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</head> <body>  <br><font size=-1>Desert News honored by Mojave Chamber</font> <p><font size=-1>70 years of service to Southeast Kern</font> <br><font size=-1>DESERT NEWS STAFF REPORT</font> <br><font size=-1>MOJAVE — The Mojave Desert News was honored as “business of the month” by the Mojave Chamber of Commerce last week.</font> <br><font size=-1>Chamber President Mike Massee said he has “seen lots of small-town newspapers over the years and this one is way ahead of the rest of them.”</font> <br><font size=-1>Massee presented the award to DesertNews President Bill Deaver, who said he accepted the award on behalf of the paper’s staff, owners, and the Smith family, which founded the Mojave Desert News in 1938 on Mojave’s “Front Street.”</font> <br><font size=-1>He said he and his wife owned the paper from 1979 to 1982, when it was sold, eventually ending up with the present owners, Mocal News, Inc., headed by Jim Quiggle of California City.</font> <br><font size=-1>“When we sold the paper we kept the old roll-top desk which had been shipped around Cape Horn and still bears burn marks from cigarettes left on it by Joe Smith, who founded the paper,” Deaver said.</font> <br><font size=-1>Deaver, whose first newspaper job was as a “kid reporter” on the Riverdale, California, Free Press at age eight, said the Desert News and its staff “believe that the people of this region deserve the same attention to the news as people living in big cities, and that is what we try to bring you. This is an exciting area to serve and we enjoy what we do, and promise to continue doing so as long as we can.”</font> <br><font size=-1>The paper’s offices are in California City and it is printed by the Daily Independent in Ridgecrest.</font> <br>  <p><font size=-1>BUSINESS OF THE MONTH honors were awarded to the Mojave Desert News by the Mojave Chamber of Commerce last week. Chamber president Mike Massee, at left, presented the award to Desert News editor/publisher Bill Deaver. PHOTO BY KHAKI MCKEE</font> <p><font size=-1>East Kern residents help plan region’s future</font> <p><font size=-1>Kern County ‘Blueprint’ discussed</font> <br><font size=-1>QUOTE: “We don’t want to become another San Fernando Valley.”— Meeting participant</font> <br><font size=-1>BY BILL DEAVER</font> <br><font size=-1>MOJAVE — A cross-section of Southeast Kern residents debated the region’s next 50 years at a workshop here last week.</font> <br><font size=-1>Meeting as part of the Kern Council of Government’s (KernCOG) Regional Blueprint program, residents from Boron, California City, Mojave, and Rosamond listed what they like — and what they do not like — about living in the region.</font> <br><font size=-1>Topping the list of “likes” was the high desert’s open space and small-town lifestyle. “I like being able to know my neighbors and local officials,” said Maryann LeBlanc of California City.</font> <br><font size=-1>Also high on the list were low population, lower taxes, weather that “makes it possible to see the stars” along with low humidity, the region’s high-tech industries, and ability to reach cities and recreational opportunities with relative ease.</font> <br><font size=-1>Section 8 disliked</font> <br><font size=-1>At the top of the list of features residents do not like was the influx of low-income residents living in Section 8-subsidized housing and bringing big-city crime to the area. Residents are also upset with bad postal service, which is a national problem.</font> <br><font size=-1>The list of features and services residents want to see developed over the coming half-century was topped by the four-year state university East Kern community leaders are promoting.</font> <br><font size=-1>That, coupled with high-tech jobs, “ will mean our kids can stay here after they graduate from high school,” a Mojave resident said.</font> <br><font size=-1>Expanded medical and retail services and better transportation are also important. Participants would like to see the Metrolink commuter rail passenger service extended to Rosamond and Mojave, and additional lanes added to Highway 58 and Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road to avoid delays from slow-moving trucks.</font> <br><font size=-1>Protecting aerospace</font> <br><font size=-1>While supporting more homes and industries in the region, participants emphasized their concern that operations at Edwards Air Force Base, the China Lake Naval Air Warfare Center, and the Mojave Airport/Spaceport not be encroached.</font> <br><font size=-1>Darrell Hildebrand of KernCOG said that support of East Kern’s aerospace installations rated high among all county residents in a recent poll.</font> <br><font size=-1>“67 percent of West Kern residents supported protecting East Kern bases, while 72 percent of East Kern residents supported the issue,” Hildebrand said. “Your neighbors in West Kern feel that same way you do about this issue.” Hildebrand also noted that all county residents, including those in East Kern, supported efforts to protect West Kern’s agriculture industry.</font> <br><font size=-1>More housing for senior citizens was also supported, along with ensuring that the region has an adequate water supply for future growth. That includes using “water-friendly” planting, a Rosamond resident emphasized.</font> <br><font size=-1>Additional recreation resources for the region’s youngsters and residents of all ages was also high on everyone’s list.</font> <br><font size=-1>The region’s nearly year-round supply of sunlight should be tapped for power along with the wind, participants agreed. Several suggested that all new homes should be equipped with solar power cells.</font> <br><font size=-1>On the subject of growth, participants said that while they support growth, they want it to be “balanced.”</font> <br><font size=-1>“We don’t want to become another San Fernando Valley,” several participants said.</font> <br><font size=-1>Two-phase project</font> <br><font size=-1>Hildebrand said the Mojave meeting was one of 16 held around the county as the first phase of an effort to help plan the future of Central California. He said a second series of meetings will be held soon to help decide”to achieve your vision.”</font> <br><font size=-1>The KernCOG official said the major purpose of the Blueprint process is to help the counties of the central part of the state gain more political “clout” in Sacramento.</font> <br><font size=-1>“The big urban centers in California ‘beat us to death’ when it comes to financing,” Hildebrand said. “The Blueprint process will help us gain allies and the ability to speak with a broader regional voice.”</font> <br><font size=-1>He said the effort will also help counties in Central California show the urban centers “how we can do in relation to them.”</font> <br><font size=-1>Growth coming</font> <br><font size=-1>Population in Kern County, especially in the Bakersfield area, “is expected to double” during the next 40 to 50 years, Hildebrand emphasized. Noting that the central part of the state lies right in the center of the nation’s two largest seaports, through which all of the nation’s trade with the Far East enters, Hildebrand said “There are massive opportunities for us in this scenario.” (Community leaders in Mojave and Shafter are already working to attract business form the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to their airports. The nation’s two largest railroads, which serve those ports and the Port of Oakland, run through Mojave which has an airport now capable of handling the largest cargo aircraft).</font> <br><font size=-1>“This is not a case if ‘if,’ but of ‘how,’” Hildebrand said.</font> <br><font size=-1>Participants in the Blueprint process commended KernCOG for hosting the meeting, saying that it helped them share views and help plan for the future of their communities.</font> <br>  <p><font size=-1>CALIFORNIA CITY residents check maps outlining East Kern’s future at a regional planning meeting in Mojave last week. BILL DEAVER/Desert News</font> <br>  <br>  <br>  <p><font size=-1>PLAN — Robert Phipps of the Kern Council of Governments listened to ideas form East Kern residents on how they want the region to develop over the coming half-century, at a meeting to solicit planning ideas KernCOG held in Mojave last week. BILL DEAVER/Desert News</font> <p><font size=-1>Firms competing for four supermarket</font> <br><font size=-1>sites in CalCity</font> <p><font size=-1>Manager delivers upbeat report</font> <br><font size=-1>QUOTE: “This city’s future is very bright.”—City Manager Wm. Way</font> <br><font size=-1>BY BILL DEAVER</font> <br><font size=-1>CALIFORNIA CITY— Four different sites in this city are being studied by firms considering building a supermarket here, City Manager William Way told the California City Economic Development Corporation last Thursday.</font> <br><font size=-1>Addressing the EDC’s monthly breakfast meeting, Way said that’s a distinct improvement over a few short years ago when no one was interested in bringing a market to the city.</font> <br><font size=-1>“This city has changed,” he said.</font> <br><font size=-1>The manager noted that developer Michael Ellison has been “struggling” for two years to attract a market to the city.</font> <br><font size=-1>“He did a lot of work and research,” on his proposed site, Way said.</font> <br><font size=-1>In the meantime, city staff has been pursuing other avenues for attracting a market, Way told community leaders from CalCity, Boron, and Mojave.</font> <br><font size=-1>“We have three additional sites” that are being marketed to supermarket chains, Way said. “Developers are actively considering them,” he added. Ellison has contended that he has an exclusive right to attract markets.</font> <br><font size=-1>City update</font> <br><font size=-1>Way’s comments on the multi-pronged effort to attract markets was part of an upbeat report on the city.</font> <br><font size=-1>While the effort to attract a market continues, Way noted that several other businesses have already opened their doors in California City, including several at the IMC Center, which includes a new Sears store that had a ribbon-cutting Saturday.</font> <br><font size=-1>“Several other small businesses have opened,” Way said. “This is economic growth,” he added, commending the EDC and its president Jim Quiggle.</font> <br><font size=-1>“We are moving forward at a rapid pace,” in the two years since he came to the city.</font> <br><font size=-1>“We have issued 1,200 building permits in the last two years,” with 300 homes “immediately available” to prospective buyers, Way observed.</font> <br><font size=-1>Work on the Microtel at the east end of town is finally nearing completion. “It looks beautiful,” Way said, and when open will help the city attract golf tournaments and other activities to boost business.</font> <br><font size=-1>Villages</font> <br><font size=-1>The Villages at Tierra del Sol that Quiggle is developing is also proceeding, with the new Alta One offices scheduled for completion on March 1. A new club house for the Tierra del Sol golf course and other businesses are also planned for the development, Way said.</font> <br><font size=-1>Two new national fast food firms are also planning to open stores in the city, he added.</font> <br><font size=-1>Industrial development is also being pursued, with the sale of the two Matrix Motors building shells sold and a deal pending with a potential 1,000-acre business.</font> <br><font size=-1>“This city’s future is very bright,” Way told his audience.</font> <br><font size=-1>Central Park</font> <br><font size=-1>The manager also commended Quiggle and other community leaders for their project to restore Central Park, which had deteriorated over the years. The park, which was a major selling point in the city’s early days, is being completely refurbished, with Jay Sprague working to restore the waterfall.</font> <br><font size=-1>Foundations for a new, 10,000 sq. ft. sports arena should be poured soon, Way said.</font> <br><font size=-1>Efforts to attract a new state university to the area will be a boost for the city and all of Southeast Kern, especially if it is built on a site Strata Equity has offered to donate on land they own between Mojave and the Hyundai/Kia Automotive Test Center.</font> <br><font size=-1>Way said development experts agree that a university, good schools, and health care services are the top amenities for attracting residents and businesses to a community.</font> <br><font size=-1>City government</font> <br><font size=-1>“We have also changed the face of city hall,” to make it more “user-friendly” for residents, developers, and others doing business in the city, Way noted.</font> <br><font size=-1>“We have more space to ensure face-to-face, hands-on service,” he said.</font> <br><font size=-1>The administrative structure is also being reorganized, and the city’s new code enforcement officer, Mike Sprague, has received letters of commendation form outsiders and others for his efforts to improve the city’s appearance.</font> <br><font size=-1>Way cautioned that the level of service cannot be maintained unless voters renew the city’s special tax at the March election.</font> <p><font size=-1>Special tax vital to city services,</font> <br><font size=-1>officials tell EDC</font> <br>California Homes for Sale and Real Estate <br>Property Directory > California Homes for Sale <p>Browse Homes for sale in California homes for sale, California Real Estate Agents or real estate agents. 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Homes (6) <br>  Claremont Homes (93) <br>  Earlimart Homes (5) <br>  El Sobrante Homes (122) <br>  Farmersville Homes (31) <br>  Janesville Homes (18) <br>  Lucerne Homes (8) <br>  Lucerne Valley Homes (34) <br>  Newport Beach Homes (540) <br>  Pauma Valley Homes (6) <br>  San Anselmo Homes (11) <br>  Sierra City Homes (1) <br>  Southlake Homes (15) <br>  Thermal Homes (72) <br>  Turlock Homes (255) <br>  Westminster Homes (322) <br>  <br>  <p>Hottest Real Estate Home for sale Listings in California: <p><font size=-1>City ‘stretched thin’</font> <br><font size=-1>QUOTE: “Economic growth is based on the special tax.”—Councilman Mike Edmiston</font> <br><font size=-1>BY BILL DEAVER</font> <br><font size=-1>CALIFORNIA CITY — After delivering an upbeat report on business activity in this city at last Thursday’s California City Economic Development Corporation breakfast meeting, two city officials cautioned their audience that voters’ failure to pass a $100 per parcel special tax in March could doom the current economic growth.</font> <br><font size=-1>City Manager William Way commended city officials who are managing more than one department, and added that the city does not plan to hire replacements for the vacant offices unless the tax is renewed.</font> <br><font size=-1>“We don’t want to sign contracts with people that we might not be able to fulfill,” Way said.</font> <br><font size=-1>Way noted that police chief Linda Lunsford is also serving as fire chief, Police Lt. Steve Colerick is handling public works and planning, and several other administrators are managing more than one department.</font> <br><font size=-1>“We are stretched thin,” he said, using a Biblical reference to make his point that stretching leadership thin does the same to everyone in the city.</font> <br><font size=-1>Growth based on tax</font> <br><font size=-1>“Economic growth is based on the special tax,” City Councilman Mike Edmiston said, reminding residents that during the 1990s before the first special tax was passed, no city streets were repaired.</font> <br><font size=-1>Noting that the city has a “new outlook” with a new mayor and council member, Edmiston said the group supporting the special tax, California City Forward, supports that outlook.</font> <br><font size=-1>The proposed tax is for five instead of three years, which makes for better financial planning, Edmiston said.</font> <br><font size=-1>And the current $75 tax, which expires July 31st, “is not adequate to cover the city’s needs.”</font> <br><font size=-1>Edmiston said that revenues form the special tax have made it possible for the city to not have to rely on lines of credit for the last two years, saving on interest and related costs.</font> <br><font size=-1>“We are determined to get the tax passed,” Edmiston said, but noted it is difficult to deal with opponents who won’t come forward to express their views.</font> <p><font size=-1>Special tax opponent promises ‘full-out battle’</font> <p><font size=-1>Blames ‘old boy network’</font> <br><font size=-1>QUOTE: "We just want them to be accountable."—Don Cook</font> <br><font size=-1>BY DEBBY BADILLO</font> <br><font size=-1>CALIFORNIA CITY — With six weeks to go until voters will be asked to approve a special tax in the March 6 election, resident Cliff Suazo is gearing up for what he calls a "full on battle" to keep the measure from passing.</font> <br><font size=-1>Suazo says he's against the tax because the real reason for the city's financial troubles is not a lack of revenue, but the failure of city officials to develop a workable budget. He also claims the city wastes money, and that there is a good old boy culture in the city that keeps new businesses out, leading to a lack of jobs. Without new businesses and jobs in town there won't be any of the economic growth that officials say they want, Suazo said, and it's more important to bring in new business than new houses. He also says the tax is unfair to the owners of more than one lot, who might be on a limited income.</font> <br><font size=-1>"People say this (campaign) is about the shop, but it's not about that. It's about the growth of the city," Suazo said Sunday morning, referring to the closure of his hot rod shop in 2004, when he accused the city of interfering with his right to run a business after he was ordered to conform to the city's code enforcement ordinances. He also says it's wrong for city officials to "force" the special tax on the city by bringing it back again for approval in March after a tax measure failed in November.</font> <br><font size=-1>Measure A will ask voters to approve a $100 annual parcel tax for five years. It will need to collect at least two-thirds, or 67 percent, of the votes cast to win. If it is approved the special tax will add about $4.2 million per year to the city's revenue, and help continue a full level of basic services like fire and police services, the street department, and the parks and recreation program.</font> <br><font size=-1>Tax expiring</font> <br><font size=-1>This special tax is designed to continue the city's current three-year, $75 special tax, set to expire June 30. The city has levied a special tax in one form or another since the late 1980s, when voters approved a $53 four-year special tax in 1987 and again in 1991. There was a three-year gap without a special tax when the city suffered with limited fire and police personnel, city hall was open for limited hours, city parks deteriorated from a lack of maintenance, and the once-thriving schedule of parks and recreation programs shut it doors.</font> <br><font size=-1>In 1998 voters approved the first round of the now-familiar $75 special tax, and the city has made progress in hiring more fire fighters and police officers, repairing streets, restoring the parks, and a return of the parks and recreation programs for the city's young people.</font> <br><font size=-1>Willing to see employees lose jobs</font> <br><font size=-1>Suazo said he's willing to see city employees lose their jobs if the tax measure fails because that will force the city council to learn how to budget. He and his friend Don Cook, a former city employee, both say the street department is an example of wasteful spending, and that the city could save money by hiring contractors for certain jobs. They also say the asphalt grinds and slurry seals applied to city streets in the past few years are not going to hold up, and are another example of wasteful spending.</font> <br><font size=-1>Cook said the city could also earn some revenue by holding traffic court in town to keep fines from tickets in the city. (Fines from citations issued in the city already go to the city). The city needs to look for more ways to earn money, he said.</font> <br><font size=-1>According to Suazo there are about 15 residents who agree with him enough to meet informally and brainstorm their anti-special tax campaign, and there are also others who stop to tell him they agree that the special tax is not what they want.</font> <br><font size=-1>"We're confident that we'll be successful," Don said. "We just want them to be accountable."</font> <br><font size=-1>Suazo said he's willing to spend $5,000 or $10,000 of his own money to defeat the special tax, and he's preparing fliers and billboards to post all over town. But if the tax does pass, he said, "then I wish them luck."</font> <br><font size=-1>The most important thing for people to remember, Suazo and Cook said, is to vote.</font> <br>  <p><font size=-1>CITY UPDATE — California City Economic Development Corporation President Jim Squiggle, former mayor Rich Hall, and city manager William Way discuss the state of the city before Way’s presentation to the EDC last week. BILL DEAVER/Desert News</font> <br>  <p><font size=-1>MEETING THE MAYOR — California City Mayor David Evans, at left, met long-time city resident and former DesertNews editor Kathy Pluta at last Thursday’s CalCity Economic Development Corporation breakfast as EDC president Jim Quiggle and newly-appointed Corrections Corp. of America warden Chuck DeRosa look on. Pluta is an official at CCA’s CalCity prison. BILL DEAVER/Desert News</font> <p><font size=-1>The two largest incorporated cities in the Antelope Valley are Palmdale and Lancaster. Other incorporated cities include California City, Ridgecrest and Tehachapi. The remaining communities are considered unincorporated communities governed by their respective counties, either Los Angeles or Kern.</font> <br><font size=-1>Greater Antelope Valley Region</font> <br><font size=-1>Square Miles: 2,200</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: 437,942</font> <br><font size=-1>2005-2010 Projected: 477,263 (+8.98%)</font> <br><font size=-1>Population Forecast: 780,504 by 2020</font> <p><font size=-1>Lancaster</font> <br><font size=-1>Elevation: 2,450 ft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Square Miles: 94.2</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: 133,703</font> <br><font size=-1>(118,718 in 2000 Census)</font> <p><font size=-1>Meetings: Lancaster City Council, 44933 Fern Ave., second and fourth Tuesdays, 7 p.m. Lancaster Redevelopment Agency, second and fourth Tuesdays, 6 p.m. Planning Commission, third Monday, 7 p.m. Antelope Valley Chambers of Commerce (Lancaster and Rosamond), monthly business luncheons, 11:30 a.m.</font> <p><font size=-1>Information: 661/723-6000</font> <p><font size=-1>Lancaster is a bustling community with a growing number of industries, affordable housing, employment, schools, recreational opportunities and excellent smog-free weather 300 days or more a year. It is the ninth-largest city in Los Angeles County and the third-fastest growing. Los Angeles is a short one-and-a-half hour drive on Highway 14. Bakersfield, San Bernardino, and coastal communities are easy commutes, too.</font> <br>  <br>  <p><font size=-1>In 1876, the Southern Pacific railroad made Lancaster one of its stops. That milestone sparked growth in the Antelope Valley. Most of the early settlers in Lancaster were farmers who established homesteads in outlying areas. Their main shopping was done in Old Lancaster, which today is located on East Lancaster Boulevard near Cedar Avenue. There, you will see the historic Western Hotel (first built in the 1800s) and a number of original buildings dating back to the 1930s. Among those are old county buildings and a post office.</font> <p><font size=-1>Thanks to the Lancaster Old Town Site Board (LOTS), ?The Boulevard,? as it is fondly called by old-timers, has been renewed and well maintained. Trees and antique light standards line both sides of the street, which give the area a special ambience.</font> <p><font size=-1>The city encourages citizens to get involved with the formation of its new Downtown Lancaster Specific Plan, which will revitalize the downtown the district. Up-to-date information about progress and citizen-involvement opportunities can be obtained by calling 661/723-6132 or visiting www.celebratedowntown.org.</font> <p><font size=-1>The heart of the city is home to the 758-seat Lancaster Performing Arts Center and Los Angeles County?s largest regional library, which services nearly 100,000 cardholders. Downtown Lancaster has become the major financial center of the Antelope Valley, the site of a new $25 million sheriff?s station and a state-of-the-art fire station.</font> <p><font size=-1>Lancaster?s population totals 133,703, according to the California Department of Finance. The city?s long list of move-in incentives for new businesses and available commercial land for expansion make it an attractive place for Los Angeles-area entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.</font> <p><font size=-1>Lancaster also is home to Clear Channel Stadium (formerly The Hangar), the city?s 6,850-seat municipal baseball stadium and home to the Arizona Diamondback-affiliated Lancaster JetHawks baseball team. The stadium opened in 1996. When not attracting sellout crowds for baseball, the facility hosts a variety of special events such as concerts, fireworks festivities, car shows and amateur athletics.</font> <p><font size=-1>One of the major attractions in Lancaster is the annual Antelope Valley Fair, which has relocated to new quarters on 135 acres north of Avenue H and west of the Antelope Valley Freeway. Groundbreaking was held in 1999. New facilities include two exhibit halls, a Watch & Wager building, an RV park with restrooms and showers, a grandstand with 7,000 seats, a show arena and other assorted structures.</font> <p><font size=-1>Palmdale</font> <br><font size=-1>Elevation: 2,655 ft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Square Miles: 105</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: 136,734</font> <br><font size=-1>(116,670 in 2000 Census)</font> <p><font size=-1>Meetings: Palmdale City Council, 38300 Sierra Hwy., Suite B, second Wednesday of month, 6 p.m. Planning Commission, first and third Thursdays, 7 p.m. Palmdale Chamber of Commerce hosts monthly (third Wednesday) business luncheons at 11:30 a.m.</font> <p><font size=-1>Information: 661/267-5100.