The San Bernardino County Sun from San Bernardino, California • Page 7

Blue Line rail system ready to rollB3 Rock climbers in awe of 'Midnight Lightning7B3 Accused killer of seven goes on trial today135 O) MONDAY July 9, 1990 INLAND 0 The Sun mpre i Israeli contraption may remove salt from the Salton Sea ity that is already higher than that of ocean water. The salt content is now to the point that Cor-vina and other sport fish in the sea soon may not be able to survive. California's largest inland body of water, the sea is a prime fall, winter and springtime resort. It covers some 360 square miles and water temperatures range from 50 degrees in the winter to 98 degrees in the summer. It was formed in 1906 when floodwaters from the Colorado River washed over dikes and settled in the below-sea-level sink.

Each year, the sea attracts between 1 million and 2 million ating brine. The heat would power turbines and generate 36 me- ga watts ofpower, more than, enough to make the whole opera-1 tion go, McCandless said. It would stabilize the sea level and prevent further buildup ofi the dangerous salts. "It certainly would provide a method of making the operation pay for itself," said Dennis Mah-, er, resources director for the Coa- chella Valley Irrigation one of the project participants. McCandless said the stakes in- elude $97 million in annual reve-, nue from tourists visiting the sea and the prospect of preserving it as a resource for those who live in the two adjoining valleys.

"snowbirds," the nickname given to residents of the northern United States and Canada who come here during the winter months to escape the cold temperatures. Because less fresh water comes into the sea than evaporates out, the salts become concentrated and the sea has become saltier every year. Since the early 1950s, experts have predicted that the sea eventually could become so salty it would be unable to sustain life. If begun, the Israeli desalini-zation program, originally developed on the Dead Sea, would drain off water to special ponds. There, the layers of highly saline water would create a heat-gener- "call now" ad on TV, but the House of Representatives already has signed up to make the first $10 million installment on the $300 million wonder deal.

The Senate is expected to buy the idea soon. "It's not a pie in the sky. The Israelis have already developed the technology," said Rep. Al Mc-Candless, R-Riverside. The House last month passed a McCandless bill to provide $10 million for initial studies.

If the Senate follows suit in August, the project could start within the next few years, McCandless said. Ultimately, the $300 million By DAVID JUDSON Gannett News Service WASHINGTON The problem: a Salton Sea growing more polluted and saline by the day as levels fluctuate to inundate property, destroy marinas and threaten marine life and recreation in California's Coachella and Imperial valleys. The solution: an Israeli-designed perpetual motion machine that would stabilize the inland sea, remove the salt from the water and generate enough power to run itself with megawatts to spare. It may sound like a late-night Engine's in West End cities form regional warning system Radio, cable TV will broadcast information on fires, high winds formation Broadcast System and will primarily serve residents Chino, Ontario, Upland, Mont-1' clair, Rancho Cucamonga, Fonta-. na and Rialto.

It will use radio stations' KNTF (93.5 FM) and KNSEO510 AM), which broadcast in Spanish." Also participating are Chino Valley Cable company, which serves. Chino and Chino Hills, and Comcast Cable, which serves Montclair, Upland and a southwest portion of Rancho Cucamonga. Negotiations are under way with cable companies in the rest of Rancho Cucamonga and Fontana and Rialto. Officials say the network is not intended to replace the al Emergency Broadcast System, which interrupts radio broad-4, casts with a loud squeul beforej passing on information. "We're trying to enhance it," Yenovkiansaid.

The problem, he said, is the state's system is only used for. large, regional emergencies, such as an impending flood or after an earthquake. By LUIS MONTEAGUDO JR. The Sun's Fontana Bureau West Valley cities from Chino to Rialto have formed a regional emergency broadcast network able to break into radio and television shows to give warning about high winds, fires and other problems. The network will use radio stations and cable television to broadcast warnings about local emergencies to 500,000 people in the West End, said Phil Yenovki-an, Ontario Disaster Preparedness Manager.

