Quartzsite Police Chief Jeff Gilbert TERMINATED

At this morning's regular meeting of the Quartzsite Town Council, sitting members convened in executive session to discuss the contract of controversial Police Chief Jeff Gilbert. They reconvened and voted to terminate his contract without cause, and pay the provisions of his severance. A reported buy out of $116,000. Vice Mayor Jewitt abstained from the vote, because his step son Tim Ryder is the paid assistant to Chief Gilbert. Councilwoman Carol Kelley abstained, which counts as a "yes" vote. Remaining Council voted unanimously.

No mention was made of who will lead the Department as Interim Chief, or to begin advertising for a replacement, leaving many wondering whether council members thought the decision through, or if those things had been discussed in a Councilman Orgeron orchestrated secret meeting. It is anticipated that the Arizona Department of Public Safety may send someone, and Sheriff John Drum appears willing to negotiate an intergovernmental agreement to take over services permanently.

In other news, School Board Member Monica Timberlake was appointed to fill the council seat vacated by the resignation of Patricia Workman.

See also:
http://www.kpho.com/story/23763023/quartzsite-ousts-embattled-police-chief

Volume 3 Edition 16

Church of the Isaiah 58 Project of Arizona v. La Paz County update

http://www.adfmedia.org/News/PRDetail/4680

To book an interview, click on the "Book an Interview" button on any page at ADFmedia.org.
Thursday, October 10, 2013


Description:  Alliance Defending Freedom filed suit against La Paz County, Ariz. in March 2011 for hitting a rural Arizona church with a $50,000 tax bill that the state agrees the church does not owe. The bill has resulted in a tax lien on the church’s property which could result in foreclosure and an end to the church’s ministry, including its outreach to the needy—a program praised by the Quartzsite mayor and police chief.

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Ariz. church appeals to state’s high court over $50K tax bill

Alliance Defending Freedom represents Quartzsite church being taxed out of existence
Thursday, October 10, 2013

Attorney sound bite:  Erik Stanley

PHOENIX — Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys asked the Arizona Supreme Court Thursday to hear the case of a Quartzsite church facing an illegally assessed property tax bill that would force it to shut down.

“Churches shouldn’t live in fear of being punished by the government when they’ve not done anything wrong, but that’s precisely what is happening to this church. If government officials have their way, this church will lose everything,” said Senior Legal Counsel Erik Stanley. “The county assessor illegally levied more than $50,000 in taxes against the church even though the Arizona Department of Revenue provided a letter stating that the church should owe no taxes. We are asking the Arizona Supreme Court to right this wrong.”

A September decision from the Arizona Court of Appeals in Church of the Isaiah 58 Project of Arizona v. La Paz County upheld an earlier Tax Court ruling that said the church should have paid the tax bill before challenging it as illegal. Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys argue, however, that state law does not require the church to do so when it is challenging an illegally assessed tax so high that the congregation can’t pay the bill and ask for a refund later.

The tax bill of more than $50,000 is approximately equal to the church’s entire annual budget. Paying the tax before filing suit would have required the church to close its doors, sell off its assets, and end its ministry.

The bill has resulted in a tax lien on the church’s property which could result in foreclosure and an end to the church’s ministry, including its outreach to the needy--a program which the Quartzsite mayor and police chief have praised.

Under state law, the church qualified for an exemption from property taxes and filed the appropriate paperwork with the La Paz County property assessor. The assessor sat on the church’s paperwork for three years before granting a tax exemption and then only granted it for the years 2009 and later, leaving the church with back-taxes for 2007-2008 that it should not owe.

Steven D. Keist of Glendale and Andre E. Carman of Prescott, two of nearly 2,300 attorneys allied with Alliance Defending Freedom, are co-counsel in the case.

 

• “Speak Up” Church website

 

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization that advocates for the right of people to freely live out their faith.

 

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Additional resources: Church of the Isaiah 58 Project of Arizona v. La Paz County

Scroll down to view additional resources pertaining to this case and its surrounding issue
Thursday, October 10, 2013

Previous news releases:

• 2012-11-26: Rendering unto Caesar?
• 2011-03-17: ADF files suit to protect Ariz. church from foreclosure based on $50K illegal tax bill
• 2010-11-10:  Bureaucratic error results in $50K tax bill, possible foreclosure on rural Ariz. church

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Legal documents, related news, and other related resources available in the right panel when this page is viewed at ADFmedia.org.