</font> <p><font size=-1>The Palmdale economy is booming, experiencing solid growth that is reflected in rising housing values and increased city revenue. Inflation still registers in low single digits. The city continues to be one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation. To give this growth some perspective, from April 1, 1990 to April 1, 2000, Palmdale mushroomed by 76.4 percent, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. Employment is up, crime statistics are down, and home sales are brisk. Indeed, like Lancaster and other neighboring communities, home values have risen dramatically as well, fueled in large part by the area?s family-friendly environment, affordability and record-low interest rates.</font> <p><font size=-1>Covering an area of more than 100 square miles, Palmdale now has more than 143,000 residents, according to city sources. It was the first community within the Antelope Valley to incorporate as a city, doing so on Aug. 24, 1962. The city has consistently ranked in the top-10 fastest-growing cities in the nation over the last 20 years. It is the sixth largest city in Los Angeles County.</font> <p><font size=-1>At the heart of the city is the Palmdale Cultural Center at Palmdale Boulevard and Sierra Highway. Styled in a Spanish motif, the Cultural Center has undergone a major renovation. Adjacent to the Cultural Center is the Palmdale City Library.</font> <p><font size=-1>Poncitlan Square, a beautiful park fashioned after a similar one in Palmdale?s sister city, Poncitlan, Mexico, was built in 1998. A new development service building and a Palmdale Courthouse were completed in 2000 and 2001, respectively. The renovated 22-year-old Larry Chimbole Cultural Center is located in the Civic Center area and is bounded by Sierra Highway and Palmdale Boulevard. The 21,800-square-foot building features an upstairs auditorium that can accommodate 350 people in theater seating or 250 for dinner, and three meeting rooms for 40 to 50 people. These new facilities are a part of the city?s downtown revitalization plan. The city also opened a brand-new sheriff?s station in July 2006.</font> <p><font size=-1>Palmdale is home to some of the world?s top aerospace companies, as well as a continually growing number of high-tech manufacturers. Top aerospace companies such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman continue to have a strong presence at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale. Although space shuttle modification has been transferred to Florida, there?s a lot of important work going on here. Work continues on such programs as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the unmanned Global Hawk reconnaissance aircraft, the B-2 stealth bomber, the X-45A unmanned combat air vehicle and the unmanned X-37 space plane.</font> <p><font size=-1>Palmdale Regional Airport, which is owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) under a joint-use agreement with the U.S. Air Force, is located on a 61-acre site on the property of Air Force Plant 42. The terminal at 41000 North St. East first opened on June 29, 1971. Since then, LAWA has acquired an additional 17,750 acres of adjacent property for the airport?s eventual development into a large commercial airport. The airport is poised to accommodate increased future air travel if and when Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) reaches capacity.</font> <p><font size=-1>With more than 2,000 companies making Palmdale home, the city embraces an entrepreneurial spirit. Palmdale offers a wealth of leased space, spec buildings and land available for construction. Land costs in Palmdale are very attractive, often half that found in other areas of California.</font> <p><font size=-1>Moreover, a number of key incentives can help reduce the cost of doing business in Palmdale. The city is part of the Antelope Valley Enterprise Zone and hosts its own Foreign-Trade Zone. Hiring, training and investment incentives are also available to qualified firms.</font> <p><font size=-1>Health care has taken some major steps forward in Palmdale, which is one of the largest U.S. cities without a hospital. That unfortunate status is expected to change soon. Construction of the Palmdale Regional Medical Center began in 2005 and is expected to be completed in 2007. The 250,000-square-foot facility is being built by Universal Health Services (UHS) on 37 acres near Tierra Subida and Palmdale Boulevard. The new hospital will feature OB/GYN services, cardiac-catheterization labs, pediatrics, general medical care and a 35-bed emergency room, the latter of which will be the largest ER in the area and double the number of ER beds throughout the valley. The hospital will open with 171 beds, to be composed of 32 intensive care beds; 108 medical surgical, telemetry and pediatric beds; 25 obstetrics beds, and six neonatal intensive care beds. UHS plans to eventually add 32 more intensive care and 36 medical surgical beds, giving the hospital a total of 239 beds.</font> <p><font size=-1>Filling the health-care gap until the new hospital opens is an urgent-care clinic that opened in mid-2002 as part of the South Valley Medical Center, which was built by Antelope Valley Hospital. And, in March 2003, Kaiser Permanente opened a new medical office building in Palmdale.</font> <p><font size=-1>New recreational facilities are a big part of the city?s vision for the future. March 25, 2004, marked the beginning of construction of the ?Vision for the Future? park projects. The $42 million project ? funded in part by a $31.4 million bond assessment passed by Palmdale residents ? paid for a new recreation center, swimming pool and water park on the east side of Palmdale and a new recreation center, swimming pool, amphitheater and softball complex on the west side. The city?s DryTown Water Park & Mining Co. opened at Palmdale Oasis Park in 2006. It features a six-acre Old West mining town-themed aquatic park with a 925-foot lazy river; a 35-foot tower with three water slides and a splash pool; 6,000-square-foot children?s water playground; a food and beverage snack bar with patio area; a merchandise store; covered picnic area; large grassy area for group outings, and a community room. The budget for Palmdale Oasis Park, which includes DryTown Water Park, was $27.6 million. In addition to the new water park, this site also includes the Palmdale Oasis Park Recreation Center, a 4.5-acre landscaped area designed for community events and a 12-acre flood retention basin that will be landscaped to accommodate soccer and football.</font> <p><font size=-1>And, a competition-size pool opened at Marie Kerr Park in 2006. The city oversaw a 40-acre expansion of Marie Kerr Park at 30th Street West and Rancho Vista Boulevard (Avenue P). In 2005 the park received a stunning outdoor amphitheater that is the site of summer concerts, movies and other events.</font> <p><font size=-1>The city also has undertaken a traffic signal-installation program and other transportation projects. The city also has committed more than $10 million to improve some of its busiest surface streets. The city completed its Avenue S Corridor Improvement Project in June 2006.</font> <p><font size=-1>Another major project is the $14 million Palmdale Transportation Center, which opened in 2005. The facility near Sierra Highway and 6th Street East just south of Technology Drive will be the transportation hub of the Antelope Valley. Site improvements include a Spanish-style station terminal, plaza area, Metrolink station platform, parking lot and 45-foot clock tower. The center features a Metrolink commuter rail station, bus service, van-pool and park-n-ride services with future provisions for high-speed rail and airport service. Bicycle and pedestrian paths plus landscaping complement the new center.</font> <p><font size=-1>Also in the works is a remodel of the Antelope Valley Mall, and the opening of a new 16-screen cinema complex at the Antelope Valley Mall.</font> <p><font size=-1>Ground broken for Hacienda</font> <br><font size=-1>Elementary School</font> <p><font size=-1>Construction begins following ceremony</font> <br><font size=-1>QUOTE: “We want to thank the city for its partnership with us on this project.”—MUSD Supt. Larry Phelps</font> <br><font size=-1>BY BILL DEAVER</font> <br><font size=-1>CALIFORNIA CITY — Right after ceremonies to break ground for the new Hacienda Elementary School here ended Monday morning, the real business of moving dirt for the foundations of the new school got underway as big earthmoving machine began the job of building the school.</font> <br><font size=-1>Hacienda Elementary, named for the street that runs in front of it, should be accepting students in August of this year, said Mojave Unified School District Supt. Larry Phelps, who presided over the groundbreaking event. The school is expected to greatly relieve crowding at Robert P. Ulrich Elementary School, the city’s only elementary school. RPU currently houses grades kindergarten through five. Phelps said the school board must make a decision on which grades RPU and Hacienda will offer.</font> <br><font size=-1>Phelps, who has struggled for several years generating a mountain of paperwork to meet ever-burgeoning bureaucratic and environmental demands, thanked CalCity residents for their patience.</font> <br><font size=-1>He and MUSD board member Jim Hooper also had good things to say about the one governmental agency that went out of its way to help the district build the school.</font> <br><font size=-1>“We want to thank the city for its partnership with us on this project,” Phelps said.</font> <br><font size=-1>He was echoed by Hooper, for the “common sense” assistance the city provided.</font> <br><font size=-1>Mayor David Evans returned that appreciation.</font> <br><font size=-1>Evans said the project was an example “of the school district and city working together, which shows how government at the grassroots can work.”</font> <br><font size=-1>City Manager William Way said he could think of no other project currently underway in the city “that has greater importance than this new school,” which he said will positively impact the city for decades to come.</font> <br><font size=-1>Long process</font> <br><font size=-1>Phelps, said he could “talk for hours about the process” of obtaining approvals for the elementary school and the new California City High School, which is also under construction.</font> <br><font size=-1>He thanked a number of people who played important roles in the effort to build the school, including former Mayor Larry Adams who used the expertise he gained working to have the nearby California City Middle School built in the effort to get the city’s two new schools built.</font> <br><font size=-1>MUSD board member Shawn Sprague, who, with Hooper, serve on the board’s construction committee, were also singled out for praise by Phelps.</font> <br><font size=-1>Sprague congratulated Schrader and Associates, the construction company building the two schools. He said the company is already ahead of schedule on the high school, and is a “first-class, top notch outfit.”</font> <br>  <p><font size=-1>BREAKING GROUND— Ground was officially broken Monday morning for the new Hacienda Elementary School in California City by members of the Mojave Unified School District school board. Making the dirt fly were, from left, student board members Chelsea Blanco and Shaina Smith, and elected board members Jim Hooper, Dr. Edward Sigh, board president Connie Biehl, and board members Ted Hodgkinson and Shawn Sprague. As soon as the ceremonies ended equipment began moving dirt to start construction of the new school. BILL DEAVER/Desert News</font> <p><font size=-1>Surrounding Communities</font> <p><font size=-1>Acton</font> <br><font size=-1>Elevation: 2,700 ft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Square Miles: 77</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: 9,175</font> <p><font size=-1>Meetings: The Acton Town Council meets on the first and third Mondays (7:30 p.m.) at the Acton Community Club, 3742 Nickels St. The Acton Chamber of Commerce, located at 32039 N. Crown Valley Road, meets regularly at various locations. Information: 661/269-5785.</font> <p><font size=-1>Acton was founded in 1887 by gold miners working in the nearby Red Rover Mine. The unincorporated community was named after Acton, Mass. by one of the miners. Henry Gage, who served as California governor from 1899 to 1903, owned the Red Rover Mine and unsuccessfully tried to relocate the state capitol to Acton. Today, Red Rover Mine Road, a familiar exit off Highway 14, is the only vestige of those ?golden days? of yesterday.</font> <p><font size=-1>Acton is known as ?The Gateway to the Antelope Valley.? There is an element of the Old West apparent when you drive through this rural community. Gold, copper and titanium ore were mined near Acton in the 1800s. In those early days, a large copper deposit was mined at the Mount Emma Mine near Parker Mountain.</font> <p><font size=-1>The rugged Sierra Pelona Mountains to the north and the San Gabriel Mountains to the south ring the Acton area. Located seven miles south of Palmdale, Acton is commonly referred to by locals as the Beverly Hills of the Antelope Valley, in large part because many of its homes are expensive mansion and ranch-style properties on large lots. On the valley floor, horse corrals sandwiched between custom and semi-custom homes create a remarkable equestrian panorama.</font> <p><font size=-1>Acton has its own Metrolink train station, which is themed in an Old West style and frequently used in movies, TV shows and commercials. Riders on the Metrolink trains can often spot large wild animals grazing in the fields of the Shambala Preserve, operated by actress Tippi Hedren.</font> <p><font size=-1>On Third Street in downtown Acton there is a western-style saloon called The 49er, which was built in 1889. The saloon, which is still open, has had a cafe added to it.</font> <p><font size=-1>Agua Dulce</font> <br><font size=-1>Elevation: 2,400 to 4,000 ft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Square Miles: 25</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: 4,000-plus</font> <p><font size=-1>If you like movie sets, stuntmen, horses and rugged, rocky landscapes, Agua Dulce is for you. The Agua Dulce area, about 25 miles southwest of Palmdale and 44 miles north of Los Angeles, is a favorite filming location for commercials and movies because of its reddish, towering rock formations and canyons. Moviemakers love the authentic-looking backgrounds that the monolithic Vasquez Rocks create for westerns and science fiction films. Vasquez Rocks is the community?s most recognizable landmark.</font> <p><font size=-1>The hillsides of Agua Dulce are dotted with million-dollar mansions where Los Angeles commuters, stuntmen and Hollywood executives live side-by-side. Residents there appreciate the country style, picturesque environment and easy commute to jobs in the city.</font> <p><font size=-1>Agua Dulce, which means ?sweet water? in Spanish, was first inhabited by the Tataviam Indians. The Vasquez Rocks formations were a favorite shelter for the tribe.</font> <p><font size=-1>Between 1857 and 1875, Vasquez Rocks served as a hiding place for the famous horse thief and bank robber, Tiburcio Vasquez. The California State Legislature put a $15,000 bounty on the infamous bandit?s head, and he was finally captured on May 13, 1874, and hanged on March 19, 1875. The area?s high school now bears his name.</font> <p><font size=-1>In the 1880s, farmers created the ?Soledad Township,? which was Agua Dulce?s original name. Today, street names such as Wagon Wheel Road, Yucca Hills, Zorro Way, Coyote Trail and Durango Lane remind us of the rich Old West heritage of the area.</font> <p><font size=-1>If you are a pilot, you will appreciate the 190-acre Agua Dulce Airpark. The fraternity of flyers is very organized and has many activities for private pilots.</font> <p><font size=-1>Boron</font> <br><font size=-1>Elevation: 2,499 ft</font> <br><font size=-1>Square Miles: 13.9</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: 2,025 (U.S. Census, 2000)</font> <p><font size=-1>Meetings: Boron Chamber of Commerce, second and fourth Monday.</font> <p><font size=-1>Boron is a small community, and people here like it that way. U.S. Borax, one of Boron?s two major employers, operates California?s largest mine here and is one of the state?s oldest companies. The Air Force is the second largest employer and provides jobs for most of the working people in Boron. It has been like that for 30 or 40 years.</font> <p><font size=-1>While there is not a lot of growth in Boron, there is a concern for preserving the history of the area. In the center of town, on Twenty Mule Team Road, you will find the Twenty Mule Team Museum and the Vernon P. Saxon Jr. Memorial Aerospace Museum. Each contains historical items, such as mining displays, railroad memorabilia and jet fighters from former wars.</font> <p><font size=-1>California City</font> <br><font size=-1>Elevation: 2,437 ft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Square Miles: 203.6</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: 11,504</font> <br><font size=-1>(8,385 in 2000 Census)</font> <p><font size=-1>Meetings: California City?s City Council meets on the first and third Tuesday of the month. City Hall is located at 21000 Hacienda Blvd.</font> <p><font size=-1>Information: 760/373-8661</font> <p><font size=-1>As one of the fastest-growing regions in Southern California, California City has been undergoing significant change. It has an evolving and diverse business base. Recent developments include Ellison Plaza, which addresses the city?s need for shopping, entertainment, dining and lodging. Microtel Inns & Suites, a 103-unit hotel, opened in 2006. Developed by homebuilder Michael Ellison, the commercial center is designed to help California City attract retailers, the most important of which is a major grocery store. Ellison builds homes ranging in size from 1,525 to 6,250 square feet, with prices starting in the low $200,000s.</font> <p><font size=-1>Other developments include a $50 million Hyundai Kia Motor Co. test track and facility, which opened in 2004 and created new jobs for the area. The facility is expected to eventually employ about 100 people. The car company chose California City primarily because of its dry, warm and sunny desert climate, which is ideal for stress-testing new cars and improving automotive design.</font> <p><font size=-1>A new high school and elementary school are under construction, more than $30 million in new construction and home-building permits have been issued, and a new gated golf course community was in development.</font> <p><font size=-1>The city also is home to the California City Correctional Center, a 2,305-bed prison that employs 551 people; a McDonald?s restaurant, and a Rite Aid store. A 40-acre industrial park near the California City Municipal Airport is in the works.</font> <p><font size=-1>More people are moving into California City because they have discovered what residents here have enjoyed for a long time. Home and land prices are very affordable. Not only that, you can add excellent weather, clean air, good schools and safe streets. While this charming little community of about 11,000 is relatively new, it has all the enhancements of larger towns ? including incorporation. There is easy shopping, a wonderful Central Park and a professionally designed PGA 18-hole and par-3 golf course.</font> <p><font size=-1>Developer N.K. ?Nat? Mendelsohn had a dream of building a large master-planned leisure community in the area as early as 1956. He envisioned converting M&R Ranch, a 208-square-mile stretch of land northeast of Mojave, into a residential area that would house up to 1 million people by the turn of the century. Mendelsohn?s planned community was premature, but he created a lot of hope and enduring loyalty in California City?s residents. Like Mendelsohn, many of them still think their town is a ?sleeper.?</font> <p><font size=-1>California City also is a favorite destination for off-road enthusiasts. From Cal City dirt bikers and ATVers fan out across the expansive desert and ride into the Red Rock area and old mining towns such as Randsburg, population 77.</font> <p><font size=-1>Lake Los Angeles</font> <br><font size=-1>Elevation: 2,664 ft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Square Miles: 282</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: Approximately 13,000</font> <br><font size=-1>(11,523 in 2000 Census)</font> <p><font size=-1>Meetings: Lake Los Angeles Rural Town Council, monthly at Vista San Gabriel Elementary School, third Wednesday, 7 p.m.</font> <p><font size=-1>Lake Los Angeles is located about 10 miles east of Lancaster off Avenue J. The town is surrounded by rolling hills and large, rocky buttes. Mother Nature has sprinkled a generous helping of Joshua trees into the mix to make the landscape even more interesting.</font> <p><font size=-1>The name Lake Los Angeles may be misleading. ?Los Angeles Buttes? would be a more descriptive name for this community of 12,800 people.</font> <p><font size=-1>Before the 1960s, Lake Los Angeles did not exist. The only people who lived in the area were a few ranch families. Then, in 1967, a group of developers bought a 4,000-acre parcel of land there. They subdivided it into 4,465 lots and created a man-made lake to help spur home sales.</font> <p><font size=-1>People all over the world bought the lots, but by 1971 only 14 houses had been built. After that, home building fizzled in Lake L.A. until the early 1980s. The town came alive again because many people were back working in the aerospace industry. However, Lake L.A.?s period of prosperity was short-lived. A few years later, the economy softened and development slowed.</font> <p><font size=-1>The water supply for the lake was shut off in 1981 and the lake dried up. People tried to restore the water, but failed. Eventually, the lake was converted into a community park.</font> <p><font size=-1>As in other parts of the Antelope Valley, the area is undergoing growth. Movie producers have found Lake Los Angeles a wonderful spot for location shooting. One of the favorite places for filming is Club Ed on 150th Street East, just south of Avenue K. Another location is a fairly new ?Four Aces? set on Avenue Q and 145th Street East.</font> <p><font size=-1>The Antelope Valley Indian Museum is the biggest attraction for tourists in Lake Los Angeles. In addition, Saddleback Butte State Park and the Alpine Butte Wildlife Preserve attract outdoor enthusiasts.</font> <p><font size=-1>Lake Elizabeth/Lake Hughes</font> <br><font size=-1>Elevation: 3,200 ft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Square Miles: 139</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: Approximately 3,000</font> <p><font size=-1>Meetings: The Lakes Town Council, monthly, first Saturday, 8:30 a.m., in the Lake Hughes Community Center.</font> <p><font size=-1>Picture this: Green rolling hills, picturesque farmhouses and barns, winding fences and two beautiful blue lakes. Only two miles apart, the lakes cover about 235 acres of water and are a favorite haven for swimmers, fishermen and picnickers.</font> <p><font size=-1>The 3,000 or so residents who live here call their home ?The Lakes? because it?s easier than saying Lake Elizabeth and Lake Hughes. A true delight for those who love a pastoral setting, ?The Lakes? is just 20 miles west of Palmdale.</font> <br><font size=-1>In the late 1800s, resident farmers grew hay and grapes in ?The Lakes? area. By the 1920s, resort development had begun. The first housing development came in 1922. In the years that followed, the area evolved slowly to what it is today.</font> <p><font size=-1>You cannot fish or swim in half of Elizabeth Lake because it is privately owned. The other half is owned by the U.S. Forest Service, and the public is invited. You cannot water ski on the lake, but powerboats are permitted, provided engines are no more powerful than 10 h.p.</font> <p><font size=-1>To access Lake Hughes, you have to enter through a resort there. The resort offers developed campsites, with all of the necessary conveniences, including hot showers.</font> <p><font size=-1>Leona Valley</font> <br><font size=-1>Elevation: 2,900 ft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: Approximately 2,200</font> <br><font size=-1>Leona Valley, a small, unincorporated community of about 2,200 people, is one of the Antelope Valley?s best-kept secrets. Located 12 miles southwest of Palmdale, the desert landscape changes to green farmland. Instead of Joshua trees, you will find rolling hills, cherry orchards and horse barns. It is known primarily for its agriculture, which is highlighted during the annual Leona Valley Cherry Festival.</font> <p><font size=-1>This valley is a long narrow valley separated from the Antelope Valley by Ritter Ridge, along the San Andreas Fault. The valley is about a mile wide and 25 miles long. Around Leona Valley, large homesteads were sold and sub-divided by developers. What you see now are large, custom houses with lots of acreage.</font> <p><font size=-1>Littlerock</font> <br><font size=-1>Elevation: 3,000 ft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Square Miles: 1.5</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: 1,402 (2000 Census CDP area)</font> <p><font size=-1>Meetings: Littlerock Town Council, monthly, second Thursday, 7 p.m., Alpine Grange Hall, 87th Street East and Avenue T-8.</font> <p><font size=-1>As you drive through Littlerock on Highway 138, fruit stands are everywhere. There are great fresh-off-the-tree bargains. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, you can pick your own at the U-Pick orchards. Either way, people return every year to buy fruit or pick it. At last count, there were more than 700 acres of deciduous fruit trees in this Rockwell-esque community.</font> <p><font size=-1>If you are an antique enthusiast, Littlerock should whet your appetite. There are numerous little antique shops lining the main street. ?Oldies but Goodies? can be bought in Littlerock ? well below prices in other areas.</font> <p><font size=-1>In 1870, Littlerock was a scheduled stop for the Butterfield Stage Coach Line. Nowadays, it has an estimated population of 12,003, which has tripled since 1991 when only 4,000 residents lived here.</font> <p><font size=-1>People who want acreage and horses love Littlerock because large lots are inexpensive and zoning allows animals.</font> <p><font size=-1>There are not a lot of sidewalks because residents like the rural influence. It is better for riding horses through town.