Category Archives: Diamond Bar

Leftover Easter Eggs

By Mark Hopper

I have shared in previous articles how much my wife loves decorating our home during the various seasons of the year.  We have boxes and plastic storage tubs full of decorations for spring and fall, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I think we also have some patriotic decorations for the 4th of July.

Easter season has been a lot of fun this year.  One of the things that our young grandchildren like to do is hunt for Easter Eggs around our house.  I enjoy hiding the plastic eggs and love to watch them enjoy finding them.

We have also learned that hiding the eggs is just as much fun as finding the eggs. The four year old likes to hide the plastic eggs inside drawers and kitchen cabinets. The younger 15 month old likes to hide them in more conspicuous places like on a living room chair or on top of the coffee table.

The four year old likes to give hints about the location of the hidden eggs. She uses words like “you are getting warmer” and “you are getting colder” to help guide her younger sister and me to the hidden locations.

On the other hand, the younger one likes to actually show her older sister when she has hidden the eggs. She will walk right to the spot and pick up the egg and give it to her older sister.

It is a fun game to play inside or outside the house. It fills a lot of time and allows both girls to be creative in where they hide the plastic Easter Eggs.

However, one of the challenges of hiding and finding Easter Eggs is accounting for all of them.  After we play this game several times, we realize that some of the eggs are still missing.  I sometimes forget where I have hidden them and sometimes our granddaughters do too. Where did they go? Why haven’t we found all of them yet?

The other day, as we were going to bed, my wife and I discovered a plastic egg under our pillow. Another time, we found one behind the living room curtains. Leftover Easter Eggs keep popping up around our house days after the children had left.

Leftover Easter Eggs bring a smile to our faces and warms our hearts. When we come across a hidden egg, we are reminded of the special times we share with these two precious little girls.

I recommend that all grandparents keep a supply of plastic Easter Eggs year round. They provide a fun activity with little guests and create some memories that will last for a long time. You will be glad you did and they will too!

Pastor Mark Hopper

Efree Church of Diamond Bar

3255 South Diamond Bar Blvd

909-594-7604

Sunday Services: 9:00 & 10:45 AM

Efreedb.org

 

25th Annual Wine Soirée

Staff Reports

Diamond Bar – The social event of the year, the Wine Soirée, is fast approaching on Sunday, April 22 to Diamond Bar.  Co-chairs Dana Cox, Nancy Lyons, Rick Rogers and Tony Torng announce the spectacular 25th Anniversary Celebration of the Wine Soirée with an afternoon of delicious food tasting from local restaurants, great wine tasting, other beverages, raffle, music, exciting book, silent and live auctions all to benefit the Diamond Bar Library and literacy in our community.  For the first time Anheuser Busch in Pomona will be pouring their delicious craft beer, Golden Road.

The annual Wine Soirée is an institution in Diamond Bar and is a great way to meet new and old friends and neighbors. Tickets are $65 per person so get your tickets soon as the number is limited.  You can purchase tickets online at http://www.dblibraryfriends.org/store/wine-soiree-ticket.html  or at the following Diamond Bar locations:  Midas Auto Service Experts, 796 N. Diamond Bar Boulevard; Xavier’s Florist, 1135 S. Grand Avenue; Diamond Bar Library, 21800 Copley Drive; Basically BOOKS, 23447 Golden Springs Drive.  A unique souvenir wine glass and program are included with each ticket.

Each year the Soirée is full of entertaining surprises:  There are many spectacular restaurants offering samples of their delicious foods including Albertsons Market, Aljibani Halal Market, Chili’s Grill and Bar, Claro’s Italian Market, Dilliwalla Indian Kitchen, Graber Olive House, It’s A Grind, Jeseca Creations, Julie’s Café, King Bap Korean, Mandarin Taste Restaurant, Mr. G’s Pizza, NiNi Bakery, Old Chendou , Round Table Pizza, Sprout’s Farmers Market, The Side Bar at Oh’Crab, Total Wine and More, and The Whole Enchilada.  Visit them is person and thank them for their support for literacy in our community.

