1999 The year in review

April 1-15: War, tragedies in AV, Colorado dominate April

April 1

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia - Serbian television showed pictures today of men it said were three U.S. soldiers who disappeared near the Yugoslav-Macedonia border. There was no independent confirmation that Serbian officials had captured the men.

LANCASTER - Former Highland High School teacher Craig Fulladosa, 41, has been arraigned on charges of unlawful access to a computer after a computer technician found Internet porn on his school computer last May.

April 2

While Serb television showed images of three U.S. servicemen captured in Yugoslavia, their relatives and friends back home Thursday prayed for the soldiers' safe return and described them as brave young men who were proud to serve their country.

April 3

PALMDALE - An international airport - a long-held dream of many Antelope Valley business, civic and government leaders - would not serve Palmdale's best interests, Mayor Jim Ledford said on Friday.

To avoid sending the message such a facility is wanted, Palmdale sent no representatives on Wednesday to a gathering in El Segundo of those allied against the expansion of Los Angeles International Airport.

LANCASTER - In a lastminute decision, NASA and the Air Force want to relocate testing of the X-34 rocketplane from the Army's White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico to Edwards Air Force Base, a spokesman from Whites Sands said Friday.

The decision could bring to Edwards the testing of the first hypersonic rocketplane since the X15 flew through the Antelope Valley skies more than 30 years ago.

PALMDALE - Televised images of the three American soldiers held captive in Yugoslavia reduced two 19-year-old twins to tears on Thursday night.

After drying their eyes, Tracee and Trudee Percival drove to WalMart, bought 42 yards of yellow ribbon and decorated their neighborhood, tying ribbons on street signs, light poles and tree limbs to show their support of the servicemen and their families.
April 4

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military stepped deeper into NATO's conflict with Yugoslavia on Saturday, ordering an aircraft carrier and its cruise missile-firing battle group into the Adriatic Sea.

The Pentagon also started an air convoy to feed Kosovar refugees and pledged Marines to help with refugee relief planning.

PALMDALE - A gold coin is all that remains of 19-year-old Airman 1st Class Justin Wotasik.

Wotasik, a pararescue specialist, was aboard one of the two HH60G Pave Hawk helicopters that crashed during a practice mission over rugged terrain near the highly secret Test Area 51 in Nevada in September.

April 5

WASHINGTON - In a riskladen escalation of the American military commitment, the United States has agreed to send 24 Apache helicopter gunships and 2,000 troops to Albania, giving NATO the ability to directly attack Serb troops and tanks in Yugoslavia, the Clinton administration said Sunday.

April 6

LANCASTER - Bob Anderson, chief financial officer for Antelope Valley Hospital, has left the hospital and is seeking a new job, Chief Executive Officer Mathew Abraham confirmed Monday. Anderson, hired in August 1996 by former CEO Robert Harenski, is the third hospital vice president to exit AV Hospital since Abraham was hired as CEO in December.

LANCASTER - NASA has told its X-34 rocketplane contractor to stop preparing a New Mexico site for test flights, a NASA official said on Monday.

Gary Payton, NASA deputy associate administrator for space transportation technology, said that the Air Force has raised objections to Holloman Air Force Base and the Army's White Sands Missile Range being the sites for X-34 test flights.

April 7

LANCASTER - The B-2 stealth bomber, built by Northrop Grumman in Palmdale, has received rave reviews for its operational mission in Kosovo, a spokesman from Whiteman Air Force Base said Tuesday.

In more than 12 missions to Kosovo, the B-2 has left on time and shown very little wear and tear, said Maj. Bruce Sprecher, head of public affairs at Whiteman, home of the bomber fleet.

April 8

PALMDALE - Another person died on Valley roads on Wednesday and three more nearly died in two early-morning traffic accidents.

At least one crash reportedly was caused by cold weather and a frozen Pearblossom Highway bridge.

LANCASTER - In what has become a decade of workforce decline in Ridgecrest, China Lake Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division will lose 122 more civilian positions.

Dr. Karen Higgins, weapons division director at China Lake, said the reduction is part of an overall weapons center cut of 375 civilian positions at China Lake; Point Mugu; and White Sands, N.M., announced Tuesday.
April 9

PALMDALE - The Southern California Association of Governments supported two proposals on Thursday that could open the door to expanded regional air service and create a high-speed rail service.

Both proposals ultimately could solve many Antelope Valley transportation problems, Palmdale City Councilman David Myers said.

SACRAMENTO - Senate Democrats on Thursday squashed a local legislator's efforts to attract the VentureStar reusable launch vehicle program to the Antelope Valley.