Copperstone Mine suspends operations

October 11, 2013
American Bonanza Suspends Operations at Copperstone Mine
October 11, 2013 - American Bonanza Gold Corp. (TSX: BZA) ("Bonanza" or the "Company") is placing the Copperstone Mine in Arizona on care and maintenance status until further notice. The Company has made this decision in order to cut costs while it reviews operations with a view to improving operational efficiencies, and while it seeks additional capital to fund performance improvements in order to meet designed capacity of the Copperstone Mine. Declining gold prices also factored in the Company's decision to suspend mining and milling operations at this time.

While the suspension of operations may be considered a setback in the Company's goal of achieving commercial production at Copperstone, the Company believes it is necessary in order to achieve that goal. Operating costs have reached unsustainable levels for various reasons. The Company believes that with additional capital, upon the resumption of operations the mine will perform at a consistent mine output rate and mill throughput rate which will help reduce overall costs as the Company moves forward to bring the Copperstone Gold Mine to design operating rates.

The Company is in discussions with a number of potential financing sources which may result in one or more financings in sufficient amounts to enable the Company to bring production at the Copperstone Mine up to design rates. The Company intends to continue these negotiations.

A longer-term objective of the Company remains the substantial increase in mine production upon the resumption of operations and delineation of the significant exploration potential at Copperstone. The Company will endeavor to keep our shareholders fully informed, on a timely basis, of our decisions and activities.

About Bonanza

Bonanza is owner of the newly constructed Copperstone Mine in Arizona. For more information please visit Bonanza's website at www.americanbonanza.com.

No commerce for 3 days?

Tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday, there is a political event taking place wherein truckers will stop delivering goods and consumers will stop buying them for 3 days. Those who cannot attend the national event are asking that you support the Arizona event at the capitol or show support and encouragement of truckers on these days. 

As Democrats and Republicans dig in their heels for what appears to be trench warfare over the federal budget, Americans are beginning to get restless and Europeans are publishing disturbing information the local media is not reporting. 

According to the Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/events/1452093321681748/
"Arizona supporters of Truckers Ride For The Constitution will be backing the truckers on October 11th - 13th with no work, no buy, no sell for those three days. We demand Obama be removed from office and all that he has enacted undone as unconstitutional!!! If you can't go to DC (company owned rigs), break down at our AZ State Capitol. We're planning to get together at our capitol so please check this event page regularly for updates and share this page with people you know. We hope that other states will join us by creating an event page and organizing locally to help show these truckers support across our nation."


 
LOCATIONS:

Phoenix Valley ~ 11th Ave Pedestrian Overpass over I-10. Park on the North side of I-10 as this is a nicer neighborhood than the South side. There is a local market and some street parking.

Yuma ~ 4th and 16th Kingman ~ I-40 and Andy Devine.

Quartzsite ~ Quartzsite Pedestrian Overpass I-10 between exit 17 and Hwy 95

District 3 Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva arrested

District 3 Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva (D), along with Representatives Green, Crowley, Lewis, Schkowsky, Rangel, Ellison, and Gutierrez. were arrested in Washington, D.C. today during a "planned civil disobedience" demonstration that took place on the “legally closed” National Mall, but was allowed by the National Parks Service because it was considered a rally guarded by the First Amendment

The rally was organized by a group called Camino Americano and was aimed at urging Congress to pass immigration reform allowing individuals who are illegally in the U.S. to apply for citizenship.

Grijalva was booked around 1:45 p.m. Arizona time and is expected to be released this evening,  according to Grijalva's spokesman Adam Sarvana. It will remain to bee seen if he is actually prosecuted.

See also: http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/10/03/Immigration-Organizer-Asks-for-200-Volunteers-to-Get-Arrested-at-Mon-DC-Rally

BLM closes due to federal shut down

BREAKING NEWS - Quartzsite Mayor Ed Foster reported that the BLM Long - term visitor area has been closed because of the federal government shut down. It has been confirmed that camp host volunteers have been asked to turn over their keys, rangers have been issued pink slips and no new permits will be issued at this time. Incoming campers are being directed to 14 day areas. See pg 7 of the current issue for that list. Unofficially, campers who have purchased a winter permit may stay put as there are no rangers left to remove the public from public lands. A letter posted on the door of camp host offices does state that "visitors should vacate...", however it does not say they must.

