As noted above, Newberry Community Services District (CSD) director Jack Unger has made public the shocking revelation that CSD director Mike Matson has been accused of corruption. The filing was made with the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC).

    Director Unger was alerting the community that the CSD directors were going to consider paying for the legal defense of Mike Matson. This is something that Jack Unger definitely doesn't want to see happen.

    Jack Unger, by making his post, was trying to 'stir the pot' and get the community riled and angry. Naturally, as the community largely doesn't know what is going on, the inflammatory postings by Jack Unger got others in the community to post in ignorance. People presume that where there is smoke, something is wrong.

    Director Unger continued to make posts with allegations that by the mere FPPC filing of corruption, Director Matson was corrupt. But, at this point in Jack Unger's postings, Jack Unger wasn't revealing a critical factor. Jack Unger knew who the Anonymous person was who filed the FPPC Complaint. It was Jack Unger.

    With Jack Unger's filing a complaint of corruption with the FPPC against a fellow director, why would the other CSD board members consider spending CSD funds for a legal defense for Director Matson?

    The answer is simple. They all know that the allegations made by Director Jack Unger are completely false and malicious.

    In his complaint to the FPPC, Director Jack Unger alleges that the CSD board moved forward in purchasing the land for Newberry's new civic plaza in secrecy, not providing the public with notice and an opportunity to participate.

    The purchase has actually been discussed for years and more recently, discussed at multiple public, monthly CSD meetings.

    Despite the CSD's purchase price being well above a previous sales price of the property, the price is still considered reasonable.

    The difference in the price being argued by Jack Unger is minuscule compared to the millions of dollars of construction to be built upon the land. Should the CSD wait forever to build a new civic center, or should it move forward? Construction costs are climbing. The more people like Unger delay, the greater the cost of construction and the unlikelihood of the center's completion.

    Unger also complains about an earthquake fault that crosses the site. The reality is, the fault only clips a corner and will not have any negative influence on the construction of the proposed single-story structure.

    Unger wants Newberry to believe that the purchase of the civic plaza site suddenly happened in a vacuum. Actually, the idea of a centrally located civic center with a fire department and CSD offices has been discussed long before Jack Unger moved to Newberry Springs.

    In 2019, Unger chaired a committee that tried to organize a 'Civic Hub' plan. The plan was lacking and a failure. Nothing came of it, but the current site was selected by the Fire Chief and Jack Unger, who, at the time, highly favored it. Director Mike Matson had no part in selecting the site.

    The earthquake fault, location, and all of the arguments that Unger is now arguing against the property, a few years earlier, he had no problem with. He was promoting the site.

    The CSD Board of Directors (minus Jack Unger) is fed up with Unger. During Jack Unger's tenure on the board, he has cost the CSD district tens of thousands of dollars, money that should have been spent on Newberry's fire department.

    The district is also involved in a lawsuit with the previous general manager, Jody Howard, where Jack Unger is the central figure. Howard's separation from the district appears to be by her own doing, by accepting employment with the Daggett CSD.

    An allegation in Jody Howard's Complaint, however, involves sexual misconduct. This may cost the district hundreds of thousands of dollars. And guess what board member is allegedly deeply involved in that misconduct?

    Jack Unger was also a central figure during the litigation against the County in the permitting of the Clearway Energy project. The district had the opportunity to stop the project or at least settle and acquire tens of millions of dollars. That opportunity was stupidly screwed up!

    Despite lacking common sense, Unger's ego drives him to volunteer for positions that he has no capacity to handle. After he, in part, screwed Newberry on the Clearway Energy project, he volunteered to represent the community on the Minneola Solar project. That, too, he miserably blundered.

    In full disclosure, this writer also has an open matter of two Public Records Act requests filed with the Newberry CSD. Should I file in the Superior Court, I will have a slam dunk victory because the CSD has failed to provide the records. The CSD can't fulfill its obligation to me under State Law because Jack Unger illegally removed the records from the CSD building, and he refuses to return them. Theft of CSD documents.

    It is also reported that Jack Unger has accessed records in the CSD office that are to remain there, and that he allegedly photographed them with his phone and illegally removed the images from the office.

    Earlier, Jack Unger illegally broke into the CSD office and the Fire Chief had to call the Sheriff's Department. A Sheriff's report was made that the CSD office should have available. However, the General Manager can not find the file. Someone may have stolen the report.

    The Special Meeting that Unger referred to above was held on Friday, August 29, 2025. A number of residents took time out of their lives to attend. By law, the Chair, Paula Deel, requested that directors Mike Matson and Jack Unger leave the room during the board's deliberation. Mike Matson properly left. Director Unger refused to leave. As there wasn't a Sheriff Deputy available (the Labor Day weekend was starting, and the Sheriff Department didn't have any available officers), there wasn't a legal force to remove or arrest Unger for trespass.

    Chairwoman Paula Deel had to cancel the meeting, causing a great deal of wasted time, staff costs, and public inconvenience.

    Shortly thereafter, Jack Unger took to Facebook bad mouthing Chairwoman Paula Deel for trying to remove him during the scheduled deliberations. Jack Unger cited California Government Codes §§ 1090 and 87100. Both of these address financial conflicts and not a Chair removing a director during a sensitive hearing.

    Jack Unger also cited Government Code § 54957.9 which is also not applicable. This is an example of why no one should ever take legal advice from Jack Unger.

    During the August 29th special board meeting, Chairwoman Paula Deel was acting on prior advice from the CSD's legal counsel on how and when to direct Mike Matson and Jack Unger to leave the room. The type of deliberation the board was to take required the meeting to be a closed session to the involved parties. Jack Unger was totally out of line in causing a disruptive scene.