</font> <p><font size=-1>Littlerock?s Everett Martin Park, located at 92nd Street East and Avenue U, features a summer swimming pool, basketball court, playground areas, and picnic tables and barbecues.</font> <p><font size=-1>Mojave</font> <br><font size=-1>Elevation: 2,787 ft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Square Miles: 75</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: 3,751 (3,836 in 2000 Census)</font> <p><font size=-1>Meetings: Mojave Town Council, monthly, third Wednesday, 7 p.m., in the Mojave Veterans Building. Mojave Chamber of Commerce, monthly, fourth Thursday 7:30 a.m.</font> <p><font size=-1>At the junction of Highways 14 and 58, in East Kern County, Mojave is a welcome oasis for tired travelers, truckers and commuters. Fast-food restaurants and service stations line both sides of the highway. It is located at the northwest corner of the Mojave Desert.</font> <p><font size=-1>Mojave is home of the Mojave Spaceport, America?s first inland spaceport and location of the first private space flight. The spaceport drew international attention when SpaceShipOne took off from here on June 21, 2004. SpaceShipOne was the first privately funded, built and operated manned craft to reach space. It was built by Burt Rutan?s Scaled Composites, which was awarded the $10 million Ansari X Prize after the craft repeated the feat twice within a two-week window in October 2004. After winning the prize, Rutan remarked that the isolation of Mojave fosters such invention. ?Innovation is what we do here because there?s not much else to do in Mojave,? he said. Rutan, also known as the designer and builder of the famous Voyager aircraft that flew around the world non-stop with his brother Dick at the controls, exemplifies the strong aerospace spirit that thrives here.</font> <p><font size=-1>Mojave has experienced other aviation milestones, as well. As home to Edwards Air Force Base, it was the site of the first supersonic flight and the first landing of the space shuttle. As motorists who drive through Mojave can attest, the Mojave Airport also serves as a vast storage yard for hundreds of commercial airliners, which are flown and parked here because of its aviation-friendly climate.</font> <p><font size=-1>With a population of just under 4,000, Mojave is small but probably the most important transportation center in the High Desert. According to Caltrans estimates, more than 30,000 vehicles pass through the main intersection of Highways 58 and 14 every day. That total will increase to 61,600 vehicles by the year 2020 ? just during weekdays.</font> <p><font size=-1>Since 1876, Mojave has continued to be an important hub of transportation activity. In its early days, it was a freight stop for 20-mule team freight wagons hauling borax from Death Valley to the railroad. Then, Mojave experienced a sudden boom period.</font> <p><font size=-1>Gold was discovered in 1876 and continued to support the town?s economy, in a boom-to-bust fashion, until the beginning of World War II. At that time, gold prices fell, and mining operations closed.</font> <p><font size=-1>Luckily, the Marines built an auxiliary pilot training base in Mojave during the war years, which bolstered the dwindling economy. In addition, the Army?s bombing range nearby and Muroc Army Air Field, 18 miles east of town, brought in more money. In 1958, the Marine base was turned over to Kern County. Then, in 1972, the base became the East Kern Airport District and grew into a large aviation/aerospace industrial complex. With that growth came a name change. The Mojave Airport District, as it is called today, employs people from all parts of the Antelope Valley.</font> <p><font size=-1>As you drive out of Mojave on your way to Bakersfield, you will see rows and rows of wind-machine propellers flashing rhythmically in the sun. They represent another large industry for Mojave ? wind power. While this relatively new enterprise does not share the rich history of mining and transportation in the area, it does bring employment and income to its residents.</font> <p><font size=-1>Pearblossom</font> <br><font size=-1>Elevation: 2,570 ft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Square Miles: 40</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: 2,435</font> <p><font size=-1>Always make sure you have a full tank of gas before driving out into the desert. Pearblossom is a last-chance fill-up spot if you are traveling between Palmdale and San Bernardino on Highway 138. If you want a snack, you can get that, too, in this delightfully small ?wide place in the road.?</font> <p><font size=-1>If you drive fast through Pearblossom, you will have to be alert, or you may miss a large part of the town. Pearblossom is located 15 miles southeast of Palmdale on Pearblossom Highway. Its boundaries cover a 40-square-mile area, from 106th Street East to 155th Street East, then north to Avenue S and south to Fort Tejon.</font> <p><font size=-1>About 2,400 people live in Pearblossom. Founded in 1928, Pearblossom was originally called Mertel. It was a place where people came to retire. That changed when people started moving in from Los Angeles.</font> <p><font size=-1>There are about 20 to 25 businesses in Pearblossom and just one elementary school. The hot spot in town is the Town & Country Market, where residents shop and meet friends. Indeed, there is a unique friendliness inside the store that passes through to the rest of the town.</font> <p><font size=-1>Quartz Hill</font> <br><font size=-1>Elevation: 2,405 ft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Square Miles 4.5</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: Approximately 25,000</font> <p><font size=-1>Meetings: Quartz Hill Town Council, monthly, third Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. Quartz Hill Chamber of Commerce hosts monthly luncheons at 11:30 a.m.</font> <p><font size=-1>Quartz Hill is exactly that ? a hill filled with quartz. This community of about 25,000 people takes its name from a small hill at 45th Street and Avenue M that contains a large amount of silicone dioxide, or quartz. Primarily a residential area, Quartz Hill covers an estimated 4.5 square miles.</font> <p><font size=-1>Residents pride themselves in the rustic qualities of the town, where zoning ordinances still allow horses. In addition to the equestrian properties, there are large developments of custom and semi-custom homes that have beautiful views from half-acre and full-acre hillside lots.</font> <p><font size=-1>Fishing in the California Aqueduct nearby and horseback riding on the many horse trails offer leisure-time activities for residents.</font> <p><font size=-1>Quartz Hill was once a top almond-producing area for the United States. In the 1950s, there were more than 2,000 acres of almond orchards there. Home developments were added over the years, and the orchards gradually disappeared. The 50-year-old Almond Blossom Festival and Parade, held annually in the spring, is all that is left of the almond era.</font> <p><font size=-1>Ridgecrest</font> <br><font size=-1>Elevation: 2,400 ft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Square Miles: 21</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: Approximately 25,850 (24,927 in 2000 Census)</font> <p><font size=-1>There is one place in the Antelope Valley where the Air Force does not leave the biggest employment footprint. That place is Ridgecrest, where the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) and Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) Weapons Division is located. China Lake plays an important role in the Ridgecrest economy, although the city is fast becoming a more diverse community.</font> <p><font size=-1>In a strong indication of the city?s growth, new buildings have begun to sprout at the Ridgecrest Business Park, the Downtown Merchants Association was formed, Cerro Coso College opened a digital library and media center, and new restaurants opened. Home Depot arrived in late 2003. Other major retail companies are keeping a close eye on Ridgecrest, and the city?s industrial base continues to expand. Also opening is a new business and technology park to accommodate the city?s growing number of locally grown businesses and defense contractors.</font> <p><font size=-1>Ridgecrest, an incorporated city with nearly 26,000 residents, is 80 miles northeast of the Lancaster/Palmdale area. Bakersfield is about 125 miles north, and San Bernardino is roughly the same distance to the south. Traveling to all of these nearby urban centers is easy because of the proximity of major highways and the Inyokern Airport.</font> <p><font size=-1>The beautiful Sierra Nevadas border Ridgecrest to the west, the Cosos to the north, the Argus Range to the east, and the El Paso Mountains to the south. Some of the peaks in these nearby mountain ranges rise to an elevation of 6,000 feet. Farther away, Mt. Whitney and other peaks tower as high as 14,000 feet.</font> <p><font size=-1>Prior to the boom in 1943, the small mountainous community of Ridgecrest was called ?Crumville.? Only a few scattered farms and homesteads existed at the time. Over the years, the population of Ridgecrest grew at a steady rate. Between 1980 and 1989, Ridgecrest?s population increased dramatically because of the Naval Air Weapons Station being annexed to the city of Ridgecrest. With that came a shift in population from housing on the base to military housing located in the city.</font> <p><font size=-1>Ridgecrest is conveniently located two hours from Death Valley National Park, three hours from Los Angeles and four hours from Las Vegas and San Diego, just off major routes 395, 14 and 178. United Express has three daily flights to Inyokern Airport.</font> <p><font size=-1>As for Ridgecrest?s future, everything seems positive. In 1995, an action taken by the Base Realignment and Closure group in Washington reaffirmed the importance of the Naval Air Weapons Division at China Lake to the country?s national defense.</font> <p><font size=-1>Rosamond</font> <br><font size=-1>Elevation: 2,415 ft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: Approximately 16,000 (14,349 in 2000 Census)</font> <p><font size=-1>Rosamond, located 15 miles west of Edwards Air Force Base and 20 miles north of Palmdale, is an unincorporated community in southeastern Kern County. With an estimated population of nearly 16,000 people, Rosamond is one of the fastest-growing communities in the Antelope Valley. Home prices are lower in Rosamond than they are in Palmdale and Lancaster, and the commute to Los Angeles is not that much farther.</font> <p><font size=-1>Although Rosamond demonstrates a robust growth profile, the community offers a slower pace than Lancaster or Palmdale and is a wonderful place to raise children. The downtown area remains small because new shopping centers have been built in the outlying areas close to housing developments.</font> <p><font size=-1>Rosamond was originally established in 1877 as a community owned by Sothern Pacific Railroad. It was named ?Rosamond? after the daughter of one of the railroad company?s officials. Two historical influences may be seen in Rosamond ? gold mining and the air base. Gold, which was discovered in Rosamond in 1894, accounted for the majority of Rosamond?s early economic growth. The old Tropico Gold Mine, originally called the Lida Mine and still standing on a Rosamond hillside, employed many of the town?s residents. Meanwhile, Muroc Army Air Corps Base, as it was called in the ?40s and early ?50s, provided additional income for the community. Renamed Edwards Air Force Base in 1956, the installation has become Rosamond?s largest employer and an economic mainstay for the entire Antelope Valley. Many of Rosamond?s residents commute to points south.</font> <p><font size=-1>Two of Rosamond?s main attractions ? Willow Springs International Raceway and the Exotic Feline Breeding Compound ? bring lots of visitors each year. Another outstanding feature is Rosamond Sky Park, an upscale housing development that offers pilots an opportunity to park their airplanes in backyard hangars. The park has runway access to Rosamond Airport.</font> <p><font size=-1>Sun Village</font> <br><font size=-1>Elevation: 3,000 ft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: Approximately 8,200</font> <p><font size=-1>Originally, Sun Village was an all-black development that was started after World War II by a white woman known only as Mrs. Marble. Her company was called the Sun Village Land Corp. This predominantly ethnic community is located near 90th Street East and Palmdale Boulevard.</font> <p><font size=-1>Although Sun Village has its own chamber of commerce now, it continues to battle for its identity as a full-fledged town. There are only two visible markers showing the community?s boundaries ? two signs put up by county supervisor?s office in 1993. On paper, the community?s boundaries have been defined by the Los Angeles County Water District and the Los Angeles County Assessor?s Office.</font> <p><font size=-1>In the 1950s, Frank Zappa?s first band, ?The Blackouts,? played in the Sun Village area.</font> <p><font size=-1>A colorful woman activist named Daisy Gibson was responsible for much of Sun Village?s early progress. With a small group of spirited individuals, she fought for many of the things most people took for granted: paved roads, fire hydrants and water. Part of Gibson?s early campaigns was waged as a talk-show hostess on Palmdale?s radio station, KUTY.</font> <p><font size=-1>On June 16, 1965, Jackie Robinson Park was dedicated after its baseball hall-of-fame namesake. With the help of L.A. County, a softball field was built, including tetherball courts and a sand play area. A large multipurpose center was also built.</font> <p><font size=-1>Tehachapi</font> <br><font size=-1>Elevation: 4,000 ft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Square Miles: 90</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: 30,486</font> <p><font size=-1>Meetings: City Council meets monthly on first and third Monday, Tehachapi City Hall, 115 S. Robinson St., 6 p.m.</font> <p><font size=-1>Tehachapi, a general-law city in Kern County, is the ultimate place for those who want to escape the hubbub of a large city. The basic essentials for a comfortable lifestyle, including ample shopping, two urgent-care clinics and a hospital, are available there. Large tracts of land with oak trees and hillside lots beckon retirees to Tehachapi. If you compare prices, you will discover that you really can buy more house for your money here.</font> <p><font size=-1>Like most areas of Southern California, Tehachapi has grown and achieved significant progress in recent years. The Tehachapi Village Market Place opened, as did the second phase of Tehachapi Crossing Commercial Center. Best Western Country Park Hotel opened a new upscale prototype with 60 executive suites, and 1,000 new single-family residential lots were approved for construction in four subdivisions.</font> <p><font size=-1>Located in a mountain valley about 20 miles north of Mojave, Tehachapi is not far off Highway 58. The Greater Tehachapi area is comprised of about 50,000 acres of level land in the Tehachapi, Brite, Cummings and Bear valleys. Nearly 30,000 residents live in Tehachapi, including the nearly 6,000 inmates in the California Correctional Institution (CCI) in Cummings Valley. CCI is Tehachapi?s largest employer.</font> <p><font size=-1>Other area features include clean air, good water, a great 18-hole golf course and country club. For those who like four seasons, you will find that, too. If you want to travel to Los Angeles on business or to shop, there are two airports and easy access to major highways.</font> <p><font size=-1>Like Ridgecrest, Tehachapi was a significant area for the Native American Kawaiisu tribe. You may see a unique display in the Tehachapi Museum of historical artifacts left behind by these early inhabitants.</font> <p><font size=-1>In 1876, the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe railways were introduced into the Tehachapi Valley. The famous ?Tehachapi Loop? facilitated rail travel between the San Joaquin Valley and Tehachapi, as well as to other destinations such as Mojave, Barstow and Los Angeles. The Loop, one of the great engineering feats of the 19th century, was recognized as a state historic landmark in 1953.</font> <p><font size=-1>The city of Tehachapi, well established by that time, was incorporated in 1909.</font> <p><font size=-1>Apples were an important part of Tehachapi?s economy in the past and continue to be today. At one time, large commercial apple growers thrived, but that has given way to family ?U-pick? orchards and roadside fruit stands.</font> <p><font size=-1>Tourists flock to the Tehachapi area because of attractions such as the Mountain Festival and Rodeo, a Cowboy Museum and a Native American Pow Wow. Besides the festivals and museums, antiques are another important tourist lure.</font> <p><font size=-1>Wind energy is another important commodity in Tehachapi. An estimated 5,000 wind turbines may be seen on the rims of mountains throughout the greater Tehachapi area. According to estimates, about a third of California?s wind turbines are in Tehachapi and produce approximately 1 percent of the state?s electricity.</font> <p><font size=-1>Wrightwood</font> <br><font size=-1>Elevation: 6,000 ft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: 3,837 (2000 Census)</font> <p><font size=-1>On the western edge of the Antelope Valley, you will find one of the best mountain resort areas in Southern California. In contrast to the desert floor below, there are pine trees, summer cabins and a popular skiing area called Mountain High.</font> <p><font size=-1>From the Palmdale/Lancaster area, Wrightwood is a quick 35-mile drive on Highway 138. The highway is two lanes through the desert, then joins with Scenic Route 2 and winds up into the Angeles National Forest.</font> <p><font size=-1>During most of the year, about 3,300 permanent residents live in Wrightwood and operate businesses there. In the snow season, the town fills with skiers and other winter sports enthusiasts. These welcome guests provide the city?s main source of income. When the snow melts, there are still plenty of leisure activities available in this mountaintop community. Hiking, fishing, and picnicking are the favorites during the warmer months.</font> <p><font size=-1>Post Offices and ZIP Codes</font> <br><font size=-1>Post offices are conveniently located throughout the Antelope Valley. Many of the offices? architectural styles reflect their locations. Lancaster takes pride in its historic landmark post office at Lancaster Boulevard and Cedar Avenue. The 1930s-style building is near the Western Hotel and across the street from Lancaster?s original group of city and county buildings.</font> <p><font size=-1>Worshiping in the Antelope Valley</font> <br><font size=-1>Church attendance is strong in the Antelope Valley. Hundreds of different faiths are represented, among them Apostolic, Baha?i, Baptist, Bible, Christian, Christian Science, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Disciples of Christ, Evangelical, Islam?s, Jehovah?s Witnesses, Jewish, Islamic, Lutheran, Methodist, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Religious Science, Science of the Mind, Seventh Day Adventist, Unitarian/ Universalist and The Vineyard. See the following pages for a list of places to worship.</font> <p>EKAD okays site for new state university <p>Negotiations lead to resolution <br>QUOTE: “The future just keeps getting better day-by-day.”— EKAD President Jim Balentine <br>BY BILL DEAVER <br>MOJAVE — After hearing a briefing on a proposed site for a new state university east of Mojave, East Kern Airport District board members voted unanimously to support plans by a San Diego development firm to offer the site to the state for the new school. <br>The decision came after James Kozak and Eric Flodine of Strata Equity, a San Diego firm, briefed the board on their offer to donate a 640-acre site for what supporters of the effort to bring a state university to the Antelope Valley are calling “Cal Poly High Desert.” <br>More importantly, the two men promised to ask Kern County to extend a restricted area off the end of the Mojave Air and Space Port’s 8/26 runway in perpetuity.”The (B-2) zone would ‘follow’ the property, even if it’s sold,” Kozak said. <br>That offer came after negotiations with the district following concerns expressed at a meeting here last week that this and other proposed development could interfere with flight test operations at Edwards Air Force Base and the Mojave Airport. (See “Growth impacts on aerospace discussed at Mojave Spaceport meeting,” this page). EKAD board member Dick Rutan and Randall Clague of XCOR Aerospace had complained at the meeting that siting the university between Freeway 58 and the Hyundai/Kia automotive test center would interfere with flight operations. <br>Immediately following that meeting Rutan met with Kozak, Flodine, and EKAD General Manager Stuart Witt, and flew over the site in Strata’s airplane. <br>Tenants consulted <br>Witt consulted major tenants at the airport, including Scaled Composites, XCOR, the National Test Pilot School, Flight Test Associates, and BAE Systems. <br>Doug Shane of Scaled said that while building a university on the site could make it harder to obtain Federal Aviation Administration approvals, “it is a workable solution.” <br>Shane noted that the only other solution the airport district would have would be to buy all the land, something that would not happen. <br>Witt noted that what Strata is offering gives EKAD more than it could ever obtain in any other way, by having Strata, the owner of the property, lock-in the B-2 zone that restricts development in the area. <br>Using charts, Flodine demonstrated that Strata “flipped” the location of the proposed university with the site of a planned research center which would have development compatible with land uses in the restricted B-2 zone. The company is also giving-up the ability to develop some of its alnd, he said. <br>Added operations <br>During negotiations with airport tenants, Witt said he learned that three firms were interested in expanding Reduced Vertical Separation Minimums (RVSM) and other testing on the airport’s newly-extended Runaway 12/30. That testing is currently performed only on Runway 08/26. <br>“We can install equipment on the sixth floor of the new tower building to add this additional service,” Witt said. <br>Board member JoAnn Painter asked Kozak what Strata would do with the property if state officials decide not to locate their new university there. <br>“A private university or perhaps a community college could be located on the site,” Kozak said. <br>After discussing the proposal with Kozak, Flodine, tenant representatives and amongst themselves, board members voted unanimously to authorize Witt to send a letter to the Antelope Valley Board of Trade supporting the site. <br>In the letter, Witt noted that the district would be interested in locating a university annex on the airport flight line focusing on aerospace science and engineering. (The National Test Pilot School offers University of California-approved classes at the airport). <br>Board members Rutan, Painter, and Cathy Hansen emphasized that their primary concerns are that nothing interfere with flight operations at the airport, the nation’s first FAA-certified commercial spaceport. <br>“Our mission statement says we support flight test—we do unique things at this airport and we don’t want to jeopardize that in any way,” Rutan said. <br>But he added that a “university will go hand-in-hand” with operations at the facility. <br>Time line <br>Asked about the time line for the proposed university, Bob Johnstone of the Lancaster-based Aerospace Office and the Edwards Community Alliance said the state wants to make decisions on two new state universities in 2011-2013. <br>After learning that the deadline for proposing a site was fast approaching, the Antelope Valley Board of Trade held a region-wide meeting in May to kick off the effort, which Johnstone is leading. <br>“We were told we needed a master plan, and we hope to have it completed in March.” he said. After approval by the trade board, it will be sent to the state university’s board of regents, which will make the final decision. <br>“We have been told that the final decision will be political, which is no surprise,” Johnstone said. <br>Following discussion of the issue, board member Jim Balentine, who was elected board president at the start of the meeting, commended everyone involved in the meeting for “a great exercise in doing business and having influence” over decisions affecting the airport. <br>“The future just keeps getting better day-by-day,” Balentine said. <br>  <p><font size=-1>Maben, ECA call for planning summit to protect aerospace</font> <p><font size=-1>New development planned north of Edwards</font> <br><font size=-1>QUOTE: ?That area is important to us.??EKAD manager Stuart Witt</font> <br><font size=-1>DESERT NEWS STAFF REPORT</font> <br><font size=-1>EAST KERN ? Fears that uncontrolled development could interfere with the ability of this region?s aerospace industry?s ability to survive are prompting a call for a summit to discuss East Kern?s future.</font> <br><font size=-1>At their meeting in Mojave last week, members of the Edwards Community Alliance, a group founded by the two county supervisors representing the region and funded by the county to protect operations at the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base from encroachment, asked Supervisor Don Maben to call the summit.</font> <br><font size=-1>The call was prompted by reports that five housing developments are planned in the area between Mojave and North Edwards. Much of that area north of Highway 58 is in the R-2515 airspace established by the Dept. of Defense to allow aircraft from Edwards and the Naval Air Weapons Center at China Lake to perform potentially dangerous flight test operations without interference. The airspace, part of the much larger R-2508 airspace that covers much of Eastern California, is also used by pilots from the Civilian Aerospace Test Center at Mojave Airport/Spaceport.</font> <br><font size=-1>Stuart Witt, general manager of the East Kern Airport District, told members of the EKAD board last week that he is concerned about development in the area potentially affecting operations at the nation?s only commercial Spaceport.</font> <br><font size=-1>?That area is important to us,? Witt said. ?I understand why Edwards is concerned.?</font> <br><font size=-1>Maben concerned</font> <br><font size=-1>Maben, whose district includes Edwards and Mojave, said he has been visited by some of the developers planning massive projects in the region.