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Antelope
SUNDAY
February 28, 2021
60 pages, 8 sections
105th year, No. 334
$2.00

More Antelope Valley People Read the Valley Press Than Any Other Newspaper
Established 1915. © 2021 AVPress Inc. All rights reserved.

Harris firm is Protesters gather against Garcia

representing
AVUHSD trio
By JULIE DRAKE
Valley Press Staff Writer
LANCASTER — Harris &
Associates, the Los Angeles law
firm hired by the former Ante-
lope Valley Union School Dis-
trict Board majority in 2019, is
representing the trio — former
Board member Robert “Bob”
Davis and current members
Victoria Ruffin and Amanda
Parrell — in their defense of
a wrongful termination law-
suit filed by Bridget Cook, the
longtime former general coun-
sel for the high school District.
Cook sued Davis, Ruffin,
Parrell and her former employ-
er last August, contending she
was unlawfully fired in 2019
in retaliation for whistleblower
reports on allegedly improper
and illegal contracts that would
have provided financial wind-
falls to Davis, Ruffin and Par-
rell, or to their close associates.
Cook is represented by at-
torneys Claire-Lise Y. Kutlay
and Alan Greenberg.
Cook, who is Black, alleged
that she was discriminated
against on the basis of her
race and gender. The lawsuit
also alleged Cook experienced
serious psychological and emo-
tional distress, and lost millions
of dollars in past and future
earnings, among other injuries.
The suit seeks unspecified
damages for retaliatory termi-
nation and discrimination.
Court records show Davis,
Ruffin and Parrell seek to avoid
any personal liability for firing
Cook, and to strike Cook’s re-
quest for attorney’s fees, civil
penalties and punitive damag-
es.
Davis, Ruffin and Parrell
fired Cook without warning
and without cause on May 9,
2019, after Cook raised con-
cerns about alleged waste,
improper use of government
funds and unlawful conduct to
the Board and to her supervi-
sor, Superintendent David Vi-
erra. As Cook’s direct supervi-
sor, Vierra had the authority to
fire and discipline her.
Cook reported alleged
waste, misuse of government
funds and unlawful conduct
See BOARD, A3
Protesters
against US
Rep. Mike
Garcia, R-Santa
Clarita, hold up
signs outside
his Palmdale
office on
Friday evening.
Simultaneous
protests
took place
at Garcia’s
Santa Clarita
office and at
Rep. Kevin
McCarthy’s
Bakersfield
office.
RAYMOND GARCIA/
VALLEY PRESS
Caravan participants believe their voices are not being heard
By RAYMOND GARCIA ita, for California’s 25th Dis- ty because of his refusal to Huerta Foundation gath-
Valley Press Staff Writer trict, which includes much of meet with those he was voted ered as simultaneous protests
occurred at Garcia’s Santa
PALMDALE — “Hey! the Antelope Valley. to represent.
Clarita office as well as Rep.
Hey! Ho! Ho! Mike Garcia Ruth Sanchez, president “We want to make sure
Kevin McCarthy’s office in
of the American Civil Lib- that he hears us one way or
has got to go!”
erties Union Antelope Val- another,” she said. Bakersfield.
These were the words
ley Chapter, said they were Members from various Waunette Cullors, a trust-
chanted by protesters during
out protesting to make sure organizations including ee for the Keppel Union
a cold and windy Friday eve-
Garcia heard their voic- Our Revolution, Progres- School District Board and
ning as residents caravaned
councilwoman for the Lit-
in protest against US Rep. es on issues that need to be sive Democrats of America,
Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clar- addressed in the communi- the ACLU and the Dolores See PROTEST, A5