Foster had asked Town Manager Bruno to contact BLM last week, but he is unaware of any negotiations between the Town and the BLM at this time. La Posa North and La Posa West are within Town limits. Quartzsite Police are not authorized to respond to calls for service on BLM unless requested by BLM to assist, and the notice clearly states that, "emergency services will not be available", so camp at your own risk. The Contingency Plan Fact Sheet states that Law Enforcement and Emergency Response will "remain operational." but it does not specifically refer to any particular area as it relates to the BLM in a broad sense, and on a national level. The Facebook page for BLM Arizona directs you to the Department of the Interior web site, and the Yuma Field Office has a phone message that states they are closed.

This post will be updated as events unfold.

See also:
 http://www.doi.gov/shutdown/index.cfm 
and http://www.doi.gov/shutdown/fy2014/upload/BLM-Fact-Sheet.pdf

Police Chief Rodney Mendoza update

It has been reported that the Arizona Department of Public Safety has cleared Parker Police Chief Rodney Mendoza on allegations of evidence tampering and trying to influence a prosecutor.  Mendoza had reportedly asked the prosecutor to not press charges against former Miss La Paz County Leean Hendrix, who eventually became his wife.

However, DPS has initiated a new investigation against Mendoza for tampering with emails while using town equipment.

He also faces an internal investigation for alleged sexual harassment against the wife of a Parker Police Sergeant.

The Parker Town Council convened an executive session to discuss Mendoza's employment on Sptember 24th, but no additional action has been proposed and Chief Mendoza remains on paid administrative leave.

Rodney Mendoza has been Parker Police Chief since 2004.

Volume 3, Edition 15

FREE BREAKFAST AT TIMES 3 ON OCTOBER 1ST, SEE PG 5

SCANDAL IN ARIZONA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

An unknown number of persons, many of whom are suing the Town of Quartzsite, have in their possession a totally un-redacted complete copy of "Special Investigations" report, DPS2011027462, which details the Arizona Department of Public Safety investigation into the complaints made against Quartzsite Police Chief Jeff Gilbert by 10 out of 14 members of his own department back in the spring of 2011.

This report is "the smoking gun" which contains, among other evidence, audits of the AZCJIS/NCIC data base showing that the QPD conducted hundreds of criminal background checks on a small group of citizens perceived to be politically opposed to Town officials and targeted them for "color of law" abuse. Misuse of the National Crime Information Center data base is a crime.

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne was given a copy of the report in February of 2012 and he refused to prosecute what is evidently hundreds of criminal counts against the Quartzsite Police Department. The AZ Police Officers Standards and Training Board has refused to take any action to revoke Police Chief Gilbert's certification. All members of the Quartzsite Town Council were given a complete copy of this un-redacted DPS report in August of 2012 and instead of voting to terminate Police Chief Jeff Gilbert, they brought him back from administrative leave and took actions that resulted in the termination of members of the Town administration who had placed him there and attempted to terminate Gilbert's employment.

My husband and I have filed a civil claim in U.S. District Court, as documented victims of this illegal pattern and practice, CV-13-01770-PHX-DGC

The Arizona Municipal Risk Retention Pool (AMRRP) was the Town's insurer during the period the documented abuse of the NCIC data base took place and will ultimately be responsible for paying out damage claims to those in litigation with the Town over the actions of Town officials during their coverage. Nearly every municipality in Arizona pays into AMRRP and will share in a percentage of the loss, when claims are eventually paid out. AMRRP terminated their coverage for the Town of Quartzsite on January 6th, 2013, after a record number of civil claims and shortly after Town Manager Laura Bruno's release of an allegedly confidential document to members of the Town Council.
 
