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2016 PERSPECTIVE 3
PublisherJohn Watkins
EditorJack Barnwell
Advertising DirectorPaula McKay
Advertising SalesRodney Preul
Robert Aslanian
WritersJack Barnwell
Jessica WestonChristopher Livingston
Printed atMedia Index Publishing, Inc.
Table of ContentsIWV groundwater continues to be source of debate .......... 5
Budget cuts felt throughout Kern County............................ 7
ZOLL AutoPulse CPR system rolled out in September .... 9
Casino in Ridgecrest ............................................................. 10
Sierra Sands looks forward with new goals, challenges .. 13
Updates to facility welcomed by soccer club .................... 20
2016 PERSPECTIVE4
September, 2016
SINCE 1872
13200 Main Street,Trona, CA
1-760-372-4311
Searles ValleyMinerals
SINCE 1926
DailyIndependent
www.ridgecrestca.com
224 E Ridgecrest Blvd.1-760-375-4481
SINCE 1946
desertvalleys.org
100 E. Ward1-760-446-3500
2016 PERSPECTIVE 5
As new JPA takes shape, IWV’s groundwatersource continues to be a heavily debated topic
BY JACK BARNWELLEditor
The dynamic of the Indian WellsValley's groundwater supply has seena great deal of news in the last twoyears. New state laws dictate theregulation or management of an al-ready critically over-drafted ground-water basin, conservation is an ac-cepted part of life and local agenciesmust collaborate to ensure a sus-tainable future that doesn't curb de-velopment or growth.
Already in 2016, the IWV hasseen the formation of the IndianWells Valley Groundwater Joint Pow-ers Authority, a precursor to anotheragency that will shape the dynamicof groundwater regulation in thearea. Its core members are Kern,Inyo and San Bernardino counties,the Indian Wells Valley Water Districtand the city of Ridgecrest, who havea vote on the board. In addition,two associate non-voting members— the Navy through Naval AirWeapons Station China Lake andthe Bureau of Land Managementsit on the board.
California developed the Sustain-able Groundwater Management Actof 2014, which took effect at the be-ginning of 2015, to regulate thestate's various groundwater basinsfor the first time in state history.The state's intent is to let local agen-cies take the lead, according to JPAmembers, and faces a daunting time-line.
Kern County First District Su-pervisor Mick Gleason sees the time-
line — a groundwater sustainabilityagency by June 30, 2017, and a sus-tainability plan by January 2020 —as something the JPA can meet.
"I firmly believe we will haveeverything complete and filed forthe GSA before the deadline andmeet the requirements mandatedby state law," Gleason said.
The road to get where the memberagencies are now taking months ofdifficult discussion, Gleason said,but the end result was the JPA's for-mation.
"We've come up with a reasonableJPA — maybe not the Declarationof Independence quality — but onethat represents the vested interestsin our water basin," Gleason said."It gives them (vested interests) arepresentative vote."
The next step is forming the GSA,the plan, and ensuring that the newgovernment agency can meet thedemands the state has imposed onwater basins across the state.
That information would be de-veloped at the committee level, whereGleason said all the grunt workwould be done. Those committeesinclude the GSP development advi-sory committee, the technical com-mittee, among others.
"Developing that organization willbe our first chore," Gleason said.
Kern County took the initial leadin developing the JPA, includingsupplying staff, consultants and co-ordinating with different agencies.
Now with the JPA in place, Glea-son, who will chair the JPA through2017, said he sees the county's role
SEE JPA, PAGE 6
JACK BARNWELL/DAILY INDEPENDENTKern County Supervisor Mick Gleason illustrates a point during the Sept. 15 Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority board meeting.
slipping from the head of the packto one of mutual partnership.
"Instead of taking on more, weare trying to delegate and sharemore responsibility to the other vest-ed interests," Gleason said. He addedthat the JPA/soon-to-be GSA is slow-ly taking on its own personality.
Gleason said an evaluation ofgroundwater supply and demandwill need to be balanced by continueddevelopment of the IWV as a whole.Committees will develop the dataand bring it to the GSA board forapproval, where it must be decidedhow to meet the goals mandated bythe state while keeping the areathriving.
During many meetings over thelast several months, many of thestakeholders in the IWV basin, fromagriculture to private groundwaterwell owners, have questioned whatthe GSA will look like, and whetherthey face complete regulation, newfees or rate hikes.
During the last JPA meeting, heldSept. 15 at Ridgecrest City Hall,board members noted that SGMAwill allow the GSA to impose threedifferent kinds of fees, including
ones that can be collected to drivethe development of a groundwatersustainability plan.
To date, di minimus users, or thosenon-ag domestic users who use lessthan two acre-feet of water per year,will not be impacted by SGMA. Butthere was an acknowledgment thatcould change, especially if the statelegislature modifies or refines thelaw.
