So let me see if I comprehend this correctly. Mr. Berry violated two laws, Mr. Schwab knew he violated two laws and conspired with the Sheriff's Office to cover up the facts.
Councilman Miller's wife bought a newspaper in 2006 and continued a policy that was in effect long before she took over the paper. Mrs. Miller's paper printed a story about the "alleged" corruption of Mr. Schwab and Mr. Berry after two other papers did. So now all of a sudden Mr. Berry suffers righteous indignation from the printing of legal ads he requested her to print and wants prosecution from the D.A.'s Office. If Mrs. Miller must face legal challenges from this so also should Mr. Berry. He also violated the law by placing the ads and obviously from what I read in the newspapers he knew it was illegal. He had access to legal advice of the city attorney. I would be interested as to Mr. Harper's advice to Mr. Berry on placing these ads. I can understand how the placing of an ad from the city would not raise an red flag by Mrs. Millers paper. I would think that she is not even involved in the placing or taking of ads. I would surmise that is the responsibility of an employee. In comparison, the printing of small print legal ads do not even come close to the crimes of embezzlement and falsifying official government documents Mr. Schwabs advice to Mr. Berry "to not deal with criminals' seems to come from an expert and someone well versed on the subject. It appears to go back to the old saying "Takes one to know one".
It is blatantly obviously Mr. Berry is doing this out of revenge for the printing of a factual article of his criminal misdeeds.
Now, Mr. Schwab says "there has never been a hint of scandal in Grand Terrace". Here is my take on none of the scandals Mr. Schwab says there was never a hint of.
The City of Grand Terrace incorporates by the real estate speculators that permeate the podium and have sat on the council. The city, when they incorporate. places the whole of the city as "blighted" for RDA funds. That means as soon as a new building, such as a home, is built the city could, under RDA law declare it blighted and take it by Eminent Domain to give to one of their developer friends. This also means that the city hall building is blighted, the schools are blighted, the Fire station is blighted and every ones home or business is blighted.
The Outdoor Adventure Center. A poorly planned project that took millions of Grand Terrace taxpayers dollars to put in the pocket of Ralph Megna and part time City Planning Director Gary Knootz. When Mr. Knootz was not pushing for the O.A.C. two or three days a week as the part time Planning Director, he was the full time employee of Mr. Megna. Mr Megna was quoted at the time in the San Bernardino Sun "Ralph is going to get to build his big boy store store". With the help of Mr. Schwab, Mr. Berry and the three lady members that are still on the council from that time, millions of taxpayer dollars were wasted on a project with no E.I.R. and projected revenue number that were made up out of thin air. A judge, as I recall, agreed with the citizens of Grand Terrace. That project is dead, along with our money. The Grand Terrace Partners have bought and drastically revised the project. Even at that Mr. Schwab refused to open any records on the Grand Terrace Partners project to citizens that inquired in city council meetings or at city hall.
The Dodson property. The Dodson property bordered the Outdoor Adventure Center project. The Dodson's tried to sell their nearly three acres property because of the O.A.C. project that would be in their back yard. Every deal they made for their house and property fell out of escrow because of the projected O.A.C. plans. Here is the scandal that Mr. Schwab says "there was never a hint of" and Mr. Schwab is the author of this one.
When Mr. Schwab's ex wife was awarded the family home in the divorce settlement, Mr. Schwab became the house guest of the Dodson's. The Dodson's approached Mr. Schwab with their predicament. Mr. Schwab decided that the city would buy their property and help his old friends out. So into closed session the city council goes to negotiate for the Dodson property. Mr. Schwab representing the city and real estate agent Gene Carlstrom the Dodson's. I would also inform the readers that Mr. Carlstrom has a long standing relationship with Mr. Schwab and the city. Carlstrom. over the years, has been the sole real estate agent that sells city property and when he was unable to unload property that was Nil in value Mr. Schwab came to his rescue and had the RDA buy it. So Mr. Carlstrom represents the Dodson's in the selling of their property to the city and Mr. Schwab the city. Council member Cortes is an employee of Mr. Carlstrom. So into closed session the council goes on the Dodson property. The Dodson are asking $750,000 for their property, most of which is considered "marsh" when it rains. (pronounced swamp).
For several closed session meeting after regular council meeting the council negotiates for the property. After each session Mayor Ferre announces that "no reportable action was taken" An absolute violation of the law and that she was well aware of and did so with the purpose to mislead the voters. After several weeks of this Council member Hilkey announces at a council meeting that a deal was made at the first closed session. That the Mayor was lying to the public and the property that the Dodson were asking $750,000 for before the closed sessions had become worth $2,900,000. That's two million nine hundred thousand dollars. Mr. Hilkey stated at that time "the city paid too much for a piece of property they did not need". Mr. Hilkey informed the public that the other members of the council were in the other closed sessions deciding how to pay the Dodson's the 2.9 million without it looking like 2.9 million. They decided to make the payments over several council meeting. That way it would not appear they gave the Dodson's $2,150,000 more than their property was worth. After that announcement it seemed Mrs. Ferre was going after Councilman Hilkey even to rigging the appointment of her to Mayor with political promises to the other council members that would vote for her to be appointed Mayor. Mrs. Ferre, come to find out, will not accept campaign contributions over $99.00. If they are over that amount she will return them and ask for the lesser amount. That way she does not have to comply with the law and divulge where her contributions originate.
The Car. Mr. Schwab sold a city owned vehicle, that by the way the city furnished Mr Schwab a new vehicle of his choice every two years, and this vehicle was sold to Mr. Berry without going to the open bid process that is required by law. For many months Mr. Schwab stoned walled the citizens that were trying to get what was supposed to be public record as to this sale.
The RDA house. After Mr. Schwab became the house guest of the Dodson's he needed a home. In the middle of the year he petitioned the council to change his contract to have the city furnish him a home to buy within the city limits. The council complied. So what the city did was allow Mr. Schwab to take his pick of the rehabbed RDA houses owned by the city RDA and make his selection. The city then purchased the house from the RDA and sold it to Mr. Schwab and carried the mortgage for several months. The problem with this is that in order to buy an RDA house you must be a first time home buyer and make less than $40,000 a year. Neither of which Mr. Schwab did. He was over qualified. This in effect took a house away from someone that might have been of lower income and would have been able to become a home owner.
The other house. As director of the RDA Mr. Schwab allowed a secretary for the city that was married and with her husband made way over the amount allowed by the State RDA laws to purchase an RDA house. Included in this sale is what is called a "silent second" of $48,000. This is a second deed of trust that does not have to be paid back unless the home is sold within twenty years. Free money. Mr. Schwab engineered this sale of this RDA house to be sold to this city employee as the sole owner eliminating her husband from the paper on the house and thus eliminating his income. Again taking a house away from a lower income family.
The Town Center. Mr. Schwab sent letters threatening the home owners on Barton Road with the use of eminent domain if they did not sell their homes to Mr. Jacobson. (Copies of these letters may be found in the archives on this site)Three letters where sent. The first saying that eminent domain may be used if they did not sell to Jacobson. The second letter saying that eminent domain could be used if they did not sell to Jacobson. The third say that eminent domain will be used if they do not sell to Jacobson.
This is the same Jacobson that contributed to Grand Terrace Days as did the Corporation for Better Housing while having business before the Council. A violation of the law Mr. Schwab and Mr. Berry went along with.
Council member LeeAnn Garcia took the maximum allowed by law in campaign contributions from Mr. Jacobson and the maximum allowed by law from Mrs. Jacobson, obviously a straw contribution, and then instead of reculsing herself from the vote on Mr. Jacobson's Town Center project she voted "aye". This is about as close to bribery as one can get.
The Senior Housing Center and The Corporation for Better Housing. Over the objections of the citizens who's homes border the project and who, along with hundreds of Grand Terrace citizens, packed city hall at the council meeting involving this project, the overwhelming majority in opposition, Mayor Ferre, Mr. Schwab and Mr. Berry turned a deaf ear to the folks that live here. Mr. Schwab and Mayor Ferre promised a preferable list of Grand Terrace Seniors to be the ones to have first choice to be residents of this apartment house. The Corporation for Better Housing is nothing more than a broker for builders and only uses government funds, taking their cut, then turning the project over to subsidiaries. All CFBH projects, because they take Government funds are all Section 8 and cannot say who they can give preferential treatment to as far as who gets to live at the Senior Housing. The Housing Authority does. There is a waiting list over 8 years long waiting for this Government subsidized housing. Mr. Schwab and Mrs. Ferre deliberately misled the Grand Terrace seniors.
The Trucking Company. Documentation is also in the archives on this site as to the violation of zoning law carried out by Mr. Schwab and Mayor Ferre even when brougth to them at city council meeting by the residents that must suffer from this illegal business being operated in a residential zone.
Membership in the League of California Cites. This is an organization run by trial lawyers, unions, bond selling companies and utilities. They hold seminars for cites on how to take property from owners by the use of eminent domain. This city sends members of the council at taxpayers expense to these seminars to learn how to take from the citizens of Grand Terrace their property.
The Honey Hills sign. Mr. Schwab, without bringing it to a vote in front of the council uses taxpayer funds to replace the stolen letters "Honey Hills". Mayor Ferre's father developed this project and Mrs. Ferre lives in Honey Hills. The sign is not owned by the city and is not on city property. The residents of Honey Hills should have paid to replace them. The citizens cannot get a pothole fixed on their streets, but the members of the elite group that encompasses the friends of the Mayor get special treatment.
All this "Good Ol Boys" politics has got to stop. Mr. Miller and Mr.Stanckiewitz try to do what is best for the city as a whole and are met with the withholding of vital information by Mrs. Ferre, Mr. Schwab and Mr. Berry. As was Mr. Hilkey. Now Mr. Berry has resorted to threats against Councilman Miller because Mr. Berry knowingly violated the law.
The best thing for this city is to fire Mr. Schwab. The city may then recoup the house that Mr. Schwab is illegally occupying, and fire Mr. Berry. If they do not do this and hire Mr. Berry as City Manager in closed session all indications are that the council is complicit in Mr. Schwab's and Mr. Berry's crimes.
The list goes on. The attempting to take Jo Stringfeilds property, the buying of a former Mayors property for 1.3 million. The dealings with Tony Petta that made a fortune from the incorporation of Grand Terrace at the expense of the taxpayers.
This City was Incorporated for the enrichment of a hand full of people.
For Mr. Schwab to say Grand Terrace has never had a hint of scandal is beyond belief. He is the root cause of all the scandals we are aware of. I cannot imagine what the citizens do not know of. For those that were quoted in the articles about Mrs. Ferre "high ethicals standards" They have got to be kidding.......themselves.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Insight...
Berry said he has received anonymous phone calls suggesting the report was leaked by City Councilman Jim Miller, whose wife, Margie, publishes the Grand Terrace City News, a weekly newspaper with offices next to City Hall.
Berry often says people who are anonymouse have no credibility.... so he takes a phone call? When reporters have tried to contact him... When is he in the office anyway?
When you call him say Hello this is Anonymous and he'll be in the office to take your call.
Berry often says people who are anonymouse have no credibility.... so he takes a phone call? When reporters have tried to contact him... When is he in the office anyway?
When you call him say Hello this is Anonymous and he'll be in the office to take your call.
Press Enterprise Covers Scandal...
Where there is no Victim the DA doesn't press charges...
HELLO.... Tax Payers are Victims...and the Judicial System is a Victim...
Who released a report is not important. It is a PUBLIC DOCUMENT or should be especially if it is in the Dead Case Files.
Payments made to the News Paper Owned by the Council Member Miller's wife should have not been made by the Professional City Management Staff. It is due to their incompetence at running a clean administration that this possible conflict of interest charge is even possible to rise. It does not make Berry or Schwab look good that they allowed the first ad to be placed and for the practice to continue if there was a potential for a problem. They are allegedly the City Management Professionals, not the City Council Members who are elected citizens.
In addition the news paper is not owned by Jim Miller it is owned by Margie Miller.
If this is a conflict of interest, there should be no more city business done with Terra Loma because a council person is associated with that business.
In addition the water should be turned off at City Hall because the Mayors husband is a board member of the water company and there may be a conflict of interest there.
Now Read It For Your Self... Berry and Schwab are not helping their case. They did wrong. Covered it up, and now are keeping their fingers crossed that the Grand Jury or DA or the AG don't get wind of their actions and file charges on the case file.
The difference between Stupid and a Being Charged is... well think of it this way.
Stupid is running through a stop sign and not getting in an accident or getting caught. You tell yourself to be more careful in the future.
Criminal is running through a stop sign getting others involved in running stop signs, and then telling the police man not to write you a ticket.
Is there no victim unless there is a car crash or is running a stop sign a crime wreck or no?
Grand Terrace rocked by window-tinting scandal
10:00 PM PDT on Friday, July 10, 2009
By DARRELL R. SANTSCHI
The Press-Enterprise
Acting Grand Terrace City Manager Steve Berry pointed to his tinted office windows this week, recalling how seven years ago, while assistant city manager, he found a good way, he thought, to save the city money by having a county jail inmate assigned to the city do the work.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department did not think it was such a good idea, suggesting in a report at the time that embezzlement and fraud may have been involved and questioning whether the inmate or his employee tinted Berry's car windows at city expense.
The report has been mailed anonymously to reporters and Berry's former boss, retired city manager Tom Schwab, says he quashed the investigation to save the city embarrassment.
But the newly surfaced scandal, along with a separate investigation of payments by the city to a newspaper run by a councilman's wife, have ripped an emotional hole in the fabric of the sleepy town of 12,500 people on the southern edge of San Bernardino County.
"There is no question that this is something we are not used to," said JoAnn Johnson, 78, who has lived in Grand Terrace 52 years. "I just have such a sad feeling about the whole event."
City Councilman Walt Stanckiewitz said his e-mail inbox, which sat dormant until reports of the scandal broke, now is bristling with demands for action.
"I think the city is embarrassed," Mayor Maryetta Ferre said. "This has become a distraction not only for the people involved, but for the council and the staff of the city, so we are going to address the distraction."
The City Council will take up the matter during a closed-session review of Berry's performance on Tuesday night, she said.
The sheriff investigated allegations that Berry opened an account with an Anaheim window tinting supplier and that the inmate on work release, John David Carranza, charged more supplies to a purchase order authorized by Berry than he needed to tint the windows at City Hall, a child care center and a senior center.
There also was an allegation that Carranza tinted the windows of Berry's car at city expense. Berry and Carranza have denied that Carranza did so, saying that the work was done by a man who worked for Carranza.
Berry said he paid the man out of his own pocket.
Berry pointed to receipts showing that once he learned of the over-charges, he obtained more than $700 in refunds. He is not certain whether that covered all of the city's losses.
