Curent News

05/09/2008 -- Through the eyes of the Valley: Festival adds to centennial celebration CALEXICO — The 17th Annual Mariachi Festival is just a week away, and this year’s event promises to be even more spectacular.

That’s because starting Monday, the festival has been stretched out as a way of tying it to Calexico’s centennial celebrations.

Hildy Carrillo-Rivera, executive director of the Calexico Chamber of Commerce, spoke Thursday afternoon about next week’s Mariachi Festival.

QUESTION: So how did this weeklong event come about? What will it entail?

ANSWER: We decided to have a weeklong calendar of events for this 17th Mariachi Festival because this is our centennial year and we want to have more events.

We’re going to kick it off Monday with a Hometown Buffet mixer, where we’re going to sit outside in the parking lot and have food and music and door prizes just to get the party started for the week.

Calexico City Hall has been decorated for Tuesday, when we have the salsa tasting.

There will be prizes for the best salsa and we will be recognizing the centennial committee and Mariachi Festival committee, which is made up of the city of Calexico, the Calexico Arts Council and the Chamber of Commerce.

Wednesday we’re going to have a ribbon-cutting at the Calexico Cultural Arts Center in the Hotel de Anza, followed by Mexican arts and crafts as well as almost 10 food stations so you can taste some of Mexico’s traditional cuisine as well as learn about it.

So it’s learning by eating. It will be something really different; we expect over 200 people to attend, and the exhibit of the arts and crafts will then stay at the Cultural Arts Center through Saturday.

On Thursday, the Mariachi Festival committee is having a kick-back at Applebee’s in Calexico to get ready for the big celebrations Friday and Saturday.

On Friday, we’ll have a ferial del tequila at the Our Lady of Guadalupe hall starting at 7 p.m. We’ll have different tequilas from mainly Jalisco, but from all over Mexico as well.

Alford Distributing will be having a tasting of imported beer from Mexico as well as beer with tequila in it. We’ll also have music and singing and dancing and Mexican appetizers. Tickets for the general public are $30.

Saturday is our 17th annual Mariachi Festival Sin Fronteras at Crummett Park. Gates open at 5 p.m. and the concert starts at 7, but we’re encouraging everybody to get there at 5 because we’ll have a food court and beer and wine booth.

We’ll kick off the festival with Los Reyes del Valle, followed by Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles and Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez, which were the original groups that started the festival 16 years ago.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish with the event? What do you hope people get out of it?

A: During the week we’re hoping the sponsors of the Mariachi Festival have a good time to thank them.

I can’t tell you how much we appreciate the sponsors, especially Alford Distributing, The Gas Co. and Rabobank. We want them to have a wonderful time during the week.

Bringing events like this gives the economy a boost for the week and weekend. It gets people excited; there’s a buzz in the air.

It gives people something to look forward to, especially with mariachi and with our Mexican-American heritage. A lot of our families identify with mariachi music. It’s a family event.


Jonathan Dale 05/09/2008 -- Report: Former El Centro police chief criticized Former El Centro Police Chief Leonard Knight did not observe the departmental chain of command, failed to communicate well with officers and ordered the uneven enforcement of laws, according to findings from the Imperial County Civil Grand Jury.

The three-page report obtained by the Imperial Valley Press on Thursday also said that Knight showed a lack of administrative and leadership skills in other areas as part of an assessment about what went wrong within the El Centro Police Department during Knight’s 16-month stint as chief.

To read the grand jury's report, click here

The grand jury’s probe into the operation of the El Centro Police Department was spurred by an anonymous complaint about low morale.

Knight, who did not appear for a scheduled final interview with the grand jury to state his side, could not be reached for comment Thursday evening. His city-issued cellular phone has been assigned to interim Police Chief Harold Carter.

Knight, a 22-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, became the center of heated criticism and resentment within the department after reports of widespread discord over his management surfaced.

Faced with mounting criticism by officers and a call for his resignation by the department’s Police Management Association, Knight stepped down from his post in April.

Mayor Jon Edney, who served as a civil grand jury foreman in the early 1990s, blasted the current grand jury’s report.

“As an (ex) foreman of the grand jury I would be embarrassed by the nature of the report that has been issued by the current grand jury,” Edney said Thursday.