    It is interesting to note the enacted CSD Policies below. According to Policy (#3) 5030.4.3.0, President and Chairwoman Paula Deel held the right to demand that Director Unger leave the room after Unger became disruptive. Jack Unger can not argue against this policy as he introduced the policy two years ago.

    The list of Jack Unger's shenanigans is lengthy. The list goes on and on. The board has had enough of non-conforming Unger. My read is that the board will vote to support Director Matson and possibly litigation against Unger. Hopefully, they may also move to once again censor him.

    I believe that Jack Unger has always been an egotistical dumb ass when it comes to acting as a CSD director. This guy, living on government assistance, can't properly handle his own financial affairs, much less the government affairs for others. He won't voluntarily leave office because he is addicted and dependent upon the CSD stipends.

    I expect, and fully support, any litigation against Jack Unger regarding his malicious ridicule, defamation, and libel against Mike Matson.

    Newberry Springs sadly gets what it votes for. Unbelievably, when Jack Unger ran for reelection in 2022, despite a previous dismal record, he came on top of the vote. It is amazing how he has snookered Newberry's voters.

    A Facebook site, called the Newberry Springs Community Watch And Information, could conceivably be named as a defendant in the expected upcoming litigation.

    It has conspired as an Internet publication source to assist Jack Unger in violating a recent State Law forbidding government sources (and Director Unger is an elected official) from posting the residential location of any state elected official. The Facebook site holds an obligation to screen illegal postings by Unger and Anonymous that violate the State Law.

    Despite Unger's and Anonymous's (as if they are different people) malicious postings having been recently removed after days of existence, the damage has been done, and the damaging postings of the site have been recorded.

    In Jack Unger's FPPC filing, he not only attacked Director Matson, but he also libeled his wife with unsubstantiated allegations and malicious innuendoes. The Matsons are now fearful of allowing their children to play in front of their house due to recent drive-bys who have yelled profanity. The Matsons don't know what might come next against their children due to Unger's malicious actions.

    For the record, as a constant visitor at the CSD meetings for the last dozen-plus years, I know what has been happening. I have been bitching about the CSD operations for years. Since Mike Matson has become a director, there has been a DRAMATIC change. With most of the other directors appreciating Matson's suggestions, Newberry is becoming a better place to live.

    Director Matson is responsible for the improvements in the park, he is responsible for getting the board to spend thousands to get the critical CSD bookkeeping in order, and he is responsible for getting the CSD to go forward with its new civic plaza, the site that Jack Unger and the fire department had previously selected.

    Yes, Jack Unger previously selected the site. Not Mike Matson, as Jack Unger alleges in his FPPC filing. Mike Matson has been capable of moving the project forward despite Jack Unger's earlier incompetence and failure. The board is listening to the ideas of Mike Matson and good things are happening.

    As I have previously posted, Ungers' earlier year-long 'Civic Hub' development plan had stalled. It was long dead in the water. Mike Matson resurrected the project. He pushed for the funding as he did for a new fire engine. He got the CSD to spend the money for an overhaul of the CSD's financial books, which is necessary to move forward and acquire the millions of dollars in grants necessary for construction.

    In his FPPC filing, Jack Unger alleges that Mike Matson unduly influenced the board to purchase Unger's previously selected site and that Matson and his wife will realize appreciation in the value of their nearby residence.

    Jack Unger further claims that Matson should not have voted on the purchase if he knew he or an immediate family member might have a financial gain in the vote.

    Unger fails to present any documentary evidence that Matson's vote would impact Matson's property value.

    What Unger publicly withholds is that the proposed civic site is commercial. Development on commercial property rarely impacts the value of nearby residential properties. The two don't mix like oil and water. Residential properties often lose value because of increased commercial traffic and noise, especially with the late-night noise of a nearby fire department.

    Furthermore, Unger knows that the Fire Department, with the CSD board support, hired a licensed real estate broker who handled the financial negotiations of the site's sale. Mike Matson had no involvement in the deal-making that was later submitted to the Board for approval.

    One must ask, what the hell is Jack Unger trying to do with his deranged actions?  Why is he so obsessed and against Newberry Springs trying to better itself with a centrally located, new civic plaza?

    Jack Unger has taken a spiteful, resentful issue over Mike Matson's success for the community. One may ask why?

    Here is a possible answer: A few months ago, Jack Unger, during a CSD meeting, suggested that the new civic plaza be named after him for the work he (with others) did on the Civic Hub plan that he chaired. Director Robert Springer, sitting next to Unger, quickly closed the door on the idea.

    Since then, Director Unger has been acting particularly bitter. Jack Unger wanted the new civic plaza to be his crowning Legacy. There is now a lot of ego, revenge, and drama in the man.

    Newberry Springs has been blessed to have a man like Mike Matson. As Matson is the director of the community's park, I have seen him for hours on his hands and knees, in the heat, preparing the diamond field. What he has voluntarily given in arduous labor to the park is crazy. I admit, I would not do it myself. But Matson has a vision for the park and the children.

    I find it sad that Matson has to put up with the crap from hand-out Jack Unger. Yes, Unger may call himself a Christian. He may attend the local Bible classes. But, a Christian is recognized by example, and Unger is no Christian.

🌵

Click here to read, "Like," comment, or share on:

Follow us on "Twitter" and be notified of new stories:

• • • Home page: http://NewberrySpringsInfo.com

© 2025 Ted Stimpfel.   All rights reserved.