Some have called for a moratoriumon major growth in the Indian WellsValley until a plan of attack is done,including the planned constructionof a casino by the Timbisha Shoshonetribe on China Lake Boulevard (casi-no construction likely won't occurfor a few years).
Gleason disagreed with the sen-timent that growth should be halt-ed.
"To say that we can't take anymore water out of the basin is flatout wrong," Gleason said. "To saythat and give that impression wouldstymie growth and quality of life.Part of the responsibility of beingpart of this GPA is to manage thatlevel of expectation and producethemes that strike the cord of effectiveregulation in play."
However, he noted conservation
is now a way of life in the desert,compared to the water sources inthe Central Valley.
"We have no surface flows," hesaid. "What we've got is what's downunderneath us and what rechargesevery year, and we know that's goingin the wrong direction."
He added that the often contro-versial topic of whether the IWVbasin is closed or open (meaningwater comes in from an adjoiningaquifer) should be put aside for themoment.
"The open vs. closed debate isover," Gleason said. "Whether weare open or closed will become ofimportance to us as we develop ourplan, but we need to take this lawon because our water table is in de-cline. We're trying to answer howwe are going to stop that."
Conservation a way of lifeDon Zdeba, the general manager
of the Indian Wells Valley WaterDistrict, sees the future of the valley'swater supply as one of practical con-servation.
“Conservation of water in thedesert is a way of life now,” Zdebasaid. “I don’t see us going back tothe way we were.”
Since taking the helm of the waterdistrict in 2012, Zdeba has seen thestate law change with regard to reg-ulation of groundwater. More thana century ago, the state regulatedhow surface water (rivers, streams,lakes) rights are structured.
California is the last state in theU.S. to effectively regulate ground-water at the highest level. Effortslike adjudication have in the pasthandled that, but those measurestake years to implement and discuss,and can face legal challenges alongthe way.
“For one hundred years ground-water has been unlegislated and Ithink that it’s good to see if finallycoming,” he said. “I think people arethinking it’s necessary and the statecontinues to grow and build. It’s im-portant to realize that we have thisresource that we need to manage inorder to meet the needs of the peoplewho want to live here.”
When the state initially enactedthe law in 2015, it required all waterdistricts in California to conserve acertain percentage, using 2013records as a baseline. The IWVWDwas ordered to conserve at 32 per-cent, much higher than the current20 percent level they themselves en-acted.
When California handed reignsback to water districts to self-report,the IWVWD was allowed a zeropercent conservation goal. Zdebasaid district staff and the board ofdirectors believe it irresponsible topursue that conservation goal.
Instead, it established a 20 percentwater conservation goal, effectiveJune of this year. For first threemonths after that, the district con-
served an average of 22.3 percent."That was really significant because
we were in the summer monthswhere water usage is the highest,”he said. “We are in a season wherepeople are using water for coolingand trying to keep their landscapingsomewhat alive.”
He added the district has imple-mented several conservation policiesthat continue to be effective, suchas its cash-for-grass program, thepromotion of xeriscape.
The district is also utilizing tech-nology in the form of smart meters.When Zdeba first arrived in 2012,the district used an automated meterreading system, where staff couldcollect data by driving through theneighborhoods. This generated “fire-fly” reports that showed usage hourby hour. However, the company thatdeveloped the technology went bank-rupt, forcing the district to returnto recording information by hand.
With the new $3.5 million metersystem, the district would be able toachieve up-to-the-hour tracking sim-ilar to what Southern California Edi-son allows.
Zdeba said with the new AMIsystem that the district is workingon, high water usage would be notedand an email, text message or phonecall would be sent to the customeralerting them of the scenario.
“That becomes very important ifyou’re trying to conserve becauseyou can catch things right away,”Zdeba said.
Like Gleason, Zdeba believes thathalting growth or development isn'tentirely realistic, while also under-standing the need for action is nec-essary.
Based on a 1993 study by theUSGS, Zdeba said there is an esti-mated 2.5 million acre-feet of waterin the top 300 feet of the water table(it goes much deeper). While thequality of water might not be thesame the further down one drillsand pumps up, water is there. Healso noted that based the data cur-rently available, the water tablerecharges at a rate of 7,000 acre-feet per year, but the valley pumpsout approximately 30,000 acre-feetper year.
“There is water in the basin,” hesaid. “But the thing we have to realize,though, is that we have data thatshows well levels are dropping. It’slike a bank account: if you get astatement every month and you seeyour balance is dropping, do youstart thinking I should start cuttingback on something?”
He said it’s never too early to rec-ognize a problem and act on it, butit takes years to implement policy,secure grants and take action.
“We do need to do something butthe sky isn’t falling and we aren’tgoing to run out of water today ortomorrow, and I don’t see banningall development,” he said. ❖
JPA, FROM PAGE 5
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2016 PERSPECTIVE6
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2016 PERSPECTIVE 7
BY JESSICA WESTONCity Editor
Historic cuts to Kern County’s budget have caused ramifications inmany areas. From the closure of the Kern County jail facility in Ridgecrestto the restructuring of the county Parks and Recreation Department,the need to reduce expenses is reshaping the face of government in KernCounty.