The sheriff's report also alleges that Berry falsified time cards, indicating the inmate was working at times when others said he was not.
Berry said this week that the inmate was working not just on weekdays but in the evening and on weekends. He said he signed off on the time reports because the work was getting done.
Sheriff's Sgt. Dave Phelps said by phone this week that the report, completed in January 2003, never was submitted to the District Attorney for criminal prosecution.
"When there is no victim, the DA is usually not going to prosecute anyway," Phelps said.
Instead, the report was given to the city, he said.
"The city of Grand Terrace chose to handle that administratively instead of criminally," Phelps said. "Based on the city's recommendation, we closed the case ... without submitting it to the DA."
Berry said this week that he never was disciplined.
"There were no charges filed. "Nothing went into my personnel file," he said.
Berry said the city manager told him "This is why you don't deal with criminals." Berry said he took the matter as a "lesson learned and we went forward."
Schwab acknowledged that he quashed the investigation.
"I decided not to pursue it because, in our history, we've been a city of 30 years and we've never even had a hint of any kind of scandal or anybody involved in taking money," he said by phone this week. "So, at the time, I thought it would be better not to embarrass the city. It was also an election year, so I just told the sheriff's department not to pursue it."
He said the report indicates two crimes were committed "One was embezzlement and the other was falsification of public documents," he said.
Schwab said he didn't believe at the time that Berry had done "anything hugely criminal. I just think he did something stupid."
He said he didn't want the incident to end Berry's career.
"In retrospect, I should have fired him immediately and just dealt with whatever the issues ended up being," Schwab said.
Schwab had hired Berry as his assistant in 2001 and, as Berry describes it, had served as his mentor. They had an understanding, the men agree, that when Schwab was to retire about two years from now, they would lobby for Berry to become his successor.
The two since had a falling out.
When Schwab was hospitalized in June 2008 with a ruptured blood vessel in his head, Berry took over as acting city manager. Schwab returned in January for a six-month stint to help prepare a city budget. Then Schwab asked the City Council to give him his job back.
The council decided to take applications from all comers.
It was about that time that copies of the sheriff's report on the window tinting incident began surfacing.
As the city was completing its budget preparation, Berry persuaded the council to save money by abolishing his old job. Then Schwab retired, saying he shouldn't have to apply for a position he considered his.
"I was going to retire in two years anyway," Schwab said. "Steve knew I was going to retire. He would have been (Schwab's replacement), but he wouldn't wait. I got sick and he used that to his advantage. I kind of feel that he betrayed me."
Schwab insists that he did not leak the sheriff's report.
Berry said he has received anonymous phone calls suggesting the report was leaked by City Councilman Jim Miller, whose wife, Margie, publishes the Grand Terrace City News, a weekly newspaper with offices next to City Hall.
The newspaper was being paid by the city to publish legal advertisements when she bought it in 2006, Margie Miller said by phone Friday. That practice continued until Berry sent the Millers a letter in September 2008 telling them it was improper for the city to do business with the newspaper while Miller was a councilman.
Miller said she immediately stopped accepting ads from the city.
Susan Mickey, a spokeswoman for the District Attorney, confirmed Friday that the office's Public Integrity Unit is investigating a complaint it received about the Miller matter.
Berry said he has turned over documents to the DA's office. He said the city spent more than $20,000 on advertising in the newspaper over 2½ years.
Margie Miller said she will speak with investigators when she returns from vacation. She said her husband, also on vacation, was not available for comment.
She said that neither she nor her husband had leaked the sheriff's report.
Phelps, of the sheriff's department, said Carranza never was charged with a crime or disciplined "because the inmate is directed by a city employee. How do you punish him for doing what he has been told to do?"
In the work release program, the courts allow some prisoners to serve their time working for local governments, Phelps said. Most do menial tasks, he said.
Schwab and Berry said that Berry had never dealt with a work release inmate before. Berry said a bullet had broken a window at the city's senior center and he hired a crew to fix it.
Carranza, who was mowing a lawn at the time, noticed the work and told the city maintenance crew leader that he had a tinting business and could do the work. The crew leader took Carranza to Berry, who said he saw the opportunity to buy the material and let Carranza tint the windows.
Berry said he was not concerned that the inmate was not showing up at scheduled times because he might have been working on another building.
"All I saw was that the windows were getting done," Berry said. "I was looking at it like he's doing community service putting in window tinting. That's what I saw."
Councilman Stanckiewitz said the scandal is "shaking up the status quo," in town.
"It's awakening people to the fact that Grand Terrace isn't the perfect little community that we've all been accustomed to thinking it is," he said.
He said the city attorney told him the statute of limitations may have expired on any crimes that may have been committed. However, Mickey said there is no statute of limitations on embezzlement of public funds.
Reach Darrell R. Santschi at 951-368-9484 or dsantschi@PE.com
CHRONOLOGY
Assistant City Manager Steve Berry, whose job performance will be discussed at a Grand Terrace City Council meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, has had a long career with the city.
SEPTEMBER 2001: Hired by then-City Manager Tom Schwab as assistant city manager.
SUMMER 2002: Berry agrees to have a work-release inmate tint windows of several city buildings.
JANUARY 2003: Sheriff's department completes investigation that suggests criminal conduct in the handling of the window tinting.
JANUARY 2003: Schwab decides not to take action on the sheriff's report and keeps it quiet.
JUNE 2008: Schwab is hospitalized, goes on medical leave. Berry named acting city manager.
DECEMBER 2008: Council agrees to contract with Schwab to work on city budget for six months.
JANUARY: Schwab tells council he wants his city manager job back.
MAY: Copies of the sheriff's report begin appearing in reporters' mail.
MAY: Berry proposes eliminating his former job. Schwab announces his retirement in June.
HELLO.... Tax Payers are Victims...and the Judicial System is a Victim...
Who released a report is not important. It is a PUBLIC DOCUMENT or should be especially if it is in the Dead Case Files.
Payments made to the News Paper Owned by the Council Member Miller's wife should have not been made by the Professional City Management Staff. It is due to their incompetence at running a clean administration that this possible conflict of interest charge is even possible to rise. It does not make Berry or Schwab look good that they allowed the first ad to be placed and for the practice to continue if there was a potential for a problem. They are allegedly the City Management Professionals, not the City Council Members who are elected citizens.
In addition the news paper is not owned by Jim Miller it is owned by Margie Miller.
If this is a conflict of interest, there should be no more city business done with Terra Loma because a council person is associated with that business.
In addition the water should be turned off at City Hall because the Mayors husband is a board member of the water company and there may be a conflict of interest there.
Now Read It For Your Self... Berry and Schwab are not helping their case. They did wrong. Covered it up, and now are keeping their fingers crossed that the Grand Jury or DA or the AG don't get wind of their actions and file charges on the case file.
The difference between Stupid and a Being Charged is... well think of it this way.
Stupid is running through a stop sign and not getting in an accident or getting caught. You tell yourself to be more careful in the future.
Criminal is running through a stop sign getting others involved in running stop signs, and then telling the police man not to write you a ticket.
Is there no victim unless there is a car crash or is running a stop sign a crime wreck or no?
Grand Terrace rocked by window-tinting scandal
10:00 PM PDT on Friday, July 10, 2009
By DARRELL R. SANTSCHI
The Press-Enterprise
Acting Grand Terrace City Manager Steve Berry pointed to his tinted office windows this week, recalling how seven years ago, while assistant city manager, he found a good way, he thought, to save the city money by having a county jail inmate assigned to the city do the work.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department did not think it was such a good idea, suggesting in a report at the time that embezzlement and fraud may have been involved and questioning whether the inmate or his employee tinted Berry's car windows at city expense.
The report has been mailed anonymously to reporters and Berry's former boss, retired city manager Tom Schwab, says he quashed the investigation to save the city embarrassment.
But the newly surfaced scandal, along with a separate investigation of payments by the city to a newspaper run by a councilman's wife, have ripped an emotional hole in the fabric of the sleepy town of 12,500 people on the southern edge of San Bernardino County.
"There is no question that this is something we are not used to," said JoAnn Johnson, 78, who has lived in Grand Terrace 52 years. "I just have such a sad feeling about the whole event."
City Councilman Walt Stanckiewitz said his e-mail inbox, which sat dormant until reports of the scandal broke, now is bristling with demands for action.
"I think the city is embarrassed," Mayor Maryetta Ferre said. "This has become a distraction not only for the people involved, but for the council and the staff of the city, so we are going to address the distraction."
The City Council will take up the matter during a closed-session review of Berry's performance on Tuesday night, she said.
The sheriff investigated allegations that Berry opened an account with an Anaheim window tinting supplier and that the inmate on work release, John David Carranza, charged more supplies to a purchase order authorized by Berry than he needed to tint the windows at City Hall, a child care center and a senior center.
There also was an allegation that Carranza tinted the windows of Berry's car at city expense. Berry and Carranza have denied that Carranza did so, saying that the work was done by a man who worked for Carranza.
Berry said he paid the man out of his own pocket.
Berry pointed to receipts showing that once he learned of the over-charges, he obtained more than $700 in refunds. He is not certain whether that covered all of the city's losses.
The sheriff's report also alleges that Berry falsified time cards, indicating the inmate was working at times when others said he was not.
Berry said this week that the inmate was working not just on weekdays but in the evening and on weekends. He said he signed off on the time reports because the work was getting done.
Sheriff's Sgt. Dave Phelps said by phone this week that the report, completed in January 2003, never was submitted to the District Attorney for criminal prosecution.
"When there is no victim, the DA is usually not going to prosecute anyway," Phelps said.
Instead, the report was given to the city, he said.
"The city of Grand Terrace chose to handle that administratively instead of criminally," Phelps said. "Based on the city's recommendation, we closed the case ... without submitting it to the DA."
Berry said this week that he never was disciplined.
"There were no charges filed. "Nothing went into my personnel file," he said.
Berry said the city manager told him "This is why you don't deal with criminals." Berry said he took the matter as a "lesson learned and we went forward."
Schwab acknowledged that he quashed the investigation.
"I decided not to pursue it because, in our history, we've been a city of 30 years and we've never even had a hint of any kind of scandal or anybody involved in taking money," he said by phone this week. "So, at the time, I thought it would be better not to embarrass the city. It was also an election year, so I just told the sheriff's department not to pursue it."
He said the report indicates two crimes were committed "One was embezzlement and the other was falsification of public documents," he said.
Schwab said he didn't believe at the time that Berry had done "anything hugely criminal. I just think he did something stupid."
He said he didn't want the incident to end Berry's career.
"In retrospect, I should have fired him immediately and just dealt with whatever the issues ended up being," Schwab said.
Schwab had hired Berry as his assistant in 2001 and, as Berry describes it, had served as his mentor. They had an understanding, the men agree, that when Schwab was to retire about two years from now, they would lobby for Berry to become his successor.
The two since had a falling out.
When Schwab was hospitalized in June 2008 with a ruptured blood vessel in his head, Berry took over as acting city manager. Schwab returned in January for a six-month stint to help prepare a city budget. Then Schwab asked the City Council to give him his job back.
The council decided to take applications from all comers.
It was about that time that copies of the sheriff's report on the window tinting incident began surfacing.
As the city was completing its budget preparation, Berry persuaded the council to save money by abolishing his old job. Then Schwab retired, saying he shouldn't have to apply for a position he considered his.
"I was going to retire in two years anyway," Schwab said. "Steve knew I was going to retire. He would have been (Schwab's replacement), but he wouldn't wait. I got sick and he used that to his advantage. I kind of feel that he betrayed me."
Schwab insists that he did not leak the sheriff's report.
Berry said he has received anonymous phone calls suggesting the report was leaked by City Councilman Jim Miller, whose wife, Margie, publishes the Grand Terrace City News, a weekly newspaper with offices next to City Hall.
The newspaper was being paid by the city to publish legal advertisements when she bought it in 2006, Margie Miller said by phone Friday. That practice continued until Berry sent the Millers a letter in September 2008 telling them it was improper for the city to do business with the newspaper while Miller was a councilman.
Miller said she immediately stopped accepting ads from the city.
Susan Mickey, a spokeswoman for the District Attorney, confirmed Friday that the office's Public Integrity Unit is investigating a complaint it received about the Miller matter.
Berry said he has turned over documents to the DA's office. He said the city spent more than $20,000 on advertising in the newspaper over 2½ years.
Margie Miller said she will speak with investigators when she returns from vacation. She said her husband, also on vacation, was not available for comment.
She said that neither she nor her husband had leaked the sheriff's report.
Phelps, of the sheriff's department, said Carranza never was charged with a crime or disciplined "because the inmate is directed by a city employee. How do you punish him for doing what he has been told to do?"
In the work release program, the courts allow some prisoners to serve their time working for local governments, Phelps said. Most do menial tasks, he said.
Schwab and Berry said that Berry had never dealt with a work release inmate before. Berry said a bullet had broken a window at the city's senior center and he hired a crew to fix it.
Carranza, who was mowing a lawn at the time, noticed the work and told the city maintenance crew leader that he had a tinting business and could do the work. The crew leader took Carranza to Berry, who said he saw the opportunity to buy the material and let Carranza tint the windows.
Berry said he was not concerned that the inmate was not showing up at scheduled times because he might have been working on another building.
"All I saw was that the windows were getting done," Berry said. "I was looking at it like he's doing community service putting in window tinting. That's what I saw."
Councilman Stanckiewitz said the scandal is "shaking up the status quo," in town.
"It's awakening people to the fact that Grand Terrace isn't the perfect little community that we've all been accustomed to thinking it is," he said.
He said the city attorney told him the statute of limitations may have expired on any crimes that may have been committed. However, Mickey said there is no statute of limitations on embezzlement of public funds.
Reach Darrell R. Santschi at 951-368-9484 or dsantschi@PE.com
CHRONOLOGY
Assistant City Manager Steve Berry, whose job performance will be discussed at a Grand Terrace City Council meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday, has had a long career with the city.
SEPTEMBER 2001: Hired by then-City Manager Tom Schwab as assistant city manager.
SUMMER 2002: Berry agrees to have a work-release inmate tint windows of several city buildings.
JANUARY 2003: Sheriff's department completes investigation that suggests criminal conduct in the handling of the window tinting.
JANUARY 2003: Schwab decides not to take action on the sheriff's report and keeps it quiet.
JUNE 2008: Schwab is hospitalized, goes on medical leave. Berry named acting city manager.
DECEMBER 2008: Council agrees to contract with Schwab to work on city budget for six months.
JANUARY: Schwab tells council he wants his city manager job back.
MAY: Copies of the sheriff's report begin appearing in reporters' mail.
