The San Bernardino County Sun from San Bernardino, California • Page 19

Inside: Meet local schoolchildrenB2 Inside: Keep your commute smoothB2 Inland Emhre Randall Back Asst. Managing EdltorMatro (909) 386-3874 Fax (909) 885-8741 Tha Sun SactlonB Tuesday August 19, 1997 CountyEast News digest Sketch released of shooting suspect HESPERIA San Bernardino County Sheriffs deputies released a composite sketch Monday of a man allegedly involved in the slaying of 2-year-old Robert Xavier James on Aug. 1. The sketch shows a White or Latino male in his late teens or Detail area pferM Spr: 7T ''Moreno 4 Riverside Vallev 5u 2 Vehicle found with Cowan lying outside at 10:23 p.m. 1 Land Cruiser carjacked'at Ralph's shopping center with Cowan inside at 10:10 p.m.

was beyond anyone that preceded her or could ever have followed her," said Gwen Downard, divisional merchandise manager, for Harris' department stores. For eight years, Downard and Cowan were co-workers. Cowan was a corporate buyer and granddaughter of the chain store's founder. They remained friends after Cowan left Harris' in 1991. "She was a dynamic woman," Downard said.

"What a lady." See VICTIMB3 Friends and family remember businesswoman Paige Cowan, who was killed Saturday night In a carjacking. By Stacy Spauldino Delay Sun Staff Writer REDLANDS Paige Cowan was a savvy businesswoman with an impeccable sense of style, friends said Monday. That makes her death in a Moreno Valley carjacking Satur- Townaate Mall 3 Suspect arrested at pizza parlor at 10:52 p.m. Eucalyptus u.co Ave. QUACKING City extends planning deal for 2 months The City Council allots approximately $10,600 for Willdan Associates to provide staffing for the city's planning department.

By Renee Hernandez Sun Staff Writer CALIMESA The City Council on Monday extended a contract with a San Bernardino company to provide city planning services until officials decide what's needed in the long term. The council allotted approximately per month for the next two months for Willdan Associates to provide a minimal staffing level for the city's planning department. "We'll have Willdan give us some support until we hire someone to take our planning director's place," City Manager Alan Kapanicas said. Former planning director Jerry Buydos resigned last month to take a position with a utility company. It could take up to six months to find a replacement, Kapanicas said.

The agency will help the city in its search for a new director. "They will give us their expertise," Kapanicas said. "Planning is such a specialty. We want a person that fits well." Willdan already contracts with the city to handle building and safety. Sunnymead Blvd.

MORENO VALLEY 2.. C3W SUN GRAPHICS CALIMESA The council in July selected Willdan to offer planning services and since then the agency and city staff have held discussions regarding the level of staffing required. Willdan Associates will aid staff in assessing the long-term staffing needs of the department. The agency will provide a planning technician four hours a day Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to handle inquiries, applications and other administrative duties. A planner will follow up on inquiries by phone.

A planner also will be available at City Hall four hours per week. A letter from Willdan to the city states that the agency also will use this time to familiarize itself with existing projects and prepare necessary paperwork for the public. Willdan staff will attend the September and October City Council and Planning Commission meetings. According to the letter, the projected monthly cost is less than the city's current monthly budget for planning department operations. The City Council eventually may decide it wants to continue contracting for planning services.

Spending the surplus The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors will divvy up a $7.6 million surplus from last year's budget during a public hearing starting at 10 a.m. today In the County Government Center, 385 N. Arrowhead San Bernardino. deputy county administrator for budget. Among other proposed uses for the surplus: about $1.7 million to bring code enforcement functions scattered in several departments under one roof in a new Land Use Services Department and buy a new computer system to make related data accessible.

Programming county computers to the year 2000 will take $1.3 million of the windfall, with the rest of the money going to beef See SURPLUSB3 SUN GRAPHICS miles of the area searched in April, Patterson said. Jackson JM Lake "S--NJIIQI PINES rq WRIGMTWOOD" iVi early 20s with short dark hair. He wore a white T-shirt with some color on the front. San Ber-n a rd i County Sheriff's spokesman Chip Pat terson said the composite was compiled from statements of witnesses. The toddler was shot at 8:52 p.m.

when a passenger in a Chevrolet Camaro opened fire on another car on Main Street, west of Cottonwood. The child was a passenger in the back seat and was struck once in the head. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the sheriffs homicide department at (909) 387-3589, the Desert Dispatch Center at (760) 2454211 or WeTip at (800) 78-CRIME. Ralph MontanoThe Sun (909) 386-3882 Crash victim's identity sought REDLANDS Police are trying to identify an unconscious man who was hurt in an accident on Fern Avenue early Saturday. The man, probably 18 to 21 years old, was thrown from a 1965 Volkswagen bug at 1:23 a.m.

Saturday when the driver ran a stop sign at San Mateo Street. The car overturned and stopped in a driveway in the 1200 block of West Fern Avenue. The man, a passenger in the car, is on a respirator at Loma Linda University Medical Center, police said. The driver was also taken to the medical center and may face felony charges of driving under the influence. His identity was not available Monday.

Stacy Spaulding DeLaylThe Sun (909)792-4587 19-year-old man dies when car flips BAKER A Burbank man died Sunday when he was thrown from a car that overturned in a single-vehicle accident near Baker, San Bernardino County Coroner's officials said Monday. Armen Kamali, 19, was killed in the crash reported at 8:54 p.m. Sunday on southbound Interstate 15, said Randy Emon, coroner's investigator. Kamali was a passenger in a 1996 Toyota Camry that overturned after swerving to avoid a collision with another southbound car. He was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown out, Emon said.