</font> <br><font size=-1>?What I?ve told them is that if they don?t get the okay from Edwards and Mojave Airport, I?m not going to support anything,? Maben said. ?Those are the two biggest criteria they have to meet.?</font> <br><font size=-1>Maben said that also goes for developers who try to annex their property to California City or ?another jurisdiction.?</font> <br><font size=-1>?If they don?t have the support of those two facilities, I will oppose the annexation as long as I?m sitting on the LAFCO board,? he added. (LAFCO is the Kern County Local Agency Formation Commission, which has jurisdiction of boundary changes in the county).</font> <br><font size=-1>?What is scary is that the city may not have the same desire to protect (Edwards and Mojave) for the sake of a buck,? Maben said.</font> <br><font size=-1>?It is stupid to support a development that?s going to give you half a million dollars in property tax and kill 19,000 jobs,? Maben said.</font> <br><font size=-1>Noting that large developments can also affect air quality and lower the water table, a major problem affecting Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards, Maben said ?These are all encroachments that can occur and we have to make sure they don?t.?</font> <br><font size=-1>Summit</font> <br><font size=-1>Maben said he supports the idea of holding a ?summit? with all local governments and interested parties in the area to decide how to handle the issue of residential encroachment on the region?s major industry. He said he wants to involve Supervisor Jon McQuiston if Ridgecrest, whose district includes China Lake. McQuiston is a former Navy air traffic controller who, with Maben and representatives of the military of the region?s wind power industry, developed regulations that protect flight test operations from tall structures such as wind turbines and cell phone antennas. Adopted by county supervisors, the ordinance is model for the rest of the nation.</font> <br><font size=-1>The summit idea originated with the Edwards Community Alliance at its Nov. 20 meeting. The group was formed to protect Edwards from the Dept. of Defense Base Realignment and Closing process, and includes members from Boron, California City, Mojave, Rosamond, Tehachapi, Kern County, and Lancaster.</font> <br><font size=-1>Meeting at the Mojave Airport/Spaceport, ECA members learned from James Welling of Boron, Maben?s aide and president of the Boron Chamber of Commerce, about plans for the five developments and a race track. Some of the area in which developments are planned includes a ?spin zone? where pilots test new aircraft?s ability to recover from spins. Some aircraft have crashed in the area in the years since the Air Force began using the Edwards area for testing before World War II.</font> <br><font size=-1>Former Edwards planning director Bob Johnstone, ECA?s executive director, said development in the area ?could screw up a lot of the activity at the base.?</font> <br><font size=-1>ECA President Bill Deaver noted that a major criteria used by DoD officials in deciding to keep bases open includes encroachment.</font> <br><font size=-1>?Encroachment dilutes the ability of a military installation to perform its mission,? Deaver said, adding that operations at Mojave Airport/Spaceport, China Lake, and the Army?s training center at Ft. Irwin all use the region?s restricted airspace.</font> <br><font size=-1>Randy Scott, who also held the Edwards planning job before retiring, agreed with Johnstone.</font> <br><font size=-1>?We need to develop a long-term strategic plan for the R-2508 area,? he said. Scott?s suggestion led to the call for the summit, which Maben said he will sponsor.</font> <br><font size=-1>State officials are also studying the R-2508 airspace, and have invited local governments to send representatives to take part in the process.</font> <br><font size=-1>Concerning threats to the region?s water table, Major General Curtis Bedke, who commands the AFFTC at Edwards, said cracks ?big enough to trap a Buick,? have been appearing in the lakebed, threatening its ability to serve as a life-saving place to land test aircraft. Water agencies in the Antelope Valley and East Kern are working to address that problem, which results from the water table being lowered by farming and development.</font> <br>  <p><font size=-1>ENCROACHMENT by housing developments on land north of Highway 58 could create problems for aerospace flight testing in East Kern, like this DARPA X-37 vehicle taking off from the Mojave Airport/Spaceport to be launched over nearby Edwards Air Force Base. BILL DEAVER/Desert News</font> <p><font size=-1>MHS engineering students urged</font> <br><font size=-1>to pursue dreams</font> <p><font size=-1>Shortcomings can help them succeed</font> <br><font size=-1>QUOTE: “Don’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”— Karina Drees</font> <br><font size=-1>BY BILL DEAVER</font> <br><font size=-1>MOJAVE — Students in Mojave High School’s engineering academy should pursue their dreams, regardless of their financial situation or other potential obstacles, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology student told them last Thursday.</font> <br><font size=-1>Karina Drees, who is pursuing a masters in business administration at the famed East Coast university, told the students that she grew up in a town of 800 residents and that it took her nine years to graduate from college because she had to work.</font> <br><font size=-1>She made her comments after some of the students complained that they didn’t have the same opportunities at MHS and in California City and Mojave as students in larger communities.</font> <br><font size=-1>Drees said that any perceived shortcomings could help them succeed in life. She coupled this with comments from some the students who said they have a good idea of what their goals are in life.</font> <br><font size=-1>“It is good that you know what you want to do— a lot of other kids don’t know,” Dress aid.</font> <br><font size=-1>She told the aspiring engineers that most of her fellow-students at MIT come from wealthy Ivy League families who simply cannot understand how it took her nine years to get her degree and who take their financial situations for granted. “They have had it made all their lives.”</font> <br><font size=-1>“There are a lot of changes coming in this area,” said Drees, telling the students that she is working with the East Kern Airport District to develop a plans for managing its spaceport operations.</font> <br><font size=-1>“Things are changing here,” Drees continued, telling the students that a whole new industry is developing here and that a new university could be located between Mojave and California City.</font> <br>  <br>  <p><font size=-1>Hearing on CalCity supermarket</font> <br><font size=-1>postponed to Jan. 16</font> <p><font size=-1>TCalifornia City</font> <br><font size=-1>Elevation: 2,437 ft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Square Miles: 203.6</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: 11,504</font> <br><font size=-1>(8,385 in 2000 Census)</font> <p><font size=-1>Meetings: California City?s City Council meets on the first and third Tuesday of the month. City Hall is located at 21000 Hacienda Blvd.</font> <p><font size=-1>Information: 760/373-8661</font> <p><font size=-1>As one of the fastest-growing regions in Southern California, California City has been undergoing significant change. It has an evolving and diverse business base. Recent developments include Ellison Plaza, which addresses the city?s need for shopping, entertainment, dining and lodging. Microtel Inns & Suites, a 103-unit hotel, opened in 2006. Developed by homebuilder Michael Ellison, the commercial center is designed to help California City attract retailers, the most important of which is a major grocery store. Ellison builds homes ranging in size from 1,525 to 6,250 square feet, with prices starting in the low $200,000s.</font> <p><font size=-1>Other developments include a $50 million Hyundai Kia Motor Co. test track and facility, which opened in 2004 and created new jobs for the area. The facility is expected to eventually employ about 100 people. The car company chose California City primarily because of its dry, warm and sunny desert climate, which is ideal for stress-testing new cars and improving automotive design.</font> <p><font size=-1>A new high school and elementary school are under construction, more than $30 million in new construction and home-building permits have been issued, and a new gated golf course community was in development.</font> <p><font size=-1>The city also is home to the California City Correctional Center, a 2,305-bed prison that employs 551 people; a McDonald?s restaurant, and a Rite Aid store. A 40-acre industrial park near the California City Municipal Airport is in the works.</font> <p><font size=-1>More people are moving into California City because they have discovered what residents here have enjoyed for a long time. Home and land prices are very affordable. Not only that, you can add excellent weather, clean air, good schools and safe streets. While this charming little community of about 11,000 is relatively new, it has all the enhancements of larger towns ? including incorporation. There is easy shopping, a wonderful Central Park and a professionally designed PGA 18-hole and par-3 golf course.</font> <p><font size=-1>Developer N.K. ?Nat? Mendelsohn had a dream of building a large master-planned leisure community in the area as early as 1956. He envisioned converting M&R Ranch, a 208-square-mile stretch of land northeast of Mojave, into a residential area that would house up to 1 million people by the turn of the century. Mendelsohn?s planned community was premature, but he created a lot of hope and enduring loyalty in California City?s residents. Like Mendelsohn, many of them still think their town is a ?sleeper.?</font> <p><font size=-1>California City also is a favorite destination for off-road enthusiasts. From Cal City dirt bikers and ATVers fan out across the expansive desert and ride into the Red Rock area and old mining towns such as Randsburg, population 77.</font> <br>  <p><font size=-1>BY DEBBY BADILLO</font> <br><font size=-1>CALIFORNIA CITY ? A public hearing that could lead to a deal that brings a major grocery store to the city was postponed from Dec. 5 to Jan. 16 to give the city redevelopment agency and an out of town developer more time to work on a proposed land sale.</font> <br><font size=-1>The RDA board of directors, which consists of the mayor and city council, with the city manager serving as executive director, held a special session at the end of the Dec. 5 regular council meeting. The first item of business was a proposed land swap with local developer Larry Grimshaw, in which the RDA would exchange 5.79 acres it owns in the Villages development area for  2.75 acres owned in the Villages by Grimshaw. He planned to build 30 single family homes on the five acres, and the RDA planned to add the two-acre parcel to other property owned by the agency as part of a land sale.</font> <br><font size=-1>Neighbors protest</font> <br><font size=-1>But after listening to protests from property owners who said they bought their homes with an understanding that they would be near residential development and not a commercial area, Grimshaw withdrew his request for the land exchange. After accepting his request the RDA voted to deny the exchange.</font> <br><font size=-1>That move then affected the second item of business, because without that 2.57 acres the RDA no longer was able to offer a full 11 acres to Great California Developer One at $40,000 per acre. That means the RDA will have to  rework the land purchase idea with Serge Rosemblat, president of Great California Developer One, executive director Way said. According to materials presented to the RDA board, the 11 acres, near Rite Aid, was under consideration as a potential location for a national or regional supermarket chain.</font> <br><font size=-1>The RDA will hold a public hearing on Jan. 16 to reconsider the proposal.</font> <p><font size=-1>Condor Squadron airplane hits</font> <br><font size=-1>Mojave Airport target</font> <p><font size=-1>During annual ?bombing raid?</font> <br><font size=-1>QUOTE: ?Flying into the ground is unacceptable!??EKAD manager Stuart Witt</font> <br><font size=-1>BY BILL DEAVER</font> <br><font size=-1>MOJAVE ? An incident that could end the annual ?attack? on the Mojave Air and Spaceport by pilots dropping flour sack ?bombs? on a target to commemorate the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941, is being investigated by the East Kern Airport District.</font> <br><font size=-1>EKAD General Manager Stuart Witt said a North American AT-6 trainer flown by Stuart McAfee, 36, of Hawthorne ands accompanied by an unidentified passenger, were flying over the target when the right side of the airplane struck the eight-foot tall target.</font> <br><font size=-1>The target is painted on plywood with a red ?meatball? representing the insignia on Japan?s World War II aircraft. The object of the annual exercise, which has been going on for a several decades, is to see which aircraft?s backseat ?bombardier? can come closest to the target with flour sacks. The pilots are members of the Condor Squadron based at Van Nuys Airport and fly the World War II basic trainers painted as U.S., Nazi, and Japanese fighters.</font> <br><font size=-1>No injuries</font> <br><font size=-1>Witt said the AT-6 landed without further incident and parked.</font> <br><font size=-1>But he said squadron aircraft continued to bomb the target as members of the group attempted to repair it while the aircraft flew over a few feet off the ground.</font> <br><font size=-1>?I didn?t know if they intended to drop (bombs) on their own people or what,? Witt said.</font> <br><font size=-1>?So I called a ?time out,?? and stopped the event, Witt said. The airplanes all flew back to Van Nuys.</font> <br><font size=-1>Next year?</font> <br><font size=-1>Witt, who said he has been concerned the last two years over squadron aircraft flying too close to the ground, said the group will not return this year.</font> <br><font size=-1>?I told them we want them back, but it needs to be done properly,? Witt said. ?Some of them have been flying at about 10 feet.?</font> <br><font size=-1>Remarking that people working on the airport gathered to watch the annual event, Witt said ?I don?t think the crowd watching cares if they are at 500 feet or 50 feet, but flying into the ground is unacceptable!?</font> <p><font size=-1>School board gives green light to</font> <br><font size=-1>CC elementary school</font> <p><font size=-1>Contracts approved for Hacienda Elementary</font> <br><font size=-1>BY BILL DEAVER</font> <br><font size=-1>CALIFORNIA CITY ? Construction on a slimmed-down Hacienda Elementary School is expected to begin in January, Mojave Unified School District Supt. Larry Phelps said after the district?s governing board approved agreements with the contractor who will build the school.</font> <br><font size=-1>Phelps said delays in obtaining approvals from a number of state agencies resulted in eliminating, for now, the school?s office, multipurpose room, and library.</font> <br><font size=-1>Nine new classrooms will be built on the site just west of California City Middle School. Phelps said one of the classrooms will be used as an office until funds can be found to complete the new school.</font> <br><font size=-1>Agreements approved unanimously by the board include a lease-leaseback agreement with contractor Seward L. Schreder Construction at a set price of no more than $10,998,000, Phelps told the board.</font> <br><font size=-1>Board members Shawn Sprague and Jim Hooper, who serve on the district?s committee overseeing construction of the elementary school and the new California City High School, praised the agreement and the contractor.</font> <br><font size=-1>Sprague, himself a second-generation builder, said the district is already realizing savings by using one firm to build both schools.</font> <br><font size=-1>Delays</font> <br><font size=-1>Sprague also said delays in dealing with state agencies ?will affect what we can do, and have cost our kids school facilities,? because of construction costs that rose while the district waited years for Sacramento bureaucrats to approve their plans.</font> <br><font size=-1>Phelps said he will be asking the state architect to approve some changes on the new school. ?State Senator Roy Ashburn said he will help us,? Phelps said, noting that he and Sprague discussed the situation with the lawmaker after last week?s ceremonies for Bus One.</font> <br><font size=-1>In other business new board member Ted Hodgkinson of Mojave was sworn into office along with returning members Sprague and Hooper. Annette Edblad, who did not seek re-election, was honored by the board for her 14 years as a member of the panel.</font> <br><font size=-1>Board members also heard reports from Director of Educational Services Bonnie O?Bar and Food Service Director Sheryl Sexton that a program to replace unhealthy food at the district?s schools is moving along well and seems to be accepted by students.</font> <p><font size=-1>East Kern land use summit set for Jan.4th</font> <p><font size=-1>Aimed at protecting aerospace from encroachment</font> <br><font size=-1>DESERT NEWS STAFF REPORT</font> <br><font size=-1>MOJAVE ? A meeting to discuss potential encroachment on East Kern?s aerospace industry by land development in the region has been scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 4th, at 10 a.m. at Shibley Hall at the Mojave Air and Spaceport.</font> <br><font size=-1>The meeting was organized by Kern County Supervisors Don Maben and Jon McQuiston in response to a request from the Edwards Community Alliance (ECA). The organization was formed by the county several years ago to protect operations at the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base from the Dept. Of Defense Base Reorganization and Closing (BRAC) process.</font> <br><font size=-1>ECA President Bill Deaver said encroachment from development is a major factor in decisions to close or reduce operations at military bases.</font> <br><font size=-1>After learning that several large developments are being discussed in the area north of Highway 58 between Mojave and North Edwards, ECA members asked Maben to bring all interested parties together for a meeting.</font> <br><font size=-1>Maben said land use planners, developers, airspace managers, and owners of land under the R-2508 restricted airspace should attend the meeting.</font> <br><font size=-1>?This summit will address planned developments and compatible land uses,? Maben said. The summit?s goal, Maben added, is to develop guidelines to assist planners in evaluating future developments and their combined impact.</font> <br><font size=-1>Those guidelines could be similar to those developed by Maben and McQuiston to protect flight test operations at Edwards, Mojave, and China Lake from tall structures such as wind turbine and cellular telephone towers. Those guidelines were developed in meetings involving representatives from Edwards and China Lake, the region?s wind energy industry, and county officials. The county ordinance resulting from the process serve as a model for the rest of the U.S.</font> <br><font size=-1>The meeting will include presentations by Maben, McQuiston, Deaver, Edwards environmental manager Dwight Deakin, and county senior planner Lorelei Oviatt, and will allow for a full and frank discussion of the issues, Deaver said.</font> <br><font size=-1>?East Kern?s aerospace industry is important not only to the local economy, but to the defense of freedom,? Deaver said. ?By working together I hope we can develop a process that will allow growth and development while protecting and preserving this vital asset.?</font> <br><font size=-1>The ECA board includes representatives from Boron, California City, Mojave, Rosamond, Lancaster, and Kern County.</font> <br><font size=-1>For further information about the summit, call James Welling at 661.824.7120.</font> <p><font size=-1>CalCity EDC to hear school chief</font> <p><font size=-1>Mojave</font> <br><font size=-1>Elevation: 2,787 ft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Square Miles: 75</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: 3,751 (3,836 in 2000 Census)</font> <p><font size=-1>Meetings: Mojave Town Council, monthly, third Wednesday, 7 p.m., in the Mojave Veterans Building. Mojave Chamber of Commerce, monthly, fourth Thursday 7:30 a.m.</font> <p><font size=-1>At the junction of Highways 14 and 58, in East Kern County, Mojave is a welcome oasis for tired travelers, truckers and commuters. Fast-food restaurants and service stations line both sides of the highway. It is located at the northwest corner of the Mojave Desert.</font> <p><font size=-1>Mojave is home of the Mojave Spaceport, America?s first inland spaceport and location of the first private space flight. The spaceport drew international attention when SpaceShipOne took off from here on June 21, 2004. SpaceShipOne was the first privately funded, built and operated manned craft to reach space. It was built by Burt Rutan?s Scaled Composites, which was awarded the $10 million Ansari X Prize after the craft repeated the feat twice within a two-week window in October 2004. After winning the prize, Rutan remarked that the isolation of Mojave fosters such invention. ?Innovation is what we do here because there?s not much else to do in Mojave,? he said. Rutan, also known as the designer and builder of the famous Voyager aircraft that flew around the world non-stop with his brother Dick at the controls, exemplifies the strong aerospace spirit that thrives here.</font> <p><font size=-1>Mojave has experienced other aviation milestones, as well. As home to Edwards Air Force Base, it was the site of the first supersonic flight and the first landing of the space shuttle. As motorists who drive through Mojave can attest, the Mojave Airport also serves as a vast storage yard for hundreds of commercial airliners, which are flown and parked here because of its aviation-friendly climate.</font> <p><font size=-1>With a population of just under 4,000, Mojave is small but probably the most important transportation center in the High Desert. According to Caltrans estimates, more than 30,000 vehicles pass through the main intersection of Highways 58 and 14 every day. That total will increase to 61,600 vehicles by the year 2020 ? just during weekdays.</font> <p><font size=-1>Since 1876, Mojave has continued to be an important hub of transportation activity. In its early days, it was a freight stop for 20-mule team freight wagons hauling borax from Death Valley to the railroad. Then, Mojave experienced a sudden boom period.</font> <p><font size=-1>Gold was discovered in 1876 and continued to support the town?s economy, in a boom-to-bust fashion, until the beginning of World War II. At that time, gold prices fell, and mining operations closed.</font> <p><font size=-1>Luckily, the Marines built an auxiliary pilot training base in Mojave during the war years, which bolstered the dwindling economy. In addition, the Army?s bombing range nearby and Muroc Army Air Field, 18 miles east of town, brought in more money. In 1958, the Marine base was turned over to Kern County. Then, in 1972, the base became the East Kern Airport District and grew into a large aviation/aerospace industrial complex. With that growth came a name change. The Mojave Airport District, as it is called today, employs people from all parts of the Antelope Valley.</font> <p><font size=-1>As you drive out of Mojave on your way to Bakersfield, you will see rows and rows of wind-machine propellers flashing rhythmically in the sun. They represent another large industry for Mojave ? wind power. While this relatively new enterprise does not share the rich history of mining and transportation in the area, it does bring employment and income to its residents.</font> <br>  <br>  <p><font size=-1>Thursday, Dec. 21 at airport</font> <br><font size=-1>SPECIAL TO THE DESERT NEWS</font> <br><font size=-1>CALIFORNIA CITY ? Mojave Unified School District Supt. Larry Phelps will brief gthe California City Economic Development Corporation at the group?s December breakfast meeting Thursday, Dec. 21.</font> <br><font size=-1>The meeting will be held at Foxy?s Landing Restaurant at the California City Airport beginning with a no-host breakfast at 7:30 a.m.</font> <br><font size=-1>Those attending are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy to donate to Toys for Tots.</font> <p><font size=-1>Mercy Air helicopter crashes in Cajon Pass</font> <p><font size=-1>Three die in crash</font> <br><font size=-1>SPECIAL TO THE DESERT NEWS</font> <br><font size=-1>DENVER?  Air Methods Corporation reported Monday that its Mercy Air Bell 412 twin-engine helicopter based in Victorville, California crashed last night around 6 p.m. PST after delivering a patient to a hospital.  All three crew members received fatal injuries.  The aircraft was operated by LifeNet, Inc., a subsidiary of Air Methods.</font> <br><font size=-1>Although some of the crew members occasionally filled-in at the company?s Mojave base, none of them lived in East Kern.</font> <br><font size=-1>Paramedic Jerry Miller, 40, of Apple Valley, worked for Hall Ambulance in Bakersfield before joining Mercy. Pilot Paul G. Latour, 46, of Apple Valley, and nurse Katrina J. Kish, 42, of Moreno Valley, also died in the crash.</font> <br><font size=-1>The helicopter was equipped with satellite tracking and disappeared in the upper portion of the Cajon Pass at approximately 5:56 p.m. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident with full cooperation and support from the company.</font> <br><font size=-1>?We are deeply saddened by the loss of our crew members and extend our heartfelt condolences to their families,? said Aaron Todd, chief executive officer of Air Methods Corporation.</font> <br><font size=-1>A fund for the families has been set up and donations may be made at any Bank of America branch or by sending a check to the ?Mercy Air Crew Fund? at 1670 Miro Way, Rialto, CA 92376.</font> <p><font size=-1>LANCASTER - At last month's meeting between the city council and planning commission, four site plans were presented for 150 acres of key real estate across 10th Street West from Lancaster City Park.</font> <p><font size=-1> LANCASTER - In an effort to bolster public safety, the City Council may add monetary rewards to its arsenal. The City Council will have a chance Tuesday to approve a program for $1,000 rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone who has committed a robbery or burglary in the city.