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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