The price of oilIt all has to do with the price of oil. First District Supervisor Mick
Gleason has made the rounds of local meetings, explaining at lengththat the drastic drop in the price of oil—from $100 to $35 a barrel ―has necessitated historic budget cuts. The corresponding reduction inproperty tax forced the county to make drastic cuts. The goal is a 15%across-the board cut over the next four years, broken down into smallerincrements by year. This year’s cut is 5 percent across the board for alldepartments, with a 5.6 % horizontal cut tentatively planned for nextyear.
The Ridgecrest JailPerhaps the cut felt the most strongly in Ridgecrest was the closure of
the Kern County jail facility in Ridgecrest. After a few false starts it wasfinally closed on June 30.
It was back in February 2015, that Kern County Sheriff Donny Young-blood first looked at closing the Ridgecrest jail due to budget cuts. Thejail was given a reprieve the, but was back on the chopping block a yearlater, with an initial date of Feb. 20, 2016 given for its closure.
The jail got yet another reprieve, until the end of June. The city ofRidgecrest, meanwhile, held a standing-room-only Town Hall meetingon the subject. Rarely have the city council chambers been the scene ofsuch agreement: virtually no one present wanted to the jail to close.
It finally did, however, although even that was not without controversy.Initial reports had the jail closing a day early but in the end it didn’t
Budget cuts felt throughout Kern CountyDeclining oil prices hit tax revenues, impacts services from libraries to public safety
JESSICA WESTON/DAILY INDEPENDENTKern County firefighters from Engine 75 relax after answering a call on Aug. 7 on Helena Street.
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matter. “It doesn’t matter if the jailclosed yesterday or today,” Strandtold the Daily Independent. “TheKern County Sheriff ’s Departmentstill closed the local jail. This willhave significant impacts on publicsafety in the valley, potentially mak-ing officers unavailable to respondto emergency calls for service.”
When the closure was imminent,Strand formulated a mitigationplan. Two community service of-ficers were hired, allowing thetransport of detainees to otherbooking locations without havingto take additional officers off thestreets.
The Ridgecrest City Council ap-proved a prisoner van to make thejob easier, although as of earlySeptember it had not yet arrived.
Strand emphasized in Septemberthat these mitigation measureswere not perfect, but were helpingto soften the effect of the jail clo-sure.
A turnaround on misdemeanors
In come cases, additional sourcesof funds have been found. Case inpoint, the Kern County DistrictAttorney’s office. The office tem-porarily quit prosecuting certainclasses of misdemeanors on Aug.24, according to District AttorneyLisa Green. Green said that theSupervisors mandated 5 percentcut left her department no choiceat the time, due to loss of staff.
All this changed in September,however. Green announced Sept.14 that her office would once againbe prosecuting all misdemeanorcrimes, according to the BakersfieldCalifornian. Green said the KernCounty Community CorrectionsPartnership was able to reallocate$1.2 million of Proposition 109funds to the DA and Public De-fender’s offices, allowing her to af-ford more staff.
Green has repeatedly declinedto state the now-irrelevant list of
misdemeanors that were not tobe prosecuted. She did say theywere all non-violent crimes.
Fire Station Closures?
Will local Kern County Fire sta-tions face the ax?
As with other county depart-ments, the Fire Department islooking at significant cuts. As ofpress time, the fate of the four firestations in closest proximity toRidgecrest was not determined.Gleason told the Daily Independentin September that he had not heardanything about closing the twostations in Ridgecrest, Station 74on Las Flores and Station 77 onDolphin in Ridgecrest Heights.
Station 73, in Inyokern, wasonce rumored to be on the closurelist. According to Gleason in Sep-tember, this is not the case. Gleasonsaid, however, that the county willbe having discussions with the In-
dian Wells Valley Airport Districtin Inyokern in an attempt to opti-mize the operation of the Inyokernstation.
As of September, Gleason saidFire Station 75 in Randsburg hasn’tbeen decided yet.
Streamlining other departments
Gleason announced in Septem-ber that the county was looking atways to streamline departmentaloperations through the implemen-tation of performance auditsthroughout the county.
“Hopefully through the courseof the year, we can find out wherethe fat is, where we can get at itand take more sensible, logicalstrategic cuts to meet the 15 percentreduction. We’ve got to get there,it’s going to be painful but thenext couple of years that’s whatwe are looking at,” he said.
Gleason told the Daily Inde-
pendent that the committee wouldbe headed by Supervisor DavidCouch and himself. “We’re goingto develop a performance auditteam that is going to go into variousdepartments now, early, in a proac-tive manner to see what we cando about finding places to cut.”
One recent money-saving movewas announced in mid-September.The Board of Supervisors votedto reposition the county’s Parksand Recreation Department aspart of the Administrative Office’sGeneral Services Division.