Those attending this great event can feel good that all the fun they are having – the food and wines they taste, the auction items they win, the music they enjoy – all the proceeds from this will go to improve our quality of life and learning. With the support of the community, the Friends contributed to the Diamond Bar Library over $40,000 in 2017 for much-needed materials, programs, books, magazines, etc. that would not have been possible without the Wine Soirée and our non-profit bookstores, Basically BOOKS.  The Friends also sponsored Read Together Diamond Bar 2017, a month-long celebration of literacy last October.  We could not do this without the help of the community.

Diamond Bar Community Library Manager Pui-Ching Ho announced recently that the Diamond Bar Library is the highest circulation library out of all 87 Los Angeles County libraries.  Diamond Bar Library has circulation with 470,000 volumes moving in and out of the library last year.  Additionally the Diamond Bar Library ranks sixth in total monthly patronage with a gate count of over 23,000 visitors per month.  The Diamond Bar Friends of the Library dedicate our time and energy to supporting this invaluable community institution—so you can see why we need your help!

 

Family Fun At DB 29th Birthday Bash

By Sarah Sanchez

Diamond Bar – The City of Diamond Bar is inviting the community to their 29th Birthday Bash on Saturday, April 14.  This annual event celebrates the city’s incorporation with a day of family fun at Pantera Park, located at 738 Pantera Drive.

The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will feature a variety of new activities for kids and adults.  Kids will love the carnival rides, games, inflatables, and a new Kiddie Land area that will cater to children ages 8 and younger.  The Kiddie Land will feature several age appropriate inflatables, activities, a puppet show, and a magic show.

Community members can also sit back and watch local groups and solo acts perform on stage, while enjoying food provided by various vendors.  In addition, several volunteers will be recognized at this birthday celebration, as part as the City’s Community Hero Award program.  Then, you will be able to enter various giveaways at the information booths and business showcase.  But the event highlights will be the Heritage Display, and the Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Area.

The Heritage Display will feature a short video, a display of photographs, memorabilia, and artifacts that tell the story of Diamond Bar’s ranch days.  This area will discuss how Diamond Bar’s land was “once known as Rancho Los Nogales, founded in 1840 by Jose de la Luz Linares to a grant issued by Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado of Mexico,” according to the City of Diamond Bar.  Established by Frederick E. Lewis II in 1918, the Diamond Bar Ranch was known as one of the most respected ranches in Southern California.  If you want to find out more about Diamond Bar’s Ranch history, stop by the Heritage Display, where you will take part in activities like rope making, blacksmithing, and gold panning to demonstrate the life in the 1800s and 1900s.

The Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Area will feature our local public safety agencies, such as the Los Angeles County sheriff’s and fire departments, and emergency medical response personnel.  The information, resources, and giveaways that will be displayed are aiming to improve personal safety, reduce property crime, and prepare for emergencies, such as earthquakes or wildfires.  This will be a great area to visit, meet the local personnel, learn about crime prevention techniques, and pick up a free pine tree seedling ready for planting.  You will also be able to enter the “Shakey Quakey School House” that simulates shaking, falling objects, and sounds typical during an earthquake.  In addition, your child can have an identification card made with his or her fingerprints, height, weight and other identifying information documented for your records.

Event admission is free for this birthday party, but there will be nominal fees for the kids’ activities: carnival rides ($10 unlimited access), Kiddie Land ($5 unlimited access), and games and activities ($1 card for any four).  Don’t forget to bring cash too, as this is a cash-only event, and bills larger than $20 cannot be accepted.

Also, if you park on a surrounding neighborhood street, a free and frequent shuttle service will take you to and from Pantera Park.  This shuttle service will start to transport local residents at 10:30 a.m. and continue until the end of the event.

There are so many great things to look forward to at this year’s Diamond Bar Birthday Celebration.  But many local residents are excited to simply get together with the members of our community.

Gil Rivera, Diamond Bar resident and local realtor, agrees that the community is a big reason why he loves attending the birthday celebration each year.  “I enjoy the fact that our community is so diverse,” said Rivera, who is also the Walnut-Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Booster Club President.  “Especially on that day, we gather together as one family to enjoy rides, food, and entertainment!”

