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$20M And 7 Years Later, The Fight Over Liberty Quarry Ends

“The debacle of democracy has been corrected," Supervisor Jeff Stone said. "When the citizens speak they need to be heard and in the case of Temecula, they need to be reckoned with.”

In front of more than 100 people who were sharing hugs and smiles—and with Pu`eska Mountain as a backdrop—tribal chairman of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians Marc Macarro officially announced during an impromptu news conference Thursday that the tribe closed escrow on 365 acres of land that was the site of the much-contested Liberty Quarry owned by Watsonville, Calif.-based Granite Construction.

Macarro said Pechanga has no intention of developing the land, which was purchased at a sale price of $3 million. As part of the negotiation, the tribe agreed to pay Granite an additional $17.3 million through a comprehensive settlement.

Due to legal issues, the tribe was not able to disclose the deal until escrow closed Thursday, Macarro said during the news conference held on the rooftop of a Pechanga Resort & Casino parking structure.

“The story of this mountain is not over,” Macarro told the crowd as he looked over to Pu`eska, the site of the proposed quarry. He said the nearly seven-year fight over the quarry should serve as a reminder of what it means to be good stewards of land.

The Liberty Quarry project, which Macarro said would have encompassed 90 square miles, was bitterly challenged by many Temeculans, who argued the mining operation would have blighted nearby hillsides, caused increased pollution and traffic, and was not a great job creator or a necessary service.

The quarry’s main product would have been aggregate, and Riverside County Supervisor Bob Buster said the bulk of it would have gone to San Diego, which he claims can now meet its demands for the rock.

Tribal leaders, along with City of Temecula council members Maryann Edwards, Mike Naggar and Jeff Comerchero, as well as Buster and Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone, were on hand for Thursday’s news conference. Dozens of anti-quarry activists donning their orange caps and shirts also showed up.

Temecula resident Kathleen Hamilton has been hailed as the lead organizer on the anti-quarry movement, and she told Patch that Thursday was indeed a very good day.

“It’s done,” she said with a long, smiling sigh.

Rainbow resident Jerri Arganda, who has also fought the seven-year battle against the quarry alongside Hamilton, said, “This means peace. We don’t have to worry about what’s going to happen next.”

As part of the settlement announced Thursday, Granite has agreed that through 2035, it will not own or operate a quarry within a six-mile radius to the north of the property along the Riverside-San Diego County border and three miles to the south.

Supervisors Stone and Buster have both opposed the quarry despite votes from their colleagues in support of the mining operation. Buster said the fight against the quarry was the greatest grassroots effort he has witnessed during his tenure and said Thursday’s news serves as a reminder that the county has to do a better job of balancing economic interests with environmental concerns in the short- and long-term.

“[The tribe’s] reverence for their lands should inform all of us in the future,” he said.

The tribe has maintained Pu`eska Mountain is sacred Indian burial ground.

“The debacle of democracy has been corrected," Stone said. "When the citizens speak they need to be heard and in the case of Temecula, they need to be reckoned with.”

The City of Temecula, which has also opposed the quarry, has filed lawsuits over the issue, including a suit that claims the county erred in certifying an Environmental Impact Report for the project after it was first rejected by the board of supervisors.

Temecula's Mayor Pro Tem Mike Naggar said council members will now need to meet with staff to discuss the pending litigation.

“There were a lot of city resources going to legal fees,” Naggar said. “We can now stand down.”

As for the suit against the county, Naggar said the city will need to look at its options.