Proposed park upgrades outlined Virgin Galactic hires

By JULIE DRAKE
Valley Press Staff Writer
LANCASTER — Proposed im-
provement to El Dorado Park include
a new community building, an expand-
ed playground with new inclusive play
equipment, a splash pad and a new
swing set with eight swings.
The City held five workshops to col-
lect public input on proposed improve-
ments to the park. The fifth workshop
was a virtual event held Thursday
night.
Lancaster hopes to secure a Prop-
osition 68 grant to pay for the im-
provements. Prop. 68 is a statewide
park development and community re-
vitalization program now in its fourth
round. Approximately $395.3 million
is available. The deadline to submit an
application is March 12.
“There was 478 applications the last
round in 2019 and only 62 grants were
awarded, so very competitive grant,”
Improvements to El Dorado Park could be on the way, as the City of Lancaster
has conducted five workshops seeking public input. The City is hoping to land a
Proposition 68 grant to pay for the project.
said consultant Mike Nilsson, who is
helping to write the grant.
Doug Grove with RHA Landscape
Architects discussed the proposed
changes.
A new larger community center
Ahrens as its new CFO
VALLEY PRESS
STAFF REPORT
Virgin Galactic has an-
nounced the appointment
of a seasoned executive with
over 25 years of experience
as its new chief financial of-
ficer.
Doug Ahrens will take over
the position effective Monday
after he most recently served
as CFO at Mellanox, a public
JULIE DRAKE/VALLEY PRESS company in the semiconduc-
tor industry. There, he was AHRENS
responsible for all finance
track record in building and
functions until the successful
sustaining growth.
acquisition by NVIDIA Cor-
would replace the existing building at “I’m thrilled to welcome
poration in 2020.
the south end of the park. The building Doug Ahrens to the Vir-
Michael Colglazier, chief
would be twice the size and serve as a gin Galactic team,” he said.
executive officer of Virgin
preschool. A large plaza area with ta- “Doug’s deep experience
Galactic, said Ahrens is an
bles and shade sails would be just north helping global manufactur-
excellent leader and devel-
See SPLASH, A5 oper of talent with a proven See AHRENS, A5

Seniors line up to get virus vaccinations

FROM A PRESS RELEASE County Department of Pub- Overall, Wesley gave some the supply for the nonprofit
lic Health mobile vaccination 1,700 vaccinations this week Wesley clinic and other dos-
LANCASTER — More
teams start operation today at its downtown Lancaster es for pharmacies, medical
than 600 seniors received
in the Antelope Valley, be- facility, said CEO Al Balles- offices and elsewhere. That
COVID-19 vaccinations Sat-
ginning with retirement com- teros, who toured the super- was about 10% of the total
urday at Wesley Health Cen-
plexes and senior apartments. visor and Lancaster Council- county shipment, while the
ter in the Antelope Valley’s
“We’re going to keep push- man Raj Malhi through the Antelope Valley accounts for
largest vaccination event so
ing, pushing,” said Los Ange- operation. about 4% of the county’s to-
far.
les County Supervisor Kath- The Los Angeles Coun- tal population.
Meanwhile, Lancaster
ryn Barger, who visited the ty Department of Public Starting Monday, teachers,
BRYAN CHAN, LOS ANGELES COUNTY Mayor R. Rex Parris an-
Wesley Health Center Satur- Health upped the Antelope other educators, food workers
Brenda Velasquez, Wesley Health Center deputy chief opera- nounced that a mass vacci-
such as supermarket employ-
tions officer and a registered nurse, fills syringes with COVID nation site is scheduled to day and who has been work- Valley’s vaccine alloca-
ees and emergency personnel
19 vaccine as Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger open March 8 in Lancaster. ing to get more Antelope Val- tion last week to more than
and Al Ballesteros, Wesley Health Centers CEO, look on. In addition, six Los Angeles ley residents vaccinated. 25,000 doses, which included See AV, A5

TODAY’S OUTLOOK A special good morning to Valley Press subscriber LILLIAN CARTER of Palmdale
Sunny. Highs INSIDE TODAY OBITUARIES B6 SECOND FRONT B1
in 50s to lower BUSINESS B5 OPINION B3 SPORTS C1
60s. Lows CLASSIFIED D1 OUTDOORS C2 TODAY IN HISTORY A7
between 19 DEAR ANNIE A7 PUBLIC NOTICES D2 VALLEY LIFE A7
and 29. KERN COUNTY REPORT A4 PUZZLES D3 WILLIAM P. WARFORD A3
LETTERS B4 REAL ESTATE R1 WEATHER B6