“I find no critical thinking and no analytical thinking, and I don’t find that the report provides either an accurate or any sign of exhaustive investigation of the issues surrounding the Police Department in the city of El Centro,” Edney said.

“I will have more confidence on the reliability of the report that will be issued by the council task force,” the mayor said.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Among five recommendations the grand jury made was that it urged the city manager and City Council be more responsive to complaints within city departments “so that serious problems do not develop.”

The responsibility of hiring a new chief should also include police officers and the new chief should work with the management team to determine “why the department continues to lose officers and to develop a plan to reverse this loss.”

A committee of 19 panelists interviewed Knight and numerous high-ranking officers that included five sergeants, the captain, the lieutenant and a detective for its report.

Other people interviewed included three civilian employees, an El Centro City council member and City Manager Ruben Duran, who hired Knight in December 2006.

Allen Earley, the civil grand jury’s foreman, stopped short of issuing a personal assessment of Knight’s job performance but said the grand jury found Knight committed no wrongdoing.

“He did not break any technical rules or break any laws otherwise the findings would have been forwarded to the (District Attorney) and/or the Attorney General’s Office in San Diego, and the investigation would have ceased,” Earley said.

Duran said he hasn’t seen the report as he was heading out of town for vacation. Mayor Jon Edney said he couldn’t comment on a report he hasn’t yet seen.

JURY FINDINGS

As part of its findings, the grand jury concluded that Knight rarely issued orders in writing and when questioned about a verbal order, he often responded by saying, “You misunderstood” or “There was a miscommunication.”

Knight often ignored the captain, the grand jury reported, and sometimes went without speaking to each other. He created the position of administrative sergeant, who only answered directly to the chief, “skipping over the captain and the lieutenants.”

The jury also found that Knight did not use personnel wisely by creating new teams and positions, such as the graffiti team and the administrative sergeant position, without hiring new people.

The move consequently weakened “patrol teams that are already understaffed. (Knight) makes assignments that are not clear, again because they are not put in writing.”

“Some officers report, ‘He does not let us do what we know how to do and what we know (that) needs to be done,” the report said.

In addition, Knight had lowered the standards for qualifying at the shooting range, making the range master “fear for the competency of his officers in an emergency.”

The jury concluded that Knight did not communicate well with officers as evidenced by how he “failed to inquire about the welfare of his men, but instead asked about press coverage.”

“This has resulted in a huge lowering of morale,” the report said. “Some officers report they have been directly lied to, often in small things, they now question his veracity in bigger things.”

With regard to the enforcement of certain laws, the civil grand jury found that unlicensed towing companies that were out of compliance with city regulations were allowed to “continue doing business with the city” under Knight’s stewardship.

“Posted two-hour parking regulations were directed by the chief not to be enforced in some instances,” the report said.

Finally, Knight was rarely seen in the city where he served as police chief. While Knight did initially commute from his home outside of the Imperial Valley, he eventually rented a home in El Centro.

The jury’s findings referred to Knight’s residency in San Bernardino.

“On two separate occasions when there were officer-involved shootings, the chief was not available for three hours because he was at his home in Rancho Cucamonga,” the report said.

Silvio Panta 05/08/2008 -- Baseball games could displace El Centro youths An agreement to allow a professional baseball team to play at Stark Field in El Centro could leave about 100 Mid-Valley Babe Ruth players displaced, the league’s officials said during an El Centro City Council meeting Wednesday.

On Tuesday the city of El Centro officially announced the Yuma Scorpions independent baseball team would play five games at Stark Field from May 17 through Aug. 27.

Jack Dunnam, who spoke during the public comment session of the meeting as a representative of Mid-Valley Babe Ruth, said because of the games, teams and players would not be able to practice or play on Stark Field.

The Scorpions are scheduled to play at Stark on May 17 and 29, July 1 and Aug. 3 and 27.

“I’m disappointed with the lack of consideration for Mid-Valley Babe Ruth,” Dunnam said of the agreement. “You have displaced about 100 boys from Babe Ruth activities.”

Dunnam said Stark Field was used for practice by Babe Ruth teams in 13-, 14- and 15-, and 16- and 18-year-old divisions.

Babe Ruth teams also play on Jeffcoat Park near Sunflower Elementary, but teams are prohibited from practicing on it to keep up aesthetics.

“With games coming up we don’t have a place to practice when games are played,” Dunnam said.