So stop by this year’s Diamond Birthday Celebration on April 14th for a great day of fun, food, and activities to enjoy with your “like family” community!

 

Planting Seeds

By Mark Hopper

I have an Aunt who lives in Des Moines Iowa. She was an elementary school teacher and principal for many years. Now she is retired and in her 90’s. We were able to visit her when my wife and I went to see the Solar Eclipse in the mid-west last summer.

We enjoyed our conversations with her and learned a lot about my family roots in a small town outside of Des Moines called Boone, Iowa.  She told us stories about my grandmother and about life in Iowa.

One thing that she shared with us was her tradition of planting tomato seeds in small containers in her house in Iowa in February. She often saved seeds from the previous years, dried them out and planted them in the late winter. It was too cold in Iowa to plant the seeds outdoors, so she started them in her house and set them in the kitchen window sill to get plenty of sunlight.

So in her honor, I decided to do the same thing here in our house in California. I saved some seeds from one of last year’s tomatoes and dried them out in our garage. In early February, I planted the seeds in a little plastic “tray” that had six small compartments, like the ones you buy at the local home improvement store.

I got some soil from my garden, planted one or two seeds in each compartment and waited to see what would happen. I was so excited to see that at least one seed in each little compartment sprouted! It was fascinating to see tiny, thin plants emerge from the moist soil. The first little spouts were as thin a hair. Then a two tiny leaves emerged over the next few days and these little plants begin to grow bigger.

It was a slow process. But each day I would check on these little plants to see how much they had grown each day. I was excited to show these little tomato plants to our grandchildren when they would come to visit our house each week. I think they were excited too.

Unfortunately, I decided to add a little fertilizer to these fragile plants. I think that was a mistake. Over the next few days, I notice some of the tiny tomatoes plants began to look unhealthy. I think I may have over done it a little.

Since my wife and I were scheduled to go out of town for a few days, we sent to small tray of tomato plants home with the grandkids. When we returned the next week, only one plant had survived. Bummer.

But, one living plant is more than we had last winter and even one tomato plant can produce a large crop. I suspect that we will go to the home improvement store or local nursery and purchase some additional plants for the coming season, but I am hopeful that my one little friend will produce a bumper crop of tasty tomatoes this year.

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthian Christians he says, “One plants, another waters, but God causes it to grow’ (First Corinthians 3:6-7). The miracle of life seems to be conclusive evidence of the existence of God.  One small, tiny seed can grow into a healthy plant and produce fruit that in turn contains dozens of seeds for the next season. And another crop! Amazing!

Let me encourage you to get busy and plant some seeds this spring. Watch the miracle of life emerge from the soil and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Why not plant some seeds in honor of my Aunt?  I think you will be glad you did and I’m sure she will too!

Pastor Mark Hopper

Efree Church of Diamond Bar

3255 South Diamond BAr Blvd

909-594-7604

Easter Sunday Services: 8:30 / 10:00 & 11:30 AM

Efreedb.org

 

Diamond Bar High presents ‘The Little Mermaid’

By Kelli Gile

DIAMOND BAR, CA–The Diamond Bar High School Performing Arts Department opens up its spring season with the Disney musical “The Little Mermaid” showing April 13, 14, 19, 20, and 21 at 7 p.m., with 2 p.m. matinee on April 14.

 

Fans of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” and musical theatre won’t be disappointed with the live version of this beloved animated film that will soon splash onto the Diamond Bar High stage.

 

“The Little Mermaid” features memorable songs including “Kiss the Girl, “Under the Sea”, “Part of Your World” by Alan Menken (music) and Howard Ashman (lyrics).

 

From stellar performances — including a scene-stealing Ursula — to gorgeous costumes, beautiful sets and fun ensemble dance numbers, everything those who enjoy live theater could want they will find in the production.

 

Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students and may be purchased online at seatyourself.biz/dbhsdrama.

 

Diamond Bar High School is located at 21400 E. Pathfinder Road in Diamond Bar.