</font> <p><font size=-1> LANCASTER - Two people died and a 6-year-old girl was injured Friday afternoon in a collision involving a stolen motorcycle. Just after 4 p.m., Bridget Kaiser of Rosamond was westbound on Avenue K when the motorcycle, which was northbound on 20th Street East, smashed into the side of her vehicle, a Sheriff's Department report said. Witnesses at the scene said the motorcycle, a 750cc Suzuki sport bike, was traveling at very high speed. The impact pushed the Mercury Sable more than 20 feet and caused it to flip over, the report said.</font> <p><font size=-1> PALMDALE - With weapons drawn, police charged Wednesday afternoon after "a shooter" in the old movie theater at Antelope Valley Mall. "The guy in the green is the bad guy," said Special Agent Patrick Conley, a member of the FBI Bank Robbery Squad on the Special Weapons and Tactics team that most people call SWAT. In diamond formation, five officers stampeded in pursuit of "the shooter."</font> <p><font size=-1> PALMDALE - The secret is slowly getting out to Palmdale residents, just in time for the holidays. The Avenue S Mobil station's convenience store is now home to a new Contract Postal Unit.</font> <p><font size=-1> LANCASTER - After conducting a test run of a 50% reduction to night lighting on the grounds of California State Prison Los Angeles County, prison officials decided not to implement a policy of doing so due to safety issues.</font> <p><font size=-1> LANCASTER - On a chilly Valley Saturday afternoon, hundreds of Sacred Heart Catholic Church parishioners belted out hymns as they walked along the long stretch of Jackman Street and 10th Street West in a procession to celebrate the Virgen de Guadalupe .</font> <p><font size=-1> EDWARDS AFB - Base officials will conduct an Operational Readiness Exercise beginning today. Slated to end Thursday, the exercise will cause delays at the gates. Base employees are reminded to allow extra time to get to work, and motorists are asked to be vigilant for slow-moving or stopped traffic as they approach entry gates.</font> <p><font size=-1> L.A./Palmdale Regional Airport. That's the new name for the proposed commercial airfield, which has been awaiting takeoff for 38 years. The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners unanimously voted to change the name from Palmdale Regional Airport on Monday, Dec. 4.</font> <p><font size=-1> LANCASTER - Serving high tea at Molly Kate's Tearoom and Gifts is not a whole lot different than commanding hundreds of Air Force personnel, or even reporting to the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon, according to owner and veteran Karen Eskew.</font> <p><font size=-1> It was part "back to the 1950s and 60s" and a little "old home-week" at the Lancaster Museum/Art gallery for the opening reception of "Good Times, Groovy Tunes and Legendary Boards."</font> <p><font size=-1> Antelope Valley High School - Class of 1957. Planning 50-year reunion for Oct. 12-13, 2007 . Send classmate information to Patti (Windbigler) Nygaard at pwgramsters@att.net or Tom Stevens at tstevens@socal.rr.com (put '57 reunion in subject line) or call (661) 943-5456.</font> <p><font size=-1> BORON - The defense by the Mojave High School girls basketball team doesn't exactly look textbook at times, but it certainly gets the desired results.</font> <p><font size=-1> LANCASTER- The unmistakable odors of human breath and sweat socks hung as thick as fog in the gymnasium. Lancaster High School hosted 17 area high school wrestling teams at the Third Annual Eagle Invitational on Saturday and after over eight hours of competition.</font> <p><font size=-1>CALIFORNIA CITY - Dreams of a four-year university taking root someday in the Antelope Valley continue to gain speed as more people join the push. Now officials in California City want a voice in the plans for a nearby institution of higher learning, but they would like more than casual input. They want the site practically in their backyard. They said so during a meeting Wednesday at City Hall. "We have a great interest for the future of this space out here to be used properly," said Mayor David Evans. "We have land, a natural resource, and a base of highly educated people. "And we have infrastructure we have to expand upon, but we have infrastructure. Let's show them our land has value, not just a landfill," Evans added.</font> <p><font size=-1>PALMDALE - The developers of Ritter Ranch have launched a promotion that will offer exposure, recognition and financial assistance to an area musician who best captures, in song, the image of the 18-square-mile development on the southern edge of the Antelope Valley.   Complete story.</font> <p><font size=-1> A group of concerned citizens gathered at the Prime Desert Woodland Preserve in Lancaster early this month to show that conservation is not just for the birds.</font> <p><font size=-1>he two largest incorporated cities in the Antelope Valley are Palmdale and Lancaster. Other incorporated cities include California City, Ridgecrest and Tehachapi. The remaining communities are considered unincorporated communities governed by their respective counties, either Los Angeles or Kern.</font> <br><font size=-1>Greater Antelope Valley Region</font> <br><font size=-1>Square Miles: 2,200</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: 437,942</font> <br><font size=-1>2005-2010 Projected: 477,263 (+8.98%)</font> <br><font size=-1>Population Forecast: 780,504 by 2020</font> <p><font size=-1>Lancaster</font> <br><font size=-1>Elevation: 2,450 ft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Square Miles: 94.2</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: 133,703</font> <br><font size=-1>(118,718 in 2000 Census)</font> <p><font size=-1>Meetings: Lancaster City Council, 44933 Fern Ave., second and fourth Tuesdays, 7 p.m. Lancaster Redevelopment Agency, second and fourth Tuesdays, 6 p.m. Planning Commission, third Monday, 7 p.m. Antelope Valley Chambers of Commerce (Lancaster and Rosamond), monthly business luncheons, 11:30 a.m.</font> <p><font size=-1>Information: 661/723-6000</font> <p><font size=-1>Lancaster is a bustling community with a growing number of industries, affordable housing, employment, schools, recreational opportunities and excellent smog-free weather 300 days or more a year. It is the ninth-largest city in Los Angeles County and the third-fastest growing. Los Angeles is a short one-and-a-half hour drive on Highway 14. Bakersfield, San Bernardino, and coastal communities are easy commutes, too.</font> <br>  <br>  <p><font size=-1>In 1876, the Southern Pacific railroad made Lancaster one of its stops. That milestone sparked growth in the Antelope Valley. Most of the early settlers in Lancaster were farmers who established homesteads in outlying areas. Their main shopping was done in Old Lancaster, which today is located on East Lancaster Boulevard near Cedar Avenue. There, you will see the historic Western Hotel (first built in the 1800s) and a number of original buildings dating back to the 1930s. Among those are old county buildings and a post office.</font> <p><font size=-1>Thanks to the Lancaster Old Town Site Board (LOTS), ?The Boulevard,? as it is fondly called by old-timers, has been renewed and well maintained. Trees and antique light standards line both sides of the street, which give the area a special ambience.</font> <p><font size=-1>The city encourages citizens to get involved with the formation of its new Downtown Lancaster Specific Plan, which will revitalize the downtown the district. Up-to-date information about progress and citizen-involvement opportunities can be obtained by calling 661/723-6132 or visiting www.celebratedowntown.org.</font> <p><font size=-1>The heart of the city is home to the 758-seat Lancaster Performing Arts Center and Los Angeles County?s largest regional library, which services nearly 100,000 cardholders. Downtown Lancaster has become the major financial center of the Antelope Valley, the site of a new $25 million sheriff?s station and a state-of-the-art fire station.</font> <p><font size=-1>Lancaster?s population totals 133,703, according to the California Department of Finance. The city?s long list of move-in incentives for new businesses and available commercial land for expansion make it an attractive place for Los Angeles-area entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.</font> <p><font size=-1>Lancaster also is home to Clear Channel Stadium (formerly The Hangar), the city?s 6,850-seat municipal baseball stadium and home to the Arizona Diamondback-affiliated Lancaster JetHawks baseball team. The stadium opened in 1996. When not attracting sellout crowds for baseball, the facility hosts a variety of special events such as concerts, fireworks festivities, car shows and amateur athletics.</font> <p><font size=-1>One of the major attractions in Lancaster is the annual Antelope Valley Fair, which has relocated to new quarters on 135 acres north of Avenue H and west of the Antelope Valley Freeway. Groundbreaking was held in 1999. New facilities include two exhibit halls, a Watch & Wager building, an RV park with restrooms and showers, a grandstand with 7,000 seats, a show arena and other assorted structures.</font> <p><font size=-1>Palmdale</font> <br><font size=-1>Elevation: 2,655 ft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Square Miles: 105</font> <br><font size=-1>Population: 136,734</font> <br><font size=-1>(116,670 in 2000 Census)</font> <p><font size=-1>Meetings: Palmdale City Council, 38300 Sierra Hwy., Suite B, second Wednesday of month, 6 p.m. Planning Commission, first and third Thursdays, 7 p.m. Palmdale Chamber of Commerce hosts monthly (third Wednesday) business luncheons at 11:30 a.m.</font> <p><font size=-1>Information: 661/267-5100.</font> <p><font size=-1>The Palmdale economy is booming, experiencing solid growth that is reflected in rising housing values and increased city revenue. Inflation still registers in low single digits. The city continues to be one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation. To give this growth some perspective, from April 1, 1990 to April 1, 2000, Palmdale mushroomed by 76.4 percent, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. Employment is up, crime statistics are down, and home sales are brisk. Indeed, like Lancaster and other neighboring communities, home values have risen dramatically as well, fueled in large part by the area?s family-friendly environment, affordability and record-low interest rates.</font> <p><font size=-1>Covering an area of more than 100 square miles, Palmdale now has more than 143,000 residents, according to city sources. It was the first community within the Antelope Valley to incorporate as a city, doing so on Aug. 24, 1962. The city has consistently ranked in the top-10 fastest-growing cities in the nation over the last 20 years. It is the sixth largest city in Los Angeles County.</font> <p><font size=-1>At the heart of the city is the Palmdale Cultural Center at Palmdale Boulevard and Sierra Highway. Styled in a Spanish motif, the Cultural Center has undergone a major renovation. Adjacent to the Cultural Center is the Palmdale City Library.</font> <p><font size=-1>Poncitlan Square, a beautiful park fashioned after a similar one in Palmdale?s sister city, Poncitlan, Mexico, was built in 1998. A new development service building and a Palmdale Courthouse were completed in 2000 and 2001, respectively. The renovated 22-year-old Larry Chimbole Cultural Center is located in the Civic Center area and is bounded by Sierra Highway and Palmdale Boulevard. The 21,800-square-foot building features an upstairs auditorium that can accommodate 350 people in theater seating or 250 for dinner, and three meeting rooms for 40 to 50 people. These new facilities are a part of the city?s downtown revitalization plan. The city also opened a brand-new sheriff?s station in July 2006.</font> <p><font size=-1>Palmdale is home to some of the world?s top aerospace companies, as well as a continually growing number of high-tech manufacturers. Top aerospace companies such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman continue to have a strong presence at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale. Although space shuttle modification has been transferred to Florida, there?s a lot of important work going on here. Work continues on such programs as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the unmanned Global Hawk reconnaissance aircraft, the B-2 stealth bomber, the X-45A unmanned combat air vehicle and the unmanned X-37 space plane.</font> <p><font size=-1>Palmdale Regional Airport, which is owned and operated by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) under a joint-use agreement with the U.S. Air Force, is located on a 61-acre site on the property of Air Force Plant 42. The terminal at 41000 North St. East first opened on June 29, 1971. Since then, LAWA has acquired an additional 17,750 acres of adjacent property for the airport?s eventual development into a large commercial airport. The airport is poised to accommodate increased future air travel if and when Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) reaches capacity.</font> <p><font size=-1>With more than 2,000 companies making Palmdale home, the city embraces an entrepreneurial spirit. Palmdale offers a wealth of leased space, spec buildings and land available for construction. Land costs in Palmdale are very attractive, often half that found in other areas of California.</font> <p><font size=-1>Moreover, a number of key incentives can help reduce the cost of doing business in Palmdale. The city is part of the Antelope Valley Enterprise Zone and hosts its own Foreign-Trade Zone. Hiring, training and investment incentives are also available to qualified firms.</font> <p><font size=-1>Health care has taken some major steps forward in Palmdale, which is one of the largest U.S. cities without a hospital. That unfortunate status is expected to change soon. Construction of the Palmdale Regional Medical Center began in 2005 and is expected to be completed in 2007. The 250,000-square-foot facility is being built by Universal Health Services (UHS) on 37 acres near Tierra Subida and Palmdale Boulevard. The new hospital will feature OB/GYN services, cardiac-catheterization labs, pediatrics, general medical care and a 35-bed emergency room, the latter of which will be the largest ER in the area and double the number of ER beds throughout the valley. The hospital will open with 171 beds, to be composed of 32 intensive care beds; 108 medical surgical, telemetry and pediatric beds; 25 obstetrics beds, and six neonatal intensive care beds. UHS plans to eventually add 32 more intensive care and 36 medical surgical beds, giving the hospital a total of 239 beds.</font> <p><font size=-1>Filling the health-care gap until the new hospital opens is an urgent-care clinic that opened in mid-2002 as part of the South Valley Medical Center, which was built by Antelope Valley Hospital. And, in March 2003, Kaiser Permanente opened a new medical office building in Palmdale.</font> <p><font size=-1>New recreational facilities are a big part of the city?s vision for the future. March 25, 2004, marked the beginning of construction of the ?Vision for the Future? park projects. The $42 million project ? funded in part by a $31.4 million bond assessment passed by Palmdale residents ? paid for a new recreation center, swimming pool and water park on the east side of Palmdale and a new recreation center, swimming pool, amphitheater and softball complex on the west side. The city?s DryTown Water Park & Mining Co. opened at Palmdale Oasis Park in 2006. It features a six-acre Old West mining town-themed aquatic park with a 925-foot lazy river; a 35-foot tower with three water slides and a splash pool; 6,000-square-foot children?s water playground; a food and beverage snack bar with patio area; a merchandise store; covered picnic area; large grassy area for group outings, and a community room. The budget for Palmdale Oasis Park, which includes DryTown Water Park, was $27.6 million. In addition to the new water park, this site also includes the Palmdale Oasis Park Recreation Center, a 4.5-acre landscaped area designed for community events and a 12-acre flood retention basin that will be landscaped to accommodate soccer and football.</font> <p><font size=-1>And, a competition-size pool opened at Marie Kerr Park in 2006. The city oversaw a 40-acre expansion of Marie Kerr Park at 30th Street West and Rancho Vista Boulevard (Avenue P). In 2005 the park received a stunning outdoor amphitheater that is the site of summer concerts, movies and other events.</font> <p><font size=-1>The city also has undertaken a traffic signal-installation program and other transportation projects. The city also has committed more than $10 million to improve some of its busiest surface streets. The city completed its Avenue S Corridor Improvement Project in June 2006.</font> <p><font size=-1>Another major project is the $14 million Palmdale Transportation Center, which opened in 2005. The facility near Sierra Highway and 6th Street East just south of Technology Drive will be the transportation hub of the Antelope Valley. Site improvements include a Spanish-style station terminal, plaza area, Metrolink station platform, parking lot and 45-foot clock tower. The center features a Metrolink commuter rail station, bus service, van-pool and park-n-ride services with future provisions for high-speed rail and airport service. Bicycle and pedestrian paths plus landscaping complement the new center.</font> <p><font size=-1>Also in the works is a remodel of the Antelope Valley Mall, and the opening of a new 16-screen cinema complex at the Antelope Valley Mall.</font> <p><font size=-1>ventura county california, antelope valley news, santa clarita valley real estate - Home owners Guide for the Antelope Valley, Santa Clarita Valley and Ventura County. ventura county california, antelope valley news, santa clarita valley real estate - ventura county california, antelope valley news, santa clarita valley real estate, santa clarita valley, port hueneme california, quartz hill ca, santa clarita valley real estate, hotel simi valley, quartz hill california, city of port hueneme, santa clarita valley news, simi valley home, simi valley california, thousand oaks real estate, history santa clarita valley, simi valley real estate, santa clarita valley home, santa paula restaurant, city of simi valley, santa clarita valley history, port hueneme real estate, antelope valley press, real estate santa clarita valley, thousand oak news, antelope valley hospital, santa clarita valley newspaper, quartz hill restaurant, california city, mojave, rosamond, city of thousand oaks, antelope valley high school, real estate simi valley, antelope valley real estate, thousand oaks california, simi valley newspaper, antelope valley news, santa paula real estate , Ventura, Ventura County, County of Ventura, Ventura resource guide, ventura city, Greater ventura county, Pt. Mugu, Point magu, ventura, working in ventura, exploring ventuta county, business and industry in ventura county, Visiting Ventura County, Playing in ventura county, Naval construction battalion center, relocating to ventura county, ventura county housing choices, Antelope Valley, Santa Clarita valley, Antelope, Santa Clarita, Palmdale, lancaster, Quartz Hill, Valencia, Saugus, Newhall</font> <p><font size=-1>2006 a year of achievement for Mojave airport/spaceport</font> <p><font size=-1>New runway opened</font> <br><font size=-1>BY BILL DEAVER</font> <br><font size=-1>MOJAVE — Completion of a project to widen the main runway at the Mojave Air and Spaceport was perhaps the major achievement of 2006 for the East Kern Airport District, according to Stuart Witt, the district’s general manager.</font> <br><font size=-1>Runway 12/30, the airport/spaceport’s longest runway, was lengthened to 12,500 feet, making it one of the longest runways in the region.</font> <br><font size=-1>According to Witt, the runway is now able to handle any aircraft flying. The project, funded primarily by the Federal Aviation Administration with a match from Caltrans and the district, will boost the airport’s ability to handle test and operational flights for the space tourism industry being developed at the facility, improve flight test operations, and make it possible to compete for the booming international cargo trade.</font> <br><font size=-1>Admin building</font> <br><font size=-1>Upgrading the airport’s administration building was another achievement during 2006, Witt noted.</font> <br><font size=-1>Built by the Navy in the early days of World War II, the building houses the airport’s original control tower, now used by EKAD security personnel, district offices, and the Voyager Restaurant.</font> <br><font size=-1>The modernization, completed almost entirely by EKAD personnel and under budget, resulted in creating a new board room that can be used for community and airport functions, an employee break room, new offices for district staff, and “boutique” offices that can be rented to short-term tenants such as film crews and flight test operations.</font> <br><font size=-1>“We now have room to have all of our administrative staff in one building,” Witt said.</font> <br><font size=-1>The building’s exterior was re-stuccoed significantly improving its appearance, and an area was created at the south end that can be used for al fresco dining and other events. The area could also eventually be enclosed for additional office or commercial space, Witt noted.</font> <br><font size=-1>Welcoming visitors</font> <br><font size=-1>Upgrading the building, which will soon be completed with completion of exterior stuccoing, was enhanced by moving the Rotary Rocket “Roton” to a small park area just south of the admin building. Dedicated along with building improvements on Veterans Day, the Roton is expected to share space with an automated visitor kiosk to be installed by the Kern County Board of Trade.</font> <br><font size=-1>The kiosk will join one in Boron and another in Tehachapi and will provide up-to-the-minute information on local and county visitor attractions, road conditions, and weather information, according to Rick Davis, executive director of the Board of Trade.</font> <br><font size=-1>The district is also working on plans to improve the Business 58 entrance to the airport to attract visitors off the highway and into not only the airport but to Mojave businesses.</font> <br><font size=-1>New construction</font> <br><font size=-1>EKAD is also working with Progress Rail on a project to extend railroad tracks into the company’s facility, which upgrades railroad wheels. The company now operates a switch engine which brings rail cars from the adjacent Union Pacific Lone Pine Branch.</font> <br><font size=-1>Negotians are also underway with three airport tenants interested in constructing new buildings on Taxiway Bravo, the 3,500-foot-long taxiway built to accomodate future airport growth.</font> <br><font size=-1>Witt said several other projects are underway, all aimed at improving the airport, community, and region’s ability to attract and retain business.</font> <br>  <p><font size=-1>CALTRANS AERONAUTICS DIVISION chief Mary Frederick was welcomed to the Mojave Air and Spaceport in August by EKAD General Manager Stuart Witt. Caltrans funding helped pay for improvements at the airport, including the lengthening of the main runway. Caltrans funds come from taxes collected on operations of aircraft registered in California. BILL DEAVER/Desert News</font> <br>  <br>  <p><font size=-1>LANDMARK — Rotary Rocket “Roton,” the vehicle that helped launch the space tourism industry at the Mojave Air and Spaceport, was moved to a new park area near the airport administration buidling in November. It will be joined by a Kern County Board of Trade automated visitors kiosk. BILL DEAVER/Desert News</font> <br>  <br>  <p><font size=-1>PROGRESS RAIL, which maintains railroad wheels and axles, plans to expand its facilities at the Mojave Air and Space Port in 2007. BILL DEAVER/Desert News</font> <p><font size=-1>McCarthy wants to expand Mojave rocket challenge nationwide</font> <p><font size=-1>Encouraging youngsters to become engineers</font> <br><font size=-1>QUOTE: “How can we spur the next Rutans of the world?” — Congressman Kevin McCarthy</font> <br><font size=-1>BY BILL DEAVER</font> <br><font size=-1>WASHINGTON, D.C. —Congressman-elect Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) wants to take an event begun at the Mojave Air and Space Port nationwide.</font> <br><font size=-1>In a telephone interview Tuesday, McCarthy said he wants to encourage students all over the nation to pursue careers in engineering.</font> <br><font size=-1>“If you want to get people studying engineering, you can’t wait until they’re in college, you start them at a much younger age, which is why the program Marie Walker runs in Mojave is so important — I want to try to take that from Mojave to nationwide,” McCarthy said. McCarthy was referring to the Intermediate Space Challenge that East Kern Airport District board member Marie Walker developed for Mojave Unified School District middle school students.</font> <br><font size=-1>“That the sort of thing that spurs people,” he said.</font> <br><font size=-1>“I took my son to the National Air and Space Museum (in Washington) yesterday— we walk in and you see the Voyager and SpaceShipOne— where else do you have something like this— they’re celebrating the history of flight and there’s Mojave right there!,” McCarthy said.</font> <br><font size=-1>“Where else are we creating things like this — they weren’t created by government, they were create by great engineers with great ingenuity right there in Mojave,” he said. “How can we spur the next Rutans of the world?”</font> <br><font size=-1>Doing that also includes attracting the next California State University to East Kern and the Antelope Valley, he added.</font> <br><font size=-1>And he wants to bring other members of Congress from around the nation to visit the nation’s first commercial spaceport.</font> <br><font size=-1>Facing challenges</font> <br><font size=-1>Asked about new House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s plans for the new Congress, McCarthy said that while she has promised bipartisanship, “she is saying she won’t allow Republicans to offer amendments to legislation.”</font> <br><font size=-1>“She said she was going to work with Republicans, but now she’s going back on her word on amendments,” he said.