Misguided Newberry Residents Push For Owens Reinstatement

A special meeting for the reinstatement of Calvin Owens was held at the Senior Center.  Calvin Owens, pictured above, did not attend the meeting.

July 28, 2013

Silly Newberrians still doing stupid things!

      A special community meeting spearheaded by CSD candidate Robert Vasseur and other supporters for the reinstatement of CSD ex-director Calvin Owens met for over one-and-a-half hours at the Newberry Springs Senior Center on Saturday, July 27, 2013.

      Apparently believing that Calvin Owens should not be held responsible as an adult for his actions, CSD board candidate Robert Vasseur has been very outspoken that Owens should be reinstated by the CSD board of directors.

      Less than a dozen people reportedlly attended the meeting held in the back room of the center.  Vasseur who is a candidate on the August mail-in CSD election ballot hopes to have Owens as an ally on the board.

      The chance of Owens being reinstated by the CSD board is nil.  Vasseur and his ill-advised followers are promoting what the Grand Jury has condemned; the illegal and out-of-compliance operation of the CSD.

      The Grand Jury report isn't something of the past, it is alive and active and the CSD must now submit evidence that it is making corrections.  There can be no bleeding hearts and nepotism; the CSD must follow the law.

      When Calvin Owens, a man of legal age, submitted his written CSD board resignation, effective immediately, he was immediately removed from the board.  The CSD board cannot meddle and undo the resignation with or without Owens' consent.  That is state law.

      Even if the board could do otherwise, it is alleged that the resignation letter referenced a letter of medical necessity by Owens' doctor for Owens to remove himself.  Owens is reported to have stated to the Barstow Desert Dispatch that his resignation was due to stress.  What has changed?  Has his doctor suddenly given Owens a clearance to return to an apparent source of the stress?  What safety liability is there for the CSD board to appoint someone who has presented a medical reason why he shouldn't be doing the job?

      The fact is that Vasseur, in his political campaigning, has gathered a group of malcontents who like Vasseur himself, is ignorant of the law on the issue.  Owens and his groupies need to grow-up and take responsibility that Owens voluntarily removed himself from the CSD board.  The CSD board was not responsible and they apparently have no power to reinstate him.

      Under state law, it appears that once an elected official submits a letter of resignation, the resigning official cannot be reappointed to the same post during the term for which the official was elected.

State Law         Except as provided in subdivision (b), no person elected or appointed to the governing body of any city, county, or district having an elected governing body, shall be appointed to fill any vacancy on that governing body during the term for which he or she was elected or appointed.                                   Government Code §1752(a)

      Calvin Owens' current prospects of getting back onto the board is toast!  The earliest opening appears to be the 2015 board election.

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