v. ibanez November 19, 2012 at 06:43 pm
pechanga? pechanga?, still ashamed or afraid to say your name,im not,already most people know who you are by now and laughing at you, i only wish you could hear some of the phone calls about you. most of the things you say are B/S and some are true but what the heck im still here and again where are you?as for the photo its pasted every where(public info.) the idenitity number is 14. again, your photo?where do you hide, you must be ashamed to show yourself in public as you have to use a FAKE NAME or is that who you really who you are a FAKE unlike you people call me by my real name VINCENT
v. ibanez November 19, 2012 at 06:53 pm
pechanga? pechanga? just got a call from robber he wants to know what is yours that you dont have to steal? wasnt you stealing from the tribe when you got found out?
Gandhi November 19, 2012 at 07:00 pm
Because "Ron" you continue to put the same lame incumbents back in office every year!! Try educating yourself for a change!! You should be ashamed of your negativity towards Pechanga- they just saved us!! Idiot.
Gandhi November 19, 2012 at 07:02 pm
REZ10 - Are you sure you're not Harv, Ron, or BIGTOM just changing your name, you sound too ignorant to be different people.
Gandhi November 19, 2012 at 07:04 pm
Wow, I'm so sorry for you, definitely need to get a life thats for sure!
Gandhi November 19, 2012 at 07:06 pm
Why dont all you negative people shut up!! The rest of us who are actually educated on the issues here are grateful to Pechanga and we are NOT interested in YOU OR YOUR PERSONAL SICK LIVES!! GO AWAY!
Pechanga November 19, 2012 at 09:01 pm
Vincent,
I will not get into a pissing match with you. The question: " Is it a matter of nature or nurture?" is often asked. The tragedy; continuing corruption that has been unfolding demonstrates many aspects of that question. What compels some humans to snatch everything; big or small for themselves...no matter the often tragic consequences to criminals and their victims? What compels some humans to act with animal savagery against other humans? Is it societal conditioning? Familial conditioning? Laughing and mocking; ...phone calls among jackals; are not my concern. Only the highest power can exorcise you of the demons that rob you of your humanity....that power is within you... We all have the capacity for good and bad...I wish you good. I do not know what the trigger event or events that have caused you to develop such a calloused spirits and hearts were. I wish you well....
v. ibanez November 20, 2012 at 01:57 am
pechanga, you are right,you have your problems, i have mine. i have learned to live with mine. people talk to me on equal basis what more do i want i can walk down the streets any time of day or nite. but i trust you cant get over yours. humans acting against other humans is learned from from your enviroment, some where down the line you were hurt so you take it out on anyone you can. its people like you that helped me to develop this calloused spirit and attitude. but enough said have a happy life. yeah, go see if you can piss your name in the snow i can . wishing you well too, vincent ibanez said that
That Temecula Guy November 20, 2012 at 02:09 am
V.Ibanez, you mean the Vincent Ibanez seen here?
http://www.meganslaw.ca.gov/cgi/prosoma.dll?searchby=offender&id=18600339E6259&lang=ENGLISH&W6=718497 People of Pechanga, I'd put a muzzle on this guy if you don't want him representing you in the press. If it's the same guy, that's just nasty, and I can't see how anyone could trust anything he says.
Pechanga November 20, 2012 at 02:22 am
There you go pissing again! Well! I can piss in the snow in script! LOL!!!!!
That Temecula Guy November 20, 2012 at 02:26 am
Dude, that made no sense.
v. ibanez November 20, 2012 at 03:51 am
that temecula guy, first get your head straight, im not representing the people of pechanga, all the b/s you were reading was between me and another guy.pechanga has its elected officals to talk or represent them they dont need me, they do a great job on their own.in case you havent noticed theres pages of praise for what they just done. its guys like you that need the muzzle, you start your mouth befor engaging your brain. get a life, and join the real world. why are all you goody two shoes afraid to use your real names?you got something to hide? and strange as it is people do trust what i say they know the truth. take care t t g see you in the funnies
That Temecula Guy November 20, 2012 at 04:01 am
Last Name: IBANEZFirst Name: VINCENTMiddle Name: BELASCO
Offense Code 288(a) Description LEWD OR LASCIVIOUS ACTS WITH A CHILD UNDER 14 YEARS OF AGE Yeah, all I hear is the barking of a pervert. I appreciate people of Pechanga, what they do for Temecula and California, and am thankful for the help with the quarry, however; I am not thankful for you. I actually know you Vincent. We've met a couple of times. I was always disgusted by your mere presence. In case YOU haven't noticed, I said nothing negative about the people of Pechanga, except for you. You say that you're not representing them, but you really are. You should probably seek an opinion from a more powerful family on the rez before commenting any more. Why would you embarrass the other families like you're doing? If I didn't know better, I would just chalk it up to your fat paycheck making you think you're better than everyone else, but, I do know better. I know that you have control issues, but that's between you and God.
v. ibanez November 20, 2012 at 04:19 am
ha ha pechanga you got me thats the best yet
v. ibanez November 20, 2012 at 04:25 am
sorry about that ttg im not baised like you so i cant think of b/s talk like you, your head is so high in the clouds nothing any body says could make sense io you
That Temecula Guy November 20, 2012 at 04:34 am
Warning: The pervert felon above is butt-hurt (no pun intended). It may continue to bark more nonsense as it unintentionally represents the actual good people of Pechanga. Pay it no heed, and remember: DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS.
That Temecula Guy November 20, 2012 at 04:36 am