MAY: Berry proposes eliminating his former job. Schwab announces his retirement in June.
More from the Email Inbox on Berry Evaluation
With interest I have followed the on going story of the conspiracy between the City of Grand Terrace, it's Manager Tom Schwab, The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office and the San Bernardino County District Attorneys Office.
Does no one else see what has occurred here. Conspiracy is a felony. There was and is a conspiracy between these three entities to committee another felony, Obstruction of Justice. The D.A.'s Office sworn duty is to represent the "People of the State of California" uphold the law and prosecute those that violate it. Even if Tom Schwab wanted the "Sheriff's Office not to pursue it"
The District Attorney's Office should have advised the Sheriff's Department as to the ramifications of not pursuing criminal charges because of what might be an "embarrassment". I would think that these two agencies would have learned something from the case of the former Sheriff stealing over five hundred weapons from the evidence locker. That sounds to me like five hundred burglaries. All he received was probation. Perhaps this is how law enforcement works in this county. Very similar to the pre Frank Bland days.
According to the articles Steve Berry "sobbed so loudly" in Tom Schwab's office begging Mr. Schwab not to fire him, everyone in City Hall could hear it. Now Mayor Ferre wants everyone to believe she had no knowledge of what transpired. I find it incredulous that no one in City Hall, John Harper the City Attorney, Tom Schwab or any other council member at that time or city employee could keep this from Mrs. Ferre. If that is in fact the case, they should all be fired along with Mr. Berry and Mrs. Ferre should inquire as to the statutes of limitations and demand prosecution of Mr. Berry. Allow him to face a jury. I doubt that will happen. It would possibly show she had knowledge of the situation and make her a co-conspirator. Mr. Berry received permission to fire Mr. Mullins, can't have those pesky witnesses around.
Mrs. Ferre needs to conduct the inquiry in open session, if she does not, then I am convinced the closed door session, like many other closed door session, will be to plan a strategy on a cover up of by some of the council members and Mrs. Ferre involvement. Mr. Miller and Mr. Stanckiewitz need to take the lead on this. They were not on the council when this happened, but Ms. Garica, Ms. Cortez and Mrs. Ferre were. They need to request an investigation by Attorney General Brown or the Public Corruption Unit of the FBI
Was some interesting information I found late Thursday on GT blog regarding Steve Berry and current running of city.Hitting your stride again. Posting meaty information.
Does no one else see what has occurred here. Conspiracy is a felony. There was and is a conspiracy between these three entities to committee another felony, Obstruction of Justice. The D.A.'s Office sworn duty is to represent the "People of the State of California" uphold the law and prosecute those that violate it. Even if Tom Schwab wanted the "Sheriff's Office not to pursue it"
The District Attorney's Office should have advised the Sheriff's Department as to the ramifications of not pursuing criminal charges because of what might be an "embarrassment". I would think that these two agencies would have learned something from the case of the former Sheriff stealing over five hundred weapons from the evidence locker. That sounds to me like five hundred burglaries. All he received was probation. Perhaps this is how law enforcement works in this county. Very similar to the pre Frank Bland days.
According to the articles Steve Berry "sobbed so loudly" in Tom Schwab's office begging Mr. Schwab not to fire him, everyone in City Hall could hear it. Now Mayor Ferre wants everyone to believe she had no knowledge of what transpired. I find it incredulous that no one in City Hall, John Harper the City Attorney, Tom Schwab or any other council member at that time or city employee could keep this from Mrs. Ferre. If that is in fact the case, they should all be fired along with Mr. Berry and Mrs. Ferre should inquire as to the statutes of limitations and demand prosecution of Mr. Berry. Allow him to face a jury. I doubt that will happen. It would possibly show she had knowledge of the situation and make her a co-conspirator. Mr. Berry received permission to fire Mr. Mullins, can't have those pesky witnesses around.
Mrs. Ferre needs to conduct the inquiry in open session, if she does not, then I am convinced the closed door session, like many other closed door session, will be to plan a strategy on a cover up of by some of the council members and Mrs. Ferre involvement. Mr. Miller and Mr. Stanckiewitz need to take the lead on this. They were not on the council when this happened, but Ms. Garica, Ms. Cortez and Mrs. Ferre were. They need to request an investigation by Attorney General Brown or the Public Corruption Unit of the FBI
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and this...
Was some interesting information I found late Thursday on GT blog regarding Steve Berry and current running of city.Hitting your stride again. Posting meaty information.
Friday July 10, 2009 San Bernrdino County Sentinel
Berry Evaluation Set for Next Week
GRAND TERRACE–All systems are go for the Grand Terrace City Council to carry out on July 14 its overdue and now heavily anticipated evaluation of acting city manager Steve Berry’s job performance.
Such an evaluation had been scheduled for June but was not done.
Since February, Berry’s continuing tenure with the city has been an issue of intense interest among Grand Terrace residents.
Hired as assistant city manager in 2001 by then-city manager Tom Schwab, Berry stepped into the role of acting city manager 13 months ago after Schwab was felled by a subdural hematoma. Following Schwab’s recovery last winter, Schwab and many of the city’s residents importuned the council to reinstate Schwab as city manager. By this spring, the once friendly relationship between the two men had declined into a bitter rivalry, with the majority of the city council opting to keep Berry at the city’s helm and to force Schwab, 51, into retirement.
A series of press exposés pertaining to Berry ensued while the battle between him and his one-time mentor rage, including reports about Berry’s efforts to lay off city staff while seeking a raise for himself, his work for a developer in Loma Linda while he was employed as Grand Terrace assistant city manager and revelations about a sheriff’s department investigation into an embezzlement Berry allegedly perpetrated in 2002.
While Berry appeared to overcome the challenge by Schwab to dislodge him as acting city manager, the contretemps had the effect of inducing the city council to undertake to carry out a statewide city manager candidate recruitment that will result in a selection process to be finalized in September or October. Berry is among those applying for the city manager’s post.
In the shuffle, the city council did not complete the evaluation of Berry’s performance that was scheduled for last month.
Now, in the face of the press exposés, that evaluation has taken on new significance.
Two weeks ago, councilman Walt Stanckiewitz called for a specially scheduled meeting to carry out that evaluation, but councilwoman Lee Ann Garcia was vacationing and unavailable to participate, necessitating that the evaluation session be put off.
It now appears that all members of the council will be in town for the July 14 council meeting, at which a closed session item pertaining to Berry’s evaluation is scheduled.
There has been indication that no action with regard to Berry or his status will be taken on July 14, meaning he will remain as acting city manager at least until the now open recruitment effort is resolved by interviews of the candidates who have applied for consideration as city manager to be ultimately followed by a selection of a finalist. Nevertheless, the outcome of next Tuesday’s evaluation could presage the council’s eventual decision with regard to who will be chosen to assume the permanent city manager’s role.
In the face of the initial wave of exposés, Berry’s favored status with a majority of the city council did not seem to be impacted. But more recently, on June 30, the San Bernardino Sun, the most widely read newspaper in the county, published an article detailing Berry’s alleged involvement in the 2002 embezzlement. The following day the Sun followed that article with an editorial declaring Berry unfit to hold the post of city manager. The Sun’s coverage was followed last and this week by articles and opinion pieces in the Grand Terrace City News that took him to task over his alleged indiscretions. The City News’s articles and editorial thrusts were significant in that heretofore that hometown paper had been very favorable to Berry in its news coverage.
Given the city council’s aversion to negative publicity with regard to the city and operations at
City Hall, patience with Berry may be wearing thin.
Berry was not available at City Hall midweek for comment. Sources said, however, that he may attempt to marshal several backers, including city vendors, and those with a financial stake to speak on his behalf on July 14, before the city council’s closed session to evaluate his performance.
Berry Evaluation Set for Next Week
GRAND TERRACE–All systems are go for the Grand Terrace City Council to carry out on July 14 its overdue and now heavily anticipated evaluation of acting city manager Steve Berry’s job performance.
Such an evaluation had been scheduled for June but was not done.
Since February, Berry’s continuing tenure with the city has been an issue of intense interest among Grand Terrace residents.
Hired as assistant city manager in 2001 by then-city manager Tom Schwab, Berry stepped into the role of acting city manager 13 months ago after Schwab was felled by a subdural hematoma. Following Schwab’s recovery last winter, Schwab and many of the city’s residents importuned the council to reinstate Schwab as city manager. By this spring, the once friendly relationship between the two men had declined into a bitter rivalry, with the majority of the city council opting to keep Berry at the city’s helm and to force Schwab, 51, into retirement.
A series of press exposés pertaining to Berry ensued while the battle between him and his one-time mentor rage, including reports about Berry’s efforts to lay off city staff while seeking a raise for himself, his work for a developer in Loma Linda while he was employed as Grand Terrace assistant city manager and revelations about a sheriff’s department investigation into an embezzlement Berry allegedly perpetrated in 2002.
While Berry appeared to overcome the challenge by Schwab to dislodge him as acting city manager, the contretemps had the effect of inducing the city council to undertake to carry out a statewide city manager candidate recruitment that will result in a selection process to be finalized in September or October. Berry is among those applying for the city manager’s post.
In the shuffle, the city council did not complete the evaluation of Berry’s performance that was scheduled for last month.
Now, in the face of the press exposés, that evaluation has taken on new significance.
Two weeks ago, councilman Walt Stanckiewitz called for a specially scheduled meeting to carry out that evaluation, but councilwoman Lee Ann Garcia was vacationing and unavailable to participate, necessitating that the evaluation session be put off.
It now appears that all members of the council will be in town for the July 14 council meeting, at which a closed session item pertaining to Berry’s evaluation is scheduled.
There has been indication that no action with regard to Berry or his status will be taken on July 14, meaning he will remain as acting city manager at least until the now open recruitment effort is resolved by interviews of the candidates who have applied for consideration as city manager to be ultimately followed by a selection of a finalist. Nevertheless, the outcome of next Tuesday’s evaluation could presage the council’s eventual decision with regard to who will be chosen to assume the permanent city manager’s role.
In the face of the initial wave of exposés, Berry’s favored status with a majority of the city council did not seem to be impacted. But more recently, on June 30, the San Bernardino Sun, the most widely read newspaper in the county, published an article detailing Berry’s alleged involvement in the 2002 embezzlement. The following day the Sun followed that article with an editorial declaring Berry unfit to hold the post of city manager. The Sun’s coverage was followed last and this week by articles and opinion pieces in the Grand Terrace City News that took him to task over his alleged indiscretions. The City News’s articles and editorial thrusts were significant in that heretofore that hometown paper had been very favorable to Berry in its news coverage.
Given the city council’s aversion to negative publicity with regard to the city and operations at
City Hall, patience with Berry may be wearing thin.
Berry was not available at City Hall midweek for comment. Sources said, however, that he may attempt to marshal several backers, including city vendors, and those with a financial stake to speak on his behalf on July 14, before the city council’s closed session to evaluate his performance.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
From Email InBox..
The Council Should Retain or Fire Steve Berry but they are not the judge of the criminal charges that were quashed by Tom Schwab in some sort of cover up. There may be more people entrapped by this cover up and action that was spawned by none other than Steve Berry.
Let the City Clerk run the city, she does anyway sounds like Berry isn't in the office much. Where is he, and the others who have been avoiding the press and the earlier calls for council meetings? On vacation with Sara in Alaska or hiking on the Appalachian Trail or perhaps they went to Argentina on a trade junket. What is clear, something stinks in City Hall... only sunlight and fresh air will clear it out of the city....
Let the City Clerk run the city, she does anyway sounds like Berry isn't in the office much. Where is he, and the others who have been avoiding the press and the earlier calls for council meetings? On vacation with Sara in Alaska or hiking on the Appalachian Trail or perhaps they went to Argentina on a trade junket. What is clear, something stinks in City Hall... only sunlight and fresh air will clear it out of the city....
Emergency Meeting Called: Miller Returns Early.
Grand Terrace City News July 9, 2009
Steve Berry's Performance to be Reviewed
Full Council to Meet on July 14th
Due to extenuating circumstances, Council member Jim Miller has cut short his vacation and is returning to Grand Terrace next week. Therefore, he will be in attendance at the July 14th council meeting. It has been verified that one of the topics to be discussed is an employment review of Acting City Manager Steve Berry.
The council meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. on July 14th at Grand Terrace City Hall.
Go and demand that they hold the discussions in PUBLIC View if it is related to the Criminal Investigations of Berry and their possible collusion in quashing a criminal investigation and charges against one of their own.
Steve Berry's Performance to be Reviewed
Full Council to Meet on July 14th
Due to extenuating circumstances, Council member Jim Miller has cut short his vacation and is returning to Grand Terrace next week. Therefore, he will be in attendance at the July 14th council meeting. It has been verified that one of the topics to be discussed is an employment review of Acting City Manager Steve Berry.
The council meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. on July 14th at Grand Terrace City Hall.
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Go and demand that they hold the discussions in PUBLIC View if it is related to the Criminal Investigations of Berry and their possible collusion in quashing a criminal investigation and charges against one of their own.
More in the News:
Voice of the People: July 9, 2009
Berry Addresses Margie Miller Publisher of the GT City News and her Reply
Dear Margie Miller Editor:
I was surprised and disappointed to pick up the July 2 2009 copy of your newspaper and find that you had printed a front-page story about me without even bothering to call me to get a comment. Is this your idea of fair and objective journalism, running a hit piece filled with allegations from two other newspapers with no effort to get a response from the person whom you are writing about?
For the record, these allegations were dealt with seven years ago in conversations between myself and my supervisor, then - City Manager Tom Schwab. We resolved them and moved forward.
I am proud of my service to the citizens of Grand Terrace, first as Assistant City Manager and, for the past year, as Acting City Manager during a very difficult time in the City's history. We have weathered the current economic downturn as well or better than any other city in San Bernardino County, with a balanced budget and maintenance of essential city services. I look forward to working with the Mayor and City Council to continue the progress we have enjoyed in Grand Terrace.
If in the future, you are working on a news story that concerns me, I would appreciate a phone call.
Sincerely,
Steve Berry.
Steve,
As you are aware I am currently on vacation however when you sent an email to the Grand Terrace Newspaper at 5:56 Tuesday night my staff did not receive it until Wednesday morning they contacted me immediately. Since you sent it in a PDF format, I believe your desire is to have it published. I have left you 2 messages and I am holding space in the paper for your letter and my answer. ( received confirmation to print)
After receiving your email I too am surprised. I made 3 trips to City Hall attempting to meet with you. You know my absolute deadline is Wednesday. I did try to get in contact with you on Tuesday. You left at 11:00 am and did not return all day. Then again on Wednesday you left early. I was told by staff you would not be returning because you had an important meeting.