The changeover will occur atthe beginning of November. An-other cost-saving measure will takeplace when well-regarded Parksand Recreation Director BobLerude retires the following month.
The county will save more moneyby not replacing Lerude when heretires. ❖
FROM COUNTY, PAGE 7
JESSICA WESTON/DAILY INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTOKern County Supervisor Mick Gleason (left) and Parks and Recreation Director Bob Lerude chat after aJune 23 ceremony to re-dedicate the dog park at Leroy Jackson Park. After Lerude retires in Decemberafter helming the county parks and recreation department, the position will be eliminated as the depart-ment is shuffled under the umbrella of the General Services Division to streamline cost and government.
2016 PERSPECTIVE 9
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BY JESSICA WESTONCity Editor
Saving lives in Ridgecrest may have gotten alittle easier.
On Sept. 14, Liberty Ambulance rolled out anew lifesaving tool: the ZOLL AutoPulse Au-tomated CPR system. Four of the devices arenow on the streets in the Ridgecrest and In-yokern Area.
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emer-gency procedure in which chest compressionis combined with artificial ventilation in a per-son who is in cardiac arrest. It is used in emer-gencies such as heart attacks or near-drown-ings or other situations in which a patient'sbreathing or heartbeat has stopped.
This automated system reportedly doesmanual CPR one better, according to LibertyAmbulance Chief Operations Officer SteveDavis. It does automatically what a personnormally does. This has two advantages: itfrees the first responders to do other things,and it provides more consistent and extensivecompression.
Davis was on hand at the Ridgecrest Re-gional Hospital Sept. 14, supervising the roll-out and training first responders from LibertyAmbulance and the Kern County Fire Depart-ment.
The ZOLL AutoPulse is a non-invasive car-diac support pump. It is automatic, portable,and battery operated.
Davis strapped the device on a medicaldummy to demonstrate its use. It compressedand thumped rhythmically, performing auto-mated CPR, as first responders gathered in asemi-circle asking technical questions aboutits use.
Davis explained the advantages of the Au-toPulse over manual CPR. “We no longer haveto have a human actually manually do thechest compressions,” he said. “This device doesthat for us.”
This is a safer option when transporting apatient, he explained. The AutoPulse allowsresponders to sit down and put on a seat beltin the back of a moving ambulance. It can alsoallow more attentive patient care. “[The re-
sponder] can also concentrate on other as-pects of patient care like airway control, moni-toring the rhythm and administering medica-tions,” he said.
According to Davis, the AutoPulse is moreeffective than manual CPR for several reasons.
“Number one,” he said is the fact that it iscontinuous. “The depth is consistent, alwaysdoing chest compression at the same depthcontinuously.” This is not always the casewhen a person does CPR manually. “They getmoved around, have to stop, get fatigued.”
Manual CPR can also be disrupted by paus-ing to rotate the staff or pausing to move thepatient.
AutoPulse, by contrast, is “much more con-sistent and its continuous, it doesn't stop,” hesaid.
The AutoPulse provides circumferential
compression, which he said is better than“just one spot in the middle of the chest.”Davis said studies show this type of circula-tion provides better return of circulation thanmanual compression.
Conventional CPR only provides 10 to 20%of normal blood flow to the heart and 30 to40% to the brain, whereas AutoPulse pro-vides pre-arrest blood levels to the heart andbrain according to a presentation from thecompany. It also provides superior levels ofneurological function when compared tomanual and piston driven CPR, according tothe presentation.
“For a patient who is in cardiac arrest, whoneeds CPR, it provides a much better chanceof survival,” Davis said.
The devices officially went into action Sept.14.❖
ZOLL AutoPulse CPR system rolled out in September
JESSICA WESTON/DAILY INDEPENDENTLiberty Ambulance Chief Operations Officer Steve Davis and local first responders check outthe ZOLL AutoPulse in action at the Ridgecrest Regional Hospital Sept. 14. Four of the de-vices are hitting the streets on emergency vehicles in the Ridgecrest area.
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2016 PERSPECTIVE10
Casino in Ridgecrest
SEE CASINO, PAGE 11
JESSICA WESTON/DAILY INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTOTimbisha Shoshone Tribal Chair George Gholson speaks at a citymeeting.
Timbisha Shoshone, developers roll the dice
BY JESSICA WESTONCity Editor
The economic landscape of Ridgecrest may be changing, along withthe physical lay of the land.
In a highly controversial move, the Ridgecrest City Council voted toapprove a municipal services agreement and later a land sale todevelopers representing the Timbisha Shoshone tribe, for a casinocomplex to be built near the front gate to the base. It could be severalyears before a casino or any other establishment is open for business,but for many months in Ridgecrest the topic was the talk of the town.
The land in question is 24.6 acres in the Ridgecrest Business Parkand from the very beginning, the tribe's plans to build a casino therebrought out passionate arguments on both sides.