Vincent, rumor has it that the tribe is working on an internal rule saying that felony convictions are grounds to suspend per-cap indefinitely, and functioning retroactively. What are you going to do? Is this rumor true? If so, why, and if not, why not?
v. ibanez November 20, 2012 at 06:23 am
temec.guy, like you say its rumor,but when the doj helped write the gamming laws i guess they didnt think of it so to make it work they will use your taxdollars to rewrite the rules then you can support me with welfare, just think maybe you down the line could claim me on your taxes hows that for poop in your pants?. the tribe already has that rule in effect to an extent only convictions within the last five years apply.mine was twenty yrs. ago.besides i have other income that matches my per cap. all the good people of pechanga already know who i am, and i dont speak for or represent them. i only wish i knew who you are so i could avoid you and help you from being disgusted having to look at me. but such is the way of life.ttg, take your own advise dont feed this perverted animal, he already knows how to hunt. waiting to hear from you
v. ibanez November 20, 2012 at 06:55 am
ttg,i forgot to tell you i talk to god every day, we have good communications i ask every day when is my time to go, he just says soon enough.i been asking for the last twenty yrs. same answer. he's just like me in a way he is a bigmist married to every nun in the cathlic church, and had a hand in the emaculate conception of the virgin mary.sleep on that
Pechanga November 20, 2012 at 08:26 am
That was referring to Ibanez...not your comment. Apparently it showed up after your comment.
v. ibanez November 20, 2012 at 09:25 am
never can tell ive been every where and done just about every thing.one good thing jesus dosent look like me, thank god
That Temecula Guy November 20, 2012 at 01:27 pm
You might be talking to God, but you sure aren't listening. I wonder what he'll have to say about your support of the disenrolled members of the tribe, and your treatment of them.
Your comment about welfare is terribly ironic since the disenrolled members had to move on to public assistance. If the rumor is true that the rule is changing, I wouldn't mind having to shell out my tax dollars to support you for a while. Why are you, and the other CPP supporters so angry and bitter toward the disenrolled, when you KNOW that it was only a few that really didn't belong? Why can't anyone from the tribe actually say why the tribe ignored Dr. John Johnson's independent report, which was thorough and unbiased, and commissioned by the Pechanga Government? They hired him to find the truth, and then believed a lie? What's your opinion on that, Vincent? Will we see you sidestep this one with a vague answer like all the rest?
Gandhi November 20, 2012 at 07:53 pm
Wow Unbelievable That Temecula Guy!! What is YOUR problem? Leave this guy Vince alone!!! This is NOT a forum for your personal vendettas, hit list, or arguments!! We are ALL sick and tired of your disgusting rants on here attacking others! If you werent such a coward you'd print YOUR name as Vince has so WE could then attack you, as I am quite confidant YOU are NOT without faults or skeletons in the closet!! GET A LIFE!!!!
Gandhi November 20, 2012 at 07:55 pm
Mr. Ibanez, don't argue with this idiot TTG anymore, there is no need for you to defend yourself, this idiot just loves to argue and destroy others on here. Don't play his game, you are an honest man, YOU put your real name out here, he wont, he cant, nuff said. Dont stoop to his level, we dont believe anything he says anyway. God bless you AND the Pechanga tribe.
Gandhi November 20, 2012 at 08:20 pm
No, TVOR you are incorrect, this city was planned for the population it has AND the density! Apparently you never attended any city planning meetings 20 years ago? I'm sure you werent even here then. You came from a "big city", come in here to what was a small town, bring all your cars with you (just had renters move across the street from me, into a house, they have SIX vehicles!!) and then YOU have the nerve to complain about the traffic!! Quite the hypocrites I'd say.
Gandhi November 20, 2012 at 08:27 pm
And TVOR, must I point out to you how our voting system works? WE here in Temecula get to vote for ONE Supervisor, that particular individual is now Jeff Stone, he is the ONLY one WE get to vote for or against. The other four districts each have their own supervisors, WE do not vote on those, get the picture? So WE here in Temecula have no ability to "vote them out" as you state. We DO however have the ability to vote out our City Councilmembers who could have prevented this debacle from going this far YEARS AGO, we had the funds, but they did nothing. Those are the ones that need to be thrown out at the next election!!
That Temecula Guy November 20, 2012 at 09:29 pm
I'm flattered that you think I destroy people on here! Listen Gandhi, are you his bff or something? Is he your damsel in distress?
As you can see, he can't defend himself against the truth. There is no personal vendetta here. He opened himself up by vomiting his words above. I'm just making clear the source. The more he types, the more others can understand what is really hiding behind the words.
Peter Terezakis November 21, 2012 at 12:22 am
Does anyone know what that additional $17,300,000.00 bought the Pechanga?
Gandhi December 2, 2012 at 12:33 am
No TTG - I dont even know the guy! Just know whats relevant on here and what is totally irrelvant! Nobody is INTERESTED in your personal vendettas, capiche?? You are the one "vomiting" as far as I can see, and incapable of stopping. We UNDERSTAND YOU, you are just one of those people who likes to attack others, I'm sure there's plenty of dirty laundry around your house, but frankly, we're not interested in it!! Move on!
Temecula girl December 13, 2012 at 08:57 pm
Shut up , temecula guy ,the disenrolled are not pechanga indian.
They are coward pussies and we see you can trash talk a sex offender , shut up and go away. I see the disenrolled blog all two of them.

