Sarah Gomez is seen in a booking photo provided by the Ontario Police Department on May 29, 2018.

By Anthony Saude

Ontario – A mother was taken into police custody early on May 29, after she, allegedly, struck her boyfriend and their 7-month-old daughter with her vehicle resulting in the child’s death. The boyfriend, and father of the child, suffered minor injuries.

According to investigators, the infant’s mother, 19-year old Sarah Marie Gomez, and her 21-year-old boyfriend and father of the baby, had been drinking at a family party just a few streets away. The couple had been arguing on and off throughout the day.  The couple left the party, with their child, just before midnight and the arguing continued.  Gomez was driving home when her boyfriend got out of the car and took the baby with him. Authorities said Gomez then intentionally struck him with her vehicle while he was carrying their child outside a home on the 500 block of West D Street in Ontario. Family members immediately took the father and child to a hospital where, sadly, the baby died. According to hospital reports, the child’s injuries were consistent with being hit by a car. The father was released from the hospital after receiving treatment for minor scrapes and bruises sustained in the incident.

Police are still investigating the father’s reason for exiting the vehicle with the child. Sgt. Jeff Higbee of the Ontario Police Department said “He got out of the car with the baby, and that’s when she struck them,” “But we’re not certain yet how that happened. That’s still under investigation.” He went on to say “It appears alcohol was involved,”.

Gomez was initially arrested at the hospital and taken to West Valley Detention Center on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. According to court records, she is now being charged with Vehicular Manslaughter with Gross Negligence, Child Cruelty resulting in injury or death and DUI causing bodily injury. She is being held on $100,000 bail.■

Courtesy of the guardian

By Nicole Leiva

ONTARIO– Harvest Power appealed a conditional-use permit denial at a public hearing on March 1, during the Ontario City Council meeting. Harvest Power, who wants to establish and operate an organic materials facility on 34 acres near the Chino border at Campus and Schaefer, composts green waste, manure, food materials, fats and grease.  Ontario’s zoning administrator turned down the original permit request, and on appeal, the Planning Commission unanimously turned it down as well.  Ontario City Councilman Alan Wapner requested a council review, and Harvest filed an appeal.

Robert Vandenheuvel is the General Manager of the Milk Producers Council, a non-profit trade association representing dairy farmers in Chino, Ontario and Eastvale. He and his members are concerned about the location of the proposed waste processing facility. The designated location for this plant is right next to a newly constructed water treatment facility for the City of Chino. The farmers and residents near the location are concerned about water contamination, increased truck traffic and fire hazards that have become common with green waste processing facilities.

Ten residents and farmers were allotted time to share their concerns about the green waste facility with the council members. The citizens that live and/or work near the designated location spoke of their concerns about the lack of regulations on compost waste facilities, increased traffic, potential water contamination, potential exposure to toxic smells in the air, and potential fires at the waste facility that can spread to the nearby dairies and kill livestock.  There have already been fires at some of the other eight composting facilities in the area.

The Director of Community Development for the City of Chino, Nick Liguori, stated his concern that so far, there have been no environmental studies done regarding the plant. In addition, other representatives from Chino were concerned that the location of the plant will be too close to the newly built water treatment facility. At the very least, the City of Chino said that they would like environmental studies to be conducted before the Ontario City Council approves the contract.

In opposition to those who spoke against the waste processing facility, a representative from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce gave the Chamber’s support for the project. A lawyer for Harvest Power spoke to defend the company and dispute the statements from the residents/farmers.  A representative from Harvest Power spoke during the public hearing and he listed off prestigious awards the company has been awarded, the services they provide and told how the company will develop into a member of the community.

After all the statements, Ontario Mayor Paul Leon was ready to vote to overturn the decision from the Planning Commission, but two council members, Bowman and Avila, were still adamantly against the project, citing concerns about resident and animal safety, increased traffic and potential water contamination.  Councilman Bowman also expressed that because the testimony from the residents/farmers was very compelling, he would be voting against the project. Councilwoman Dorst-Porada also had questions and concerns about the safety of the facility.