</font> <br><font size=-1>Lobbying reform is supposed to be one of the new speaker’s issues. McCarthy said he supports reforming lobbying, “But I need to see what she wants to do — I understand she has loopholes for unions in her proposals.”</font> <br><font size=-1>“Whatever her agenda, I believe we should be able to see it and debate it and any suggested changes should go through the committee process,” McCarthy said.</font> <br><font size=-1>(Democrats have a 16-vote majority in the House, and a tenuous one-vote lead in the Senate with one Democrat senator in ill health).</font> <br><font size=-1>Energy issues</font> <br><font size=-1>Noting that Pelosi wants to end tax breaks for oil companies that are aimed at encouraging exploration for new oilfields, an issue of great importance in Kern County, McCarthy said “We need to become energy independant. To do that, we need to encourage people to find new sources of energy while encouraging exploration to find oil, as well. Increasing taxes on energy doesn’t create more energy, it just creates higher gas prices.”</font> <br><font size=-1>McCarthy noted that voters in California, a “blue” (liberal) state, recently turned-down a measure that would have raised oil taxes. “They said ‘no’ to energy taxes, because the public was well aware that it would just cost them more.”</font> <br><font size=-1>McCarthy was elected to succeed Congressman Bill Thomas, who retired. His district includes parts of Kern, Los Angeles, and San Luis Obispo counties.</font> <br>  <p><font size=-1>ROCKET COMPETITION at Mojave Air and Space Port would be expanded nationwide by Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield), seen at a demonstration of the annual Intermediate Space Challenge for Mojave Unified School District middle school students. With McCarthy are, from left, EKAD airfield manager Bob Rice, Dick Rutan, and Marie Walker. BILL DEAVER/Desert News</font> <p><font size=-1>Year of challenge and accomplishment at NASA Dryden</font> <p><font size=-1>The year ended and the year ahead</font> <br><font size=-1>SPECIAL TO THE DESERT NEWS</font> <br><font size=-1>EDWARDS — A year of challenge, a year of transition, a year of accomplishment – that was 2006 at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base.</font> <br><font size=-1>As it marked its 60th anniversary in 2006, NASA Dryden completed a number of flight research projects and supported a variety of environmental science efforts, gathering and analyzing data that would contribute to aerospace technology, the agency's space exploration goals and the knowledge and protection of our environment.</font> <br><font size=-1>As Dryden enters its seventh decade as NASA's lead center for atmospheric flight research and operations, the center is actively engaged in all four of NASA's mission concentrations – space exploration systems, human spaceflight, environmental and space science and aeronautics research. Several major projects, a renewed emphasis on fundamental aeronautics research and several new science demonstration aircraft are expected to highlight activity at the center in coming months.</font> <br><font size=-1>Human Spaceflight</font> <br><font size=-1>Dryden, working in support of NASA's Orion Project under the Constellation program, will be responsible for performing the flight tests of the Orion's Launch Escape System. Dryden's role includes development of flight re-entry and landing profiles, drop tests, landing and recovery tests, and range-safety requirements and integration.</font> <br><font size=-1>Dryden established the Launch Abort Flight Test Team for Orion in 2006. Dryden's team, in conjunction with other NASA centers and other government agencies, will be responsible for integrating the Lockheed Martin/Orbital Launch Escape System with a NASA-built Crew Exploration Vehicle flight test article, and performing the launch abort tests at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico beginning in late 2008.</font> <br><font size=-1>Space Shuttle</font> <br><font size=-1>Although there were no space shuttle landings at Edwards in 2006, NASA Dryden maintained its readiness to support potential landings of all three shuttle missions that were flown during the year, including recovery, servicing and ferry flight operations to return the shuttle to the Kennedy Space Center launch site.</font> <br><font size=-1>On April 10, NASA Dryden recalled the 25th anniversary of the first space shuttle landing at Edwards in 1981 by hosting a media roundtable with NASA retirees and various others who supported that milestone event. Inside NASA's shuttle carrier aircraft, media interviewed those who worked the different areas of operations that made the landing appear seamless. Since orbital missions began in 1981, Dryden has been the site of 50 shuttle landings.</font> <br><font size=-1>Aeronautics Research</font> <br><font size=-1>In early 2006, NASA Dryden flew 18 flights with the second generation of Intelligent Flight Control (IFCS) software on Dryden's highly modified NF-15B research aircraft. The Generation II flight tests allowed the adaptive, self-learning neural network system to take more direct control of the aircraft, working alongside the flight controller to adjust for any shortcomings. The IFCS project holds promise to develop adaptive and fault-tolerant flight control systems leading to unprecedented levels of safety and survivability for both civil and military aircraft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Dryden used the same aircraft late in the year to validate improvements to a space-based navigation system in support of NASA's Constellation program to return humans to the moon and eventually on to Mars or other destinations in the solar system.</font> <br><font size=-1>Quiet Spike</font> <br><font size=-1>Gulfstream Aerospace and NASA Dryden teamed in a project called Quiet SpikeO to investigate the suppression of sonic booms. The project uses a retractable, 24-foot-long, three-segment spike mounted on the nose of NASA Dryden's F-15B research testbed aircraft. The spike, made primarily of composite materials, creates three small shock waves that are intended to travel all the way to the ground without combining into a single srong shockwave, producing less noise than typical supersonic shockwaves.</font> <br><font size=-1>Since flights began last August, the system's structural integrity has been put to the test and the shock strength from the spike has been measured at speeds up to Mach 1.4. These tests have shown that the spike's articulating design has promise of reducing the intensity of sonic booms.</font> <br><font size=-1>Sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Autonomous Aerial Refueling Demonstration validated flight control software that will enable an unmanned aircraft to autonomously rendezvous and refuel from an airborne tanker.</font> <br><font size=-1>In 2007, Dryden will continue to push the frontier of aeronautics research in subsonic fixed-wing, supersonics, hypersonics, integrated vehicle health management, and integrated resilient aircraft control.</font> <br><font size=-1>Blended wing</font> <br><font size=-1>Boeing Phantom Works, partnering with NASA and the Air Force Research Laboratory, is studying the structural, aerodynamic and operational advantages of the Blended Wing Body concept, a cross between a conventional plane and a flying wing design. The Air Force is interested in the design's potential as a multi-role, long-range, high-capacity military transport aircraft.</font> <br><font size=-1>Low-speed taxi tests have already begun, and at least five test flights of the sub-scale X-48B are scheduled in early 2007. Flight tests will focus on the low-speed, low-altitude flight characteristics of the blended wing-body configuration, including engine-out control, stall characteristics and handling qualities. Based on the results of the initial flight series, a follow-on series of flights tests may also be considered.</font> <br><font size=-1>Other aeronautics research efforts in 2007 are expected to include:</font> <br><font size=-1>-- Vehicle Health Management – development and validation of new techniques for strain measurements using fiber optics that can lead to advanced control and vehicle health management technologies.</font> <br><font size=-1>-- Hypersonic Test Capability – continued development of a hypersonic test capability using demilitarized air-launched Phoenix missiles obtained from the U.S. Navy.</font> <br><font size=-1>-- Intelligent Systems – continued development and testing of techniques for adaptive control of aircraft with airframe damage or flight control system degradations.</font> <br><font size=-1>Earth and Space Science</font> <br><font size=-1>In August, NASA chose Dryden to play a key role in developing the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA).  Dryden was tasked with completing systems installation and integration and conducting flight tests of the flying observatory.</font> <br><font size=-1>SOFIA is an airborne astronomical observatory consisting of a 2.5-meter telescope provided through a partnership with the German Aerospace Center permanently installed in a highly modified Boeing 747 aircraft. The airborne observatory will provide routine access to space observations in several parts of the spectrum beyond what is visible to the eye.</font> <br><font size=-1>After initial check flights from Waco, Texas where modifications were carried out over the past several years, the SOFIA aircraft is due to be ferried to Dryden in early 2007. It will be the focus of an extensive systems integration and two-phase flight test program before beginning operational astronomy missions in about 2010.</font> <br><font size=-1>Wildfire aid</font> <br><font size=-1>NASA provided support to the U.S. Forest Service during late October's Esperanza wildfire near Banning, Calif. Using General Atomics Aeronautical System's Altair UAS, a wildfire sensor designed at NASA's Ames Research Center collected and sent 100 images and more than 20 data files containing the location of the fire perimeter over a 16-hour period. The Esperanza Fire Incident Command Center used the data to map fire behavior and direct resources to critical areas on the fire. NASA Dryden's flight management team coordinated use of the aircraft and worked with the FAA to gain approval for the flight.</font> <br><font size=-1>NASA's high-altitude ER-2 earth resources aircraft continued supporting the science community in a series of missions during 2006. Following a major overhaul, ER-2 No. 806 flew sensitive instruments to calibrate and validate data from sensors installed on the recently launched CALIPSO and CloudSat weather, climate and air quality monitoring satellites.</font> <br><font size=-1>Dryden flight crews flew several major missions on NASA's DC-8 airborne laboratory during the year, including a tropical storm formation study off the west coast of Africa. It is anticipated that Dryden flight crews will continue to operate the aircraft on its major earth science and satellite validation missions for the foreseeable future.</font> <br><font size=-1>Educational Outreach</font> <br><font size=-1>NASA Dryden continued its support of efforts to improve science and mathematics education during 2006. Students from Cole Middle School, Lancaster, and Edwards Middle School, located on Edwards Air Force Base, had the opportunity to ask questions of the Expedition 12 crew during a March 2 International Space Station downlink.</font> <br><font size=-1>Looking Ahead</font> <br><font size=-1>To leverage its expertise in operation of unmanned aircraft, NASA Dryden is acquiring a General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Predator B unmanned aircraft system scheduled to be delivered in the spring of 2007. To be named Ikhana, the aircraft will be modified to support its role as a testbed for unmanned vehicle technology development as well as a long-endurance platform for airborne science missions.</font> <br><font size=-1>Global Hawk</font> <br><font size=-1>Dryden is also looking to acquire two early-model Northrop Global Hawk developmental unmanned aircraft no longer needed by the Air Force, with potential transfer expected in mid-2007. These Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration aircraft would be flown on long-endurance, high-altitude technology demonstrations and on science missions, supplementing the two manned Lockheed ER-2 aircraft currently flown by Dryden in the latter role.</font> <br><font size=-1>Dryden is planning to re-activate F/A-18 No. 853 that flew in the Active Aeroelastic Wing project that concluded in early 2005. The heavily instrumented aircraft may be used in varied research efforts, including follow-on work in Intelligent Flight Controls and possible follow-on research sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory on the Active Aeroelastic Wing concept.</font> <br><font size=-1>Dryden's civil service staff grew by about 50 positions in 2006, a sign of increased activity in the Constellation program and SOFIA. At year end, Dryden's civil servant staff numbered about 540, with about the same number of contractor employees on site. NASA Dryden expects staffing will increase by another five percent in the coming year, and an active effort to recruit qualified aerospace engineers is under way.</font> <br>  <p><font size=-1>MEMORIES of the first Space Shuttle Landing at Edwards 25 years ago recalled that historic day at a press conference at Dryden Flight Research Center on April 10th. From left: Johnny Armstrong, Tom McMurtry, Fitz Fulton, Roger Barnicke, Astronaut Gordon Fullerton, and Nancy Lovato. The conference was held inside one of NASA’s Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. BILL DEAVER/Desert News</font> <p><font size=-1>Progress on Highway 14 project</font> <p><font size=-1>HIGHWAY CHANGE — Granite Construction and Caltrans crews shifted traffic on Highway 14 between Mojave and Phillips Road to new pavement Tuesday and Wednesday. Caltrans Resident Engineer Jim Burford said the shift will allow completion of drainage structures and new pavement on the northbound lanes of the project. Construction of false work to support concrete on the overpass at California City Boulevard is beginning, and Burford said the project “is moving along ahead of schedule,” and the entire project could be completed by August or even sooner. BILL DEAVER/Desert News</font> <p><font size=-1>By TINA FORDE</font> <br><font size=-1>Valley Press Business Editor</font> <br>  <br>  <p><font size=-1>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font> <br><font size=-1>LANCASTER - Jens Neelsen brought a wealth of hotel and tourism experience when he arrived in the Antelope Valley in 1975 from Beverly Hills to manage a Lancaster hotel on the verge of foreclosure.</font> <br><font size=-1>Opened a year before in what then was a city of fewer than 50,000 people, many of them aerospace workers, the troubled hotel had been built as a Hilton Inn but the owners couldn't get Hilton's franchise, so it was made into a Ramada Inn. Neelsen's management company specialized in reorganizing hotels for banks.</font> <p><font size=-1>Neelsen managed the hotel for three or four months, then bought it in November 1975.</font> <p><font size=-1>"That short-term investment lasted 30 years," the Berlin-born Neelsen said during a recent interview at the hotel. "It was never planned."</font> <p><font size=-1>During his nearly 31 years as owner, Neelsen increased the number of rooms from 151 to 234. In 1979 he built the Essex Center as an office building and Le Club Sportif health and racquet club. In 1984 he built 32 400-square-foot garden suites with kitchenettes, and two years later added the 51-unit executive suites with kitchenettes.</font> <p><font size=-1>In 1994 came the massive conversion of a two-story office building into the distinctive Convention Center, the site of countless Antelope Valley civic and private breakfasts, luncheons, dinners, weddings, receptions, awards banquets and celebrations. The 10,000-square-foot main room can accommodate up to 800 people.</font> <p><font size=-1>"We took the second floor off," Neelsen said, "and built the 18-foot ceilings with big trusses."</font> <p><font size=-1>Now encompassing seven acres and 160,000 square feet of floor space in four buildings, the Essex House Hotel and Convention Center has changed hands after nearly 31 years in Neelsen's ownership and will be turned into a senior housing complex.</font> <p><font size=-1>New owner is InSite Development of Encino will keep the main hotel and convention center open during 2007, with Neelsen continuing to operate it through Nina Ltd. Management Co.</font> <p><font size=-1>InSite, eager to move forward with the changeover, originally asked Neelsen to cancel the events already scheduled at the Convention Center. But they concluded it was a premature decision - perhaps after InSite Development enjoyed its own company holiday party there - and Neelsen has been busy re-booking.</font> <p><font size=-1>One decision InSite will stick with is last month's closure of the 1,000-member Le Club Sportif, which was in the same building as the Convention Center. Weight-training equipment is being dismantled and stored or moved to other InSite developments. The pool has been drained and the four racquetball courts are quiet. The mirrored exercise room with dance barres and flexible wooden floor awaits new instructions.</font> <p><font size=-1>But the lull is temporary, as InSite's vision is to create an adult day-care health and activity center on the premises, with age-appropriate, updated equipment and facilities, including an elevator.</font> <p><font size=-1>Neelsen, showing a visitor around the hotel and occasionally stopping to pick up the tiniest out-of-place scrap, said he is not involved in the renovation.</font> <p><font size=-1>"I'm just a caretaker," he said. The hotel business, Neelsen said, fluctuates but at present is still good. The Essex House once was dependent on the aerospace industry, that provided about 90% of its business and still is about 65% or 70%.</font> <p><font size=-1>Willow Springs International Motorsports Park in Rosamond, soccer and softball tournaments, and movie production also generate considerable business.</font> <p><font size=-1>"Willow Springs Raceway is now our single biggest account - bigger than Lockheed, Northrop or Boeing. Willow Springs has races every weekend," he said. "We had quite a few people from the 'Pirates of the Caribbean.' … The extreme dependency on aerospace has changed. It's a better product mix now."</font> <p><font size=-1>A variety of clients is a positive thing, he said, especially when they fill up rooms on the weekends, when occupancy in a commercial town can drop to 30% to 35%.</font> <p><font size=-1>Neelsen is realistic about the appeal of "branded" hotels with which travelers feel comfortable. Customers, he said, will go to a branded product before they will go to an independent product.</font> <p><font size=-1>"There is perceived value at a Motel 6," he said. "As long as your expectations are met you are happy. A Marriott, a Hyatt, they are a known lodging product. The fact that we are bigger and better than anybody is immaterial. We've had a good run for more than 30 years. I brought up my youngest daughter here."</font> <p><font size=-1>The Essex House, though not branded, is ranked as "First Class" in the Worldhotels directory, listed between Steigenberger Hotel Lam Spa and Resort in Germany's Bavarian Forest and the Lindner Hotel Kaiserhof in Munich, and it generates considerable tax revenue for the city.</font> <p><font size=-1>"We are the largest contributor of bed tax to the city," Neelsen said. "We pay in excess of $250,000 a year to Lancaster."</font> <p><font size=-1>Neelsen said he had not planned to close down, but "it's better if I do it than if anybody else does it. Loyalty has its price."</font> <p><font size=-1>Of his 120 employees, Neelsen said, "quite a few line people, cooks, maids, bartenders, have been with me 10 years or better." He has experienced little employee turnover through the years. His policy is to provide on-the-job training and to promote from within.</font> <p><font size=-1>Executive housekeeper Ruth Collier and his controller Sharon Smith have been with him for 30 years, Neelsen said. Employees for 15 or more years include his executive assistant Dolores McConnell, executive chef Boyd Oldham and chief engineer Cliff Uphold. Another long-term employee is Jim Hagon, chief of security. His people "are clearly placeable and employable," he said. "They are well trained. They know what they have to do."</font> <p><font size=-1>Neelsen from 1989 until last year owned a 32-acre ranch in Littlerock, where he planted 7,000 vines for his Carina Vineyards, tended apple trees and kept quarter horses.</font> <p><font size=-1>"I really enjoyed it," Neelsen said of his ranch. "I sold it last year."</font> <p><font size=-1>Neelsen is on the board of Frankfurt-based Worldhotels, the sixth-largest hotel marketing group in the world, with 530 member hotels in 70 countries, including the Essex House. A frequent traveler to Europe, he plans put his focus there when the transformation is complete.</font> <p><font size=-1>Freshmen to be first class at CalCity High School</font> <p><font size=-1>BY BILL DEAVER</font> <br><font size=-1>MOJAVE — This fall, the doors of the new high school under construction in California City will open to a class of freshmen who, in four years, will be the school’s first graduates.</font> <br><font size=-1>Mojave Unified School District school board members voted 4-1 Tuesday evening to start off the new school with ninth-graders. Board member Shawn Sprague of California City cast the lone vote against the move, saying he wanted to wait until the Jan. 23 board meeting at California City Middle School.</font> <br><font size=-1>“I want to hear from CalCity people,” Sprague said. He was met by a chorus of voices saying, “We’re here!”</font> <br><font size=-1>CalCity resident Alan Breen kicked-off the discussion of getting students into the new school by asking why it has taken the district four years to plan for new classes. Breen was referring to a statement by district superintendent Larry Phelps that the district is “short on time” to plan for the new schools.</font> <br><font size=-1>Sprague, who said he has worked as hard as anyone in the room to get the school going, responded that the district faced monumental delays from state and federal bureaucrats whose environmental concerns “have cost this district $10 million.”</font> <br><font size=-1>Phelps commended the contractor hired to build the school for their speed, saying, “Six months ago we were thinking we’d have to wait another year to get to this point.”</font> <br><font size=-1>Earlier in the meeting Phelps introduced Scott McCracken, the district’s new Director of Construction and Modernization, who reported that 40 percent of much of the work to build the new school has been completed.</font> <br><font size=-1>Activities</font> <br><font size=-1>Phelps said the first students at the new school will not have a gym or other sports facilities, but can be bussed to Mojave High for those activities. State-induced delays and the rising cost of construction have not left enough money for those facilities.</font> <br><font size=-1>In response to a question from Breen, Sprague said he and others in the community are working to find money to pay for sports facilities.</font> <br><font size=-1>He also said he has a personal interest in the issue, because of his own kids, “who won’t be able to attend this school.</font> <br><font size=-1>Board member Jim Hooper also suggested waiting two more weeks to make the decision, but Owen Carder, Larry Satterfield and others in the audience asked them to “make a decision.”</font> <br><font size=-1>Board President Conie Biehl asked for a motion and board member Ted Hodgkinson  Mojave moved that the board accept Phelps’s recommendation to start with ninth-graders. Sigh seconded the motion and the rest of the board, less Sprague, voted to get the ball rolling.</font> <br><font size=-1>Good audit</font> <br><font size=-1>Earlier in the meeting the board learned that for the first time in recent memory, the annual audit of district finances contained no exceptions. The audit also reported that, as of June 6, 2006, the district was in “a solid financial position.”</font> <br><font size=-1>District financial manager Keith Gainey said credit for the results “goes to everyone at the schools who worked so hard.”</font> <br><font size=-1>Smoking</font> <br><font size=-1>During a discussion of student handbooks issued by all district schools, Biehl and others noted that school officials need to work harder at enforcing the ban on smoking on school property.</font> <br><font size=-1>Several speakers noted that the worst problem exists at Mojave High, where people smoke in the parking lot and near the ticket booth.</font> <br><font size=-1>Biehl noted that state law forbids smoking anywhere on school property, and said that all school officials should enforce that rule.</font> <p><font size=-1>Edwards enrollment cuts costing</font> <br><font size=-1>Muroc school district</font> <p><font size=-1>Officials expect situation to stabilize</font> <br><font size=-1>QUOTE: “We're confident that the big exodus is over.”—Supt. Rob Challinor</font> <br><font size=-1>BY DEBBY BADILLO</font> <br><font size=-1>NORTH EDWARDS — The decline in student population has cost the Muroc Joint Unified School District hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funding, and lead to a shift of some teaching duties, but school officials say they expect the situation to stabilize.</font> <br><font size=-1>The district's enrollment was 2,079 on Jan. 12, down 94 students from the Aug. 28 enrollment of 2,173 because it lost 111 students from its schools on Edwards Air Force Base, most of them during the winter break, but then picked up 17 more students at its schools in Boron during the same period.</font> <br><font size=-1>But between October 2005 and October 2006 the district lost 199 students who lived on base when Edwards Air Force Base closed more of its housing units. District superintendent Rob Challinor said the district has also lost 28 students from civilian families to interdistrict transfers, and 49 students from military families to interdistrict transfers. The loss of all those students from the base side of the district, Challinor said, has resulted in a loss of $787,960 in federal impact aid to the district.</font> <br><font size=-1>This funding loss will pose a challenge to the district as it continues to create annual budgets that bring it closer to being balanced and deficit-free.