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Masterpiece Band at Cellarz93 Restaurant Winehouse
djschristensen3 June 9, 2013 at 09:35 am
Was that the grand finale ? Cellarz93 is closed now. So sad, a wonderful gem in the Valley.
LAKE ELSINORE RESIDENT May 28, 2013 at 12:19 pm
Watch this video, it's directly across the street from a large aggregate mining operation. thinkRead More crystalline silica. Aggregate trucks drive in front of this club constantly it's a haul road. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhckrqXX-L4
Brenda June 2, 2013 at 02:58 am
All comes down to getting the "GOLD" Balanced right in the big City Hall right? We areRead More broke we are broke! We have how many more million dollar residents, ranches, farms who pay taxes, how many more business's, triple, quadruple, on and on that pay taxes, and some very large business's at that for YEARS. Yet Murietta and Menifee with just the few they have can manage to not only put in side walks, AND ALSO ACTULLY Listen their residents, instead of call them names like Paul has been, concerns and respond to them. Hell we are just now getting some attention to our driving issues with running red lights, speeding, not stopping at stop signs, driving drunk, high, or wreeklessly causing deaths and serious injuries to walkers, bike riders, skate board, scooter riders, wheelchairs, motor bike riders, and other cars. But how many lives were lost or severly disabled until we just now the last 2 weeks have been giving traffic details for different areas, cell phone details, etc. Lucky to get some sidewalks finished in 10 years if someone doesnt figure out where our "Gold" is we all pay in. And stop calling names people at the City meetings to Paul or anyone else trying to get our City to do what its there for. By the time someone in your own family is killed they will be laughing at you for standing up asking for sidewalks right? Just like on the "Patch" comment areas, always calling names instead of sticking with your fellow Temeculites and getting us something DONE! Before we loose more lives