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Desert Local News - Desert Local News Print and Virtual Edition April 17 2008 - Index

4 BUG BOARD SAGA
Nigosian vs. Baker
KARL BAKER HAS TO GO,” SAID NIGOSIAN WITH AN AIR OF DEFIANCE
IS HIS VOICE, “THIS CAN’T CONTINUE.
By dean gray
nick nigosian Jr. is upset because
he has recently come under attack
for his appointment to serve on
the Coachella Valley Mosquito and
vector Control district (aKa the
Bug Board) to represent the unincorporated
part of the 4th district. some
are upset because he doesn’t live in
the unincorporated area. negosian
lives in the city of indian Wells.
“i want you to know i’m a property
owner in the county,” explained
nigosian. “it doesn’t matter that
i live in indian Wells. That city is
unique in all the valley because three
representatives on the Bug Board
live in indian Wells; one represents
the city the others represent the unincorporated
County... not just the
fourth district but the fifth district,
as well.
While the issue of residency appears
to matter to some, the concept
of representation seems lost to nigosian
as he conveniently blurs the
distinction between property owner
and resident. The fact is that those
who live in the unincorporated lands
of the 4th district cannot vote in indian
Wells city elections even if they
own property in the city.
nigosian forgets the issue of
Trustee dr. ron Walker, a respected
British veterinarian representing indio
who served on the Bug Board for
22 years but was forced to resign due
to a discovery that he lacked american
citizenship. The man lived here
and owned property here but was finally
forced to leave the Bug Board
for a small technicality… he wasn’t
a citizen!
There is a growing public discontent
calling for Bug Board reform
for which negosian attacks fellow
Board member Karl Baker, the outspoken
Councilman of desert hot
springs who he seems to despise.
“Karl Baker has to go,” said nigosian
with an air of defiance is his
voice, “This can’t continue. it’s not
about the lawsuit. it’s bigger than
that. We’re not giving up no matter
how many times we have to appeal.
This is far from over.”
Twice the courts have ruled
against the Bug Board and nigosian’s
position, ordering the Bug
Board to pay desert hot springs legals
costs.
When asked about the expense
of the litigation nigosian replied, “it
doesn’t matter how much it costs or
how long it takes. Karl is going and
that’s all there is too it.”
When asked about the allegations
of which Baker is accused nigosian
replies intently, “There are
things he’s done that i can’t tell you
about... things i know about that you
don’t know. very bad things. it’s a
long list.” A request for the list solicited
a sharp response of, “you’ll
find out.”
Baker was accused of some never
proven commonplace familiarity
but the case was easily won in court
by desert hot springs several times
with the judge admonishing the Bug
Board that it appears to be acting in
a vindictive manner.
The judge has awarded attorney
fees to desert hot springs for which
the Bug Board refuses to pay. Bug
Board legal counsel, Lisa Copeland,
failed to file the legal brief for the appeal
on time and desert hot springs
expects a dismissal with a favorable
judgment. With Copeland now gone
it appears that, for some, the battle
with Baker is over. others, like nigosian,
harbor deep resentments.
nigosian is furious with Karl
Baker who is a pariah on the Bug
Board and locked out of committee
assignments, unable to obtain even
simple information requested. Baker
is bemused, generous and optimistic
about the final outcome.
“ultimately, they’ll lose,” says
Baker, who enjoys strong support
from his city, the city council and
the public at large.
The city of indio has replaced
its representative on the Board but
Board president mike duran refuses
to give up his seat. When asked if a
city has a right to choose their own
representative nigosian replied with
a curt, “no comment.” nigosian
sees no problem at all in arguing
arbitrarily that desert hot springs
must remove their representative
while indio cannot remove their representative
which is a hard hypocrisy
to win.
The Bug Board incongruously
argues that some appointees must be
removed by their appointing bodies
while others are well-protected lifetime
appointments with no recourse
of removal from those who appointed
them.
The question then arises… does
supervisor Wilson have the ability
to remove nigosian from his appointment
…or not? and, if he is
replaced, then will he go quietly into
the night or fight a losing battle?
Baker is non-plussed about such
inconsistencies and has moved on.
a couple of years ago people were
apprehensive in making an introduction
with Baker… keeping him
at arm’s length, watching for something
weird to fly out of his long
hair.
much to their surprise, Karl
forged friendships and built bridges
of understanding. he’s pleasantly
amused to be winning various victories
for the city, working non-stop
as a councilman shepherding downtown
development to a distressed
and long neglected core. “i’m also
attending night classes for an mBa
in public administration,” said the
hero of a fiscally conservative constituency.
With a faith in himself and trusting
in what is right Karl spent a few
years in meeting rooms where suspicions
and mistrust left him few if
any friends. he attended meetings
month after month where people
looked at him sideways. Karl held
himself together with the integrity of
his unique nature, persisting in moving
ahead and representing us as best
he could.
it took many years for Karl to
forge trusted relationships of respect
and admiration where his smile welcome
and his message understood.
“What i’m enjoying most now is the
networking with other people in valley
cities,” said Baker with a twinkle
in his eye.
Gomsi And Mann
Face Criminal
Charges For Forgery
By LesLie andreWs
Breaking news: another
prominent figure at the Coachella
Valley Mosquito And Vector
Control district faces criminal
charges along with general manager
Donald Gomsi, as officially
announced by the indio police
department on Thursday. robert
mann, the CvmvCd public information
Officer, has now been
charged with forgery along with
gomsi, in regards to creating
phony tickets to the Pacific Life
Tennis open.
Ben guitron, ipd media relations
officer, told Desert Local
news that both men are being investigated
and that charges from
the District Attorney’s office will
be brought forth.
gomsi already faces an in-
Max Liebermann
Publisher
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Office Manager
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Entertainment/Sports
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Staff Writer
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Photographer
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Photographer
Distribution Service
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vestigation into whether or not
he viewed pornography through
his work computer. he is on paid
administrative leave while indio
police and a private investigation
firm are conducting these
investigations. reports state that
a former employee had brought
these allegations into the light last
month during a public meeting at
the CVMVCD headquarters.
mann is on “stress leave”
with the district. The role that he
played in the forgery was that he
had been ordered by gomsi to create
counterfeit tickets to the tennis
tournament last year with districtowned
materials and tools.
desert Local news will provide
more information as news
develops. stay tuned
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