</font> <br><font size=-1>Although a few more student losses are expected from the base schools, "we're confident that the big exodus is over," Challinor told the school board on Jan. 17, adding that student enrollment at the Boron schools is holding steady.</font> <br>  <p><font size=-1>INTELLIGENT FLIGHT — NASA Dryden's highly modified F-15B, tail number 837, seen here with the Boron Mine as a backdrop, performed Intelligent Flight Control System (IFCS) project flights and a space-based navigation system during 2006. CARLA THOMAS/NASA Dryden</font> <br>  <br>  <p><font size=-1>BLENDED WING BODYThis closeup of Boeing Phantom Works' unique X-48B Blended Wing Body technology demonstrator shows off its unusual engine placement and supercritical airfoil. TONY LANDIS/NASA Dryden</font> <p><font size=-1>Growth impacts on aerospace discussed at Mojave Spaceport meeting</font> <p><font size=-1>Protecting the ‘Goose that lays the golden eggs’</font> <br><font size=-1>QUOTE:  “We need to have dialogues.”— County planner Lorelei Oviatt</font> <br><font size=-1>DESERT NEWS STAFF REPORT</font> <br><font size=-1>MOJAVE — East Kern officials involved in planning and development promised to improve access to information on potential effects on the region’s aerospace industry, during a meeting here last week.</font> <br><font size=-1>Called by the Edwards Community Alliance (ECA) and Kern County Supervisor Don Maben, the meeting was aimed at briefing officials, property owners, developers and others on the need to avoid conflicts between military and civilian aerospace operations, and development in the region. ECA was created by county supervisors to protect operations at Edwards and the Mojave Airport and Space Port from potential encroachment. The meeting was held at BAE Flight Systems’ Shibley Hall at the Space Port.</font> <br><font size=-1>ECA President Bill Deaver, who moderated the meeting, said it was called after the group learned that several large developments were being planned in the area between Mojave and North Edwards and north of Highway 58.</font> <br><font size=-1>“We all support growth and development but we don’t want to kill the goose that’s laying the golden eggs,” Deaver said, referring to the region’s aerospace industry, which he said provides nearly 20,000 jobs.</font> <br><font size=-1>Maben said the meeting was aimed at removing misunderstanding, and making sure that “X doesn’t affect Y somewhere down the road.”</font> <br><font size=-1>Kern County Supervisor Jon McQuiston of Ridgecrest, who represents Northeast Kern County, said the county needs to develop an environment in which business and aerospace can “thrive and prosper.” He said Kern County has been on the “cutting edge” of developing policies that protect military and civilian aerospace operations.</font> <br><font size=-1>Edwards interest</font> <br><font size=-1>Dwight Deakin, who monitors environmental and encroachment issues for the Air Force Flight Test Center at nearby Edwards Air Force Base, displayed a map showing areas of interest to the AFFTC. Those areas include the huge, 20,000 sq. mile R-2508 restricted airspace, the smaller R-2515 airspace in Southeast Kern, a large area along California City Boulevard the Air Force has used as a “spin zone” for decades, and high-speed flight corridors in the area.</font> <br><font size=-1>The map was overlaid with several colored rectangles that Deakin said represented areas of potential development that could include high-density housing, a motorcycle track, and a dump plus a potential site for the state university planned for the region.</font> <br><font size=-1>Deakin emphasized that none of the proposals have formally been presented to local government agencies for development, but are in the planning stage. Three of the areas were within the spin zone, which Deakin said the Air Force uses to test the ability of a pilot to recover an aircraft from a self-induced spin.</font> <br><font size=-1>That is done, he explained, to learn if the aircraft can recover from a spin, and if so, what steps a pilot must take to recover.</font> <br><font size=-1>Deakin showed a video of the spin test of an F-111 win which the pilot was unable to control the spin and had to eject.</font> <br><font size=-1>“We need to be able to work together so developers can develop without wiping out the military,” Deakin said.</font> <br><font size=-1>California City Councilman Kevin Shafer, an Air Force flight test veteran, noted that Edwards has four other spin zones located on Air Force land south of Highway 58.</font> <br><font size=-1>County concerns</font> <br><font size=-1>Rosamond resident Lorelei Oviatt, a division chief in the Kern County Planning Dept., said the county, cities, and other interested parties are working with the state to develop a “Joint Land Use” study of the area covered by the R-2508 restricted area.</font> <br><font size=-1>The study, which will include public meetings, will allow property owners and the military to exchange views that will lead to recommendations on how best to manage land in the restricted areas to allow development without impacting aerospace operations.</font> <br><font size=-1>Oviatt handed out a packet of information on the land use study, the county’s Airport Land Use Plan, state regulations aimed at protecting military operations, and county rules developed with the Air Force, Navy, and the wind industry to site wind turbine towers and other tall structures without interfering with flight operations.</font> <br><font size=-1>(The state regulations grew out of legislation authored by the late State Senator William “Pete” Knight, a retired Air Force test pilot who set altitude and speed records in East Kern skies with the X-15. Knight represented part of the Antelope Valley in the state assembly and senate).</font> <br><font size=-1>“All of these plans are tied together,” Oviatt said. She said developers can benefit by referring to them early in their development process rather than spending a lot of money and then learning that they may not be able to do all they want to accomplish.</font> <br><font size=-1>“We’re trying to provide an ‘early warning system,’” Oviatt said, adding that the development process is a “give and take” system. “We need to have dialogues,” she said.</font> <br><font size=-1>Informing the public</font> <br><font size=-1>Supervisor McQuiston. a former U.S. Navy air traffic controller, suggested that county and Edwards officials make information on their requirements more accessible to the public in print and on the internet. Deaver suggested that the packet Oviatt handed out be developed into a more readable pamphlet and placed on the web.</font> <br><font size=-1>Oviatt and Deakin agreed, and Gretchen Gutierrez of the Antelope Valley Building Industry Association offered to assist builders and developers work with county and aerospace officials to enure that they are fully informed.</font> <br><font size=-1>Adrian Moore of Tehachapi, an official with the Reason Foundation, agreed that making information readily available will be beneficial.</font> <br><font size=-1>Moore also noted that a major problem facing planners is complaints about aerospace operations that will come from future residents of developments affected by military operations rather than from current residents. He also suggested that everyone involved in the development process strive for balancing conflicting interests.</font> <br><font size=-1>Supervisor Maben said following the meeting that he will “never support any development that is not okayed by Stu Witt and General Curtis Bedke,” the commander of the AFFTC.</font> <br><font size=-1>The meeting was attended by planning officials and elected officials from Kern and Los Angeles counties, the cities of California City, Ridgecrest, and Tehachapi, East Kern Airport District, property owners and developers, and educators.</font> <br><font size=-1>Many of those attending said following the meeting that they appreciated the opportunity to meet and discuss the issues involved in developing in the region while protecting its major industry.</font> <br><font size=-1>EKAD General Manager Stuart Witt said, “I learned tons,” at the meeting.</font> <br><font size=-1> AEROSPACE IMPACTS — Potential impacts on East kern’s aerospace industry were discussed during a meeting in Shibley Hall at the Mojave Air and Spaceport last Thursday. Kern County Supervisor Jon McQuiston and county planning dept. division chief Lorelei Oviatt, at right, discussed the issue before the meeting started, as Bob Rice of the East Kern Airport District, Supervisor Don Maben, and David Jones, who heads the Kern County Air Pollution Control District, at left, talked about potential growth conflicts. BILL DEAVER/Desert News</font> <p><font size=-1>CITY LEADERS — Tehachapi City Manager Jason Candle, at left, and California City Councilman Mike Edmiston, were among East Kern leaders attending a meeting on managing growth in the region last Thursday. BILL DEAVER</font> <p><font size=-1>Groundbreaking set for Hacienda School</font> <p><font size=-1>HACIENDA Elementary School will begin to take shape after ground is officially broken at 11 a.m. Jan. 22 at the site just west of California City Middle School. This architect’s rendition shows what the new school will look like. When completed, it will relieve pressure on the crowded Robert P. Ulrich Elementary School.</font> <p><font size=-1>Click on one of the following cities to see California Real Estate Office or California Realty offices that serve the area:</font> <p><font size=-1>ACTON, CA ADELANTO, CA AGOURA HILLS, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>AGUA DULCE, CA AHWAHNEE, CA ALAMEDA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>ALAMO, CA ALBANY, CA ALHAMBRA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>ALISO VIEJO, CA ALPINE, CA ALTA LOMA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>ALTA SIERRA, CA ALTADENA, CA ALVISO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>AMERICAN CANYON, CA ANAEHIM, CA ANAHEIM, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>ANAHEIM HILLS, CA ANDERSON, CA ANGELS CAMP, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>ANGIN, CA ANTELOPE, CA ANTELOPE VALLEY, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>ANTIOCH, CA APPLE VALLEY, CA APPLEGATE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>APTOS, CA AQUA DULCE, CA ARCADE CREEK, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>ARCADIA, CA ARCATA, CA ARDEN, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>ARLETA, CA ARTESIA, CA ARVIN, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>ATASCADERO, CA ATHERTON, CA ATWATER, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>AUBERRY, CA AUBURN, CA AZUSA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>BAKERSFIELD, CA BALBOA, CA BALBOA ISLAND, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>BALDWIN PARK, CA BALDY MES, CA BALDY MESA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>BANNING, CA BARSTOW, CA BARSTOW MARINE LOGISTICS BSE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>BASS LAKE, CA BAY PARK, CA BAY POINT, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>BAYSIDE, CA BEALE AFB, CA BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>BEAUMONT, CA BEL AIR, CA BELL CANYON, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>BELLA VISTA, CA BELLFLOWER, CA BELMONT, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>BELVEDERE, CA BEN LOMOND, CA BERKELEY, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>BERMUDA DUNES, CA BERRYESSA, CA BEVERLY GLEN, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>BEVERLY HILLS, CA BIG OAK FLAT, CA BIG PINE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>BIGGS, CA BISHOP, CA BLACK HAWK, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>BLACKHAWK, CA BLOOMINGTON, CA BLUE LAKE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>BOLDER CREEK, CA BONITA, CA BONSALL, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>BOYES HOT SPRINGS, CA BRADBURY, CA BREA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>BRENTWOOD, CA BRIDGEVILLE, CA BRISBANE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>BROADMOOR, CA BROWNS VALLEY, CA BROWNSVILLE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>BUENA PARK, CA BURBANK, CA BURLINGAME, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>BURNT RANCH, CA BYRON, CA CALABASAS, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>CALIFORNIA CITY, CA CALIMESA, CA CALISTOGA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>CAMARILLO, CA CAMERON PARK, CA CAMINO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>CAMP PENDLETON, CA CAMPBELL, CA CAMPTONVILLE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>CANOGA PARK, CA CANYON COUNTRY, CA CAPISTRANO BEACH, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>CAPITOLA, CA CARDIFF, CA CARLOTTA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>CARLSBAD, CA CARMICHAEL, CA CASTAIC, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>CASTRO VALLEY, CA CATHEDRAL CITY, CA CATHEYS VALLEY, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>CEDAR RIDGE, CA CERRITOS, CA CHATSWORTH, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>CHERRY VALLEY, CA CHICAGO PARK, CA CHINO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>CHINO HILLS, CA CHULA VISTA, CA CIMA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA CITY HEIGHTS, CA CLAIREMONT, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>CLAREMONT, CA CLAYTON, CA CLOVERDALE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>CLOVIS, CA COARSEGOLD, CA COLEVILLE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>COLFAX, CA COLLEGE GREENS, CA COLLEGE GROVE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>COLTON, CA COLUMBIA, CA CONCORD, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>COPPER COVE, CA COPPEROPOLIS, CA CORLUSA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>CORONA, CA CORONA DEL MAR, CA CORONADO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>CORONADO NAVAL BASE, CA CORTE MADERA, CA COSTA MESA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>COTATI, CA COTO DE CAZA, CA COTTONWOOD, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>COULTERVILLE, CA COVINA, CA CRESTON, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>CUDDY VALLEY, CA CULVER CITY, CA CUPERTINO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>CUTTEN, CA CYPRESS, CA DAGGETT, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>DALY CITY, CA DANA POINT, CA DANVILLE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>DAVENPORT, CA DEERPARK, CA DEL CERRO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>DEL MAR, CA DEL PASO HEIGHTS, CA DELANO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>DELMAR, CA DESERT HOT SPRINGS, CA DIABLO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>DIAMOND BAR, CA DIAMOND SPRINGS, CA DISCOVERY BAY, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>DON PEDRO, CA DOVE CANYON, CA DOWNEY, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>DUARTE, CA DUBLIN, CA EAGLE ROCK, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>EAST LOS ANGELES, CA EAST RIVERSIDE, CA EAST SACRAMENTO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>EAST SAN DIEGO, CA EAST SONORA, CA EAST TUSTIN, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>EL CAJON, CA EL CERRITO, CA EL DORADO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>EL DORADO HILLS, CA EL MIRAGE, CA EL MONTE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>EL PORTAL, CA EL SEGUNDO, CA EL SERENO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>EL VERANO, CA ELDER CREEK, CA ELK GROVE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>ELVERTA, CA EMERALD BAY, CA ENCINITAS, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>ENCINO, CA ESCONDIDO, CA EUREKA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>FAIR OAKS, CA FAIRFAX, CA FALLBROOK, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>FELTON, CA FERNDALE, CA FIELDBROOK, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>FIELDS LANDING, CA FISH CAMP, CA FLORIN, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>FOLSOM, CA FONTANA, CA FOOTHILL FARMS, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>FOOTHILL RANCH, CA FOREST FALLS, CA FORESTHILL, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>FORESTVILLE, CA FORT IRWIN NAT TRAINING/CENTER, CA FORTUNA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>FOSTER CITY, CA FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA FOWLER, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>FRANKLIN, CA FRAZIER PARK, CA FREEDOM, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>FREEPORT, CA FREMONT, CA FRESNO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>FRIANT, CA FRUITRIDGE, CA FULLERTON, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>GARDEN GROVE, CA GARDENA, CA GEYSERVILLE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>GILROY, CA GLASSELL PARK, CA GLEN AVON, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>GLEN ELLEN, CA GLENDALE, CA GLENDORA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>GOLD RIVER, CA GRANADA HILLS, CA GRAND TERRACE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>GRANITE, CA GRANITE BAY, CA GRASS VALLEY, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>GREEN VALLEY, CA GREENBRAE, CA GREENHAVEN, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>GREENWOOD, CA GRIDLEY, CA GRIMES, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>GROMAN, CA GROVELAND, CA GUERNEVILLE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>HACIENDA HEIGHTS, CA HALLWOOD, CA HAWAIIAN GARDENS, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>HAWTHORNE, CA HAYWARD, CA HEALDSBURG, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>HELENDALE, CA HEMET, CA HERCULES, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>HERITAGE RANCH, CA HERMOSA BEACH, CA HESPERIA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>HI VISTA, CA HIDDEN HILLS, CA HIGHLAND, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>HIGHLAND PARK, CA HILLCREST, CA HILLSBOROUGH, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>HINKLEY, CA HOLLISTER, CA HOLLYWOOD, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>HOLLYWOOD HILLS, CA HOMELAND, CA HONEYDEW, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>HOOPA, CA HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA HYDESVILLE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>IGO, CA IMPERIAL BEACH, CA INDEPENDENCE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>INDIAN WELLS, CA INDIO COACHELLA, CA IRVINE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>JACOBY CREEK, CA JAMESTOWN, CA JAMUL, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>JUNE LAKE, CA JUNIPER FLATTS, CA JUNIPER HILLS, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>KAGEL CANYON, CA KENSINGTON, CA KENTFIELD, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>KENWOOD, CA KNEELAND, CA KORBEL, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>KYBURZ, CA LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, CA LA COSTA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LA CRESCENTA, CA LA GRANGE, CA LA HABRA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LA HABRA HEIGHTS, CA LA JOLLA, CA LA MESA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LA MIRADA, CA LA PALMA, CA LA PUENTE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LA QUINTA, CA LA VERNE, CA LADERA RANCH, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LAFAYETTE, CA LAGUNA, CA LAGUNA BEACH, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LAGUNA HILLS, CA LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA LAGUNA WOODS, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LAKE DON PEDRO, CA LAKE ELIZABETH, CA LAKE ELSINORE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LAKE FOREST, CA LAKE LOS ANGELES, CA LAKE NACIMIENTO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LAKE OF THE PINES, CA LAKE OF THE WOODS, CA LAKE TULLOCH, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LAKE VIEW TERRACE, CA LAKE WILDWOOD, CA LAKESIDE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LAKEVIEW, CA LAKEWOOD, CA LAMONT, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LANCASTER, CA LAND PARK, CA LARKSPUR, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LAS FLORES, CA LEBEC, CA LEE VINING, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LEISURE WORLD, CA LEMON GROVE, CA LENWOOD, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LEONA VALLEY, CA LEUCADIA, CA LIDO ISLAND, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LINCOLN, CA LINDA, CA LINDA VISTA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LITTLE ROCK, CA LITTLEROCK, CA LIVE OAK, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LIVERMORE, CA LLANO, CA LOCKWOOD VALLEY, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LODI, CA LOGISTICS BASE, CA LOLETA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LOMA LINDA, CA LOMA RICA, CA LOMITA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LOMPOC, CA LOMPOC VALLEY, CA LONE PINE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LONG BARN, CA LONG BEACH, CA LONGVIEW, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LOOMIS, CA LOS ALAMITO, CA LOS ALAMITOS, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LOS ALTOS, CA LOS ALTOS HILLS, CA LOS ANGELES, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CA LOS BANOS, CA LOS FELIZ, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>LOS GATOS, CA LUCERNE VALLEY, CA MADERA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>MAILIBU, CA MAMMOTH, CA MAMMOTH LAKES, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>MANHATTAN BEACH, CA MANTECA, CA MARINA DEL REY, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>MARIPOSA, CA MARTINEZ, CA MARYSVILLE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>MATHER, CA MC CLELLAN, CA MCCLELLAN, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>MCFARLAND, CA MCKINLEYVILLE, CA MEADOW VISTA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>MENIFEE, CA MENTONE, CA MERIDIAN, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>MI WUK VILLAGE, CA MILL VALLEY, CA MILLBRAE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>MILLVILLE, CA MILPITAS, CA MIRA LOMA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>MIRA MESA, CA MIRANDA, CA MISSION BEACH, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>MISSION HILLS, CA MISSION VALLEY, CA MISSION VIEJO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>MISSION VILLAGE, CA MISSON BEACH, CA MOCCASIN, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>MOJAVE, CA MONARCH BEACH, CA MONROVIA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>MONTCLAIR, CA MONTE SERENO, CA MONTEBELLO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>MONTEREY PARK, CA MONTROSE, CA MOORPARK, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>MORAGA, CA MORENO VALLEY, CA MORGAN HILL, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>MORONGO VALLEY, CA MOUNT WASHINGTON, CA MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>MT. AUKUM, CA MT. WASHINGTON, CA MUIR BEACH, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>MURPHYS, CA MURRIETA, CA MYERS FLAT, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>N HOLLYWOOD, CA N. HOLLYWOOD, CA NAPA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>NAT'L TRAINING CENTER-BARSTOW, CA NATIONAL CITY, CA NATOMAS, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>NEVADA CITY, CA NEW CASTLE, CA NEWARK, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>NEWBERRY SPRINGS, CA NEWBURY PARK, CA NEWCASTLE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>NEWHALL, CA NEWPORT BEACH, CA NEWPORT CENTER, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>NEWPORT COAST, CA NORCO, CA NORTH FORK, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>NORTH HIGHLANDS, CA NORTH HILLS, CA NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>NORTH PARK, CA NORTH RANCH, CA NORTH SAN JUAN, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>NORTH TUSTIN, CA NORTHRIDGE, CA NORWALK, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>NOVATO, CA NUEVO, CA O NEALS, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>OAK GLEN, CA OAK HILLS, CA OAK HILS, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>OAK PARK, CA OAKHURST, CA OAKLAND, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>OCEAN BEACH, CA OCEANSIDE, CA OLD SHASTA (SHASTA), CA</font> <br><font size=-1>OLD TOWN, CA OLIVEHURST, CA ONO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>ONTARIO, CA ORANGE, CA ORANGE COUNTY, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>ORANGE PARK ACRES, CA ORANGEVALE, CA ORICK, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>ORINDA, CA ORLEANS, CA ORO GRANDE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>OXNARD, CA PACHECO, CA PACIFIC BEACH, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>PACIFIC PALISADES, CA PACIFICA, CA PACOMIA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>PALM DESERT, CA PALM SPRINGS, CA PALMDALE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>PALO ALTO, CA PALO ALTOCA, CA PALO CEDRO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>PALOS VERDES ESTATES, CA PALOS VERDES PENINSULA, CA PANORAMA CITY, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>PASADENA, CA PASO ROBLES, CA PEARBLOSSOM, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>PEARLAND, CA PEARSONVILLE, CA PENN VALLEY, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>PENNGROVE, CA PENRYN, CA PERRIS, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>PETALUMA, CA PETROLIA, CA PHELAN, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>PHILLIPSVILLE, CA PIEDMONT, CA PINE MOUNTAIN, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>PINE MOUNTAIN CLUB, CA PINE VALLEY, CA PINECREST, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>PINEDALE, CA PINION HILLS, CA PINION PINES, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>PINOLE, CA PINON HILLS, CA PLACENTIA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>PLACERVILLE, CA PLAYA DEL REY, CA PLEASANT HILL, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>PLEASANTON, CA POINT LOMA, CA POINT REYES STATION, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>POKER FLAT, CA POLLOCK PINES, CA POMONA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>POPE VALLEY, CA PORTER RANCH, CA PORTOLA HILLS, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>POWAY, CA PRATHER, CA QUARTZ HILL, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>RAMONA, CA RANCHO BERNARDO, CA RANCHO CORDOVA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA RANCHO MIRAGE, CA RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>RANCHO PENASQUITOS, CA RANCHO SAN DIEGO, CA RANCHO SANTA FE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA RANCHO VISTA, CA RAYMOND, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>RED BLUFF, CA REDCREST, CA REDDING, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>REDLANDS, CA REDONDO BEACH, CA REDWAY, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>REDWOOD CITY, CA REDWOOD ESTATES, CA REDWOOD SHORES, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>REEDLEY, CA RESEDA, CA RIALTO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>RICHMOND, CA RIO DELL, CA RIO LINDA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>RIVER PINE, CA RIVERBANK, CA RIVERSIDE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA ROCKLIN, CA ROCKVILLE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>ROHNERT PARK, CA ROLLING HILLS, CA ROLLING HILLS ESTATES, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>ROSAMOND, CA ROSEMEAD, CA ROSEMONT, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>ROSEVILLE, CA ROSS, CA ROSSMOOR, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>ROSSMORE, CA ROUGH AND READY, CA ROWLAND HEIGHTS, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>RUBIDOUX, CA RUTHERFORD, CA SACRAMENTO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SAINT HELENA, CA SALTON SEA, CA SALYER, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SAMOA, CA SAN ANSELMO, CA SAN BERNARDINO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, CA SAN BRUNO, CA SAN CARLOS, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SAN CLEMENTE, CA SAN DIEGO, CA SAN DIMAS, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SAN FERNANDO, CA SAN FRANCISCO, CA SAN GABRIEL, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SAN JACINTO, CA SAN JOSE, CA SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SAN LEANDRO, CA SAN LORENZO, CA SAN MARCOS, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SAN MARINO, CA SAN MARTIN, CA SAN MATEO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SAN MIGUEL, CA SAN MIQUEL, CA SAN PEDRO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SAN RAFAEL, CA SAN RAMON, CA SAND CANYON, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SANGER, CA SANTA ANA, CA SANTA ANA HEIGHTS, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SANTA CLARA, CA SANTA CLARITA, CA SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SANTA MARGARITA, CA SANTA MARIA, CA SANTA MONICA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SANTA PAULA, CA SANTA ROSA, CA SANTEE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SARATOGA, CA SAUGUS, CA SAUSALITO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SCOTIA, CA SCOTTS VALLEY, CA SCRIPPS RANCH, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SEAL BEACH, CA SEBASTOPOL, CA SELMA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SERRA MESA, CA SHADOW HILLS, CA SHAFTER, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SHANDON, CA SHASTA LAKE CITY, CA SHAVER LAKE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SHERMAN OAKS, CA SHINGLE SPRINGS, CA SIERRA MADRE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SIGNAL HILL, CA SILVER LAKES, CA SILVERADO, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SILVERLAKE, CA SIMI VALLEY, CA SMARTVILLE, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SOLANA BEACH, CA SOMERSET, CA SONOMA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SONORA, CA SOQUEL, CA SORRENTO VALLEY, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SOULSBYVILLE, CA SOUTH LAGUNA, CA SOUTH PASADENA, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA SPANISH FLAT, CA SPRING VALLEY, CA</font> <br><font size=-1>SPRING VALLEY LAKE, CA ST. 