Mayor Leon said that although he was inclined to support the project, the council members could not come to an agreement, and because of that, he will request a town hall meeting with Harvest Power, so residents have their questions and concerns addressed.  The council will schedule a vote after the town hall meeting.

Staff Reports

Photo Courtesy of LA/ONT Airport Facebook
L.A. City Council approves $250 million settlement agreement for Ontario International Airport Authority to take over ONT.

ONTARIO—The Los Angeles City Council approved last Wednesday the landmark settlement agreement that hands over the reins of LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT) to the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA).

In a closed-session meeting, the council unanimously settled the $250 million lawsuit brought by the city of Ontario in June 2013. In 1967, Ontario turned over airport operations to Los Angeles who then sold it in 1985.

“We are now one step closer to finalizing a historic settlement that will improve air travel throughout Southern California and benefit residents and airport employees in both Los Angeles and Ontario,” said L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti in a statement. Ontario will pay $30 million from its reserves, take over the airport’s $60 million debt and make payments of $50 million over five years and $70 million in the final five years, officials said.

The OIAA must now obtain a certificate to operate the airport from the Federal Aviation Administration, according to the report. The entire process, including FAA approval, is expected to be completed next year.
“We are committed to working closely with FAA officials and Los Angeles World Airports to ensure a smooth transition of airport control in the second half of 2016,” Wapner stated.

“The OIAA will take all steps to ensure that Southern California has the airport capacity needed to meet the long-term demand for air travel while boosting the Inland Empire’s most important economic and jobs engine,” Alan Wapner, Ontario councilman and president of the authority, said in a statement.
Deborah Flint, executive director of Los Angeles World Airports, in unison with the agreement ensures that ONT operations and jobs will not be affected by a lapse in airport operation.
“The agreement ensures uninterrupted operations at ONT by providing the 191 Los Angeles World Airports employees with key employee protections and stability during the transition,” she said in a statement.  “My staff is committed to working closely and cooperatively with the City of Ontario and the OIAA to allow for a smooth transfer.”

Photo Courtesy: Ontario Airport

By Claire Lewis

Ontario – Since 1923, when a small landing field was first built on land leased from the Union Pacific Railroad (three miles west of the current Airport), the City of Ontario has had a vested interest in the success and sustainability on the Ontario International Airport.

Wikipedia states that in 1929, the City of Ontario purchased 30 acres to create the Ontario Municipal Airport.  This sustained the City until 1941, when Ontario purchased another 470 acres around that airport, adding runways and a partnership with the Army Air Corps as a training/operating base.

Due to transpacific cargo flights originating in the City, in 1946, the Airport was renamed the Ontario International Airport.

On Oct. 18, 1967, the City of Ontario requested that the City of Los Angeles enter into a Joint-Powers Agreement for the operation, management, and control of Ontario International Airport (Los Angeles World Airports – LAWA).  In more recent years, that management has come into question and criticism.  In 2008, 6.2 million passengers used the airport, which was 13.5 percent less than in 2007.  Additionally, passenger volume decreased 4.6 percent from 2010 to 2011.  In early 2011, Southwest Airlines carried 54 percent of the entire Ontario passenger load.

In 2013, LAWA offered to turn the airport back to the City of Ontario for $474 million, but the offer was rejected.  And recently, once again, LAWA has agreed to turn over ownership of Ontario International Airport to the City in an agreement that includes the settling of previous lawsuits and protection of the facility’s 182 employees.

According to L.A. County Supervisor, Don Knabe, The City of Los Angeles has, in fact, agreed to transfer control of the airport back to the City of Ontario.

“For years, the idea of spreading air traffic across our region was talked about by Los Angeles World Airports.  Instead, we saw significant reductions in passenger traffic to Ontario International Airport that couldn’t be explained away by the economy,” said Knabe.

Knabe states that transferring local control back to the City and allowing it to manage and grow its airport is the best path toward creating a truly regionalized vision for transportation throughout Southern California.

The complete transfer process could take over a year to complete.  Once said and done, the Airport will reportedly be operated by the Ontario International Airport Authority, under a joint-powers agreement with San Bernardino County.