2000 The year in review

December 1-31: Grinch may flip switch to douse holiday lights

Dec. 1

PALMDALE - The Valley skyline is moving up, a vertical shift of horizon rising in the past year. The change in view results from an influx of top-brand hotels growing out of empty lots near The Marketplace at Palmdale and Antelope Valley Mall.

A Marriott Courtyard Inn opened last month and a Marriott Residence Inn and a John Jay Inn are both within weeks of accepting guests.

Dec. 2

LANCASTER - A new study shows what many Valley commuters already know: It is quite expensive to travel to the Los Angeles basin on a daily basis. The report, titled "Driven to Spend," was compiled by the nonprofit Surface Transportation Policy Project, which looks at transportation issues within Southern California communities.

Dec. 3

LANCASTER - The line of parade participants began with a proud group of military veterans who wore their medals and ribbons with honor.

Members of the Marine Corps League, Antelope Valley Detachment 930, led a procession of more than 100 participants in Saturday's Lancaster Chamber of Commerce Christmas/Holiday Parade down Lancaster Boulevard.

Dec. 4

LANCASTER - One woman said it's something in the water. Another said it's the hormones in the beef. Whatever caused it, the fact remains - eight sets of twins are in El Dorado School Elementary's kindergarten class.

This single class boasts two sets of identical and four sets of fraternal twins.

Dec. 5

PALMDALE - The Boeing Co. will lay off nearly half of its Palmdale work force at the beginning of 2001 as modification work wraps up on the grande dame of the space shuttle fleet, the orbiter Columbia.

In a kind of space odyssey to which nobody much looks forward, about 400 workers are facing a renewed job hunt. The layoffs at Boeing Reusable Space Systems come with the completion of the makeover for Columbia, which began its lengthy layover in Palmdale more than a year ago.

Dec. 6

PALMDALE - An energy alert in December? Isn't that for the hot weather? Valley residents who enjoy displaying their holiday spirit with endless strings of outdoor lights, take note: The electric company wants you to hold off turning on your holiday lights until later in the evening to conserve energy.

Dec. 7

PALMDALE - A fourth developer has given up hope of ever building Ritter Ranch, a 7,200home project planned to spread across 10,625 acres in west Palmdale.

That means the project, on the drawing board since 1989, falls back into the lap of the third developer, John D. Musick Jr. of Aspen, Colo.

Musick's partnership, Ritter Ranch Development Inc., has held the rights to the project since August 1998, investing approximately $5.7 million in the venture to date.

Dec. 8

QUARTZ HILL - The rat-atat-tat heard Thursday morning, the 59th anniversary of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, came from the tapping and scuffing of tap shoes, nothing more.

Performing musical numbers at a luncheon meeting of the Greater Antelope Valley Chapter of the Retired Officers Association, the Boogie Woogie Mamas were reminiscent of a World War II USO show, complete with a few "hubba hubbas" from the enthusiastic audience.

Dec. 9

LANCASTER- Future leaders of the country, at least those who belong to the class of 2004 and beyond, will have to pass a test before they begin their post-high school lives.

The high school exit exam, part of new educational standards set by the governor's office, is being lauded by some parents and students in the Antelope Valley as long overdue. But at the same time, many of these same people are worried that at-risk youth and students who don't test well will be left behind.

Dec. 10

PALMDALE - If bands, horses or royalty make you merry, you would have loved Palmdale's "Holiday Magic Parade," which marched, rode and waved its way down Palmdale Boulevard on Saturday. Decked-out princesses and queens representing numerous Antelope Valley towns were joined by equestrians and about 20 marching bands and drill teams. Veterans, dancers, politicians and local businesspeople filled the list of entries, most decorated for the holiday season.
Dec. 11

LANCASTER - Since the Antelope Valley has yet to meet state air quality standards for its ozone levels, emission reduction credits are valuable assets for businesses moving into the area.

The Federal Clean Air Act requires that businesses acquire emission reduction credits when they start operations in a nonattainment area - an area that still exceeds air quality standards for a specific pollutant.

Dec. 12

LANCASTER - A jury convicted former construction worker Glenn Hilke of 10 felonies Monday in a series of sadistic attacks on prostitutes in 1998 involving a pickup truck that a prosecutor called a sexual torture chamber.

When sentenced Jan. 23, Hilke will face two life sentences and eight 25-years-to-life sentences, said Deputy District Attorney John Portillo. Hilke already has a previous rape conviction from 1988. He faced 15 felony charges in the trial.

Dec. 13

WASHINGTON - A divided Supreme Court reversed a state court decision for recounts in Florida's contested election Tuesday night, voting 5-4, and all but transforming George W. Bush into the president-elect.

Some Democrats urged Vice President Al Gore to give up his challenge in America's overtime election.

Democratic vice-presidential candidate Joseph Lieberman would have no statement on possible next steps until Wednesday.

Dec. 14

Five weeks after Election Day, George W. Bush at last laid claim to the presidency Wednesday night with a pledge to "seize this moment" and deliver reconciliation and unity to a nation divided. Al Gore exited the tortuously close race, exhorting the nation to put aside partisan rancor and support its new chief executive.

