Spike Lynch throws a hissy fit!

Local Property Owners Association
Emits Another Embarrassment!

Billboards could cost state millions.

•   Editorial   • September 8, 2011

Normally this website would not respond to absurdity; but Spike Lynch's exasperated property owners' attack upon our volunteer operation, and one of our co-founders, solicits us to respond and release additional information.

      The Newberry Springs-Harvard Real Property Owners Association (POA) has reached yet another all-time low with the release of its Fall, 2011 Newsletter.

      In a child-like tantrum, the onetime respected POA president, Spike Lynch, spent an entire page of the POA newsletter sniveling a pathetic mother-lode of venomous attacks upon Ted Stimpfel, a recent POA director who Lynch, with the assistance of Sandra Brittian, had recently orchestrated the POA expulsion of.

Spike Lynch in better times.

      Lynch, who solicited Stimpfel for a year to become a POA board member, became disgruntled a year-and-a-half after Stimpfel joined the board.  Stimpfel began questioning the appropriateness of the POA endorsement of Spike Lynch's plans of erecting billboards in Newberry Springs.

      Stimpfel was curious as to whether the POA should be supporting billboards while the president, Spike Lynch, held a direct financial conflict-of-interest.

      Also, through research, Stimpfel had learned that a state contract, under the federal government's Highway Beautification Act, which replaced the 1958 Bonus Act, appears to restrict billboards being erected along I-40 in Newberry Springs.  This is due to an agreement in which the state of California accepted additional federal highway construction funds with the promise not to permit billboards.

      This is believed to be why the Newberry Springs' I-40 landscape has no billboards while nearby Yermo's I-15 landscape is traumatized with them.

Why did the county reverse its earlier billboard opposition?

      Portions of highways in which a state has accepted such additional federal money are call "Bonus Segments."  With the billboard restriction, Stimpfel questioned why the county (with the 1st District then under Bill Postmus) went ahead and issued what appears to be improper permits; especially after years of not granting them.

      The county also allowed some rezoning to accommodate some of Lynch's billboards despite such rezoning appearing to violate California case law.

      During this time period with Bill Postmus as the county's local district supervisor, current supervisor, Brad Mitzelfelt, was Postmus' chief of staff.

      Stimpfel is still researching the issue.  He states, that the Newberry Springs' segments appear to be structured as part of a comprehensive statewide administered package; whereby, a single billboard violation anywhere in the state could trigger a breach of the contract.  The federal goverment would then have the option to enforce a stiff penalty.

      The agreement for the bonus dollars contains a harsh penalty that a state in failure of compliance is subject to a ten-percent (10%) penalty of its federal highway funds.  That would involve many tens of millions of dollars in which the federal government would simply seize from one or more future federal highway payments to the state.

      State law requires counties to follow state law in issuing billboard permits.  Therefore, should the federal government enforce a breach of contract, the state may penalize the breaching county of San Bernardino by withholding road funds.

Free Speech blocked at POA

      Spike Lynch, in attempting to squelch Stimpfel's free speech in addressing the billboard matter at a POA general meeting, allegedly prearranged to have Sandra Brittian join the board to assist in a subversive expulsion maneuver of Stimpfel. 

      It appears that both Lynch and Brittian didn't want to have the issue of local billboards to be placed under a public microscope.  As exclusively reported on this website, Brittian has held a financial win-fall interest in the billboards.

      Stimpfel later joined with other Newberrians and co-founded the Newberry Springs Community Alliance which officially opened July 4, 2011.  Independence (Freedom) Day.

      Finding a healthy and vibrant new group in Newberry Springs has apparently rattled and disturbed a chafed Spike Lynch.  Lynch has managed to lead his tiny POA group (of only about three dozen paid members) with an executive board that has consisted of well meaning, but misguided cronies.  Claiming to represent the interests of the thousands of property owners of Newberry Springs and the Harvard areas, Lynch has used the POA as an unopposed voice for his billboards.

POA Babbling

      With apparant unsettlement and a scorched ego from unexpected billboard criticism, and in losing his exclusive control over the suppression and release of local billboard information, Lynch has lashed-out in a spasmodic attack!  In his tizzy over Stimpfel, he has maliciously bawled in his Fall POA newsletter that:

(1) Stimpfel is not a resident of Newberry Springs. False statement! (2) Stimpfel does not vote in this community. Lynch flatlines again!  As recently as the last election, Stimpfel signed-in and voted at the Newberry Springs Senior Center. (3) Stimpfel refuses to document any real property ownership. True!  Stimpfel does not lower himself to responding to Lynch's and Brittian's asinine attacks.  Like many land owners, Stimpfel's ownership in multiple Newberry Springs parcels are not listed in his birth name, as earlier fully disclosed in the article Billboard interests highjack the N.S.-Harvard Property Owners Association.   (Read linked story for more details.)

