The San Bernardino County Sun from San Bernardino, California • Page 23

Inside: Crime and public safetyB2 Review: REO's blast from the past lacks flairB4 WEATHER Temperatures, smog update, forecastsBlO InlandEmpire5 Osier McCarthy The Sun Section Sunday August 27, 1995 CountyXEast Asst. Managing EditorMetro (9(W) 3K6-3874 Fax (909) 885-8741 Mothers band together to protect kids from molesters If we hold hands together we can protect our children. There aren't enough people to stand up for these kids and nobody is protecting Virginia Jecks-Wright, founder of Mothers of Molest Survivors their kids. It's a crime against the community," she said. Nearby two children stood eating ice cream cones while their father filled out his own set of complaint forms.

"It's just amazing how many families have been touched by in- cest in one way or another," Jecks-Wright said, smiling sadly at the group. Another petition signing event is planned for Sept. 9 from 1 to 4 p.m. in Perris Hill Park. Explained Jecks-Wright: "We just want to let the people in the court system know that there are people out there watching them and documenting what they're doing to our children." tables Saturday at Perris Hill Park to encourage other parents in similar situations to file complaints against the judges, court officials and lawyers involved in child custody battles.

"United, we'll get something done," said Lester, reassuring an angry mother who balanced the complaint forms on one leg while she looked through court documents on the other. "That's a grandmother who can't see her grandkids. I'm a grandmother who can't see her grandkids," Lester said, her temper rising as she pointed out the half-dozen people who were filling out complaint forms. "These are people who love "If we hold hands together we can protect our children," said Virginia Jecks-Wright, founder of Mothers of Molest Survivors. "There aren't enough people to stand up for these kids and nobody is protecting them." Jecks-Wright started the support group for parents who lose custody of their children to child molesters four years ago.

She believes court and child welfare officials turn their backs on children if evidence of abuse is not obvious. "If the child isn't ravished and bleeding, they don't believe the kids (were molested)," she said. "We can't get anyone to listen there," she said. "A mother goes to any length to protect her cubs, then she's called 'hysterical' and I just don't understand," she said. Jecks-Wright and Grace Lester, another woman on a crusade against the county courts, set up to us, and I don't know why." She continues, her voice betraying her pain and incredulity.

"I can't tell you how horrible it is laying in bed at night wondering what is happening to your child knowing that your child is with a rapist and you aren't RECREATION: HIKERS WANT LAND OPEN Dim A group called Mothers of Molest Survivors is taking its case to county and state officials to stop what they say is mistreatment of children. ByGlGI HANNA Sun Staff Writer SAN BERNARDINO A group of MOMS are taking on the county to get their children back. They're signing petitions and filing complaints with the county grand jury, the state Judiciary Commission and the State Bar about what they feel is mistreatment of their children by the county court system. Residents happy at prospect of trails By Steven Church The Sun's Redlands Bureau LOMA LINDA It may be about time to change the motto of this medical and religious community. A week of last-minute land negotiations and political breakthroughs has nearly made "Serving Man" passe.

Instead, how about "Trails, Trails and Kvcn More Trails?" Officials will wrap the week today with a ribbon cutting for 790 acres of trails in the city's pristine southern hills. That land, combined with an adjacent 60 acres officials agreed to buy from a private owner Thursday, puts Loma Linda atop one of the biggest mounds of publicly owned open space in the county. No other city owns as large a chunk of open acreage, said Jay Ellington, in charge of the county's regional park system. "I'm really proud of this." Mayor Robert Christman said. "You'll probably see me walking around town with my chest all pulled up after this week." The changes started Monday, when a city committee for the first time publicly broached the idea of trading part of the city's 790 acres for some of the most environmentally sensitive land in Loma Linda.

Although the swap is only talk right now, it could open hundreds more acres to a public hungry for more hiking, biking and horseback trails. It would also give the residents complete control over a much-debated section of the city's southern hills. One more piece of the city's trail and open space puzzle fell into place Thursday evening, when council members agreed to buy a historic orange grower's house and the 60 acres on which it sits. That deal connects Hilda Crooks Park with the 790 acres the city bought earlier this year from the federal govern- r-- fey Loma Linda Lopers, a running group city that adjoin Hilda Crooks Park at A man police suspected in Big Bear double-homicide was from San Pedro, according to sheriff's office. By GlGI Hanna Sun Staff Writer BIG BEAR CITY A double-homicide suspect who shot himself dead in front of sheriffs dep uties nday was identified Saturday as a San Pedro man.

The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department released the names of the suspect and one victim in the killings that began with a double-homicide in a town bar. Michael Patrick Downs. 31. of San Pedro, shot and killed himself at a rental house Friday afternoon while being questioned about the bludgeoning deaths of Robert Klenn. 50.

and another Big Bear resident inside the Sad-dletramp Saloon, deputies said. The identity of the second bludgeoning victim, a 48-year-old man believed to be from Czechoslovakia, was not released because his family had not been notified, the coroner's said. Deputies did not say how the two were killed. The saloon owner discovered the victims' bodies about 5:25 a.m. Friday and a blood trail led investigators to a weekend rental house on the next block, where they questioned four men.

Downs showed investigators Hill points out details on a map of the land adjoining Hilda Crooks Park that Loma Linda recently purchased. Beer drinkers have field day at Colton festival Crime Fawnskin the blood-stained clothing he had irn the night before. He pulled hidden under some clothing i4nd shot himself while one inves-'tigator passed the clothing to an--ol tier. A friend of the 48-year-old said Friday that the man, named Danny, was a Czechoslo-vakian immigrant who moved to Big Bear City from Running Springs two weeks ago and was living in a small trailer on a storage property a block from the Saddletramp Saloon. His family still lives in Czechoslovakia, she said.