When I previously inquired about this issue you told me it was not newsworthy and old information. I have been accused of protecting you and covering up your indiscretions. Now you accuse me of a hit piece. Are you taking exception to any of the fact I reported? If you feel there are factual inaccuracies the City News is a forum you can use. Please bring any documentation and information you would like to clarify.
Two other news papers found this issue involving you 7 years ago newsworthy. The fact you are being considered for the highest paid position in Grand Terrace and the responsibility that goes with that position is clearly the reason for the interest. The Sheriff's report alleges that you falsified public documents. Falsifying documents (any documents) especially in that high of a position does not facilitate trustworthiness. As the publisher of the local newspaper I could not ignore your involvement; however I am more than willing to give you the opportunity to express your views.
Sincerely,
Margie Miller Publisher.
An Embarrassment for the Citizens of the City of Grand Terrace
Sirs:
The Schwab Berry scandal is indeed an embarrassment for the Citizens of Grand Terrace. Unfortunately, it's an embarrassment for the City Council as well although they apparently fail to recognize their abject failure in this entire sordid episode. Rather than point finger at the reporter and castigate him for printing lies, or ignoring the problem because it had not appeared in the Sun Newspaper, responsible policy makers would have taken the time to look into the matter themselves before concluding there was nothing there. Did they interrogate Schwab, and if so did he tell the truth. If he lied, why are we paying him $177.000 to disappear? Did they request the police department to provide them copies of the official reports, including the conclusions of the District attorney so they could independently judge the FACTS for themselves. The answer is apparently NO! They simply accepted the self-serving denial from Berry and the matter laid dormant until the Sentinel broke the story. Even this newspaper, City News accepted Berry's assertion there was no news there. Obviously everyone was wrong! I for one am looking forward to the next election cycle. I think a lot of council folks owe the citizens of GT some forthright answers.
Submitted by:
Michael Billings
With Power Comes Deceit and Dishonesty.
Every day we read, hear on the radio or see on TV politicians who cheat, steal and cover up someone else's problems. With power comes deceit and dishonesty. It is something that politicians do best. When the problems come up and co-workers are asked questions, they always claim that they didn't know or they were out of town at the time.
When they are sought out for information they are always unavailable. This is something that will continue as long as politicians hold their positions in government for extended periods. The temptation for graft is almost inevitable. The only way to solve the problem is to set TERM LIMITS on all elected positions.
Submitted by
Jack Fonseca
Berry Addresses Margie Miller Publisher of the GT City News and her Reply
Dear Margie Miller Editor:
I was surprised and disappointed to pick up the July 2 2009 copy of your newspaper and find that you had printed a front-page story about me without even bothering to call me to get a comment. Is this your idea of fair and objective journalism, running a hit piece filled with allegations from two other newspapers with no effort to get a response from the person whom you are writing about?
For the record, these allegations were dealt with seven years ago in conversations between myself and my supervisor, then - City Manager Tom Schwab. We resolved them and moved forward.
I am proud of my service to the citizens of Grand Terrace, first as Assistant City Manager and, for the past year, as Acting City Manager during a very difficult time in the City's history. We have weathered the current economic downturn as well or better than any other city in San Bernardino County, with a balanced budget and maintenance of essential city services. I look forward to working with the Mayor and City Council to continue the progress we have enjoyed in Grand Terrace.
If in the future, you are working on a news story that concerns me, I would appreciate a phone call.
Sincerely,
Steve Berry.
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
Steve,
As you are aware I am currently on vacation however when you sent an email to the Grand Terrace Newspaper at 5:56 Tuesday night my staff did not receive it until Wednesday morning they contacted me immediately. Since you sent it in a PDF format, I believe your desire is to have it published. I have left you 2 messages and I am holding space in the paper for your letter and my answer. ( received confirmation to print)
After receiving your email I too am surprised. I made 3 trips to City Hall attempting to meet with you. You know my absolute deadline is Wednesday. I did try to get in contact with you on Tuesday. You left at 11:00 am and did not return all day. Then again on Wednesday you left early. I was told by staff you would not be returning because you had an important meeting.
When I previously inquired about this issue you told me it was not newsworthy and old information. I have been accused of protecting you and covering up your indiscretions. Now you accuse me of a hit piece. Are you taking exception to any of the fact I reported? If you feel there are factual inaccuracies the City News is a forum you can use. Please bring any documentation and information you would like to clarify.
Two other news papers found this issue involving you 7 years ago newsworthy. The fact you are being considered for the highest paid position in Grand Terrace and the responsibility that goes with that position is clearly the reason for the interest. The Sheriff's report alleges that you falsified public documents. Falsifying documents (any documents) especially in that high of a position does not facilitate trustworthiness. As the publisher of the local newspaper I could not ignore your involvement; however I am more than willing to give you the opportunity to express your views.
Sincerely,
Margie Miller Publisher.
((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
An Embarrassment for the Citizens of the City of Grand Terrace
Sirs:
The Schwab Berry scandal is indeed an embarrassment for the Citizens of Grand Terrace. Unfortunately, it's an embarrassment for the City Council as well although they apparently fail to recognize their abject failure in this entire sordid episode. Rather than point finger at the reporter and castigate him for printing lies, or ignoring the problem because it had not appeared in the Sun Newspaper, responsible policy makers would have taken the time to look into the matter themselves before concluding there was nothing there. Did they interrogate Schwab, and if so did he tell the truth. If he lied, why are we paying him $177.000 to disappear? Did they request the police department to provide them copies of the official reports, including the conclusions of the District attorney so they could independently judge the FACTS for themselves. The answer is apparently NO! They simply accepted the self-serving denial from Berry and the matter laid dormant until the Sentinel broke the story. Even this newspaper, City News accepted Berry's assertion there was no news there. Obviously everyone was wrong! I for one am looking forward to the next election cycle. I think a lot of council folks owe the citizens of GT some forthright answers.
Submitted by:
Michael Billings
((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((0))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
With Power Comes Deceit and Dishonesty.
Every day we read, hear on the radio or see on TV politicians who cheat, steal and cover up someone else's problems. With power comes deceit and dishonesty. It is something that politicians do best. When the problems come up and co-workers are asked questions, they always claim that they didn't know or they were out of town at the time.
When they are sought out for information they are always unavailable. This is something that will continue as long as politicians hold their positions in government for extended periods. The temptation for graft is almost inevitable. The only way to solve the problem is to set TERM LIMITS on all elected positions.
Submitted by
Jack Fonseca
For the Record: In the News... & QUESTIONS
The following is from the Grand Terrace City News. It is being posted here in this blog because it is a story that should be available for future reading.
Grand Terrace City News
Volume XIV, Number 15 July 2, 2009
Steve Berry Brings Scandal to GT
By: Margie Miller
Many people in Grand Terrace are embarrassed to find their City on the front page of the San Bernardino Sun. Especially after they have been reassured the allegations against Steve Berry were false. Walt Stanckiewitz, current council member said “I thought the Sentinel newspaper was on some kind of witch hunt, and the story was untrue. Now seeing it in the Sun the facts have been confirmed.:
Councilwoman Cortes, at a recent council meeting, shook her finger at the reporter who broke the story stating “You should be ashamed of yourself for reporting such lies. This is character assassination and you should apologize.”
Seven years ago, Steve Berry, the current Acting City Manager, then assistant city manager made what he describes as a “painful lesson” according to the Sun newspaper when he was investigated for embezzling funds and filing false records. Berry told the City News that he felt this was “not newsworthy” and the accusations were false.
A memo circulated regarding the veracity of the journalist Mark Gutglueck who broke the story in the San Bernardino Sentinel. Stating he has been sued many times. Gutglueck stated “Yes I have been sued on numerous occasions but no one has prevailed against me.?
According to the well documented Sheriff report (more than 150 pages), allegedly Berry allowed a San Bernardino County work release inmate to apply window tinting materials to City property including the Child Care center unsupervised. Berry had not disclosed to Sandi Ah Sue the director of the Child Care Services that the worker was an inmate on work release. The inmate disclosed to Ah Sue that he was in fact a work release inmate sentenced for an assault he had committed. Ah Sue stated that the inmate made her nervous. The tools he possessed … included razor blades. Berry, nor any other city workers had supervised him while he was at that center.
Berry falsified documents to show that the inmate had been present for his work assignments when in fact he had not.
Allegedly, Berry also allowed the inmate to apply window tinting to his personal property.
Berry authorized an open purchase order at a company in Anaheim where the inmate the end of September 2002. Some of the purchases included clothing. Confirmation of the invoices had gone to witnesses Michael Mullins a Grand Terrace City worker. Mullins became suspicious when Berry assumed the responsibility of documenting the inmates’ attendance. Mullins informed Berry the inmate had been a NO SHOW, Berry had told Mullins to leave that inmate alone.
Recently, Mullins was terminated through Berry’s request to the city council. Berry stated budget cuts were necessary even though Mullins and for other city employee salaries were included in the previous approved budget. At the 2009 staff Christmas party Berry stated “there will not be any layoff” less than one month later Berry went to the city council requesting the layoffs. Two weeks after that Berry requested a salary increase for himself. The council declined it.
Schwab who covered up this potential scandal in 2003 said “He wanted to avoid embarrassment to the city. We have never had even a hint of scandal in the history of Grand Terrace. To have our assistant city manager charged with falsifying documents and embezzlement would have embarrassed the city. I basically asked the Sherriff’s Department not to pursue it. I should have fired him, but he seemed genuinely remorseful and pleaded with me for a second chance.” Many employees remembered the incident and the day that Berry groveled for his job. The sobs could even be heard down stairs,” said one employee.
Schwab’s admission he made an “error in judgment” in not bringing this incident to the attention of the city council has raised the question why bring it up now. Berry believes It is an attempt to assassinate his character. The battle between Tom Schwab and Steve Berry over the City Manager position has been over since May 26, 2009 when Schwab took a retirement package of $177,000 and was no longer interested in battling with Berry. When asked who would provide this damaging information against Steve Berry? Schwab replied “The list is long and distinguished and I have found Steve severely lacks a sense of ethics and integrity.”
From the time Berry has been considered for the highest full time position in the City of Grand Terrace, his character has been in question. Everything he has done has become newsworthy. Berry was also featured in the Sentinel for not disclosing income he received from a Loma Linda developer. “Berry was receiving $3,000 per month to fight against a slow growth initiative,” Schwab said. He only found out about the undisclosed activity when Berry approached Schwab for a raise because he no longer had the income from the developer. Schwab’s response was “You are supposed to be a full time assistant city manager for Grand Terrace”.
Some feel Schwab is falling on his sword to protect some of the current council members. Of the five, Councilmen Jim Miller and Walt Stanchiewitz were not on the council at the time. Mayor Maryetta Ferre said she was completely unaware of any incident, the only knowledge she has is though the newspapers. Close friends of Ferre say “Maryetta could not have known given her high ethical standards.” Walt Stanckiewitz requested Mayor Ferre call and emergency council meeting but was unsuccessful due to both Lee Ann Garcia and Bea Cortes either not responding or being out of town. Miller was willing to postpone his vacation, the first one in 3 years Lee Ann Garcia the Mayor at the time of the incident occurred did not respond to numerous phone calls.
Lets us know what you think at grandterrace@citynewsgroup.com
This article brings forward some questions.
Who wrote the Memo about Mark Gutglueck.?
What is in the memo and who received it ?
Who on the Council Approved Payment for the Invoiced Materials?
Why not have a meeting with a quorum of 3 Miller Ferre and Stanckiewitz? Is it possible that the others are needed to Protect Steve Berry and Ferre was afraid of holding a meeting without them to back her up?
Are Cortez and Garcia in Argentina, or hiking the Appalachian Trail?
Is a Police Investigation Report not true if it is reported on a Blog, the San Bernardino Sentinel, or Grand Terrace City News? Is it not real until it is in The Sun Telegram?
Will the State Attorney General Jerry Brown or the FBI, order a full investigation as to the Covered up charges and obstruction of criminal investigation and possible additional collusion charges for actions taken after the council members had knowledge of the Criminal Investigation and persisted in the cover up? Berry’s transgression and the Cover Up of that transgression involves the County Sheriff’s Department, the County DA’s Office, the Employees of the City of Grand Terrace and the City Council Members at the time.
Grand Terrace City News
Volume XIV, Number 15 July 2, 2009
Steve Berry Brings Scandal to GT
By: Margie Miller
Many people in Grand Terrace are embarrassed to find their City on the front page of the San Bernardino Sun. Especially after they have been reassured the allegations against Steve Berry were false. Walt Stanckiewitz, current council member said “I thought the Sentinel newspaper was on some kind of witch hunt, and the story was untrue. Now seeing it in the Sun the facts have been confirmed.:
Councilwoman Cortes, at a recent council meeting, shook her finger at the reporter who broke the story stating “You should be ashamed of yourself for reporting such lies. This is character assassination and you should apologize.”
Seven years ago, Steve Berry, the current Acting City Manager, then assistant city manager made what he describes as a “painful lesson” according to the Sun newspaper when he was investigated for embezzling funds and filing false records. Berry told the City News that he felt this was “not newsworthy” and the accusations were false.
A memo circulated regarding the veracity of the journalist Mark Gutglueck who broke the story in the San Bernardino Sentinel. Stating he has been sued many times. Gutglueck stated “Yes I have been sued on numerous occasions but no one has prevailed against me.?
According to the well documented Sheriff report (more than 150 pages), allegedly Berry allowed a San Bernardino County work release inmate to apply window tinting materials to City property including the Child Care center unsupervised. Berry had not disclosed to Sandi Ah Sue the director of the Child Care Services that the worker was an inmate on work release. The inmate disclosed to Ah Sue that he was in fact a work release inmate sentenced for an assault he had committed. Ah Sue stated that the inmate made her nervous. The tools he possessed … included razor blades. Berry, nor any other city workers had supervised him while he was at that center.
Berry falsified documents to show that the inmate had been present for his work assignments when in fact he had not.
Allegedly, Berry also allowed the inmate to apply window tinting to his personal property.
Berry authorized an open purchase order at a company in Anaheim where the inmate the end of September 2002. Some of the purchases included clothing. Confirmation of the invoices had gone to witnesses Michael Mullins a Grand Terrace City worker. Mullins became suspicious when Berry assumed the responsibility of documenting the inmates’ attendance. Mullins informed Berry the inmate had been a NO SHOW, Berry had told Mullins to leave that inmate alone.
Recently, Mullins was terminated through Berry’s request to the city council. Berry stated budget cuts were necessary even though Mullins and for other city employee salaries were included in the previous approved budget. At the 2009 staff Christmas party Berry stated “there will not be any layoff” less than one month later Berry went to the city council requesting the layoffs. Two weeks after that Berry requested a salary increase for himself. The council declined it.