Those supporting the casino touted economic growth, a boost intourism and in jobs. Casino opponents cited everything from moralissues to proximity to NAWS China Lake as reasons to oppose theidea.
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It has been a long six months.The public first caught wind of council's
casino plans back in April, when the MSA ap-peared on the city council agenda. That firstmeeting ended with council tabling the item,but not before casino opponents spelled outin graphic terms just what they feared theoutcome of allowing such an establishment inRidgecrest could be.
Increased crime. Bankruptcies. Gamblingaddictions. Corrupted schoolchildren. Inter-fering with the mission of the base. Not tomention bringing down the wrath of God.
These were just some of the objections raisedby those opposing the casino at that first meet-ing.
“Do we want to risk the displeasure of Godfor $395,000 a year?” Pastor Wayne Porterasked. A large number of people spoke up atthat meeting, mostly opposing the casino.
A few people disagreed. “I just can’t believewhat I’m hearing. I feel like I am in the movieFootloose trying to convince everyone to let ushave a dance,” Ryan Ziegler said.
And that pretty much defined the debatethat was to go on, for numerous town hall andregular city council meetings. Those supportingthe casino also came out in force at subsequent
FROM CASINO, PAGE 10
SEE LAND SALE, PAGE 12
JESSICA WESTON/DAILY INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTOGroups for and against the casino produced a lot of material on why a casino would be goodor bad for the city.
meetings. Both sides produced buttons and signs, and casino supportersadded tee-shirts and bumper stickers.
Council eventually approved the MSA, in two steps. It was approvedin concept May 18 and with final language on June 1. Councilman
Eddie Thomas switched sides, voting for the MSA in concept butagainst the final language.
Casino opponents did not give up, however. An anti-casino petitionwas circulated and the issue seemed to inspire some candidate choicesin the upcoming November election.
A cache of city emails to and from the developer was released thanksto the efforts of Mike Neel. Although some found the email trailsuspicious, the land sale was approved shortly thereafter on Sept. 7.
Mayor Peggy Breeden's face upon casting what proved to be the de-ciding vote told the story of five months of anguish.
“It is tearing me apart because I have been threatened in mybusiness [The Swap Sheet],” she said. “I have been told if I vote yes forthis, what's going to do, what's going to happen,” she said before votingyes.
The land sale was approved three to two. Mayor Pro Tem JamesSanders and Councilman Eddie Thomas were the dissenting votes.
But the other side, or at least Mike Neel, had not given up. Neel, whoat press time was running for Mayor, served the city on Sept. 8 with aletter alleging a Brown Act violation. Neel claimed council failed toproperly notice the closed session meetings in which the land sale wasdiscussed and demanded they withdraw the land sale. City AttorneyKeith Lemieux agreed there may have been a Brown Act violation, butsaid it is minor. Lemieux said that because the land sale approval tookplace during an open meeting, the error is insubstantial. Lemieux saidhe plans to advise council to correct noticing practices going forward.
City Council was due to deliberate on how it would disclose informationregarding closed session items at its Sept. 21 meeting. As of press timefor this magazine, it was not yet decided. ❖
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FROM LAND SALE, PAGE 11
JESSICA WESTON/DAILY INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTOCasino developer Nigel White makes his case at a city council meeting. White has advocated for the casino, noting it will bring jobs and aboost in Ridgecrest’s economy.
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Sierra Sands looks forward with new goals, challengesBY JACK BARNWELL
A new school year, new challenges andchanges are underway within the SierraSands Unified School District, both on thesurface and within its lesson plans.
The Daily Independent caught up withAssistant Superintendent of Personnel DaveOstash to talk about the changes happeningat Sierra Sands, and what the new schooldistrict looks like.
Construction“For us in the district, what is both at
once a real excitement and a real challengeis construction and modernization,” Ostashsaid.
On the construction front, two of SSUSD’scampuses are undergoing modernization —or being completely built from the groundup on a new site.
Sherman E. Burroughs High School is un-dergoing a modernization effort for the firsttime in its history.
SEE SSUSD, PAGE 14SIERRA SANDS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
The newly redone student quad at Burroughs High School includes a shaded area.
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The district recently completed the new face lift on the campusquad, complete with new surfacing and lighting, improved seatingareas for students and an overall more serene look. At the sametime, contractors are making improvements to stormwater andflood control to ensure the campus doesn’t become a lake of waterthat hinders students, staff and faculty.
Presently, the district is working on the library building and M-Wing, or the mathematics classrooms. Once completed, they willbe brought up to spec, including new electrical, more energy-efficient air conditioning systems and layout. In addition the athleticdirector’s office will be centered on one end of the library building.The women’s locker room will also receive upgrades, and more con-struction is in the pipeline, working around school schedules.Among those new projects in phase two will include relocating theadmin building to the front of the school.