The Sun Car accident kills one teen, injures six WRIOHTWOOO A 16 year-old girl died Saturday when a car carrying seven people went out of control and crashed on Lone Pine Canyon Road, the California Highway Patrol said. Sarah E. Hathaway was a passenger in a 1993 Nissan Ultima that was traveling about 75 mph when it went through a dip and the driver lost control, said CHP Officer A. Stallard. A 16-year-old was driving, Stallard said.

The car crashed into a rock and dirt embankment, then overturned. Hathaway was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown out. All of the other people in the car, also teenagers, suffered minor to moderate injuries. Ralph MontanoThe Sun (909) 386-3882 Fingerprinting starts for adult club workers REDLANDS The Police Department on Monday began fingerprinting employees of a proposed adult club. Two female dancers were the first employees of the proposed Colton Avenue club to be printed, said Lt.

Tom Fitzmaurice. More are expected. Fingerprinting is required by a new ordinance, he said. All employees of such clubs must apply for adult-oriented business performer permits. Police have five days to do background checks and verify information.

Performers must be at least 18, said Fitzmaurice. Their permits can be denied if any of the information is fraudulent or if they have been convicted of any sex crime. The business, formerly Guido's restaurant, is remodeling and plans to open by September as an adult club. Cerise ValenzuelaThe Sim (909)307-5828 Cowan Rebolk) day night even more horrifying, they said. "She had a taste level that UP The city needs $1.8 million to pay off the redevelopment area's debt for the 1997-98 fiscal year, said Ken Hunt, director of management services.

An unprecedented $4 billion drop in county property values in 1994 is preventing the North Fontana redevelopment area from paying its debt obligations as anticipated. Hunt said. Although property values countywide have increased in response to new development, the city still has not recouped the $1.5 million it lost in North Fontana property tax. "When the county unilaterally downgraded the value of property, our tax increment and revenue went down also," Hunt said. "There are more obligations Sunday near the end of a fire road.

An anthropologist will examine the bones today, said San Bernardino County Coroner's Investigator Randy Emon. People who were camping near the Bridge to Nowhere, along the east fork of the San Gabriel River, have been interviewed about the start of the fire, said U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Linda Christman. The inquiry by Investigator Roger Richcreek is expected to determine whether negligence contributed to the fire. "A decision will be made on any civil or criminal action upon conclusion of the investigation," said Christman.

In a wildfire that started in County to examine surplus spending James Everett Gibbons, 4, has fun chasing ducks at Seccombe Lake in San Bernardino during an outing with his father. Sunny skies are expected to continue through Saturday. Fontana council to consider $600,000 loan to settle debts GABRIEL ACOSTAThe Sun than our agency's ability to pay." City administrators said similar loan arrangements after this year will not be necessary because home construction is taking off again in North Fontana and tax revenue will increase as a result. The city has gotten into problems paying off its various debts, Councilman Mark Nuaimi said, because it had used property tax revenue from redevelopment areas to pay debts other than the redevelopment bonds for which it is intended. Councilman Manuel Mancha, Nuaimi and Hunt said Fontana's financial future is linked to new development.

See DEBT7B3 Health and crime programs are among Kerns on the list to benefit from a $7.6 million surplus. By Cassie MacDuff Sun Political Editor SAN BERNARDINO A $7.6 million surplus from last year's budget will be carved up today by county supervisors as they hold final hearings -on the 1997-98 budget. County fiscal officers will recommend funncling $1.9 million in savings on public health programs from 1990-97 into a reserve fund to help pay the debt on the new county medical center. An estimated $2 million to $4 million annually will be needed from the county general fund to pay off the debt on the $647 million, state-of-the-art Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, set to open in mid 1998. Another $1.5 million will be recommended to go into a reserve and contingency fund so the county won't need to continue depending on one-time revenues to run general fund programs, said Carol Shearer, By Frank Geary Sun Staff Writer FONTANA City officials tonight will consider loaning $600,000 from the general fund to settle debts, including the city's unpaid property taxes, construction of the 10-year-old police station and fire service.

As part of a proposed Debt Management Plan, administrators are asking the council to approve a three-year loan with 10 percent interest to the North Fontana Redevelopment Project Area. It would also redirect $1.2 million in bonds intended for road construction, street lights and other improvements to pay off investors whose bonds come due Sept. 1. Camper under investigation for causing forest fire early July in the San Bernardino National Forest, north of San Bernardino, determined that illegal fireworks had sparked the blaze. A 27-year-old man arrested in connection with that fire later was charged with second-degree murder after a helicopter pilot was killed when his chopper went down while dropping water on the 3.750 acre Hemlock blaze.

A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board suggested that engine failure might have caused the crash. On Monday, fire officials estimated that it has cost $3 million to fight the flames so far. Ten firefighters have been injured. The skeleton found by fire fighters does not appear to be a fire victim. Christman said.

The remains may be those of Kenneth Pomykala, 42, of San Diego, officials said. Pomykala disappeared on the Acorn Canyon Trail on April 2 after leaving his fellow hikers to recover some equipment left behind. Rescuers searched for Pomykala in snow and freezing temperatures, but found nothing. San Bernardino County Sheriffs spokesman Chip Patterson said the bones were found Sunday morning at the end of a fire road. About three-quarters of the skeleton was recovered, he said.

He declined to say if any clothing had been recovered. The discovery site is within By Chuck Mueller and Ralph Montano Sun Staff Writers U.S. Forest Service investigators are determining whether to take criminal or civil action against a camper blamed for starting a wildfire that has raged through 13.500 acres of brush and evergreens in the Angeles National Forest. The fire started Wednesday when the camper, reportedly part of a school group, ignited toilet paper in the Sheep Creek wilderness area. On Monday, the blaze was about 61 percent contained.

Investigators also were attempting to determine the identity of human remains found.