Yucca Valley Councilman Isaac Hagerman from Facebook

Yucca Valley, Ca.-Hagerman Gardens Assisted Living, owned and operated by YV Mayor Pro-tem Isaac Hagerman has been shut down with an investigation of missing narcotics and was not reported by local radio station, Z107.7 or The Hi-Desert Star newspaper.

In Hagerman’s Fair Political Practices Commission, FPPC Form 700, (statement of income and economic interests) he declares Hagerman Gardens Assisted Living, located in Sky Harbor at 58016 Juarez, Yucca Valley, Ca.- his business as sole proprietorship. Hagerman declared a Fair Market value -$100,000- $1,000,000 on his business. In 2010 he declared less than $500 annual gross income from this facility as a rental on his Schedule B, however, on his 2011 filing, he did not declare any income from this facility.

Less than two months ago, several families were notified to remove their elderly family members from the Hagerman Gardens Assisted Living, ASAP.  A minimum 30 day notice by a facility is required in order to re-locate a patient. One family member was provided a 2 weeks notice to vacate, causing great stress for the patient and family, especially at that time of the year during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. A lawsuit might be filed by one family member against Hagerman Gardens on this violation of their contract regarding notice to vacate. As of this report, no legal action has been filed.

A senior citizen went to the San Bernardino Sheriff’s office located in Joshua Tree, to research any reports on Hagerman Gardens, Braswell Senior Care and reports of missing narcotics, if any. He told me the desk clerk’s face turned white before she disappeared into a back office for 15-20 minutes.  When she returned, he was handed a piece of paper with the contact information for the SB Sheriff’s Public Information Officer located at their county office.

The next day, I went to the SB Sheriff’s office in Joshua Tree and specifically requested the report number for the Hagerman Gardens missing narcotics investigation.  After searching their computer, the desk clerk told me there were no narcotics investigation reports and the most recent police report was taken on November 19,^th  reporting theft of personal property. She told me a complaint was filed to stating several items were stolen from their family member’s belongings when they arrived to remove the patient. She was very polite and I thanked her for her assistance.

I sent an email to Captain Donnie Miller of the San Bernardino Sheriff’s department requesting more information and to verify there was an investigation of missing narcotics. Miller replied by email, while on vacation in Texas, that he would provide details for me upon his return.

Researching archives for this story, I reviewed YV Mayor Pro-tem Isaac Hagerman’s FPPC form filed on January 10, 2011. He lists the following sources of income:

-Specialty Urgent Care-COO (partnership) less than $500 gross income a year.

-Hagerman Gardens Assisted Living-Sole proprietorship- NO INCOME

-Hagerman Gardens-Rental property-NO INCOME

-Braswell Family Senior Care-(Santa Fe) Administrator salary- $10,000 – $100,000.

-Braswell Family Senior Care-(Joshua Lane) Administrator salary over $100,000

Adding to his FPPC Form 700, YV Mayor Pro-tem Isaac Hagerman declared a personal loan in the amount of $10,000.00 -$100,000.00 from Cindy Melland, Publisher/Owner of the Hi-Desert Star, payable at 6% interest. The purpose of this loan was not stated.

In early December, I placed a telephone call to Santa Fe Assisted Living asking to speak with Isaac Hagerman but I was informed he was no longer employed by Braswell Senior Care.

YV Mayor Pro-tem Isaac Hagerman has failed to return all telephone calls placed to him by Dean Gray, Publisher of the Desert Valley Star newspaper, regarding the reason his business was shut down and to discuss the issue of the missing narcotics report for this story. In a follow-up phone call last month by Gray with Deanna Braswell, the Administrator/Owner of Santa Fe Assisted Living, she told him the Hagerman Gardens facility was never a part of the Braswell Senior Care network.  She also confirmed YV Councilman Isaac Hagerman’s cell phone number has not changed.

As promised, I received an email from Captain Donnie Miller regarding Hagerman Gardens which stated:

“The Sheriff’s dept is the agency that would investigate the theft of narcotics from the facility. The report # is 231102490. No information can be released at this time because it is an active investigation. I do not have the date and reason for the closure of the facility, that information is unrelated to our investigation.”

Why Were Citizens Kept In the Dark?

There were no reports by the local radio station, Z107.7, or the local newspaper, The Hi-Desert Star, to inform our community. This was a deliberate total news blackout. I believe the citizens of Yucca Valley and the Morongo Basin have a right to know about any business activity of an elected official especially a Mayor Pro-tem when it involves the safety of our frail citizens housed at a senior facility and missing narcotics. Where is the transparency in our local government to have the courtesy to return phone calls? Where is the honesty of our local news media to report this story?

In my opinion, a total news blackout gives the impression the owners of the media are protecting their fellow Rotary friends and most importantly their source of advertising income. YV Councilman Isaac Hagerman is President-elect of the Yucca Valley Noon Rotary previously filled by Gary Daigneault, owner of Z107.7 and Cindy Melland, Publisher/Owner of the Hi-Desert Star.

News Black Out Violates Public Trust

This news blackout may cause several black eyes to the YV Noon Rotary, Mayor Pro-tem Hagerman, Daigneault and Melland for their gross display of cronyism. As I see it, reflecting poorly on the lack of honesty of the local media Z107.7, The Hi-Desert Star and ultimately on the Town of Yucca Valley violating the trust of the citizens.

While no laws were broken by the media, this news blackout stinks to high hell! Shame on you…..we citizens deserve better than this!

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