Murray Middle School, while still just a site with dirt moving, isbeing built from the ground up on Drummond Avenue. Once thesite is completed (an initial completion date is 2017), the schoolwill relocate from its current location aboard Naval Air WeaponsStation China Lake.
Both facilities are on Navy-owned land (Burroughs is outside thegate).
Both projects are in large thanks due to the Department ofDefense Education Activity grant. The total project initially cost$77 million, split 80-20 between the Navy and the school district.During a tour in August, Sierra Sands Superintendent Ernie Bellsaid some delays pushed the cost up by $4 or $5 million, with the
SEE HORIZONS, PAGE 15
FROM SSUSD, PAGE 13
SIERRA SANDS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICTWork crews drill for site lighting standards at the Murray MiddleSchool campus construction site on Drummond Avenue.
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federal government recognizing that. “The whole purpose of this grant is to ensure that the students
from military and DoD homes get to go to 21st century classroomsequipped with the latest educational tools,” Ostash said. “The in-structional technology that will be equipped in every single classroomand be more versatile.”
He added that insulation will provide a quieter atmosphere forstudents to concentrate on school work, meaning less distraction.
Ostash noted that construction was without its hurdles.“Public construction can be challenging because the of regulatory
measures,” Ostash said. The federal government comes with workforceprotection requirements. Windows in new buildings, for example,will be raised and reinforced with custom glass to ensure they with-stand blasts.
At the state level, all school plans must go through the Divisionof the State Architect, which governs construction on all publicschools and other facilities. Plans are scrutinized to ensure theycomply with up-to-date building codes and safety measures. Changesin the plans on either end can lead to delays.
While Ostash acknowledged it was challenging, especially aroundschool schedules, the end results will be well worth the wait.
Curriculum: Common Core, new leapsOstash said that the district is deeply involved in California’s
Common Core standards, the California Assessment of StudentPerformance and Progress and Smart Balance testing systems.
The new Common Core standard and the state testing systemsaligned to those standards are designed to be more rigorous for
SEE CURRICULUM, PAGE 16
FROM HORIZONS, PAGE 14
JESSICA WESTON/DAILY INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTOKids 5-12 get together for STEM Camp at the Kerr McGee CenterMonday, June 20. Sierra Sands utilizes STEM lessons similar to thecamp for its curriculum across the grade spectrum.
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students in grades 3-8 and 11th grade. Mathematics and English/Lan-guage Arts questions require more response and critical thinkingthan the previous system, which was based largely on memoriza-tion.
“It’s empowering our teaching professionals with basically a col-laborative model,” Ostash said.
Sierra Sands made the jump early in the roll-out of CommonCore by volunteering to be a pilot district for the new system. In ad-dition it rolled out its Chromebook initiative, in which students re-ceived an Android-based laptop to accommodate the state’s newsystem.
Ostash said it’s a change from the way things have been done inthe past, both locally and across the state.
“Traditionally, when you look at education in California over thelast few decades, it’s been a real top down model,” he said. “Eventhe California Department of Education is recognizing that is notthe most effective way to inspire and influence and empowerteachers to be most effective.”
Common Core he said, is based on depth of knowledge ratherthan wrote memorization, required of old testing systems, whichwere typically fill-in-the blanks.
“It’s taking curriculum that is age-old and finding ways to depthof knowledge to students,” he said. “Students who achieved highmarks in the past were either well suited or well supported to betaught, memorize and regurgitate material.”
Common Core, he says, approaches lesson materials from thestance of “why” or understanding how something is set up.
“You have a working knowledge as opposed to recalling,” he said.
SEE ACHIEVEMENT, PAGE 17
FROM CURRICULUM, PAGE 15
JACK BARNWELL/DAILY INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTOFaller Elementary first grade instructor Melissa Bergh goes throughsome exercises with parents at the school’s back-to school nightWednesday, Aug. 17.
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“The way classrooms are built up in California now, there is agreater degree of expectation in the material in order to earn highmarks, which dove tails beautifully with being college and careerready.”
He added this allows Sierra Sands to achieve one of its goals oncestudents graduate from Burroughs. “We want to be at a startingpoint for success, whether they go straight to work here in thevalley, go to Cerro Coso College or go off to university,” he said. “Wewant to make sure when they leave, that we empower them tocompete and succeed not only with students in other Californiaschools but with students around the globe.”
Common Core also acts a springboard to empower teachers, hesaid.
Ostash said the best method was “leading from the middle,” or fo-cusing on results and collaboration.
“That means getting people who actually do the work (teachers,principals, coaches) to network within best practices in a systematicway,” Ostash said.
One approach to this is the late-start Wednesday, where studentscome in a half-hour later than the normal schedule. Sierra Sandscan better monitor results. While he said it appears many studentshave accepted this change that was implemented last year, Ostashsubmitted the district is aware others are still adjusting to it.