WASHINGTON - Al Gore surrendered his epic 36-day court battle for the highest prize of his life's work in politics. "For the sake of our unity as a people and the strength of our democracy, I offer my concession," he said from the White House he cannot claim.

LANCASTER - A light plane crashed in the desert south of William J. Fox Airfield on Tuesday morning, killing the unidentified pilot and scattering wreckage over an area the size of a football field.

Dec. 15

PALMDALE - U.S. Air Force brass doesn't want international flights coming into Palmdale, and they don't want 17,000 acres east of Plant 42 developed into a major airport.

Citing a joint-use agreement signed in 1989, Plant 42 officials reminded the property's owner, Los Angeles World Airports, that for security reasons, the Air Force stands against allowing international flights to and from Palmdale Regional Airport, which is on Plant 42 property.

Dec. 16

LAKE LOS ANGELES - They called it "Paula's Kitchen," allegedly a "superstore" for meth lab cooks.

And what a kitchen it was - tied to about $34 million worth of finished product and raw materials used to create drug addicts.

On Friday, state Department of Justice officials said they closed down "Paula's Kitchen," a massive one-stop shopping source that allegedly supplied everything needed to make methamphetamine.

LANCASTER - Two of the three former Littlerock High School football players charged with murdering Christopher O'Leary entered plea bargains Friday that included dismissing the murder charge against them.

Richard Newton and Rodney Woods pleaded no contest to a charge of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury. Newton also pleaded guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter.

Dec. 17

If the GOP is to maintain respectability in Democrat-dominated California, Republicans must reach out to minorities, educate voters and drastically reorganize the structure of party leadership.

That's the call to arms from Antelope Valley Republican leaders, who are hoping to recover from dramatic statewide Democrat victories in last month's election.

Dec. 18

Some are bitter, while others try their best not to be gleeful. But for many of the 538 members of the Electoral College preparing to cast the final votes for president today, the overwhelming feeling is one of solemn purpose.

LANCASTER - One in five households in the Antelope Valley relies on some form of child care to get through their busy schedules, according to a recent report by Alfred Gobar Associates. Some 54% of area households have children under the age of 18, while 22% have children under the age of 6 and 9% include children ages 6 to 9, the report said.

Dec. 19

LOS ANGELES - California's soaring energy costs are partly the result of "a massive conspiracy" by two of the state's largest natural gas companies, according to two lawsuits filed Monday. The suits, which seek class-action status, claim that Southern California Gas Co., San Diego Gas & Electric and its parent, Sempra Energy, conspired to artificially restrict natural gas supplies and eliminate competition.

LOS ANGELES - Kevin Carney - former Palmdale councilman and retired sheriff's sergeant - walked in jubilation out of a downtown courthouse with his wife Monday, all charges of sexual misconduct with children against him dropped.

The decision marked the end of a turbulent 13-month odyssey that bounced Carney from decades of Sheriff's Department duty and brief City Hall elected office to the status of accused criminal.

Carney, 49, walked to freedom facing a large legal bill.

He said he has no plans to re-enter the political arena.

Dec. 20

PALMDALE - A stolen car crashed through a cinderblock wall like an army tank Tuesday, climaxing a wild chase that ended with deputies taking a pair of teenage home-invasion robbery suspects into custody - one in an ambulance. The chain of events that ended at the wrecked wall on 20th Street East actually began a day earlier, on Monday, with a chance encounter by an older man and a female juvenile, likely a teenager.

LANCASTER - Less than a week after his Littlerock High School co-athletes pleaded no contest to felony charges in the beating death of Christopher O'Leary, negotiations for a plea deal for the third defendant stalled. Marcus Raines, 17 at the time of the attack, is charged with murder for allegedly delivering the fatal kick to O'Leary's head. Raines appeared in court Tuesday, with no end in sight to his legal plight.

Dec. 21

LANCASTER - First, the Grinch tried to unplug the fun from holiday cheer with threats of rolling blackouts from the powers-that-be.

Then, a real holiday Grinch or Grinches stole decorations late Sunday night or early Monday morning from several houses in west Lancaster.

Sheryl Covert, who lives in the 3300 block of West Avenue L-2, said she woke up Monday morning to discover some of her decorations were missing. After talking to her neighbors, she realized she wasn't alone.

Dec. 22

LANCASTER - Paul Louis Romando took the stand in his own defense Thursday, admitting to stabbing and killing Field Terry Simes, but only to defend himself from a homosexual rape. Romando testified Simes took him to the Tropic Motel on Sierra Highway under the pretense of discussing how Simes could give Romando a leg up into a career in the music industry. Once the pair were inside the motel room, Romando said Simes made sexual advances toward him and, when Romando refused, the older man produced a knife.

CALIFORNIA CITY - California is navigating an electric energy crisis that could trigger economic meltdown of public utilities and spark rolling blackouts within a couple of weeks, a Southern California Edison Co. official said Thursday.

Southern California Edison has "serious challenges" and "serious credit problems" in bringing power to its customer base without going broke, said Alis Clausen, SCE regional manager of public affairs.