Schwab who covered up this potential scandal in 2003 said “He wanted to avoid embarrassment to the city. We have never had even a hint of scandal in the history of Grand Terrace. To have our assistant city manager charged with falsifying documents and embezzlement would have embarrassed the city. I basically asked the Sherriff’s Department not to pursue it. I should have fired him, but he seemed genuinely remorseful and pleaded with me for a second chance.” Many employees remembered the incident and the day that Berry groveled for his job. The sobs could even be heard down stairs,” said one employee.
Schwab’s admission he made an “error in judgment” in not bringing this incident to the attention of the city council has raised the question why bring it up now. Berry believes It is an attempt to assassinate his character. The battle between Tom Schwab and Steve Berry over the City Manager position has been over since May 26, 2009 when Schwab took a retirement package of $177,000 and was no longer interested in battling with Berry. When asked who would provide this damaging information against Steve Berry? Schwab replied “The list is long and distinguished and I have found Steve severely lacks a sense of ethics and integrity.”
From the time Berry has been considered for the highest full time position in the City of Grand Terrace, his character has been in question. Everything he has done has become newsworthy. Berry was also featured in the Sentinel for not disclosing income he received from a Loma Linda developer. “Berry was receiving $3,000 per month to fight against a slow growth initiative,” Schwab said. He only found out about the undisclosed activity when Berry approached Schwab for a raise because he no longer had the income from the developer. Schwab’s response was “You are supposed to be a full time assistant city manager for Grand Terrace”.
Some feel Schwab is falling on his sword to protect some of the current council members. Of the five, Councilmen Jim Miller and Walt Stanchiewitz were not on the council at the time. Mayor Maryetta Ferre said she was completely unaware of any incident, the only knowledge she has is though the newspapers. Close friends of Ferre say “Maryetta could not have known given her high ethical standards.” Walt Stanckiewitz requested Mayor Ferre call and emergency council meeting but was unsuccessful due to both Lee Ann Garcia and Bea Cortes either not responding or being out of town. Miller was willing to postpone his vacation, the first one in 3 years Lee Ann Garcia the Mayor at the time of the incident occurred did not respond to numerous phone calls.
Lets us know what you think at grandterrace@citynewsgroup.com
This article brings forward some questions.
Who wrote the Memo about Mark Gutglueck.?
What is in the memo and who received it ?
Who on the Council Approved Payment for the Invoiced Materials?
Why not have a meeting with a quorum of 3 Miller Ferre and Stanckiewitz? Is it possible that the others are needed to Protect Steve Berry and Ferre was afraid of holding a meeting without them to back her up?
Are Cortez and Garcia in Argentina, or hiking the Appalachian Trail?
Is a Police Investigation Report not true if it is reported on a Blog, the San Bernardino Sentinel, or Grand Terrace City News? Is it not real until it is in The Sun Telegram?
Isn't the Sheriff's Action of bringing the decision to Schwab a violation of some sort? The Sheriff Department is a contracted service with the city. Was this waive off of criminal charges an accommodation for current or future contract negotiations?
Will the State Attorney General Jerry Brown or the FBI, order a full investigation as to the Covered up charges and obstruction of criminal investigation and possible additional collusion charges for actions taken after the council members had knowledge of the Criminal Investigation and persisted in the cover up? Berry’s transgression and the Cover Up of that transgression involves the County Sheriff’s Department, the County DA’s Office, the Employees of the City of Grand Terrace and the City Council Members at the time.
Delay in Action Shows Problems in the Council.
May 1, 2009 the San Bernardino County Sentinel ran a lengthy article about the Alleged Embezzlement and Falsification of Government Records by now Acting City Manager Steve Berry.
The mayor and city council needs to answer the question of why it has taken each of them as individuals and as a body to respond to the issues raised in the article and the associated 150 pages of investigators report.
Did any one of them request the full investigation report be made available to them and the Public?
How can a Council Member get away with calling a reporter with so much documentation a Liar in public? Hasn't the Council Member Knowingly Slandered the reporter? Or is it the case the Council Members who support Steve Berry are unable to read the article, and the investigators report.
It is Clear that City Council Members were contacted prior to the Printing of the Sentinel Article. It is Clear that the Assistant City Manager was contacted prior to the printing of the article. It is also clear that the truth is still not being told. Schwab states he nearly fired Berry over the issue, Berry claims it was never an issue in May, then later down the road he changes his representation in the following interviews in the Grand Terrace City News and other public statements.
What is also clear is that the right thing to have done in 2002 was to let the investigation run its course and find a resolution in the Court not behind closed doors of Tom Schwabs Office. Now 7 years later the issue and cover up should not be dealt with behind closed doors of the City Council Chambers. The issue should be handed to the Grand Jury or DA's Office for further investigation and the filling of charges.
At a minimum the City Council Members had the opportunity to be informed or interested in the allegations no later than May 1 when it appeared in print. Clearly some were informed prior to that as the reporter in that article had contacted them regarding the story. Council Members that attack the reporter for printing the story and informing the public of the investigation are Dupes and Stooges of the City Managers. Their intentional lack of curiosity and determination to be informed disqualifies them as Council Member they should resign and go fishing.
The mayor and city council needs to answer the question of why it has taken each of them as individuals and as a body to respond to the issues raised in the article and the associated 150 pages of investigators report.
Did any one of them request the full investigation report be made available to them and the Public?
How can a Council Member get away with calling a reporter with so much documentation a Liar in public? Hasn't the Council Member Knowingly Slandered the reporter? Or is it the case the Council Members who support Steve Berry are unable to read the article, and the investigators report.
It is Clear that City Council Members were contacted prior to the Printing of the Sentinel Article. It is Clear that the Assistant City Manager was contacted prior to the printing of the article. It is also clear that the truth is still not being told. Schwab states he nearly fired Berry over the issue, Berry claims it was never an issue in May, then later down the road he changes his representation in the following interviews in the Grand Terrace City News and other public statements.
What is also clear is that the right thing to have done in 2002 was to let the investigation run its course and find a resolution in the Court not behind closed doors of Tom Schwabs Office. Now 7 years later the issue and cover up should not be dealt with behind closed doors of the City Council Chambers. The issue should be handed to the Grand Jury or DA's Office for further investigation and the filling of charges.
At a minimum the City Council Members had the opportunity to be informed or interested in the allegations no later than May 1 when it appeared in print. Clearly some were informed prior to that as the reporter in that article had contacted them regarding the story. Council Members that attack the reporter for printing the story and informing the public of the investigation are Dupes and Stooges of the City Managers. Their intentional lack of curiosity and determination to be informed disqualifies them as Council Member they should resign and go fishing.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Why the Blog...
This Blog is important because it acts as a repository and place for the expression of public thought. The City Council and City Management has historically restricted access to information and the expression of public thought. The not reporting of crime in GT, holding back on the information provided to the City Council Members, and the 3 minute rule for Public Speaking at City Council Meetings all are evidence of their disdain for the Citizens of Grand Terrace.
The City Council and City Management can not hope that the NEWS or Issues and Concerns of Citizens decompose with time if they are only covered in what is called small throw away papers, or even the Sun and Press.
This Blog Keeps all those articles and the related comments and discussions in one place for constant and free access's to those who want to be informed or contribute to the record.
The Council and City Management hoped the Steve Berry story coverage would decompose prior to being read by GT Citizens, as it was published in a small county wide news paper. Then the Local Grand Terrace City News courageously reported the story. Then the Sun Telegram ran the story. This blog was in part the reason the story did not decompose after its first exposure to the light of day
Thank you all for providing the data, and scans and updates.
What we can surmise is either the members of the City Council purposely are ill informed about what is in the press including small papers or they too desire to cover up the problems and thus are guilty of being co-conspirators after the fact. How else do you explain the 2 Month Delay in publicly recognizing the issue exists, when the reporter clearly made contacts prior to printing the first article.
Do the Citizens of Grand Terrace really want a council made up of people who do not want to know and will not inform the Citizens when there are real issues within the administration of their city? Think about it... an inexperienced person who asks questions is far better a servant than a person who purposely chooses not to know.
Gramps.
The City Council and City Management can not hope that the NEWS or Issues and Concerns of Citizens decompose with time if they are only covered in what is called small throw away papers, or even the Sun and Press.
This Blog Keeps all those articles and the related comments and discussions in one place for constant and free access's to those who want to be informed or contribute to the record.
The Council and City Management hoped the Steve Berry story coverage would decompose prior to being read by GT Citizens, as it was published in a small county wide news paper. Then the Local Grand Terrace City News courageously reported the story. Then the Sun Telegram ran the story. This blog was in part the reason the story did not decompose after its first exposure to the light of day
Thank you all for providing the data, and scans and updates.
What we can surmise is either the members of the City Council purposely are ill informed about what is in the press including small papers or they too desire to cover up the problems and thus are guilty of being co-conspirators after the fact. How else do you explain the 2 Month Delay in publicly recognizing the issue exists, when the reporter clearly made contacts prior to printing the first article.
Do the Citizens of Grand Terrace really want a council made up of people who do not want to know and will not inform the Citizens when there are real issues within the administration of their city? Think about it... an inexperienced person who asks questions is far better a servant than a person who purposely chooses not to know.
Gramps.
Blog: City Managers Names in the News
PublicCEO.com - James Spencer - 9 hours ago
Anderson Valley Post The Grand Terrace City Council will have a closed-door meeting in late July to discuss the job performance of Acting City Manager Steve ...
PublicCEO.com - James Spencer - 9 hours ago
Anderson Valley Post The Grand Terrace City Council will have a closed-door meeting in late July to discuss the job performance of Acting City Manager Steve ...
Blog Writers Reply to New Reader....
Readers statement "I consider myself a fairly informed citizen of Grand Terrace." is based on opinion not fact. If "Reader" was a fairly informed citizen" this person would have taken the time to research records as many truly informed citizens have done. It just amazes me how people consider themselves "fairly informed" when in fact they have taken no time or effort other than to walk out to their porch and pick up a newspaper that has refused to print, until recently one story, documentation presented to them of mismanagement of Grand Terrace, the CRA and RDA and city funds by Schwab and three of his minions on the council.
Name calling is all he has. He has presented no documentation to counter anything published on this site and I would challenge him to do so. Over the years I have seen countless difference of opinions answered with documentation.
To dismiss what was a criminal act to conceal another criminal act by Schwab with the complicity of the Sheriff's Department and the District Attorney as "a bit seedy" it also most laughable.
Then to address someone as "ignorant" that does not know the difference between the words "no" and "know" is pathetic.
and another
Gee, from what I read on morning of July 8th, only thing the blog could be accused of is being a bit late in reporting. Not in the accuracy as per the thirty year resident does.May need to be speedier, but that is about all.
Name calling is all he has. He has presented no documentation to counter anything published on this site and I would challenge him to do so. Over the years I have seen countless difference of opinions answered with documentation.
To dismiss what was a criminal act to conceal another criminal act by Schwab with the complicity of the Sheriff's Department and the District Attorney as "a bit seedy" it also most laughable.
Then to address someone as "ignorant" that does not know the difference between the words "no" and "know" is pathetic.
and another
Gee, from what I read on morning of July 8th, only thing the blog could be accused of is being a bit late in reporting. Not in the accuracy as per the thirty year resident does.May need to be speedier, but that is about all.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
From In the News... SUN's Voice of the People
Voice of the People...
Leave with dignity
Former Grand Terrace city manager Tom Schwab says he quashed an investigation of acting city manager Steve Berry because, "We have never had even one hint of scandal in our city's history, and to have our assistant city manager charged with embezzlement ." This brings into question Mr. Schwab's integrity, decision-making abilities and the timing of bringing it to light now.
The matter was "cleared" by exceptional means and the City Council was not advised. Mr. Schwab's justification that "I would imagine the City Council may have insisted that I fire (Berry) if the thing came to light, and I didn't want that to happen," is an exculpatory justification for his bone-headed decision.
Mr. Schwab exacerbates the matter by stating "I found that Steve severely lacks a sense of ethics and integrity." Mr. Schwab is calling this kettle black.
Mr. Schwab's decision to quash the investigation and bring it to light now demonstrates that he didn't learn all he needed to learn the past 20 years.
His judgment was blurred then and continues now as he attempts his character assassination of Mr. Berry.
Mr. Schwab, take the $177,000 payment and leave with some dignity.
ERNIE GARCIA Redlands
Voice of the People
Vote them out
Posted: 07/07/2009 05:05:26 PM PDT
Re: "Colton school board OKs longer terms," June 27.
What an outrage!
If the Colton Joint Unified School District board gets away with this trick, why do we bother to hold elections? Why not have a king, some czars and a few appointed princes?
These people regard themselves as some sort of royalty as it is.
These are the same folk who just a couple of months ago were poking the citizens of Grand Terrace in the eye over the naming of the new high school.
It is the American way to express our outrage at the poor judgment so recently displayed.
They say it would save $50,000 to delay the election. Nonsense! Since when did $50,000 stand in the way of the citizenry's right to hold a valid election?
The citizens have a right to express their views. The school board has already been given an extra year.
Enough already!
I say to the citizens within the Colton Joint Unified School District, this is your chance to poke a few eyes. A complete change of these folks would be healthy!
DAVID C. FACE Colton
Leave with dignity
Former Grand Terrace city manager Tom Schwab says he quashed an investigation of acting city manager Steve Berry because, "We have never had even one hint of scandal in our city's history, and to have our assistant city manager charged with embezzlement ." This brings into question Mr. Schwab's integrity, decision-making abilities and the timing of bringing it to light now.
The matter was "cleared" by exceptional means and the City Council was not advised. Mr. Schwab's justification that "I would imagine the City Council may have insisted that I fire (Berry) if the thing came to light, and I didn't want that to happen," is an exculpatory justification for his bone-headed decision.
Mr. Schwab exacerbates the matter by stating "I found that Steve severely lacks a sense of ethics and integrity." Mr. Schwab is calling this kettle black.
Mr. Schwab's decision to quash the investigation and bring it to light now demonstrates that he didn't learn all he needed to learn the past 20 years.
His judgment was blurred then and continues now as he attempts his character assassination of Mr. Berry.
Mr. Schwab, take the $177,000 payment and leave with some dignity.
ERNIE GARCIA Redlands
Voice of the People
Vote them out
Posted: 07/07/2009 05:05:26 PM PDT
Re: "Colton school board OKs longer terms," June 27.
What an outrage!
If the Colton Joint Unified School District board gets away with this trick, why do we bother to hold elections? Why not have a king, some czars and a few appointed princes?