“We’re still in the community buy in phase,” Ostash said of thelate start Wednesday model. “Our parents and the community areour stakeholders and we want them to be with us in this.
In the end, it boils down to teamwork, an essential element in a
SEE OPPORTUNITIES, PAGE 18
FROM ACHIEVEMENT, PAGE 16
JACK BARNWELL/DAILY INDEPENDENTSierra Sands Superintendent Ernie Bell, front, speaks at the Sept. 8Board of Education meeting prior to presenting board member KurtRockwell, back, with a certificate of appreciation for 10 years ofservice. Bell has praised teachers, staff and board members alike forthe district’s forward-thinking approach to state requirements.
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place like the Indian Wells Valley.“We realize and recognize that we are in an isolated area, so we
have a really strong culture of self-reliance and success,” Ostashsaid. “When we see movements on a statewide level for collectivecompliance, we’ve always understood where things are going.”
Common Core always being the example, Ostash said the districtrealized the new standard would be “nonnegotiable.”
“We saw the mind shift toward Common Core and embraced thatearly and got all the training we could at the time,” Ostash said. Hecredited now-retired assistant superintendent of curriculum andinstruction Shirley Kennedy and her successor Michelle Savko withbeing forward-learning.
“We cannot afford to let our students down because we are THEpublic school system in the valley,” Ostash said. “Choices are a greatthing for kids in terms of schools, but when it comes to the volume[of students], we are the public agency that this valley relies on. Wetake that role with a very high level responsibility.”
He called public education the great equalizer, where all studentshave access to the baseline standards.
“It’s sort of the main ingredient so every American has the oppor-tunity whatever he or she wants,” Ostash said. “It’s great that wehave private schools and I think the charter movement can only beadditive and helpful to policy making levels, but I’m confident thatthe public education system will continue to be the primary driverfor opportunity.”
He added if Sierra Sands doesn’t take that role seriously, it isn’tliving up to its promise to the parents and students who live in thedistrict.
SEE SSUSD, PAGE 19
FROM OPPORTUNITIES, PAGE 17
JACK BARNWELL/DAILY INDEPENDENTA pair of Murray Middle School students tweak their team’s robotduring a break in the April 2 VEX tournament at Immanuel ChristianSchool. Murray Middle School, like Burroughs High and ICS, use ro-botics to teach Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
2016 PERSPECTIVE 19
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Partnerships play a huge rolein this, he said, including in ex-tracurricular activities.
“There is a lot we can do byourselves but there is way morethat we can do with partnerships,”he said. One example is the Bur-roughs Career Technical Educa-tion Building, made possible inpart due to Sierra Sands invest-ment in Science, Technology En-gineering and Mathematics pro-grams (STEM), including thosedone in partnership with NavalAir Warfare Center Weapons Di-vision at China Lake.
“That grant program to buildthat facility was done through acompetitive grant,” Ostash said.“We would have not been desig-nated to earn that grant if wedid not have programs in placealready. It wasn’t a ‘Field ofDreams, if you build it, they willcome’ scenario, it was saying thestate of California taxpayers arewilling to invest in this buildingso you can deepen your pro-grams.”
He noted that extracurricularactivities, whether it was theVEX Robotics programs at Bur-roughs High and Murray MiddleSchools, athletics, or the Bur-roughs Marching Band, helpedfoster a culture for students.
“Most people thrive when theybecome integrated into a schoolcommunity,” Ostash said. “Schoolis school because our mind setis ‘we have to go to school.’ Butwhen we are engaged in a schoolcommunity, you want to goschool.”
He added studies show stu-dents do better in school and be-yond when engaged with activi-ties outside the classroom.
“You’re essentially learning newlanguages, like with music andmath,” he said. “When you’re outdoing athletics, you’re learninglife lessons for young people soit brings them things like com-mitment, putting team above self,and pushing yourself in waysthat you wouldn’t realize on yourown.” ❖
FROM SSUSD, PAGE 18
JACK BARNWELL/DAILY INDEPENDENTThe Burroughs Marching Band participates in the Parade of 1,000Flags on Sept. 10, 2016.
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Updates to facility welcomed by soccer clubBY CHRISTOPHER LIVINGSTON
Sports [email protected]
It was the first day in a while in which the air wasn’t covered bysmoky clouds. On the field at Kerr-McGee Youth Sports Complexbelow the orange-blue sky, elementary-school-aged children werekicking a soccer ball around, as parents, friends and other communitymembers watched.
As 7 p.m. rolled around, and the sun was beginning to hidebehind the Sierras to the west, the referee blew the whistle tosignal the end of the match. The IWV Soccer Club successfullyhosted a home match (against another local Ridgecrest club, FallerElementary’s Tigres FC), which was the next step the 2-year-oldclub needed.
The game’s twilight ending seemed to be a mark on an otherwiseperfect afternoon for soccer. The lack of adequate lighting on the
CHRISTOPHER LIVINGSTON/DAILY INDEPENDENTThe former football field at Kerr McGee Youth Sports Complex, now used as the home for IWV Soccer, will receive lights from a $1.7 millionrenovation.
