community's indoor pool from closing. "It would be very sad if the pool closes. There would be no place for the kids to go," Jenny Berg, 9, a member of the Sea Serpents swim team, told the supervisors. The pool was expected to close Tuesday after only 62 percent of Barstow voters agreed to a tax for the community's park and recreation district.

Two-thirds approval was needed for passage. The swimmers' parents asked the supervisors to meet with Bar-stow city officials to see if the pool, owned by the park district, can be kept open. The non-profit swim clubs contributed their savings to keep it open for the summer "Who can think of a desert community, where the temperatures reach 110 degrees without a swimming pool?" said resident Susan Berg. Frank GearyThe Sun (909)822-1211 Photos by ERIC PARSONSAThe Sun Escorted by his parents, Benjamin Duran, center, walks to school for his first day at Marshall Elementary School in San Bernardino. One giant leap for kid-kind terest include Needles and the unincorporated area of Mentone.

"We are not talking about going out and forming our own fire department and hiring a fire chief and firefighters," Schwab said. "We are creating some options for ourselves." Grand Terrace and Highland filed papers Monday with the Local Agency Formation Commission in San Bernardino to consider pulling out of the county-run fire district. The agency is expected to consider their requests within 45 days. If the cities pull out, their actions will not increase costs or diminish fire services in other communities in the county district, county Fire Chief Richard Sewell said. Just as other cities have ended their reliance on county 1 Mm.

A Br gets a little reassurance from her kindergarten. LARRY DORTCrlThe Sun KVCR TV and radio Thursday. television and radio. Although budget threats were more pronounced recently, funding has never been constant or guaranteed. The stations' finances ebbed and flowed along with the state's education funding.

The San Bernardino Community College District provides See KVCRB3 When added, "And Matthew school thanks 7. The he taught the To prove one," and He's also Johnny said, gets messed Benjamin one thing. "When might hit me He lot of playing. Would "Probably Many students begin school for the first time. By Beth Szymkowski Sun Staff Writer SAN BERNARDINO A new crop of students took their first steps into the classroom Tuesday.

The tears, the fears. And that's just the parents. At Marshall Elementary School, parents with cameras gathered like paparazzi to memorialize the first day their babies left home. mother, Theresa Hampton, on Highland Robbers steal $10,000 Monday's takeover heist leads bank to take stlffer security By Stacy Spauldino DeLay Sun Staff Writer HIGHLAND Security officers patrolled a credit union branch here for the first time Tuesday and sheriffs deputies issued a statewide alert after masked gunmen robbed the financial institution of more than $10,000 Monday. Five to eight masked-robbers armed with automatic handguns and Uzi-type submachine guns stormed Arrowhead Credit Union in the 7200 block of Boulder Avenue just after 1 p.m., forcing everyone to the floor and taking money from tellers' drawers, said Highland sheriffs Deputy Lenny Neigel.

"They rushed in, had a lookout and did it very systematically. They were in and out in two minutes, taking well over $10,600 in cash," Neigel said. "They were prepared and knew what they were doing." One woman, who had brought her two young children into the bank, was forced to the ground at gunpoint. "It's a very scary thing, especially in close quarters like that," Neigel said. None of the bank's customers or employees was injured, Neigel said.

Two off-duty peace officers were in the bank at the time, the deputy said. One woman, a recent graduate of the sheriffs academy, hid her purse containing her gun and badge underneath a desk so the robbers wouldn't find it. Sheriffs deputies were summoned by both a silent alarm and a 911 call from an employee who was eating lunch in the rear of the bank when the robbers entered. The robbers left in a burgundy Chevrolet Lumina van before deputies arrived. The van was found later, its motor still running, behind Lucky Food Center in the 7200 block of Boulder Avenue.

The van was reported stolen, Neigel said. Inside was a police scanner monitoring the Highland sheriffs station. Deputies believe the suspects fled in another car, but aren't sure of the make or model. They are reviewing the bank's security tapes, trying to determine how many robbers there were. On Tuesday, the sheriffs department issued a statewide teletype asking other police departments for information on similar robberies.

The financial institution opened May 27 and is one of 12 Arrowhead Credit Union branches in the Inland Empire, said Anne Benjamin, senior vice president of strategy and planning. "We don't have an enormous amount of robberies," Benjamin said. "We haven't had a robbery in at least two years at any of our branches." Benjamin said officials plan to install bullet-resistant glass in the building, which originally housed a Wells Fargo bank. First day Year-round school is underway in San Bernardino. Classes begin in Fontanato- day, Monday in Col-ton and Yucaipa-Calimesa school districts and Tuesday in Rialto and Redlands.

They videotaped tiny children walking into classrooms and snapped photos through the door. Some stood outside the tinted windows peering in as their children quickly Larrisha Gooden, left, Larrisha's first day of her mother prompted, she my ABCs too." Arellano was prepared for to his older brother Johnny, second-grade student explained that 4-year-old his "plusses." it, he called out, "One plus Matthew responded "two." taught Matthew his numbers, although "in the middle, he up." Duran, 4, had worried about someone plays baseball, they in the head." expected kindergarten to be just a he learn to write his name? not." New students handle the stress of the first day of school in different ways, said teacher Jeanne Myers. Some get their crying done outside the classroom and are fine when they get inside. Others wait until mid-day before the tension overcomes them. Alice Wheatley's son, Davey, 5, had been waiting for the big day.

"He woke me up yesterday, backpack in hand, and said, 'I'm ready for Ready though they were, the new kindergarteners knew little about what to expect from the year ahead. Theresa Cruz, who said proudly that she was 9 even though she's 5, knew only one thing that happens in kindergarten: "Like, you get like bigger." got to work playing with building blocks. Four-year-old Kyrie Lewis realized the enormity of the entire school situation. "When we woke him up this morning the first thing he said was 'I don't want to go to school," said dad Ethiem Lewis. Kyrie braved his way into the kindergarten classroom with his father watching.

But about 20 minutes later, after dad was gone, he made a beeline for the door. Once intercepted, he put his head down and cried. Redlands Impound yards get good news City expects at least $75,000 In new revenue from city amendment. By Suupsa Luque Sun Staff Writer REDLANDS Two local towing businesses are breathing easier today with the adoption of a city amendment that allows them to continue storing police-authorized impound vehicles. City Council members on Tuesday approved a towing agreement expected to generate a minimum $75,000 for the city through a new tow fee.

The annual estimate is based on a min-See REDLANDSB3 KVCR-TV, radio chief will retire After 20 years, the general manager of the local Public Broadcasting System stations decides It's time to leave. By Beth Szymkowski Sun Staff Writer SAN BERNARDINO Local public broadcasting leader Thomas Little retires Thursday after 20 years as general manager of KVCR-TV and KVCR-FM. Little, 60, will take advantage of a golden handshake that allows him to add two years to his retirement benefits. He sat Monday in his paneled office deep in the bowels of San Bernardino Valley College's North Hall discussing the future Local digest Lowest bidder loses out on $3.3 million project at San Bernardino International Airport. BuslnessB8 Cal State San Bernardino's new basketball coach has a daunting task ahead of him.

SportsCl Experimental drugs have given stroke victims more hope but make early treatment more urgent. UvtnJDl Need a for the Fourth? Theschoices may be wider th3n you think. UvtnfDl Tom Little is retiring as head of of the stations and public broadcasting. "There's some real challenges for whoever is in this position next," he said. "It's never been a piece of cake.

It's never been easy." The federal government, which provides roughly 26 percent of KVCR's $1.8 million budget, has shown a waning interest in recent years in public.