"That's what we're looking for, immediate access," said Ye-novkian, one of the organizers of the network. The network, which began operating June 21, has passed muster with state officials. "I think it's a good idea," said Jim Alexander, manager for Region 6 of the state Office of Emergency Services. "If it works out, I'd like to see it work across the county." Region 6 includes San Bernardino, Riverside, Indio, Mono, Imperial and San Diego counties. The network is called the In the rear pulled it in, there was a lot more than that just in the net." Russ Matthews, a long-term substitute teacher for a special education class at Clement Junior High, believes all students benefit from hands-on studies.

Lessons that are experienced are remembered. "With many of these kids, it's just a matter of getting them stimulated," he said. He did just that by taking his seventh-graders for a trip on the Daiwa, a ship turned floating classroom docked in San Pedro. "I think the basic thing is that it's readily available and it's near us," Matthews said. "We have an ocean that we don't really capitalize on as an See EDUCATIONB3 Jerrv Hanson of Hinhlanrl nrovides a little fatharlv hnost to not his cost would be shared by the federal and state governments and a local project authority to be created in the Imperial and Coachella valleys.

The McCandless-backed study also would consider other possibilities, including a set of locks and canals to drain water off the Salton Sea, but McCandless said the desalinization-electrical plant is the best bet. More than 200 feet below sea level, the Salton Sea is fed by irrigation water and the only escape for seepage is through evaporation. Sporadic drainage not only causes fluctuations in the water level, but also increases the salin Sundav snin at Perris Hill Park in VICTORVILLE "Praise. When was the last time you re- ceived too much?" The sign hanging on the door of the principal's office at Fairmont Elementary School in Vacaville sums up the ideals of Gerri Brown, California's top elementary school principal. As a child growing up in Victorville, she was showered with praise.

As a working single parent raising two daughters, she made mothering her top priority. As an educator for 28 years, Brown has made sure that thousands of students developed a sense of self worth. "Everyone can learn, and everyone is a teacher. There is not one child alive that can't make something of themselves, if we can convince them of that," said Brown, 49, explaining the philosophy that earned her the California Distinguished Principal title. In October, Brown and 49 other elementary school administra through donated labor and material.

We'd like to turn it over to the city fully endowed and not have it be a millstone around the city's neck." Sylvan Plunge was built in 1923 and for more than half a century was the summer meeting place for many of the city's youth. By the late '70s, its filters stopped working and the city wasn't willing to spend several hundred thousand dollars to repair it. It was destroyed in 1978. "It was state of the art for 1923, but in 1978, it was no longer state of the art," Ken King said. The Friends of Sylvan Plunge was formed a couple months ago and has about 10 board members and the backing of city Kiwanis clubs.

More than 300 residents signed up to help out at an information booth the group had at See PLUNGEB3 son's battery-powered truck started. The boy, Jerry 2, was out for a likes the park because it offers lots of room for novice drivers. Don't ration praise, honored principal says 1 By PRISCILLA NORDYKE tors from throughout the Unii The Sun's Victorville Bureau States will travel to Washingt Tj lnM4n j-w D.C.. for recognition by the I tors from throughout the United States will travel to Washington, D.C., for recognition by the "We need something here to tell local people about local conditions," Yenovkian said. "And See WARNINQB3 Redlands students go to sea for education Confusion may force S.B.

to repeal its new sign law i 'it, DAVIO CHEAMEHThe Sun San Bernardino. Hanson said he Na tional Association of Elementary School Principals. This week, she is vacationing in Victorville, where she moved as a child of 3 from her birthplace, Broken Bow, Okla. Her parents, Mack Wysinger, 83, and his wife, Beatrice, 76, still live in the High Desert, where they raised three children on a steady menu of love. "I am what I am today because of them," Brown says.

In easy-going style, Brown describes herself as a problem solver who sees natural goodness in kids. She talks to them and listens before she judges, except when violence is involved. "Then I'm kind of a hard-nose. I don't listen." And courtesy is a must. That means no talking out of order and no hats in assemblies.

"I teach my kids how to be an audience. They cannot wear hats inside. To me, those are courtesy things, and if no one takes the time to teach the children, they SeePRINCIPAUB2 UPDATE CALENDAR GARDENS Heritage Park, a 6-acre park with historic buildings and gardens Is open today from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The park is located at 12100 Mora Drive, Santa Fe BEST BET THEME PARK Beat the heat at Oasis Water Resort with slides and wave pools.