MOJAVE - The thrust behind Rotary Rocket Inc. appears to be fizzling, threatening to take down with it millions of investor dollars, including a sizable investment from techno-thriller author Tom Clancy.

According to sources at Mojave Airport, where the upstart rocket company had set up an expansive operation, the company has closed its doors and is prepared to auction off its assets lock, stock and barrel.

Dec. 23

PALMDALE - A Valley teenager testified Thursday that he killed a local television personality in self-defense during a fight to rebuff unwanted sexual advances, but a prosecutor cross-examined him on that issue Friday.

Under questioning by Deputy District Attorney John Portillo, Paul Louis Romando, 18, offered few explanations for some apparent contradictions in testimony given Friday and in May 1999 to homicide detectives concerning the death of local cable TV show host Field Terry Simes.

SAN FRANCISCO - Southern California Edison Co., one of two huge investor-owned utilities shaken by California's electricity crisis, announced cutbacks impacting 400 jobs Friday - a day after state regulators favored customer rate hikes in January to rescue the utilities.

SoCal Edison and its parent, Edison International, said they were cutting costs and that "more substantial reductions" were possible if its financial condition did not improve.

Dec. 24

SACRAMENTO - Elements of a plan to ease California's electricity crisis include a 10% rate hike, coupled with long-term cost protections for residential customers and a requirement that two huge utilities absorb a large chunk of their losses from this summer's wholesale energy purchases.

Dec. 25

CHINA LAKE NAVAL AIR WARFARE STATION - A decade of continuous job cuts has come to an end at one high desert military base. The China Lake Naval Air Warfare station, which develops and tests missiles and weapons systems, plans to hire nearly 250 workers within the next year, according to Don Shibley, director of human resources for the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division.

Dec. 26

Almost one-fourth of county jail inmates are subject to deportation, a population costing Los Angeles taxpayers more than $150 million a year, the Sheriff's Department reported. The recently released study found that 23% of county inmates fall under the "deportable criminal alien" category, which includes illegal immigrants and legal immigrants who have committed serious crimes and therefore lost their legal status. A 1990 study by a countywide multi-agency task force found 11% of county inmates were subject to deportation.

Dec. 27

LANCASTER - One of the Antelope Valley's most prominent civic leaders and a pioneer rancher, Roy J. Simi, died Saturday. He was 83.

A memorial service is being planned for 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 7, at the Lancaster Elks Lodge on Avenue K, just east of Division Street. Private family graveside services will be at Joshua Memorial Park, with Mumaw Funeral Home in charge.

Dec. 28

MOJAVE - Kern County seized all equipment at Rotary Rocket Inc.'s Mojave facility Tuesday in hopes of recouping taxes the company failed to pay, according to the county's assistant treasurer.

The county posted a seizure notice at the company's facility that houses an atmospheric test vehicle which has made three test flights.

PALMDALE - Exactly what Los Angeles County Sheriff Leroy Baca's sweeping $1 billion, 30-year reform plan means for the Antelope Valley is a mystery.

"Obviously this is one area that has a lot of growth so these two cities are going to factor very heavy into (Baca's) formula, but specifically what that's going to translate to in this area is going to be pure speculation at this time," said Capt. Tom Pigott, commander of the Lancaster Sheriff's Station.

SAN FRANCISCO - Two huge utilities pleaded Wednesday for permission to make consumers pay as much as 30% more for their electricity, saying the deregulated energy market has left them $9 billion in the red.

Gov. Gray Davis, who went to the White House on Wednesday to discuss the crisis with President Bill Clinton, said it could be years before consumers get rate relief.

Dec. 29

LANCASTER - A jury began deliberating Thursday afternoon to decide if 18-year-old Paul Romando stabbed a local TV personality to death as part of a robbery or in self-defense as Simes purportedly sexually assaulted the teenager he had befriended.

Romando admitted to killing Field Terry Simes with a kitchen knife in April 1999 at a motel on Sierra Highway. But he says he did it in self-defense when Simes, 41, brandished a knife after Romando refused to engage in sex with him.

SAN FRANCISCO - Gov. Gray Davis failed to broker a compromise Thursday between utility executives and consumer advocates who are livid over looming increases in electricity bills for 10 million Californians.

In a sometimes heated, closed-door meeting, Davis, on a speaker phone, urged consumer groups to agree to at least some of the rate hikes utilities say they must have within days to avoid bankruptcy.

Some advocates said bankruptcy isn't such a bad idea.

Dec. 30

LANCASTER- The city is working with a developer on a retail center that could bring a hotel next to The Hangar (Lancaster Municipal Stadium) along with six to 10 other businesses.

Dec. 31

PALMDALE - This month's seating of Jim Root and Rick Norris on the Palmdale City Council brought a measure of relief for three council members who, for nearly nine months, have kept the city from slipping into an operational quagmire.

Mayor Jim Ledford described the situation as "excellent."

"Now we'll be able to spread some of the load, and I think it will give us an opportunity to be involved in more depth in some of things," instead of running from meeting to meeting held by the various boards, agencies and committees where Palmdale needs to be represented, Ledford said.

Uploaded January 8, 2001