SEE FIELD, PAGE 21
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field means that if another game were totake place, the club would need to rent light-ing.
Once the home of IWV Youth Football,Kerr-McGee has seen better days. But withthe return of youth soccer to the area, thefacility has been given a new purpose.
With 2016 serving as the first year thatIWV holds a full season, Kerr-McGee willsee some more activity, which, in turn, meansthat the facility will need to be updated.
And now, perhaps the biggest additionwill take place.
On Sept. 7, The Daily Independent re-ported that a $1.7 million improvement toKerr-McGee will take place (in addition toa $620,000 improvement to Pearson andUpjohn parks) that will modernize the facilityfor its use. The improvements are expectedto finish by March 2017.
Among the improvements is one that theIWV Soccer Club welcomes greatly: newLED lighting at the field it currently callshome.
“That’s been the goal,” said IWV equipmentand field coordinator Ken Gilbert. “I wastold when we starting reserving the fieldsthat lights were coming. I was hoping thatthey were coming.”
With the lack of adequate lighting at thefield, IWV has had to deal with a Catch-22:either hold practices earlier, which, in thesummer and early fall months, exposes thekids to high heat; or hold the practices at atime when the weather is cooler and riskcutting them short due to darkness.
Especially with Daylight Savings Timecoming to a close (the IWV season goesuntil late fall), the sun sets earlier, meaningthat full practices could be held entirely inthe dark.
Gilbert has been championing modern-ization — or, at the very least, lights on the
field — by approaching Ridgecrest’s Parksand Recreation department to “check in” ifthings were going in that direction.
“Once I got to the right people — the fieldwas in poor condition — since August, they’vebeen super helpful,” Gilbert said.
The city has stepped in to fertilize thefield, filling in divots to ensure a safe playingground. While not ideal for soccer, it hasmade an adequate playing field.
“(Parks and recreation) said they’re goingto continue to help,” Gilbert said. “The fieldneeds a major rehab. It’s pretty safe now; Idon’t have any complaints with the city.”
IWV club president Kelly Blake said thatthe upcoming renovations help the club be-
come competitive, thus reaching its overallgoal of enhancing Ridgecrest’s soccer pres-ence.
“It’s hard, in a lot of respects, to get peopleto travel here,” she said. “We’re just a yearor so in. As we get more established, wehope to have a more competitive edge. That’sour big issue, being competitive enough tobe enticing.
“It’ll be more enticing to have games here(with the renovations). There are clubs inBishop, Lone Pine, Tehachapi and Kern Val-ley that would like to come here.”
While installing the lights on the fields
CHRISTOPHER LIVINGSTON/DAILY INDEPENDENTIn this Aug. 27 file photo, the IWV Soccer Club hosts Tigres FC from Faller Elementary atKerr McGee Youth Sports Complex.
SEE LIGHTS, PAGE 22
FROM FIELD, PAGE 20
2016 PERSPECTIVE22
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are just enough to handle the club’s short-term goals, it opens up the conversation asto what else the park will need to satisfythings in the long run.
The Matt Armstrong Fields at Leroy Jack-son Park, currently used by the IWV youthfootball and cheer teams, were once thehome to youth soccer. The complex boasts awide array for green space, allowing multipleteams to hold games simultaneously on thefields.
Kerr-McGee, on the other hand, is rele-gated to one field that, given an entrepre-neurial spirit, could have multiple practiceson it.
A return to the Matt Armstrong Fieldsisn’t ruled out, however; but the idea to ex-pand Kerr-McGee could satiate both clubs.
“We’d like to be at the Matt Armstrongfacility,” Blake said, “however, the currentgrass at Kerr-McGee is in better shape. …We’re looking for a place that will be safe,well-lit and continue to grow.”
“We’d love to have our practice with theclubs practicing at the same time,” Gilbertsaid. “That way, the younger kids can learnfrom the older kids. It’s a more well-roundedclub that way. Right now, we’re practicingon separate nights on separate fields.”
Additionally, the fields, even with propermaintenance, could suffer from overuse.
“That would be a good plan to have abigger soccer complex, because the fieldsneed to rest,” Gilbert said.
For now, the smallest steps are helpful tothe club, with the lights being a large leap.And when everything is complete, the visionis that, by next year, Kerr-McGee will beabuzz during the cool summer nights.
“Lights are our biggest, No. 1 priority,”Gilbert said. “We’re happy with the lights.They’ll definitely help us.” ❖
FROM LIGHTS, PAGE 21
CHRISTOPHER LIVINGSTON/DAILY INDEPENDENTIn this Aug. 27 file photo, the IWV Soccer Club plays an exhibition match at Kerr McGeeYouth Sports Complex.
2016 PERSPECTIVE 23
2016 PERSPECTIVE24
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