See: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ncic

Vol 3 edition 14

Thanks to a power outage, followed by yet another ridiculous and totally unwarranted stunt by the Quartzsite Police Chief, Town Manager and Building Official...the files did not arrive to the printer in time for the antipated delivery. Read all about it in the August issue.
http://tinyurl.com/henrichsisanidiot
 http://tinyurl.com/brunomustgo
http://www.aview.info/A-View/Library/PDF/QTZ-Town/TOWN/Court/Vs%20JONES/QTZ_Court-13-08-16-Search-Warrant-AV.pdf

Parker, AZ Council places Chief Mendoza on leave

 

In a special meeting held before the regular meeting, Parker Town Council voted to place Police Chief Rodney Mendoza on administrative leave last night.

According to the agenda the purpose of the meeting was:
1. Discussion and possible action to convene into an Executive Session pursuant to
A. R. S. § 38-431.03A (1) for the purpose of:
a. Discussion regarding the job performance and evaluation of the Chief of Police
2. Approve/Deny placing the Chief of Police on administrative leave
3. Approve/Deny appoint an Interim Chief of Police 

No explanation was given in support of the vote, but the action follows allegations of sexual harassment against Chief Mendoza by the wife of Parker Police Sergeant Mike Thompson.  Parker Mayor Dan Beaver assured concerned citizens "There is an ongoing investigation at this moment, not only by DPS but by our own HR Department, and there are two people working on it and I want the public to know that." 

 

However, it has been confirmed that DPS is not investigating Mendoza regarding sexual harassment, but they are investigating him over another unrelated complaint. Private investigator Jim Humpreys was reportedly hired by Town Manager Lori Wedemeyer to look into the sexual harassment matter. Humphreys is the same P.I. hired by the neighboring Town of Quartzsite, AZ last summer to investigate Town allegations of voter fraud that proved to be unfounded.

 At last night's meeting during the "Call to the Public", Parker resident Launa Wilson told the Council that Wedemeyer should not be in charge of the investigation because she had an affair with Mendoza. After the meeting, Councilwoman Christine Boatwright instigated a verbal altercation in the parking lot with Wilson and a woman named Tiffany Dunlap, who also spoke critically of the Town's handling of the Thompson matter.

No interim chief was officially appointed at the special meeting, but many believe that Mendoza's duties will be assumed by Sergeant Clay Romo.

Lorrie Thomson states that her job at the Parker Funeral Home requires interaction with her husband's boss, Chief Mendoza, because the La Paz County Coroner is located there. This provided a premise for Mendoza to have unwanted contact with Thompson which escalated, culminating in a kiss which took place in his office she asserts. After making a written complaint to the Town Council, Thompson was demoted at her job.

The Honorable Jill Davis issued an injunction against Mendoza on July 8th, 2013 which prohibited him from having contact with Thompson. Mendoza requested a hearing and Judge Pro Tem "Mike" Dunbar dismissed the injunction on August 15th. Mendoza did not take the stand in his own defense and his attorney Michael Frame called no witnesses, choosing instead to attack "the voracity" of Thompson and her testimony. She admitted into evidence recent text messages by Mendoza, but did not present the secret audio recordings which had been given to the La Paz County Sheriff's Office. When asked why the judge who issued the injunction did not preside over the hearing, Mojave County Court Clerk Carol Henry responded, "There was no assignment, Judge Dunbar just happened to be on the bench and he saw the case that day." Thompson is expected to appeal Dunbar's ruling.

According to Thompson, despite the awkwardness of the situation she remained polite to Chief Mendoza out of concern for her husband's job with the Department. Mendoza has declined to make a public statement thus far.

The Parker Town Council had received legal advice and declined to take action against Mendoza at another special meeting on July 31st, 2013. 

Rumors have been circulating that another woman may come forward and it has been alleged that Mendoza had very similar issues when he was a Captain at the Ventura County, CA Sheriff's Department.. He is currently married to 1994 Miss La Paz County Leean Hendrix - Mendoza. Reportedly, Mendoza's previous wife was the ex wife of one of his sergeants while working in Ventura, and she left him for having an alleged inter office affair, then the alleged relationship with Wedemeyer, then Hendrix, but this has not yet been confirmed.

Thompson maintains that she has additional evidence not submitted to the court, but has provided the following text messages that were submitted into evidence at the August 15th hearing. 

Thompson testified that she agreed to meet with Police Chief Mendoza to find out what he really wanted from her, but most believe it was to get him on the record about it with a hidden recorder.

 
Thompson's comments are in the green bubbles, Mendoza's in the white bubbles ("smart phone" text messages).