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Worth, Texas.</font> <br><font size=-1>“You’ve done a great and wonderful job for us” in modifying a former Lufthansa Boeing 737 into the Joint Strike Fighter Cooperative Avionics Test Bed (CATB), or “Catbird,” Pearson said.</font> <br><font size=-1>Pearson said events like the CATB first flight “are about the soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast guardsmen we have around the world protecting freedom and giving us the right, the ability, and the opportunity to do some of the things that we do every day.”</font> <br><font size=-1>“That’s what this program is all about,” Pearson said, explaining that it’s about the JSF, which was making its fourth flight right after the CATB took off from Mojave Air and Spaceport.</font> <br><font size=-1>Mission systems</font> <br><font size=-1>The Catbird “will have all of the mission systems on board this airplane eventually to make sure that all the systems, the radar, electronic warfare, communications and navigation systems all perform properly before we install them in the F-35,” Pearson explained.</font> <br><font size=-1>The 737 has been modified with an F-35 nose, sensor wings, left and right strakes, plus a spine of top and a canoe on the bottom to house wiring and other equipment.</font> <br><font size=-1>Inside, 10 workstations will be installed to allow engineers and technicians to monitor and collect data, along with a JSF cockpit simulator, full JSF mission system suite, four RAIDS racks for storing data, all connected by more than 22 miles and 3,000 lbs. of wiring and an extensive liquid cooling system. Installation of interior equipment will take place at Ft. Worth following completion of flight testing from Mojave.</font> <br><font size=-1>Pearson said that using the CATBIRD will mean a “tremendous cost reduction” for the JSF program. In previous interviews with the DesertNews, Pearson said he wished he had such an airplane on the F-22 program he managed at Edwards.</font> <br><font size=-1>“It’s a way to save money and it’s a way to get systems developed faster so that when we get them on the F-35 we have high confidence they will perform as expected,” he added.</font> <br><font size=-1>Partnership</font> <br><font size=-1>The JSF program represents a unique partnership of Lockheed Martin, BAE, Northrop Grumman, subcontractors, the U.S. government, and eight nations, he said. “That’s never been done before. This is a different way of doing business.”</font> <br><font size=-1>“This is not just about an airplane flying, it’s about moving the Western way of life forward,” Pearson said.</font> <br><font size=-1>It is also “about beating our enemies back into the ground,” the Air Force veteran said. “God forbid we ever have to do this again, but if we do, we will prevail with the kind of weapons systems that have their genesis out of this great valley. The Antelope Valley has touched the lives of people all around the world (with) the development that they do right here at Mojave, Edwards, Palmdale, and all the other places here in the Antelope Valley. This is big time, this is the stuff that changes people’s lives. In the dark of night when your sons and daughters and grandchildren are in Afghanistan you want to know that they’re going to come back.”</font> <br><font size=-1>“We’ll test these systems on the Catbird, install them on the F-35, send them into combat, and bring our children home,” Pearson said. “That’s what you do right here in the Antelope Valley. Getting up and coming to work everyday ought to be really exciting if you live in this Aerospace Valley. It’s a cool place!”</font> <br><font size=-1>The Catbird launched shortly after 9 a.m., its takeoff delayed, according to East Kern Airport District  General Manager Stuart Witt, while a coyote was removed from the runway!</font> <br><font size=-1>It landed at 11 a.m. following what was described as a successful flight. Tuesday’s flight was the first of 20 that will be followed by some additional modifications before the airplane transfers to its home base in Ft. Worth.</font> <br>  <br>  <br>  <p><font size=-1>CATBIRD Joint Strike Fighter Cooperative Avionics Test Bed, which was converted form a Lufthansa 737 airliner by BAE Flight Systems at Mojave Air and Spaceport, takes off from Mojave Tuesday morning on its first flight. BILL DEAVER/Desert News</font> <br>  <br>  <p><font size=-1>DOUG PEARSON, vice-president of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 integrated test force in Ft. Worth, Texas, and former Air Force Flight Test Center commander, posed with Dick Rutan, another Air Force veteran, at a briefing on the CATBIRD program at Mojave Air and Spaceport Tuesday morning. BILL DEAVER/Desert News</font> <br>  <br>  <p><font size=-1>TEST CHIEF — Fred Madenwald, at left, talking to East Kern Airport District General Manager Stuart Witt, will head Lockheed Martin’s Joint Strike Fighter test program at Edwards Air Force Base. BILL DEAVER/Desert News</font> <p><font size=-1>  High Desert Wireless Broadband</font> <br><font size=-1>BY BILL DEAVER</font> <br><font size=-1>MOJAVE — A local business that pioneered wireless broadband services in this region was honored Wednesday by the two county supervisors representing Southeast Kern and northern Los Angeles counties.</font> <br><font size=-1>High Desert Wireless Broadband (HDWB) President Chuck Moses and his company were recognized by supervisors Don Maben of Kern and Michael Antonovich of Los Angeles county at the annual Antelope Valley Technology Week luncheon in Lancaster.</font> <br><font size=-1>Moses said the company was created by Bill James in 2001, and acquired by Moses in 2004.</font> <br><font size=-1>The company was the first in this region and one of the first in the nation to provide residential and business customers with wireless high-speed connections to the internet. (This reporter was the company’s first residential customer).</font> <br><font size=-1>Access control</font> <br><font size=-1>Although the company still provides internet services in Mojave, Bear Valley, and Stallion Springs, it is also actively involved with the new “access control” industry that has been expanding since Sept. 11, 2001, and in developing networks for businesses and government agencies.</font> <br><font size=-1>Moses said the company was recently awarded a contract by the East Kern Airport District to build the second phase of the district’s security system to protect the Mojave Air and Spaceport.</font> <br><font size=-1>HDWB offers a variety of security devices, including palm readers that can send data wirelessly, eliminating the need for stringing wire to connect gates and other sites monitored for security.</font> <br><font size=-1>Tehachapi contract</font> <br><font size=-1>“We’re doing a mobile connectivity for the city of Tehachapi,” Moses said. The network will connect the city’s new police dept. and other agencies with a wireless network.</font> <br><font size=-1>“This system will allow the city’s new police dept. to start out ahead of the game,” he said.</font> <br><font size=-1>It will also benefit other city agencies.</font> <br><font size=-1>“For example, a building inspector can print out and issue a permit on site,” Moses explained.</font> <br><font size=-1>Six gates at the Tehachapi Airport will be connected to a network that will allow the airport manger to monitor the gates at his office, his home, or anywhere in the world where he can access the internet.</font> <p><font size=-1>Hillary Rodham Clinton said Sunday that President Bush has made a mess of Iraq and it is his responsibility to "extricate" the United States from the situation before he leaves office.</font> <p><font size=-1>It would be "the height of irresponsibility" to pass the war along to the next commander in chief, she said.</font> <p><font size=-1>"This was his decision to go to war with an ill-conceived plan and an incompetently executed strategy," the Democratic senator from New York said her in initial presidential campaign swing through Iowa.</font> <p><font size=-1>"We expect him to extricate our country from this before he leaves office" in January 2009, the former first lady said.</font> <p><font size=-1>The White House said it was disappointing that Clinton was responding to Bush's new war strategy "with a partisan attack that sends the wrong message to our troops, our enemies and the Iraqi people who are working to make this plan succeed."</font> <p><font size=-1>"The height of irresponsibility," spokesman Rob Saliterman said, "would be to cap our troop numbers at an arbitrary figure and to cut off their funding."</font> <p><font size=-1>Clinton does not support cutting funding for American troops, but does favor that step for Iraqi forces if the Baghdad government fails to meet certain conditions.</font> <p><font size=-1>Clinton defended the role that Congress has played, saying newly empowered Democrats are beginning to build pressure on Bush to act, but the public needs to be patient.</font> <p><font size=-1>"We are at the beginning of a process," Clinton said. "It's a frustrating process, our system is sometimes frustrating."</font> <p><font size=-1>Giuliani recruits veteran activist</font> <br><font size=-1>Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has recruited a recent New Hampshire Republican chairman to lead his political operations in this first-in-the-nation primary state.</font> <p><font size=-1>Following his weekend visit to New Hampshire, Giuliani -- who has taken the initial steps in a presidential bid -- announced the appointment Monday of veteran GOP activist Wayne Semprini.</font> <p><font size=-1>"We picked up a lot of supporters this weekend," Semprini said.</font> <p><font size=-1>Semprini, who until Saturday was the state Republican Party chairman, has been involved in New Hampshire politics since 1972.</font> <p><font size=-1>Giuliani has formed an exploratory committee, the first step toward a full presidential campaign. During his visit this weekend, he would not say when he would make a final decision, although his speeches at Bretton Woods and Manchester were campaign-style addresses.</font> <p><font size=-1>"It appears to me that Mayor Giuliani is not a guy who does anything part way. He's someone who is very, very thorough," Semprini said. "I don't think he'll make his total announcement until he's had an opportunity to look at all those angles and share all those angles with his wife, Judith."</font> <p><font size=-1>Judith Giuliani accompanied her husband to New Hampshire, his first trip to the state since forming his exploratory committee.</font> <p><font size=-1>Giuliani has hired other key staff in New Hampshire, including veteran GOP activist David Tille as his political director. Chris Wood, a veteran of Steve Forbes' and Pat Buchanan's campaigns, will lead coalition building.</font> <p><font size=-1>Sens. Snowe, Collins are McCain co-chairs</font> <br><font size=-1>Sen. John McCain's presidential exploratory committee announced Monday that Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins have been named to serve as his co-chairs in Maine.</font> <p><font size=-1>Snowe in a statement said McCain, considered one of the front-runners for the 2008 Republican nomination, has a proven track record to address the nation's challenges.</font> <p><font size=-1>Collins said McCain's experience on both domestic and foreign policy issues is "unparalleled."</font> <p><font size=-1>Brownback: SOU short on conservatism</font> <br><font size=-1>Kansas Senator and presidential hopeful Sam Brownback says President Bush should have addressed a conservative social agenda in his State of the Union address.</font> <p><font size=-1>But Brownback, appearing on "Fox News Sunday," says it will be hard for Republicans to gain ground on life, marriage and family issues with a Democratic Congress and that's probably "why he stayed away from it."</font> <p><font size=-1>Brownback says he's been a "leader" on those issues, saying that he has stood "for life all along," unlike other people in the race.</font> <p><font size=-1>Brownback is in a crowded field for the Republican nomination that already includes nine other declared or likely candidates.</font> <p><font size=-1>Off-key Clinton top-viewed video</font> <br><font size=-1>Oh, say can you sing?</font> <p><font size=-1>For Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton the answer sounds like 'no.'</font> <p><font size=-1>The online world discovered that the former first lady had a hard time with a tough tune when someone posted a video Sunday of Clinton caught on an open MSNBC microphone singing an off-key rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" during a campaign event in Iowa.</font> <p><font size=-1>By Monday morning, the 1-minute, 8-second clip had been viewed more than 660,000 times, making it the top-viewed video for the day at that point.</font> <p><font size=-1>Lieberman might support Republican</font> <br><font size=-1>Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee in 2000 who won re-election as an independent last year, says he is open to supporting any party's White House nominee in 2008.</font> <p><font size=-1>"I'm going to do what most independents and a lot of Democrats and Republicans in America do, which is to take a look at all the candidates and then in the end, regardless of party, decide who I think will be best for the future of our country," Lieberman said Sunday.</font> <p><font size=-1>"So I'm open to supporting a Democrat, Republican or even an Independent, if there's a strong one. Stay tuned," said the three-term lawmaker who caucuses with Senate Democrats.</font> <p><font size=-1>Lieberman is an ally of GOP Sen. John McCain of Arizona, a 2008 hopeful, and supports President Bush's new Iraq strategy. Lieberman won re-election as an independent last fall when Democrats backed an anti-war candidate who won the party primary.</font> <p><font size=-1>Speaking of which politician he may support in 2008, Lieberman said, "Obviously, the positions that some candidates have taken in Iraq troubles me. Obviously, I will be looking at what positions they take in the larger war against Islamist terrorism."</font> <p><font size=-1>He added, "I am genuinely an independent. I agree more often than not with Democrats on domestic policy. I agree more often than not with Republicans on foreign and defense policy."</font> <p><font size=-1>The senator said he wanted to select someone "I believe is best for the future of our country. ... Party is important, but more important is the national interest. And that's the basis that I will decide whom to support for president."</font> <p><font size=-1>Lieberman spoke on "Fox News Sunday."</font> <p><font size=-1>Biden: A question of money</font> <br><font size=-1>Even Sen. Joe Biden jokes about the Democrats' crowded White House field for 2008, which he is joining this week.</font> <p><font size=-1>"I'm the 800th candidate," said Biden, who plans to make it official on Wednesday.</font> <p><font size=-1>Dominating the early stages of the race are New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. Other candidates include former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, the 2004 vice presidential nominee; Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich.</font> <p><font size=-1>"I am absolutely confident, if I get to stand on a stage, sit in the room with all the candidates you mentioned, I'll do just fine," Biden said in a broadcast interview when Clinton, Obama and Edwards were specifically cited.</font> <p><font size=-1>"This is a marathon. If people learn my story, learn my record, I think I can compete. The question is, can I raise the money?"</font> <p><font size=-1>The Delaware senator was interviewed on "This Week" on ABC.</font> <p><font size=-1>Hunter: My message will resonate</font> <br><font size=-1>James Garfield was the last sitting House member to win election as president when the Ohio Republican captured the White House in 1880.</font> <p><font size=-1>Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-California, realizes he is up against history as his 2008 campaign moves ahead.</font> <p><font size=-1>"Well, that's true. But on the other hand, somebody's got to win this race," he said Sunday. "And I think my messages of a strong national defense, secure border, bring some of those high-paying manufacturing jobs back that we've given away because of trade deals that weren't smart.</font> <p><font size=-1>"And I think that my messages will resonate with the American people and I think I've got a chance to win this thing."</font> <p><font size=-1>Hunter faces a crowded GOP field, including Sen. John McCain of Arizona, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback and Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo.</font> <p><font size=-1>Until Democrats took control of Congress this month, Hunter was chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, which oversees military policy.</font> <p><font size=-1>But he is little known outside of Congress and his San Diego district. He is a strong opponent of illegal immigration who wants fences extended along the U.S.-Mexico border and supports the prosecution of smugglers bringing illegal immigrants across the border.</font> <p><font size=-1>Star quality: It's what Hollywood was built on. And there's no question that to the many powerful Democrats in the entertainment community, Sen. Barack Obama has loads of it.</font> <p><font size=-1>George Clooney calls him a friend. Halle Berry has said she'd "collect paper cups off the ground to make his pathway clear." Oprah Winfrey says he's her man.</font> <p><font size=-1>And three of the most powerful men in Hollywood -- Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen -- have just invited Democrats to a truly high-profile fundraiser: a February 20 reception for Obama at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, with a dinner later at Geffen's home for top donors.</font> <p><font size=-1>But despite all that, political analysts note that being the "next big thing" can be fleeting. And a number of traditional donors and activists in Hollywood and the music industry are a long way from choosing, at this early stage, whom to endorse among the three seen as top-tier Democratic candidates: Obama, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and John Edwards.</font> <p><font size=-1>"People are very excited that this is a fine Democratic field," says Marge Tabankin, a longtime political activist in Hollywood. "Many people will support several candidates, to keep a healthy debate going. The top candidates are all coming out in the next month, and people will be carefully checking them out, listening to what they have to say."</font> <p><font size=-1>She and other analysts point out that it's Clinton who's the clear front-runner at this point, with the long-term relationships, the financing, the network of support dating to the early '90s, when her husband began his first term as president.</font> <p><font size=-1>Others note the admiration for Edwards, and the sense that the former North Carolina senator and the 2004 vice presidential nominee has a strong and clear message this time around.</font> <p><font size=-1>"People feel he's very well-positioned," Tabankin says. "He's got support for his commitment to fighting poverty, for his energy and his intelligence." And in liberal Hollywood, many like his position on Iraq -- he's recanted his 2002 vote authorizing force there and demanded that Senate rivals block funds for President Bush's troop increase.</font> <p><font size=-1>Even the Obama fundraiser hosted by the three founders of the DreamWorks movie studio doesn't mean all three have decided to endorse Obama. Only Katzenberg is backing the Illinois senator, says Katzenberg's political adviser, Andy Spahn.</font> <p><font size=-1>Spielberg isn't picking favorites yet. He and other major Los Angeles donors, including producer Steve Bing, media mogul Haim Saban, supermarket magnate Ron Burkle and investment banker Sim Farar, will be co-hosting a fundraiser for Clinton in the spring, said her spokesman, Phil Singer.</font> <p><font size=-1>Clooney, one of the world's hottest movie stars, has made no secret of his enthusiasm for Obama's candidacy, even if he's made no public endorsement.</font> <p><font size=-1>"George is a huge supporter and fan of Barack, as well as a friend," said Clooney's publicist, Stan Rosenfield. He stressed that Clooney is unlikely to campaign for Obama, though, because the actor feels support from liberal Hollywood can be a detriment to the candidate. "You lose the heartland."</font> <p><font size=-1>Barbra Streisand and Norman Lear, major Democratic players in Hollywood, have not taken a position, and they traditionally give to multiple candidates "in order to keep debate alive," says Tabankin, who is affiliated with the Barbra Streisand Foundation.</font> <p><font size=-1>Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons says he has yet to make a choice. But he has an idea for the perfect Democratic candidate.</font> <p><font size=-1>"If you could take Barack Obama's image, add Hillary Clinton's money and John Edwards' voice, that would be my candidate," says Simmons, an independent who has supported both Democrats and Republicans.</font> <p><font size=-1>Simmons says Obama has yet to present a clear picture of where he stands.</font> <p><font size=-1>"He's a rock star," Simmons said in a telephone interview. But he added, "I don't know what his opinions are." Simmons says that so far, the message he prefers is Edwards' -- but he's also fond of Dennis Kucinich, the liberal Ohio congressman launching his second long-shot candidacy.</font> <p><font size=-1>Others, Tabankin says, have similar reservations. "Obama has tremendous potential -- he cuts across race and class lines. But people don't know him yet," she says.</font> <p><font size=-1>There's also a current of nervousness: Is the country ready to elect a black president? The same current of nervousness exists about Clinton, of course: Is the country ready to elect a female?</font> <p><font size=-1>A key mistake, says analyst Todd Boyd, would be to reduce everything to the gender and race factor.</font> <p><font size=-1>"We're simplifying things if we do that," says Boyd, a professor at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. "What I'm finding interesting is that Obama is not the immediate favorite of a lot of African-Americans -- he came up through the system, not the grass roots like Jesse Jackson. At the end of the day, race and gender are a major factor but not the only factor. Hollywood will line up and see how these things play out."</font> <p><font size=-1>Yet Boyd and others cannot deny that Obama has one thing the others don't.</font> <p><font size=-1>"Obama has the potential to be a star like nobody else does," he said. "He has that 'It' factor, that star appeal. And it's Hollywood that created that system."</font> <br>  <br>  <br>  <p><a href="http://www.califcity.com/">home</a> <br>  <br>  <br>  </body> </html>