His accent added to his charm and made him popular with many women in the area, said Cathie Simpson. "Danny didn't have this coming. To him life was a good time," Simpson said. "He spent his time See SH0OTINGSB2 Helping out going from Budweiser to Blind Pig." Microbreweries in Riverside," and Palm Springs were represented. Beers were donated by the participants.

Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall. Ninety-nine bottles of beer. Burull and friends Ronald Wojtaszek and Mitch Keller are amateur home brewers and-wanted to sample and get recipe ideas. "We can tell a good beer from our beer," Burull said. They, like others drinking brews on the asphalt under the hot sun.

took pride in their iden-' tities as beer aficionados. Beer drinkers are vastly dif- ferent from their wine-drinking counterparts, explained Keller. Wine drinkers, he said, were "a bunch of sissy la-las." "Wine drinkers follow the't leader." said Burull, who sipped his stout from a glass hospital urinal. The main other between wine and beer he said, was "you have to spit out the wine, and you drink the" beer." Alex Torres of Redlands de--i scribed beer drinkers as and wine drinkers as "mild." "Wine drinkers hold their" pinky out," said Dwight Jones, a Grand Terrace resident who demonstrated with his glass and his little finger crooked ever so daintily. one of those bottles should inpjK'ii toall Big Bearf Big Bear 7 N.P jO AREA 1 ftfcai enlarged! Christman said the house will probably be in city hands by next week.

It could be used as a senior and community center. The two land buys also relieves pressure on the city to close off development of the city's southern hills. "I'm ecstatic," Councilman Floyd Petersen said. "I like the idea that (the land) is going to Photos by ERIC PARSONS'The Sun that hopes to take advantage of the end of Mt. View Avenue.

belong to everybody." Part of the 790 acres can also be sold off to defray the $1.4 million purchase price. Now the challenge will be to come up with plans to use the land, said Petersen. "This is for the citizens to decide now," Petersen said. "Any citizens' group that has an idea, by all means come on over with it." publisher was delivering papers. Advertisers are no longer buying space just because they believe in See REPORTERB2 Melvin Hill is the president of the two recent land purchases by the LOMA LINDA SUN STAFF ment.

"We're hoping to put in a trail from (Hulda Crooks) to (University of California, Riverside)." said Melvin Hill, president of Loma Linda Lopers, a local running club. Next week Hill, city officials and open space advocates will walk some of the existing trails and talk about possible running and biking routes. City officials are also excited about the orange grower's house. Media "My father knew things were about to explode," Townsend said. Art Townsend wanted to bring together the Black community in the area and put pressure on local government to address the issues of the community on the city's West Side.

"It was a way to generate a voting bloc, a political voice, to impact city government," Brian Townsend said. "It causes those in office to seek out the African-American vote." The newspaper's crusade in the early days was desegregation of San Bernardino City schools. People paid attention and they still do. E. Neal Roberts who managed the school district's desegregation program before becoming superintendent said the Precinct Reporter has a presence.

"I always read the Precinct Reporter. I know a numher of other school officials do. I think they're a critical force on the Barton Rd. LawtonAy9. jo Huron Hilda 1 lEQ SL Crooks V.

Precinct Reporter marks 30 years in Inland Empire The Inland Empire Festival of Beers features 100 brews for tasting; the event is designed to raise money for youth programs. By Beth Szymkowski Sun Staff Writer COLTON Sing along, now. 1 One hundred bottles of beer on the wall. "There is no such thing as a bad beer." said Riverside resident Victor Burull. "Because all beer is good." One hundred bottles of beer.

"I like beer on a hot day." said Rialto resident Greg Wolfe. "I'd much rather be sitting next to a pool drinking a glass of beer than wine." otic of those bottles just happened to fall Steve Berry, a Colton Rotari-an. estimates that more than 2,000 people attended Saturday's Inland Empire Festival of Beers at the Movieland Frontier Town, where 100 beers, including several local mircrobrews, were available for sampling. And sample they did. Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall.

The event was expected to raise almost $9,000 for area scholarships and youth activities, said Berry, who organized the event, modeling it after those in the northern part of the state. "I saw the opportunity lor the Inland Empire," Berry said. "It's fairly blue-colla. It's ripe for The newspaper began right around the time of the Watts riots and has been advancing issues in the Black community ever since. By Rebecca Fairley Raney Sun Staff Writer SAN BERNARDINO The paper started as a hobby.

Then came the Watts riots and desegregation, and it was a cause. The Precinct Reporter the Inland Empire's first newspaper to focus on Black community issues is celebrating 30 years of forwarding a cause this weekend with a two-day festival. Bands, booths, food and seminars will continue today at Court Street Square, 20 1 N. St. Brian Townsend, editor and publisher of the Precinct Reporter, called it the newspaper's party for the city.

He expects 15,000 people to come by during the weekend. In July 1965. Townsend's father, Art, a local real estate broker, started publication. Within a month, the Watts riifts broke out. A In' MARK ZALESKIThe Sun Guitarist John Carey, left, and drummer Gary Nichols of the J.

Smooth Jazz band perform during the African-American Festival at the San Bernardino Court Street Square on Saturday. Wct Side," Roberts said. Townsend started with his father's paper at the age of 6. Times have changed since the.