Councilwoman Cheryl Viegas-Walker said the city was not aware of a displacement issue and Mayor Jon Edney said the city would further look into the situation.

“I think we can direct staff to best handle this situation,” Edney said. “Because we had no intention of displacing kids.”

Council OKs hiring of outside counsel

The City Council unanimously approved the hiring of Chattanooga, Tenn.-based attorney Scott Bergthold for outside special counsel services.

The city only has one attorney on staff, interim City Attorney Luis Hernandez. The search for a full-time city attorney is ongoing.



Eric Galvan 05/08/2008 -- OUR TOWNS The Brawley American Citizens Club will have a Mother’s Day tardeada from 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday at the ACC grounds, 998 C St.

There will be free corsages to the first 150 mothers, donated by Brawley City Councilman Don Campbell and 80th Assembly candidate Manuel Perez.

Music will be provided by Latin Breeze. There will be a raffle for a $1 donation. Prizes include a color TV, patio bench, cookware and a bed comforter.

The event will include food and refreshments. It is free for mothers and $5 for nonmothers and per person.

— VICKY MAGANA
vmagana@ivpressonline.com

CALEXICO
Mariachi Festival begins Tuesday

The Calexico Chamber of Commerce, Hometown Buffet and Pimentel Studio will host the 17th annual Mariachi Festival Sin Fronteras kickoff mixer at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Hometown Buffet, 222 E. Cole Blvd.

There will be door prizes, entertainment and refreshments. Bring business cards.

For more information and to RSVP call the Calexico Chamber of Commerce at 357-1166.

— VICKY MAGANA
vmagana@ivpressonline.com

EL CENTRO
Law Day 2008 to be celebrated

The public is invited to attend a Law Day 2008 celebration from 4 to 7 p.m. today at the courthouse, 939 W. Main in El Centro.

There will be free legal information from the following agencies: Imperial County Bar Association, family law facilitator, court staff, local justice providers and Consulado de Mexico.

The schedule of events is:

— 4 to 7 p.m. — justice service providers

— 5:30 to 5:45 p.m. — welcome/national anthem

— 5:45 to 6 p.m. — poster/essay contest and award announcements

— 6 to 7 p.m. — Mariachi Mixteco and Fuego Latino Dancers.

There will be free hot dogs provided by Turning Point. There will also be fire trucks, police and SWAT vehicles and Jaws of Life demonstrations.

— VICKY MAGANA
vmagana@ivpressonline.com

05/08/2008 -- Imperial again tables waste contract IMPERIAL — City leaders voted yet again Wednesday night to postpone approving a no-bid contract extension for a waste hauler until several details are ironed out.

Concerns over whether Allied Waste’s renegotiated eight-year agreement would include recycling bins and if the city could discontinue the contract’s five-year option clause prompted the decision to direct city staffers to work again with Allied Waste representatives.

The third issue was over what Imperial would be charged for trash disposal.

Tabling the matter until the council’s next meeting would also allow residents and business owners more time to voice their concerns over the proposed contract that would impose a reduced rate hike of 20 percent to commercial customers, Councilman Mark Gran said.

Despite repeated calls by residents and businessmen to “go out to bid” and see what other waste haulers had to offer, council members Gran, Doug Cox and Mayor Geoff Dale countered that the terms Allied proposed in its revamped contract could be the best possible deal Imperial might get.

Cox, in particular, lauded the current contract proposal as “being right in the ball park.”

“I just don’t see what good it would do to go to bid,” Cox said.

While the April 16 meeting over the waste disposal company’s initial proposal of extending its contract by 10 years sparked little interest from the public, Wednesday’s City Council session drew a rarely seen crowd of more than 50 people in attendance.

Under the waste hauler’s new contract proposal, which expires June 30, 2018, and includes a five-year option, a 20 percent rate hike would be imposed on commercial customers the first and second years with only a 9 percent increase in the third year.

The Consumer Price Index adjustment would not apply to commercial customers during those first three years, but would be adjusted at the beginning of fiscal year 2011.

The increase to residential customers would roughly amount to $18 per month for solid recycling and green waste in residential areas starting July 1. Residents currently pay $15.65 per month.

The residential rate would then be adjusted by the Consumer Price Index under the agreement.

>> Staff Writer Silvio J. Panta can be reached at 337-3442 or at spanta@ivpressonline.com


Silvio J. Panta