Off the I-15

The Marcus family unveils the signage atop the Lyndon Marcus, Jr. International Hotel at the hotel’s dedication Aug. 22 in the simulated Iraqi village of Medina Wasl at the National Training Center and Fort Irwin. (U.S. Army photo by Vickey M. Mouze)

The town maybe fake, but the hotel and the soldier behind its name are real.

On Friday, Brig. Gen. Dana J.H. Pittard along with Lyndon and Carla Marcus opened the Lyndon Marcus, Jr. International Hotel in the simulated town of Medina Wasl. The hotel, fully functional, open for reservations and part of the training scenarios at Fort Irwin, honors the Marcus’ son, Lyndon, a private first class who served under then Col. Pittard in Iraq.

Marcus, 21, of Long Beach, was killed in Balad, Iraq when his vehicle flipped over into a canal on May 3, 2004, according to a release from Fort Irwin. He was assigned to 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division of Fort Hood, Texas. Pittard, who was Marcus’ brigade commander at the time, said he saw Marcus that morning in a dining hall, the release stated.

After taking command of Fort Irwin a year ago, Pittard learned that Marcus’ parents worked at Fort Irwin. Pittard’s wife, Lucille, suggested the hotel be named in his honor. During a speech at the hotel’s dedication, Pittard praised Marcus and the meaning his sacrifice has to each soldier who trains at Fort Irwin.

“Pfc. Lyndon A. Marcus was a great soldier and a wonderful young man. We dedicate this hotel in honor of him,” he stated. “It is fitting that a hotel that will be used for training honors one of our fallen warriors. It is important to name the hotel after one of our own.”

The hotel is just one of the many improvements Pittard has made to the training environment at Fort Irwin. Rotations of soldiers bound of Iraq of Afghanistan train at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin prior to deployment.

Taking command of the Army’s premier training post fresh from Iraq, Pittard has made it his goal to make the simulated towns dotting Fort Irwin’s desert feel, smell, sound and look as much like Iraq as possible. That has included increasing the number of Iraqi role players, hiring people from Barstow and the surrounding areas to dress like Iraqis to populate the towns and using Hollywood special-effects companies to make the blood, explosions and designs of the buildings more real.

Carla Marcus is the first to sign the guest register at the hotel named in honor of her son, Pfc. Lyndon A. Marcus, Jr. after the hotel’s dedication Aug. 22 at the National Training Center and Fort Irwin. Mrs. Marcus works at the NTC’s G-1 office. (U.S. Army photo by Vickey M. Mouze)

Aaron Aupperlee | city editor

Firefighers never seem to get a break. Sometimes that means missing out on the cake at their own party.

At Monday’s City Council meeting, the department received a city proclamation honoring them for their efforts to promote community safety during fire prevention week. State fire officials, council members, and fire board members gathered in council chambers to thank firefighters for their hard work and eat cake with firefighters.

Mike Chrisman, Secretary of the California Resources Agency read a statement from Gov. Schwarzenegger’s office praising the district.

“Whether it’s a fire, car accident or other emergency, firefighers are often the first on the scene, and their actions often save lives,” he said.

As he was reading the statement a radio crackled, and firefighters shared a familiar look in recognition of the tell-tall beeping sound advising them of an emergency call.

Three firefighters grinned and walked out of the room to respond to a medical aid call. They didn’t seem to mind missing out on the cake.

Jason Smith — staff writer

Staff photo by Jason Smith
City council member Julie Hackbarth-McIntyre reads a proclamation in honor of the Barstow Fire Protection District’s efforts during National Fire Prevention Week. Four members of the fire department left midway through the ceremony to respond to a medical emergency.

A ‘gator who somehow staked out digs in a Los Angeles lake for almost two years now has posh accommodations at the zoo. (Read my previous post about Reggie here.)

Reggie gets his own fenced pond, which features a waterfall and marshy plantings, according to the Associated Press.

Hundreds turned out for Reggie’s debut on Thursday. The slippery gator, who eluded intense offers to root him out, inspired Reggie wear such as T-shirts and hats.

Reggie’s popularity provided zoo officials with an opportunity to educate the public about exotic animals, which should not be released into the wild. Before his lake adventure, Reggie was most likely an illegal pet.

The full AP story is below.

— Stevie St. John

Photo by the Associated Press

Spectators at the Los Angeles Zoo reptile exhibit view the debut of Reggie, Los Angeles’ most famous reptile.

LA Zoo unveils new home of Reggie the wayward alligator

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Reggie, the alligator that cruised an urban lake for nearly two years while eluding what were purported to be some of the world’s best gator wranglers, was introduced to adoring fans on Thursday at his new home in the Los Angeles Zoo.

The 7 1/2-foot-long, 114-pound alligator was brought in to his own exhibit area to cheers and chants of “We want Reggie.”

Hundreds of people, many wearing Reggie T-shirts and alligator hats, watched as about a dozen handlers lugged the gator into the compound, his jaws wrapped up in a towel and duct tape.
He was unwrapped and, after a nudge or two, slid into his pool.

The zoo has six other American alligators and two Chinese alligators. But Reggie gets his own fenced pond, which features a waterfall and marshy plantings.

“I think he’ll be happy here. He’s got a luxury suite, it’s absolutely gorgeous,” Councilwoman Janice Hahn said. “It’s a great ending to a great story.”

Reggie was spotted in Harbor City’s Machado Lake in August 2005. Authorities say a man who illegally raised Reggie as a pet dumped the gator in the lake when it got too big.

Over the next two years, Reggie cruised the 53-acre lagoon, apparently dining on frogs, crayfish and the occasional tortillas and chicken leg left by visitors and park officials. He outwitted several efforts by professional wranglers to capture him as his fame spread.

The city spent about $180,000 trying to grab Reggie and on security measures to protect lakegoers from him, said Hahn, whose council district includes Harbor City.

The gator was finally corralled in May after a park maintenance worker spotted Reggie catching some sun on a lake bank.
Zoo officials quarantined Reggie until his official unveiling.

The gator, believed to be 7 or 8 years old, is still growing and could become 10 feet long and weigh 350 pounds, said zoo director John Lewis.

“We are proud to offer the alligator a safe haven and even happier to have this opportunity to speak to the importance of not releasing exotic animals into the wild ecosystem,” Lewis said.

Marcus Allen, 13, skates at the city’s new skate park at Dana Park on Tuesday.

Bikers and skaters share the bowl at the skate park. Several people at the park Tuesday said there’s no problem with the two groups sharing the facility.

— Stevie St. John