These people regard themselves as some sort of royalty as it is.
These are the same folk who just a couple of months ago were poking the citizens of Grand Terrace in the eye over the naming of the new high school.
It is the American way to express our outrage at the poor judgment so recently displayed.
They say it would save $50,000 to delay the election. Nonsense! Since when did $50,000 stand in the way of the citizenry's right to hold a valid election?
The citizens have a right to express their views. The school board has already been given an extra year.
Enough already!
I say to the citizens within the Colton Joint Unified School District, this is your chance to poke a few eyes. A complete change of these folks would be healthy!
DAVID C. FACE Colton
In Passing.
Kathleen "Kathy" Marion Dodson, 66, a resident of Grand Terrace, CA for 41 years, died June 27, 2009 from complications of Parkinson's Disease. A private memorial services will be held Saturday, July 11, at 3:00 p.m. at her daughter's home in Redlands, CA.
Kathleen was born May 10, 1943 in Klemme and moved to Long Beach as a teenager where she graduated from Poly High School and met her husband of 46 years, Henry C. Dodson. She was a homemaker, and a loving wife, mother and grandmother.
She was preceded in death by her parents Ruben and Edith Lemke, and her brother Gordon Lemke.She is survived by her husband; daughters Lynette Salamanca of Grand Terrace and Lisa Paprocki (Gary) of Redlands; grandchildren Larissa and Phillip Salamanca, and Christopher, Melissa and Megan Paprocki; sisters Beverly Morrison (Dennis) of Yucaipa and Audrey Olson (Merlyn) of Santa Maria; and brother Hershel Lemke (Pat) of Rough and Ready.
Kathleen was born May 10, 1943 in Klemme and moved to Long Beach as a teenager where she graduated from Poly High School and met her husband of 46 years, Henry C. Dodson. She was a homemaker, and a loving wife, mother and grandmother.
She was preceded in death by her parents Ruben and Edith Lemke, and her brother Gordon Lemke.She is survived by her husband; daughters Lynette Salamanca of Grand Terrace and Lisa Paprocki (Gary) of Redlands; grandchildren Larissa and Phillip Salamanca, and Christopher, Melissa and Megan Paprocki; sisters Beverly Morrison (Dennis) of Yucaipa and Audrey Olson (Merlyn) of Santa Maria; and brother Hershel Lemke (Pat) of Rough and Ready.
Shocked Shocked Shocked...
The "New Reader" being "Shocked" how funny, sounds like a movie line... oh yeah it was said by the crooked police man who was "Shocked" to find gambling in Rick's Bar....
Yeah "Shocked"....
Welcome new reader.... read away pick an issue.... WE DARE YOU...
At Least when Gramps is used as a pseudonym it is known to be a pseudonym and it is not a false name.
Yeah "Shocked"....
Welcome new reader.... read away pick an issue.... WE DARE YOU...
At Least when Gramps is used as a pseudonym it is known to be a pseudonym and it is not a false name.
From the Email Inbox... Documents and Opinion
Gramps re-read the email and thought it should be posted along with my reply. No one should think that Gramps is the "Issue" and allow this flawed logic or approach to detract from the discussion, investigation and disclosures contained in this collective work of a blog.
From: Grand PaTerrace
Subject: Re: Reader
Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2009, 3:22 PM
Dear Ms.:
Thank you for taking your time to write to such a hideous person such as the keeper of the blog space.
First of all the blog clearly states it contains DOCUMENTS and OPINION . Opinions are backed up with reasoning and evidence provided not by a single individual but by a pool of writers and concerned citizens, including the Sun and Press and other local News Papers.
If you find a particular OPINION or FACT to be in error you are welcome to write an opinion on that particular issue. However, blanket statements such as yours do not contribute to the intelligent discussion of issues within the city.
You are right, spell check is needed in some of the early posts. However, some times things names in particular are spelled wrong with intent. You get to figure out what the intent may be.
Occasionally the repetitive nature of the blog is a result of the compilation of emails where the blog is flooded with reader provided input.
I will post your observation if you request it be done.
Do inform the readers of what Issues in Particular you find a different point of view.
Gramps..
From: A New Reader…
Subject: Reader
To: grandterracenews@yahoo.com
Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2009, 12:49 PM
Dear Grandpa,
I happened by chance to run across your blog and was shocked!
I consider myself a fairly informed citizen of Grand Terrace. I read the newspapers daily and I occasionally attend the City Council Meetings. I have been a resident for 30 years and my children have both gone to school in Grand Terrace. I'm not one to spend time writing someone, especially of your caliber, but I thought it needed to be said that you are extremely ignorant.
Almost all of your writings are of opinion not fact.
You say harsh blanketed statements that often don't make sense.
Why do you even waste your days writing this in factual blog?
Thank goodness for the freedom of speech act so people like you, who clearly no nothing about what they write, are able to waste space on the Internet.
The worst part is you coward behind an alias. There is nothing respectable about that. So how about it Grandpa- come out with your real identity. At least then I could respect you somewhat. Anyway, people like you are garbage who pollute the minds of unknown individuals.
Grand Terrace is a fine town and was under the leadership of Schwab and until recently, Berry as well. Granted, there have been a lot of things going on that are a bit seedy but your statements are just out of this world and make very little sense.
Leave Grand Terrace alone.
P.S. Your spelling is rather incorrect throughout your blog. Consider spell check!
From: Grand PaTerrace
Subject: Re: Reader
Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2009, 3:22 PM
Dear Ms.:
Thank you for taking your time to write to such a hideous person such as the keeper of the blog space.
First of all the blog clearly states it contains DOCUMENTS and OPINION . Opinions are backed up with reasoning and evidence provided not by a single individual but by a pool of writers and concerned citizens, including the Sun and Press and other local News Papers.
If you find a particular OPINION or FACT to be in error you are welcome to write an opinion on that particular issue. However, blanket statements such as yours do not contribute to the intelligent discussion of issues within the city.
You are right, spell check is needed in some of the early posts. However, some times things names in particular are spelled wrong with intent. You get to figure out what the intent may be.
Occasionally the repetitive nature of the blog is a result of the compilation of emails where the blog is flooded with reader provided input.
I will post your observation if you request it be done.
Do inform the readers of what Issues in Particular you find a different point of view.
Gramps..
From: A New Reader…
Subject: Reader
To: grandterracenews@yahoo.com
Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2009, 12:49 PM
Dear Grandpa,
I happened by chance to run across your blog and was shocked!
I consider myself a fairly informed citizen of Grand Terrace. I read the newspapers daily and I occasionally attend the City Council Meetings. I have been a resident for 30 years and my children have both gone to school in Grand Terrace. I'm not one to spend time writing someone, especially of your caliber, but I thought it needed to be said that you are extremely ignorant.
Almost all of your writings are of opinion not fact.
You say harsh blanketed statements that often don't make sense.
Why do you even waste your days writing this in factual blog?
Thank goodness for the freedom of speech act so people like you, who clearly no nothing about what they write, are able to waste space on the Internet.
The worst part is you coward behind an alias. There is nothing respectable about that. So how about it Grandpa- come out with your real identity. At least then I could respect you somewhat. Anyway, people like you are garbage who pollute the minds of unknown individuals.
Grand Terrace is a fine town and was under the leadership of Schwab and until recently, Berry as well. Granted, there have been a lot of things going on that are a bit seedy but your statements are just out of this world and make very little sense.
Leave Grand Terrace alone.
P.S. Your spelling is rather incorrect throughout your blog. Consider spell check!
Arion Seay 16 Killed by Drunk Driver
Teen boy killed in Yucaipa wreck that ripped sedan in half
By Stacia Glenn
Posted: 07/07/2009 12:18:35 AM PDT
A 16-year-old boy died Monday, several hours after authorities said he was thrown from a vehicle that was literally ripped in half during a collision in Yucaipa.
Coroner's officials identified the victim as Arion Seay of Grand Terrace.
Witnesses reported seeing 27-year-old Dione Davis speeding south on Oak Glen Road about 2:30 p.m. when she lost control of her 2007 Ford Focus near Avenue E, crossed into oncoming traffic and hit a Toyota 4-Runner, sheriff's officials said.
The driver of the Toyota, 32-year-old Steve Parr, was not injured in the accident. Authorities said he was driving about 40 mph.
Seay was seat belted in the backseat behind Davis but was ejected from the car. He was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he died at 6:26 p.m.
Davis, who was allegedly driving drunk at the time of the collision, and a 17-year-old passenger were also injured in the crash. Their conditions were unknown late Monday.
Sheriff's officials conducting the investigation said Davis may face manslaughter charges.
By Stacia Glenn
Posted: 07/07/2009 12:18:35 AM PDT
A 16-year-old boy died Monday, several hours after authorities said he was thrown from a vehicle that was literally ripped in half during a collision in Yucaipa.
Coroner's officials identified the victim as Arion Seay of Grand Terrace.
Witnesses reported seeing 27-year-old Dione Davis speeding south on Oak Glen Road about 2:30 p.m. when she lost control of her 2007 Ford Focus near Avenue E, crossed into oncoming traffic and hit a Toyota 4-Runner, sheriff's officials said.
The driver of the Toyota, 32-year-old Steve Parr, was not injured in the accident. Authorities said he was driving about 40 mph.
Seay was seat belted in the backseat behind Davis but was ejected from the car. He was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he died at 6:26 p.m.
Davis, who was allegedly driving drunk at the time of the collision, and a 17-year-old passenger were also injured in the crash. Their conditions were unknown late Monday.
Sheriff's officials conducting the investigation said Davis may face manslaughter charges.
Monday, July 06, 2009
NOTICE City Manager Job Available Or IS IT?
There is a PROBLEM IN THE DESIGN OF THE OPEN HIRE ANNOUNCEMENT: The Process was and is FIXED and Limits Possible Qualified Applicants from within City Hall.
The Requirement that the Applicants have 5 years experience as a City Manager or Assistant City Manager excluded people who have worked within the City Hall of Grand Terrace as City Clerk or other Department Managers. The intended out come is to secure the job for either Schwab or Berry when the announcement was posted. Now that they have been slinging mud at each other and have disqualified each other from being hired the announcement should be revised to be inclusive of the Women in City Hall who have been doing the real work of running the city on a daily basis.
Job Title: City of Grand Terrace - City Manager Job Description:
The City of Grand Terrace is located between the cities of Riverside and San Bernardino along
the I-215 corridor in San Bernardino County. This community of 12,500 is known for its peaceful atmosphere, beautiful neighborhoods, high performing schools, active library and safe streets. The City is nestled between two mountain ridges, Blue Mountain to the east and La Loma Hills to the west. Grand Terrace boasts the highest median income in the area, with 25% of the population having a Bachelor's Degree or higher.
Based upon its economic opportunity, family friendliness, home affordability and a sense of community, Money Magazine ranked the City in its "Top 100 Best Places to Live". The City ranks in the top three safest cities in the combined Riverside and San Bernardino counties.Closing Date: 08-17-2009
Educational Requirements:
Bachelor's Degree and at least five (5) years serving as a City Manager and/or Assistant City Manager, with broad experience in all areas of municipal government.
A pre-employment physical and background check are required.
Salary: D.O.Q.Application Process:
To Apply:Resumes must be received by 5:00 p.m., on Monday, August 17, 2009.
For more information, please call (909) 430-2245. Please send your resume to: City of Grand Terrace22795 Barton RoadGrand Terrace, CA 92313Attention: Jo Verhelle
The Requirement that the Applicants have 5 years experience as a City Manager or Assistant City Manager excluded people who have worked within the City Hall of Grand Terrace as City Clerk or other Department Managers. The intended out come is to secure the job for either Schwab or Berry when the announcement was posted. Now that they have been slinging mud at each other and have disqualified each other from being hired the announcement should be revised to be inclusive of the Women in City Hall who have been doing the real work of running the city on a daily basis.
Job Title: City of Grand Terrace - City Manager Job Description:
The City of Grand Terrace is located between the cities of Riverside and San Bernardino along
the I-215 corridor in San Bernardino County. This community of 12,500 is known for its peaceful atmosphere, beautiful neighborhoods, high performing schools, active library and safe streets. The City is nestled between two mountain ridges, Blue Mountain to the east and La Loma Hills to the west. Grand Terrace boasts the highest median income in the area, with 25% of the population having a Bachelor's Degree or higher.
Based upon its economic opportunity, family friendliness, home affordability and a sense of community, Money Magazine ranked the City in its "Top 100 Best Places to Live". The City ranks in the top three safest cities in the combined Riverside and San Bernardino counties.Closing Date: 08-17-2009
Educational Requirements:
Bachelor's Degree and at least five (5) years serving as a City Manager and/or Assistant City Manager, with broad experience in all areas of municipal government.
A pre-employment physical and background check are required.
Salary: D.O.Q.Application Process:
To Apply:Resumes must be received by 5:00 p.m., on Monday, August 17, 2009.
For more information, please call (909) 430-2245. Please send your resume to: City of Grand Terrace22795 Barton RoadGrand Terrace, CA 92313Attention: Jo Verhelle
It Is Time.
To prove their recent statements regrading their respect, love and loyalty to Grand Terrace, both Tom Schwab and Steve Berry should refund all funds paid to them by the City over the years, liquidate all their assets, and pack a bag and report directly to jail. This will save the County and State funds for a trial, for crimes and criminal activity they have publicly admitted to and who knows what else a real investigation would find.
Their assets should be surrendered to refund the city and to pay for their incarceration. They are mini Barney Madoffs and nothing more or less.
Right behind Schwab and Berry should be the "Regulators" (City Council Members) who let this go on and on and on and on, and were happy to not be informed or ask the hard questions. Ferre, Cortez and Garcia... Pack your Bag.
Right behind them, should be the City Lawyer who failed the on several levels to protect the interests of the City over the interests of the Schwab and the Friends of the Council.
Their assets should be surrendered to refund the city and to pay for their incarceration. They are mini Barney Madoffs and nothing more or less.
Right behind Schwab and Berry should be the "Regulators" (City Council Members) who let this go on and on and on and on, and were happy to not be informed or ask the hard questions. Ferre, Cortez and Garcia... Pack your Bag.
Right behind them, should be the City Lawyer who failed the on several levels to protect the interests of the City over the interests of the Schwab and the Friends of the Council.
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Swingers Welcome in Grand Terrace:
Grand Terrace Want To Dance?
Hosts: Swing Club at UC Riverside
Saturdays: 8 p.m., Bowen Hayes School of the Arts, 22488 Barton Road, Suite 104, Grand Terrace, free.
Information: www.swingclubucr.com
Informal, and Friendly Free Swing Dancing.... YEAH....