Paranoia?

    In what sounds like paranoia, Lynch writes that Stimpfel's participation in co-founding the Newberry Springs Community Alliance is "an attempt to replace our [ "wonderful" POA ] association."   Well, Spike Lynch has blundered this too!  There is no interest by the Community Alliance to replace and become anything that has been so piddling and non-productive as the local POA.

      Claiming that the POA membership of several dozen (out-of a parcel base of many thousands in Newberry Springs and Harvard) is representative and "wonderful," sounds like a wishful delusion.

      The Newberry Springs Community Alliance does have a touch of a POA ingredient in it because it is open to all community concerns.  However, the Community Alliance is designed to be far more than a mere POA; it is a flexible, omnidirectional network.

      The Community Alliance is just as it is named; it is a volunteer alliance of community neighbors.  It has no constitution, no bylaws, and no sucking dues.

      Spike Lynch has categorized Stimpfel's statements as vicious attacks; yet Stimpfel's statements appear reasonable and discloses "Bonus Segment" information, questions special-interest rezoning, points-out opposing state case law, alleges possible improper county permit processing, questions unearned payola to billboard supporters, all of which Lynch has previously withheld information from the community or doesn't want to discuss!

      So why is poor Spike in such a tizzy?   As a board member of the POA, Stimpfel only wanted to responsibly address a valid concern.  Why is it that Spike Lynch and Sandra Brittian are so afraid of transparency to have the issues of the billboards and the "Bonus Segments" openly discussed?

      And why can't such issues be openly examined at the Newberry POA?   Each POA board member should be responsible, receiptive to concerns, and should have the best interests of all of the community in mind.   Where is that board's backbone?   Who would want to pay dues to such a Lynch-minipulated and narrow-minded association?

      Only POA board members Larry Menard and Margaret Graessle didn't follow Lynch's scheme to exclude Stimpfel.  Once a member is elected to the board, explusion can only be done through proper notice to the general membership for vote.  Lynch and Brittian's procedure was illegal and their accusations unsubstantiated.

      A person is remembered by what one leaves behind in life.  Some people have a moral conscience and don't give-in to the temptations of wicked monetary greed.  Some give back to mother earth by even planting trees.

      Lynch is shamefully planting monstrous eyesores.  That is not a legacy that anyone, or community, should be proud of or stand for.

Billboard income sharing plan

      Five pages of the POA's recent newsletter has Lynch's payola scheme which has unethically entraped the greedy imagination of some in Newberry.  Yes, it may generate a token revenue stream to the community while the Lynch family tries to erect more billboards; but by the manner in which the proposed loopedholed plan is written, we feel that only a gullible shortsighted fool would trust it.

      With billboards, Newberry Springs will lose-lose.

Moving out?

      In the last few years, the Lynch family has been selling-off their multiple land holdings in Newberry Springs.  They have done some minor purchases for billboard sites (under business names with others); but the Lynch family's land-ownership commitment to Newberry Springs has been to sell-off.

      Most recent has been to do-away with a 79-acre parcel (APN 0530-201-13) adjacent to Spike's local residence.  In what appears to be a desperate liquidation sale in July 2011, the 79-acre parcel was sold for a reported $61,000 ($772 per acre).

      Earlier, APN 0530-111-32 (44.22 acres) was sold in March 2010; and APN 0532-061-01 (40 acres) was sold in December 2009 to Denise Smith.  Lynch's remaining "Roughout Ranch" residence has also been listed for sale.  So by the time the final billboard is built, will Spike Lynch have already bailed-out of Newberry?

Just follow the vacating pattern....

      The Newberry billboard community cash stream can cease in many ways, at any time.  It is only a question of when the give-away money bubble will pop!  The Lynchs have not given any good-faith ownership in the billboards, or a performance bond guarantee, to the community.

      The economic treasure of Newberry Springs' showroom path of I-40 scenic vistas will be permanently defaced and scared forever.  Its business enticing natural grandeur pillaged by departing profiteers.

"Watch out! Be on guard against every form of greed; a man's life is not in possessions."                                           Luke 12:15

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