The resort is open today from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is located at 1500 Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs. Call (619) No picked the and the to $8 the worth officials in the Francisco The Saturday 20, 52 The Santa five $4,480, By CINDY YINGST The Sun's Redlands Bureau REDLANDS Angelina Gutierrez won't forget how starfish eat. She had one of the spiny creatures placed in her hair so she could feel its gripping, sucking underside.

"It hurt a little because it was pulling my hair," the 13-year-old said. "It showed me how they eat their food." Mark Stevens, 12, knows first-hand that there are thousands of kinds of sea creatures. He helped pull in a trawlnet brimming with sea life. "I learned there's a lot of different fish. I thought there was about 50, but when we why they must pay $25 for restroom signs and directional arrows.

Only erected signs those re-1' quiring a building permit need a sticker under the new law. The council placed the law on hold and ordered the refunding of fees already paid pending a hear-ing before the legislative review committee. 1 In the meeting between tho' council committee and sign own-; ers last week. Deputy City Attor ney Henry Empeno Jr. mended repealing the new law and instead strengthening ing laws and enforcing them.

City Councilman Jack Reilly, one of three legislative review SeeCONFUSIONB3 By CASSIE MacDUFF Sun Staff Writer The San Bernardino city attorney's office has recommended the repeal of a recently enacted law requiring sign owners to pay $25 per sign for inspection stickers, after confusion over its provisions caused an uproar among local merchants. The merchants complained that law-abiding business owners shouldn't be charged for a program aimed at ridding the city of abandoned and illegal signs. A letter sent to business owners by planning and building officials failed to make it clear which signs had to have an inspection sticker, leaving many wondering Redlands wants to get back in the pool Group proposes to build water playland in Sylvan Park big winners SACRAMENTO Nobody all six winning numbers in weekend "Lotto 6-53" game jackpot is expected to grow million by Wednesday's drawing, state lottery officials said Sunday. There were three tickets sold with five correct numbers plus Motorist sought Ontario police were seeking a hit-and-run driver who fled the scene of an accident at 2:35 a.m. Sunday that seriously injured his passenger.

The victim, 24-year-old Robert Ross, address unknown, was in serious condition at Loma Linda University Medical Center, Sgt. Mike Macias said. The crash occurred when a speeding Lincoln Continental southbound on Cypress Avenue near Phillips Street hit a parked Cadillac, became airborne and landed on the roof of a parked Corvette. A woman who was sitting in the Corvette crawled out, refused medical aid from firefighters and left before police arrived, Macias said. The Lincoln's driver fled on foot and remained at large Sunday afternoon.

park with the southeast corner of Sylvan Park in mind. It would include a 25-foot, eight-lane competition swimming pool, a 24-inch-deep kiddie pool with a water umbrella, a small pool with 150-foot water slide and a "lazy river" attraction on which swimmers in innertubes can drift along a 400-foot-long course. There also would be an area with make-believe rain, fog and geysers. "There's a movement afoot to raise funds to have the return of Sylvan Plunge," said King's wife, Carole, a member of the city's Parks and Recreation Commission. "In our minds, the old site is the best site," she said.

"We're not involving the city other than to have its blessing through the parks commission. "Our main thrust is to build it By CINDY YINGST The Sun's Redlands Bureau Redlands should take the plunge again, says a group of Redlands residents. They're trying to raise $750,000 to put a swim facility in Sylvan Park on the same spot as a pool that was demolished in 1978. "There are no truly public pools in this town," said Ken King, a Redlands civil engineer who designed Irvine's Wild Rivers water park and the Black Hole attraction at Raging Waters in San Dimas. "The city of Riverside has six or seven.

Most cities have several pools. Redlands has none and I think the kids in this town deserve one. We're just as good as anyone else." King designed a 1.4-acre swim bonus number and each was $185,205, California Lottery said. The tickets were sold cities of Mountain View, San and Santa Ana. winning numbers, picked night, were: 4,5,11,17, and the bonus number, 14.

Topper cities chosen were: Clara, Gardena, Sacramento. There were 124 tickets with correct numbers, each worth and 7.763 tickets with four correct numbers worth $65 each. if.