Hosts: Swing Club at UC Riverside
Saturdays: 8 p.m., Bowen Hayes School of the Arts, 22488 Barton Road, Suite 104, Grand Terrace, free.
Information: www.swingclubucr.com
Informal, and Friendly Free Swing Dancing.... YEAH....
GT MAYOR: Head in Sand / Not on Agenda
WHO KNEW WHAT WHEN>>>> and
WHO WORKS AT NOT KNOWING?
Embezzlement Accusations Against Berry Surface:
Reported May 1, 2009
San Bernardino County Sentinel
May 9th 2009 This Blog Posted the Articles About Embezzelement and Tom Schwab Interview in the SB County Sentienel. Indications are that both articles are in part a result of a face to face interview of the subject Mr. Berry and Mr. Schwab and neither informed the Council of the Pending Shame?
May 14th or there abouts Grand Terrace City News Editor threatened by Berry in Council Chambers while in Public. He knew the Sentinal Article had been published and did not want fallow up reporting to continue. Did he or Schwab inform the City Council... Did Jim Miller provide the other council members with copies of the blog or Sentienel Article?
June 30... Sun Telegram Prints Story
June 5 ... Sun Telegram Prints Story...
Mayor gets around to putting it on the Agenda with a Planned Back Room Meeting
The allegation, published in a June 30 story in The Sun, has created "a
huge distraction" for the city, said Mayor Maryetta Ferre."We definitely know there's a problem that needs to be addressed," Ferre said. "The city is suffering as a result of this. It's very distressing to the community, not to
mention the staff, the council and the people involved."Ferre said the meeting will be held either July 14 or July 28, when the full council is
present. "We would address it sooner, but it fell on a holiday weekend, and
we have three council members on vacation," Ferre said.
SO>>>> When did Ferre Know there was a problem? Why was this not on the agenda in May or June? No the Council and Mayor and Berry were pretending it was not an issue it was not real... if it is in a Blog, or in the small Papers. What discussions have already taken place? What further cover up efforts have been made?
The Council could avoid problems by simply ending the Assistant Manager's Position due to the Budget. Hire a New City Manager from outside the city's Friends of the Current Council. AND hand the case over to the Grand Jury and the FBI for further investigation related to the original offences and Obstruction of Justice and Conspiracy charges against Sheriff Morris and Tom Schwab and anyone else who failed to bring this matter to the proper authorities in reasonable time period... DAYS not YEARS after learning of the issue would be appropriate. There is no need for a back room meeting.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
The Pleads of Berry Heard in City Hall.....
Paww...
If you read the articles carefully there is something you have not yet brought to focus. IF Steve Berry's Pleas not to be fired were heard by everyone at City Hall, the Staff knew there was something wrong and failed to report it to the City Council... or did they.
Tom Schwab's identifying the issue came at the same time an election cycle was taking place... was his silence a manipulation of the election results.... or shall it be said a political action on his part? His lack of Ethics should be Cause of Legal Action... of some sort... He has been manipulating the Citizens and City Council for 25 years to be self serving at an inflated cost to the city and citizens.
Berry if he had done no wrong, should have insisted on the issue being taken to the natural course and matter heard in court. For him to say there is no note in his personnel file, is telling of his and Tom's collaboration on the cover-up.
The City Council will be actively participating in this even the new members if they have discussions behind closed doors on the matter which belongs in a Court of Law not a City Council Back Room.
Let's hope there is a public push for this to be filed as a legal action dealt with by LAW Enforcement, not the City Council Kangaroo Court.
If you read the articles carefully there is something you have not yet brought to focus. IF Steve Berry's Pleas not to be fired were heard by everyone at City Hall, the Staff knew there was something wrong and failed to report it to the City Council... or did they.
Tom Schwab's identifying the issue came at the same time an election cycle was taking place... was his silence a manipulation of the election results.... or shall it be said a political action on his part? His lack of Ethics should be Cause of Legal Action... of some sort... He has been manipulating the Citizens and City Council for 25 years to be self serving at an inflated cost to the city and citizens.
Berry if he had done no wrong, should have insisted on the issue being taken to the natural course and matter heard in court. For him to say there is no note in his personnel file, is telling of his and Tom's collaboration on the cover-up.
The City Council will be actively participating in this even the new members if they have discussions behind closed doors on the matter which belongs in a Court of Law not a City Council Back Room.
Let's hope there is a public push for this to be filed as a legal action dealt with by LAW Enforcement, not the City Council Kangaroo Court.
Bloomberging at CJUSD... Let them HEAR a NO
Shutting out voters in 2010
Posted: 07/04/2009 08:43:20 PM PDT
Seems some local elected officials have found one way to ensure job security in these trying times.
The Colton Joint Unified School District board late last month voted to give its members another year in office, ostensibly to save the district the estimated $50,000 cost of an election in 2010.
That action, which has yet to be finalized, would mean some board members will serve six years before facing voters for re-election in 2011, if they choose to run. Their four-year terms had already been extended a year to bring the school district's elections in line with other districts.
Now, it could very well be that the four board members who voted to approve delaying the election want only to save "a job," as board Vice President Mel Albiso put it.
That is certainly a laudable goal. But aren't there other ways the board could save that $50,000? We believe so.
It would be easier to embrace Albiso's rationale if the board had a better track record.
We're talking about the same school board that voted to name a school in Grand Terrace after a Colton resident (and former board member) only to get an earful from Grand Terrace residents. The board reconsidered the decision, and named the school in honor of Grand Terrace, but only after facing considerable pressure from the community.
This is the same school board that went to voters last fall to ask for millions to complete school construction and renovation projects that it failed to finish after passing a school bond some years back.
Given all that, could it be some on the board don't want to face voters next year?
It's a fair question, and one we aren't alone in asking.
Letters from community members have appeared on this page demanding the board move forward with an election in 2010.
One of the board's own members, Robert Armenta, has been vocal about his opposition to delaying the election. His seat would be open in 2010.
"There is no cost savings that can justify the elimination of democracy in our district," Armenta has said.
Three of the four board members who voted for the term extension - Albiso, Marge Mendoza-Ware and David Zamora - are also up for re-election in 2010.
The terms of Frank Ibarra, who favored the extension, Patt Haro, who rejected it, and Kent Taylor, who missed the June 25 meeting, are set to expire in 2012.
The board is expected to meet again July 16, and it typically begins meetings with a public comment period - you know, for anyone who agrees with Armenta and would like to voice support for restoring democracy within the district.
The board has already changed course on one bad decision this year; here's hoping they'll do it again.
Posted: 07/04/2009 08:43:20 PM PDT
Seems some local elected officials have found one way to ensure job security in these trying times.
The Colton Joint Unified School District board late last month voted to give its members another year in office, ostensibly to save the district the estimated $50,000 cost of an election in 2010.
That action, which has yet to be finalized, would mean some board members will serve six years before facing voters for re-election in 2011, if they choose to run. Their four-year terms had already been extended a year to bring the school district's elections in line with other districts.
Now, it could very well be that the four board members who voted to approve delaying the election want only to save "a job," as board Vice President Mel Albiso put it.
That is certainly a laudable goal. But aren't there other ways the board could save that $50,000? We believe so.
It would be easier to embrace Albiso's rationale if the board had a better track record.
We're talking about the same school board that voted to name a school in Grand Terrace after a Colton resident (and former board member) only to get an earful from Grand Terrace residents. The board reconsidered the decision, and named the school in honor of Grand Terrace, but only after facing considerable pressure from the community.
This is the same school board that went to voters last fall to ask for millions to complete school construction and renovation projects that it failed to finish after passing a school bond some years back.
Given all that, could it be some on the board don't want to face voters next year?
It's a fair question, and one we aren't alone in asking.
Letters from community members have appeared on this page demanding the board move forward with an election in 2010.
One of the board's own members, Robert Armenta, has been vocal about his opposition to delaying the election. His seat would be open in 2010.
"There is no cost savings that can justify the elimination of democracy in our district," Armenta has said.
Three of the four board members who voted for the term extension - Albiso, Marge Mendoza-Ware and David Zamora - are also up for re-election in 2010.
The terms of Frank Ibarra, who favored the extension, Patt Haro, who rejected it, and Kent Taylor, who missed the June 25 meeting, are set to expire in 2012.
The board is expected to meet again July 16, and it typically begins meetings with a public comment period - you know, for anyone who agrees with Armenta and would like to voice support for restoring democracy within the district.
The board has already changed course on one bad decision this year; here's hoping they'll do it again.
Did You Know...
Email from this blog to the accounts of the City Council Members... So the Council Members could not be well informed...
It is fairly clear this was an action done by either Tom Schwab or Steve Berry to keep the Council in the dark.
The proof of this is the issue of the Criminal Charges was posted on this blog nearly a month before it ran in the Sun, and prior to that it was published in the SBC Sentinel... and the Council and Berry were aggressive against the further publication of the issue but Now that it has hit the Sun Telegram they seem to have had their heads pulled out of the sand.
Well what is of issue in the Sun's Article was of issue a month or more before when it was posted in the Blog and in the SBC Sentinel. But, members of the Council and City Management would rather pretend reality is not real... and thus they block email from this blog. Who else is blocked from the city council members.
Anyone wanting an email update notice can send grandterracenews@yahoo.com an email and you'll be added to the email list. All notices are sent Blind Copy so no one will get your email from the list.
Gramps.
It is fairly clear this was an action done by either Tom Schwab or Steve Berry to keep the Council in the dark.
The proof of this is the issue of the Criminal Charges was posted on this blog nearly a month before it ran in the Sun, and prior to that it was published in the SBC Sentinel... and the Council and Berry were aggressive against the further publication of the issue but Now that it has hit the Sun Telegram they seem to have had their heads pulled out of the sand.
Well what is of issue in the Sun's Article was of issue a month or more before when it was posted in the Blog and in the SBC Sentinel. But, members of the Council and City Management would rather pretend reality is not real... and thus they block email from this blog. Who else is blocked from the city council members.
Anyone wanting an email update notice can send grandterracenews@yahoo.com an email and you'll be added to the email list. All notices are sent Blind Copy so no one will get your email from the list.
Gramps.
Behind Closed Doors They Become Co-Conspirators
Now the City Council is Acting as Judge and Jury? WRONG>>>>>
The City Council should turn the case over to the Grand Jury, and the FBI and perhaps the State DA's Office for investigation. ANY Behind Closed Door Conversations on the Matter may make them co-conspirators in the squashing of a Criminal Investigation.
Berry's action may be cause for termination. So is Schwab's in his Cover Up of the Actions. Both should leave the City with EMPTY POCKETS and await for further actions by a COURT of LAW not the City Council of Grand Terrace.
Getting something "Free" for the City? What about the fact that Berry reported that an "Employee" of the Convict broke his car window. Then he paid a different company to pay for the replacement and tinting. What was the intended job the "employee" was doing and where is the work order and bid for that job on his private car?.
There is much more under the rugs of City Hall... This Blog and many others have been pointing this out to the City Council for YEARS, but not until this issue was first in the SB County Sentinel, then the Sun Telegram did the Hear No, See No, Speak No Truth City Council pay attention. There is a pattern of conduct here that needs to be addressed by LEGAL AUTHORITIES and the Voters.
BOO HOO for the guys who's conduct is at issue that they waited for a resolution for 7 years is not the Citizens Fault or the Fault of who ever brought this issue to the "Real Press" in order to get attention of the Council and Public.
Grand Terrace to discuss Berry's performance
Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Posted: 07/04/2009 07:07:15 AM PDT
GRAND TERRACE - The City Council will have a closed-door meeting later this month to discuss the job performance of acting City Manager Steve Berry.
Berry was suspected of embezzling city funds and filing false records in 2002 when he was assistant city manager.
The scandal, published in a June 30 story in The Sun, has created "a huge distraction" for the city, said Mayor Maryetta Ferre.
"We definitely know there's a problem that needs to be addressed," Ferre said. "The city is suffering as a result of this. It's very distressing to the community, not to mention the staff, the council, and the people involved."
Ferre said the meeting will be held either July 14 or 28 when the full council is present.
"We would address it sooner, but it fell on a holiday weekend and we have three council members on vacation," Ferre said.
Former City Manager Tom Schwab said he covered up a potential scandal by quashing a criminal investigation against Berry, who was assistant city manager at the time.
Schwab said he didn't recommend criminal charges or discipline Berry because he wanted to avoid bringing embarrassment to the city.
According to sheriff's reports, Berry was suspected of having a work-release inmate tint the windows of city buildings and Berry's personal vehicle for profit when the inmate was supposed to be performing community service.
Berry said the inmate, John Carranza, did not profit from his work for the city and did not tint the windows of his car.
"It was bad judgment," Berry said Thursday. "The intent was not to try to steal money from the city. The intent was to get free window tinting for City Hall.
Councilman Walt Stanckiewitz, who was elected last year, said the city might need to hire an outside firm to investigate what happened.
"I'm very disappointed," Stanckiewitz said. "I can't tell you what's going to come of this. As a council, we need to take action. I don't mean we start swinging an ax and all that. We need to get our act together and find out exactly what happened, then make the appropriate decisions once we have that information."
Ferre said she couldn't comment on what the council might do.
"We need to be fair to the individuals involved," she said.
The City Council should turn the case over to the Grand Jury, and the FBI and perhaps the State DA's Office for investigation. ANY Behind Closed Door Conversations on the Matter may make them co-conspirators in the squashing of a Criminal Investigation.
Berry's action may be cause for termination. So is Schwab's in his Cover Up of the Actions. Both should leave the City with EMPTY POCKETS and await for further actions by a COURT of LAW not the City Council of Grand Terrace.
Getting something "Free" for the City? What about the fact that Berry reported that an "Employee" of the Convict broke his car window. Then he paid a different company to pay for the replacement and tinting. What was the intended job the "employee" was doing and where is the work order and bid for that job on his private car?.
There is much more under the rugs of City Hall... This Blog and many others have been pointing this out to the City Council for YEARS, but not until this issue was first in the SB County Sentinel, then the Sun Telegram did the Hear No, See No, Speak No Truth City Council pay attention. There is a pattern of conduct here that needs to be addressed by LEGAL AUTHORITIES and the Voters.
BOO HOO for the guys who's conduct is at issue that they waited for a resolution for 7 years is not the Citizens Fault or the Fault of who ever brought this issue to the "Real Press" in order to get attention of the Council and Public.
Grand Terrace to discuss Berry's performance
Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Posted: 07/04/2009 07:07:15 AM PDT
GRAND TERRACE - The City Council will have a closed-door meeting later this month to discuss the job performance of acting City Manager Steve Berry.
Berry was suspected of embezzling city funds and filing false records in 2002 when he was assistant city manager.