VAN NUYS - A child-abuse expert testifying for the prosecution in the murder trial of Michael and Kathleen Gentry claimed Thursday that Lindsay Gentry's parents chronically abused the girl and deprived her of food, leading to her death.

AGUA DULCE - A car filled with young people who reportedly were racing to catch up with friends in an apparent speed derby spun and tumbled Thursday on the Antelope Valley Freeway, killing all five occupants.

Four passengers died instantly. The critically injured teen driver later died at a Santa Clarita hospital.

April 10

SANTA CLARITA - The apparent speed racer accident that killed five young people along the Antelope Valley Freeway was both "uncommon and common," a California Highway Patrol spokesman said Friday.

"It was uncommon that the accident claimed the lives of five people," CHP Officer Doug Sweeny said. "But the incident leading up to the accident is far too common."

April 11

WASHINGTON - In a major boost to NATO air power, the Pentagon announced Saturday that 82 U.S. planes would join the force conducting airstrikes over Yugoslavia. Allies were expected to add dozens more aircraft within days.
April 12

PALMDALE - More than 2,500 signatures covering 40 pages were collected at the Antelope Valley Mall as a tribute-sympathy card for families of the five young people killed in Thursday's horrific crash along the 14 Freeway.

Friends of those killed gathered at the mall in mourning and to show solidarity against what they view as lies about their friends told by law enforcement and the media.

PALMDALE - The last of a series of winter storms from the Gulf of Alaska hammered through Southern California on Sunday, dumping snow in the foothills and causing extensive road closures.

TEHACHAPI - Former high desert legislator Phil Wyman announced he may run for the state Assembly in 2000, when the seat will be vacated by Keith Olberg, R-Victorville.

Olberg will have reached the maximum service time in the Assembly under California's term limits.

April 13

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - A federal judge found President Bill Clinton in contempt of court on Monday for giving "intentionally false" testimony about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, imposing a historic judicial rebuke on a chief executive who survived congressional impeachment just two months ago.

Historians said they believed Clinton was the first president to face such a penalty, a lasting stigma that could also force him to pay tens of thousands of dollars more to Paula Jones beyond the $850,000 he paid to settle her sexual harassment claims.

PALMDALE - Crisis teams were in place at two high schools following last week's spring break tragedy that claimed the lives of five Valley youths.

At Highland High School, a district psychologist and several counselors met with students and teachers trying to cope with the loss of classmate Vanessa Yusi, 17, and former student Jovannie Solano, 20.

April 14

WASHINGTON - Bringing the Kosovo conflict closer to home, U.S. military reservists are likely to be ordered to active duty as part of a major new buildup of American air power in the Balkans, officials said on Tuesday.

Several hundred Air National Guard members who already are participating as volunteers probably will not be enough to support the 300 additional planes expected to be sent to Europe in the days ahead.

ROSAMOND - Ed MacKay defeated three challengers in the Southern Kern Unified School District School Board election Tuesday night.

With all 10 Rosamond district precincts reporting, MacKay won the race with 321 votes, followed by Ralph Nelson with 261 votes, Robert H. "Bob" Vincelette Jr. with 131 votes and Timothy "Tim" Schank with 84 votes.

LANCASTER - With conflicts in Kosovo and Iraq depleting the Air Force's supply of cruise missiles, military officials and congressional leaders are pushing for the reopening of the weapon's production line.

In a letter sent to Secretary of Defense William Cohen on Tuesday, a group of congressmen called the cruise missile shortage "one of the most urgent national security issues."

PALMDALE - Sheriff's detectives on Tuesday closed a fraud investigation against ousted Palmdale Education Foundation Director Diana Beard-Williams, saying they found insufficient evidence to prosecute at this time.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was investigating Beard-Williams for alleged misappropriation of foundation funds during her tenure as executive director of the volunteer, nonprofit group.

April 15

WASHINGTON - NATO's air campaign in Yugoslavia could stretch into the summer, U.S. officials suggested Wednesday as the first Apache attack helicopters began arriving in Albania as part of a major buildup of forces.

In a move to bolster the NATO force, the Apaches began arriving in Albania, and the Clinton administration was preparing within days to call-up at least several thousand military reservists and deploy 300 more warplanes to join NATO airstrikes. That would bring the total air power to 1,000 aircraft - two-thirds of them American.

LANCASTER - A Desert Christian Schools teacher was arrested Tuesday morning for allegedly molesting a teenage girl, according to Sheriff's Department investigators.

Darin Robertson, about 30, was charged with a felony count of committing a lewd act with a minor and two misdemeanor charges of annoying or molesting a minor, said Sheriff's Sgt. Mike Becker, who heads the child abuse unit in Lancaster.

Uploaded December 20, 1999