The scandal, published in a June 30 story in The Sun, has created "a huge distraction" for the city, said Mayor Maryetta Ferre.
"We definitely know there's a problem that needs to be addressed," Ferre said. "The city is suffering as a result of this. It's very distressing to the community, not to mention the staff, the council, and the people involved."
Ferre said the meeting will be held either July 14 or 28 when the full council is present.
"We would address it sooner, but it fell on a holiday weekend and we have three council members on vacation," Ferre said.
Former City Manager Tom Schwab said he covered up a potential scandal by quashing a criminal investigation against Berry, who was assistant city manager at the time.
Schwab said he didn't recommend criminal charges or discipline Berry because he wanted to avoid bringing embarrassment to the city.
According to sheriff's reports, Berry was suspected of having a work-release inmate tint the windows of city buildings and Berry's personal vehicle for profit when the inmate was supposed to be performing community service.
Berry said the inmate, John Carranza, did not profit from his work for the city and did not tint the windows of his car.
"It was bad judgment," Berry said Thursday. "The intent was not to try to steal money from the city. The intent was to get free window tinting for City Hall.
Councilman Walt Stanckiewitz, who was elected last year, said the city might need to hire an outside firm to investigate what happened.
"I'm very disappointed," Stanckiewitz said. "I can't tell you what's going to come of this. As a council, we need to take action. I don't mean we start swinging an ax and all that. We need to get our act together and find out exactly what happened, then make the appropriate decisions once we have that information."
Ferre said she couldn't comment on what the council might do.
"We need to be fair to the individuals involved," she said.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
ALERT
Illegal Fireworks are Being Set Off in Grand Terrace.
Call 911 in Emeregency
For non-emergency requests, please contact the Sheriff's Dispatch at 909-824-0680.
Provide the Address where they are comming from...
Fire Department Non Emergency Phone: (909) 825-0221
Fire Department Non Emergency Phone: (909) 825-0221
Many of you have emailed that you have seen Sky Rocket Fireworks in the area of Preston and Barton Road. These are Illegal Fireworks even in Grand Terrace. One of these hot fireworks could set a roof or palm tree on fire and given the right wind conditions an entire town could burn.
This is no joke, it isn't patriotic, there should be no pride in the endangerment of your family and community.
IF your Neighbor is lighting off these devices call the Sheriff's Office with their address. Note the Time you called and when the sheriff or fire department arrives. Go the the curb and provide a witness statement to the Sheriff so they have the right to investigate. The conduct is putting you and your other neighbors at risk of death and property damage. THIS IS A CRIME of INTENT. When you light a fire, you know there is risk of Death. When you throw fire in the air as these fireworks do, you intend to let it go and "BE"... and "DO" what fire does... BURN, KILL and DESTROY.
Safe and Sane fireworks usually only hurt you or your direct family, so these are Less Dangerous and could be considered devices of less destruction where as the Sky Rockets/ Bottle Rockets Fireworks are devices of potential mass destruction. The City Council has decided upon taking the risk of the "Safe and Sane Fireworks" BUT, we do not have to Allow the Use of the other type. REPORT and DEMAND ENFORCEMENT.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
New Rules Taint New Senior Center:
Senior Center Attendees will all say the new Senior Center is Beautiful. Then they will say, the way it is managed is driving them to attend lunch and other activities at neighboring Senior Centers. They were ready to welcome new members. However, the new building and new level of Management of their space and activities is driving prior participating seniors away in a steady trickle.
The Seniors used to have control of the operations and use of their center in the past and now there are rules. No Children, No Sale of Used Items to raise funds. No Decorations. Add that to the No, No, No, No for the use of the Petta Park...
The Garden Space being for Senior Housing Residents ONLY also limits the "PUBLIC OPEN SPACE USE" and inclusiveness of the Senior Center. "Not for Seniors Only" was their slogan in the past. Well behaved young adults could participate in special nights and programs. BUT, now there is a sign NO CHILDREN ALLOWED... so that ALL Children are EXCLUDED from the Building. One has to ask will this include the High School Choir or Groups from Terrace View, or Terrace Hills? Aren't they "Children? These conditions or Rules may violate the requirements of the use of Redevelopment Funds and the General Plan.
The loss of the "Regulars" will be replaced by the residents of the Housing Complex so the "Need" for services will not be diminished. However, the alleged purpose of providing "Our Seniors" with an improved level of service has failed. GT Seniors are being effectively driven out by the "New Management Rules" over the building they now are not in charge of.
Well, this too was projected.... yet another example of how smaller was better. Smaller did not have a big long term debt to pay back either.
Mayor Marrietta Ferre has her Show Place of a Senior Center and another Park Built to Look at but not be used, and a boat load of No No No No No rules to dictate to the Public, Children and Seniors in the community. This is supported by the Management of the Complex and unless the Mayor and Council directs the "Management" to reform these restrictions will persists. GT Citizens are paying for a Private Park and Private Senior Center and Private Housing... and WE are welcome to Run OUR Senior CENTER as we did in the past. Former City Manager / Redevelopment Agency Director Tom Schwab has delivered a disservice to the Seniors of Grand Terrace he used to support the Housing and New Center... He has delivered a long term debt to be paid of by the taxpayers of Grand Terrace.
The Seniors Have Figured it out... They were USED...
Highgrove, Colton, Loma Linda, and Redlands Senior Centers welcome our seniors and provide food give aways and other services precluded or not offered at the Grand Terrace Senior Center.
Truth is the Current Management of the Building does not care if the Old GT Seniors Leave the City to go to other Senior Centers... all the better they gain more control.
This is the same management that contributed to the GT Days while they had decisions in front of the Planning Commission and City Council.
Unless the "Management" changes the "New Senior Center" will be the Blue Mt. Villas Lunch Room, and the GT Seniors will have gone to other communities. Management should be turned over the the Senior Citizens as it was in the Past.
The Seniors used to have control of the operations and use of their center in the past and now there are rules. No Children, No Sale of Used Items to raise funds. No Decorations. Add that to the No, No, No, No for the use of the Petta Park...
The Garden Space being for Senior Housing Residents ONLY also limits the "PUBLIC OPEN SPACE USE" and inclusiveness of the Senior Center. "Not for Seniors Only" was their slogan in the past. Well behaved young adults could participate in special nights and programs. BUT, now there is a sign NO CHILDREN ALLOWED... so that ALL Children are EXCLUDED from the Building. One has to ask will this include the High School Choir or Groups from Terrace View, or Terrace Hills? Aren't they "Children? These conditions or Rules may violate the requirements of the use of Redevelopment Funds and the General Plan.
The loss of the "Regulars" will be replaced by the residents of the Housing Complex so the "Need" for services will not be diminished. However, the alleged purpose of providing "Our Seniors" with an improved level of service has failed. GT Seniors are being effectively driven out by the "New Management Rules" over the building they now are not in charge of.
Well, this too was projected.... yet another example of how smaller was better. Smaller did not have a big long term debt to pay back either.
Mayor Marrietta Ferre has her Show Place of a Senior Center and another Park Built to Look at but not be used, and a boat load of No No No No No rules to dictate to the Public, Children and Seniors in the community. This is supported by the Management of the Complex and unless the Mayor and Council directs the "Management" to reform these restrictions will persists. GT Citizens are paying for a Private Park and Private Senior Center and Private Housing... and WE are welcome to Run OUR Senior CENTER as we did in the past. Former City Manager / Redevelopment Agency Director Tom Schwab has delivered a disservice to the Seniors of Grand Terrace he used to support the Housing and New Center... He has delivered a long term debt to be paid of by the taxpayers of Grand Terrace.
The Seniors Have Figured it out... They were USED...
Highgrove, Colton, Loma Linda, and Redlands Senior Centers welcome our seniors and provide food give aways and other services precluded or not offered at the Grand Terrace Senior Center.
Truth is the Current Management of the Building does not care if the Old GT Seniors Leave the City to go to other Senior Centers... all the better they gain more control.
This is the same management that contributed to the GT Days while they had decisions in front of the Planning Commission and City Council.
Unless the "Management" changes the "New Senior Center" will be the Blue Mt. Villas Lunch Room, and the GT Seniors will have gone to other communities. Management should be turned over the the Senior Citizens as it was in the Past.
Could Schwab Lose Retirement?
Tom Schwab's exit on Retirement may be his way to secure a job and that future income. IF he has now admitted to a Cover Up of Criminal Activity he himself would be charged with a crime and dismissed with what is known as Cause. Under the terms of his contract being dismissed with cause puts in jeopardy future payments and benefits.
We should not be giving this guy a golden handshake of 170.000.00 to retire gracefully, We should be giving him a Golden Handcuff along with his hand picked lackey Berry who he no doubt conspired with in taking advantage of the Citizens and City of Grand Terrace.
We should not be giving this guy a golden handshake of 170.000.00 to retire gracefully, We should be giving him a Golden Handcuff along with his hand picked lackey Berry who he no doubt conspired with in taking advantage of the Citizens and City of Grand Terrace.
Sun Reverses Support for Berry and Schwab..
In the Past both local news papers the Press Enterprise and the Sun Telegram have refused to address or investigate the Political Management of Grand Terrace and have been all but cheerleaders for sitting officials no matter what or who they are. They have in the past failed to be a check on government. Let's hope the Press and Sun will aid in forwarding the investigation into the hands of the AG's Office or the FBI for a Full Investigation of Collusion and Conspiracy on ALL the ACTORS in the Crime and the Cover Up.
It defies logic that Berry acted alone on the tinting decision and all the actions required to have a Purchase Order, Work Order and Funds Released, Check Written and so forth. The City Council approves the Check Register, and I do recall the tinting being mentioned at a City Council Meeting.
Out with both city managers
Posted: 06/30/2009 08:32:58 PM PDT
Sun Telegram Web Site.. Editorial
The Grand Terrace City Manager Smackdown has taken a sharp turn to the weird.
Former City Manager Tom Schwab, who stepped aside for medical reasons, revealed that Acting City Manager Steve Berry was suspected of embezzling city funds and filing false records in 2002.
Berry contends Schwab is using the 7-year-old scandal to discredit Berry and knock him out of contention for the permanent city manager job that Schwab apparently wants back.
The problem is, Schwab says he covered up the wrongdoing in January 2003 by quashing the criminal investigation of Berry, who was then assistant city manager.
That's supposed to make him look better than Berry?
Sorry, no, that makes him look just as bad or even worse.
The upshot is that neither Berry nor Schwab is ethically qualified to run the city of Grand Terrace. The City Council has opened the job and encouraged both Berry and Schwab to apply. Hopefully, there will be plenty of good candidates besides this pair.
According to sheriff's reports, Berry was suspected of having a work-release jail inmate and employees from the inmate's business tint the windows of city buildings and Berry's personal vehicle for profit in 2002, when the inmate was supposed to be performing community service. A purchase-order account at a wholesale window-tint company allowed the inmate to pick up supplies. Berry did not inform the Sheriff's Department of his arrangement with the inmate, and Berry was also suspected of defrauding San Bernardino County by falsely marking the inmate's attendance sheets to indicate he had shown up for work on days he didn't.
A county prosecutor examined a sheriff's detective's report and determined that charges of embezzlement, offering false instrument for record and corruption of record were warranted for Berry. But Schwab, acting on behalf of the city and without informing his City Council, declined to pursue criminal charges. The case was "cleared by exceptional means," according to the detective's report.
Schwab says now he didn't want to embarrass the city; it's just as likely he didn't want to embarrass himself by having Berry, whom he had hired in September 2001, charged with or convicted of embezzlement and falsification.
"I basically asked the Sheriff's Department not to pursue it," Schwab said. "As it turns out, I think it was a mistake."
No kidding? He thinks that covering up allegations that a high-ranking official of his city was embezzling funds from his city and falsifying documents was a mistake? We agree completely.
A big enough mistake to disqualify Schwab for the city manager's post.
Nor is Berry qualified, based on the loose ethics and terrible judgment he exercised in his deal with the inmate.
What about it, City Council? Don't the citizens of Grand Terrace deserve better than dishonesty and bad judgment?
It defies logic that Berry acted alone on the tinting decision and all the actions required to have a Purchase Order, Work Order and Funds Released, Check Written and so forth. The City Council approves the Check Register, and I do recall the tinting being mentioned at a City Council Meeting.
Out with both city managers
Posted: 06/30/2009 08:32:58 PM PDT
Sun Telegram Web Site.. Editorial
The Grand Terrace City Manager Smackdown has taken a sharp turn to the weird.
Former City Manager Tom Schwab, who stepped aside for medical reasons, revealed that Acting City Manager Steve Berry was suspected of embezzling city funds and filing false records in 2002.
Berry contends Schwab is using the 7-year-old scandal to discredit Berry and knock him out of contention for the permanent city manager job that Schwab apparently wants back.
The problem is, Schwab says he covered up the wrongdoing in January 2003 by quashing the criminal investigation of Berry, who was then assistant city manager.
That's supposed to make him look better than Berry?
Sorry, no, that makes him look just as bad or even worse.
The upshot is that neither Berry nor Schwab is ethically qualified to run the city of Grand Terrace. The City Council has opened the job and encouraged both Berry and Schwab to apply. Hopefully, there will be plenty of good candidates besides this pair.
According to sheriff's reports, Berry was suspected of having a work-release jail inmate and employees from the inmate's business tint the windows of city buildings and Berry's personal vehicle for profit in 2002, when the inmate was supposed to be performing community service. A purchase-order account at a wholesale window-tint company allowed the inmate to pick up supplies. Berry did not inform the Sheriff's Department of his arrangement with the inmate, and Berry was also suspected of defrauding San Bernardino County by falsely marking the inmate's attendance sheets to indicate he had shown up for work on days he didn't.
A county prosecutor examined a sheriff's detective's report and determined that charges of embezzlement, offering false instrument for record and corruption of record were warranted for Berry. But Schwab, acting on behalf of the city and without informing his City Council, declined to pursue criminal charges. The case was "cleared by exceptional means," according to the detective's report.
Schwab says now he didn't want to embarrass the city; it's just as likely he didn't want to embarrass himself by having Berry, whom he had hired in September 2001, charged with or convicted of embezzlement and falsification.
"I basically asked the Sheriff's Department not to pursue it," Schwab said. "As it turns out, I think it was a mistake."
No kidding? He thinks that covering up allegations that a high-ranking official of his city was embezzling funds from his city and falsifying documents was a mistake? We agree completely.
A big enough mistake to disqualify Schwab for the city manager's post.
Nor is Berry qualified, based on the loose ethics and terrible judgment he exercised in his deal with the inmate.
What about it, City Council? Don't the citizens of Grand Terrace deserve better than dishonesty and bad judgment?
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