Diamond Bar High Robotics Team Headed to World Championships

Regional Champs!

By Kelli Gile

DIAMOND BAR—After a long weekend of broken parts and design flaws to overcome, Diamond Bar High’s Team Sprocket took home the prestigious blue banner as winners of the 2018 Orange County Regional FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) on Saturday.

The team has now qualified for the World Championships that will be held in Houston, Texas on April 18-21.

“We couldn’t have done this without all of the support from our members, alumni, parents, mentors, teachers and our sponsors,” said senior captain Karen Tan after the four-day competition held at UCI Bren Events Center.

“We will first celebrate the accomplishments of our hard work over the course of the season, and then we will focus on learning from the mistakes we made this year, so we can improve our program and grow to be even more successful in the future.”

On Friday, the competitive robotics team hosted 36 students from Chaparral, South Pointe and Suzanne Middle Schools to tour the FRC competition pits and enjoy matches in an effort to inspire the next generation of engineers.

After two days of game play, Sprocket #3473 finished qualification matches with a record of 7-3-0 and ranked 12th out of 52 teams.

The team was then selected as the 1st pick for the 3rd Ranked Alliance, including alliance members “Assembly Required” (Santa Margarita) and “The Midnight Mechanics” (La Jolla).

In the exciting Finals match, Team Sprocket defeated the 1st ranked alliance (2-0).

“This accomplishment is even more impressive considering that the #1 Alliance consisted of the #1 & #2 overall ranked teams. Team Sprocket and their alliance members stunned the arena by taking down “Goliath” in two straight matches with an unconventional defensive strategy… securing the title of FRC Orange County Regional Winners,” said instructional dean and advisor Gabriel Aguilar.

This is the second year in a row that the Diamond Bar High team qualified to compete at the World Championships.

“This is a testament to the high-quality instruction that these students are receiving in DBHS STEM classes!” Aguilar added.

Bumper Crop

By Mark Hopper

I always say that the nicest days in California are the days after it has rained. We have enjoyed some beautiful weather the past few weeks thanks to string of winter storms that brought blue skies, white puffy clouds and crystal clean air. It reminds you why Southern California is such a nice place to live.

The rain also causes our hillsides to turn green. We get accustomed to the brown scenery most of the year. It is amazing to see the parched hillsides transformed with beautiful dark green vegetation. The snow capped peaks add a lovely contrast that makes the picture complete. Blue skies, green hillsides and fresh snow covered mountain tops complete the painting.

However, I have noticed that all the winter rain has also produced a bumper crop of dark green weeds in my garden. I think I pulled out more weeds from my garden this year than any in recent history. They were big, healthy weeds that covered most of my winter strawberry plants.

Many of these healthy weeds were six to eight inches high! Where did they come from? How did they grow so fast?  Who is responsible for this weed epidemic? I suppose I share most of the responsibility since I didn’t go out to the garden during the last few rain filled weeks. I’m sure that my absence and neglect contributed to the weed infestation.

It took me a couple of hours to pull all of the weeds out. It didn’t completely fill my “green” garbage can, but I was surprised at how much space it did fill up. Hopefully the trash company will appreciate my efforts and recycle all of this “green” material. It really was a bumper crop of weeds this year.

One problem with weeds is that they have seeds. They reproduce like rabbits and they keep coming back. Gardening is an unending struggle against the forces of nature. It is a fact of life that weeds produce seeds and those seeds keep producing more weeds!

Did you know that weeds are actually mentioned in the Bible? The early chapters of Genesis provide a remarkable account of how God created the world and the people, plants and animals that live on the earth. God provided food for all living things. But, when the man (Adam) disobeyed God, the man had to start raising his own food and so the struggle began – man verses weeds!

The Bible says, “The ground will sprout thorns and weeds, you will get your food the hard way, planting and tilling and harvesting, sweating in the fields from dawn to dusk” (Genesis 3:18-19 – from the Message Bible).

This is a helpful reminder. Our actions and decisions have consequences. When we do things that we know we should not do or when we don’t do things that we know we should do – there are consequences. When I neglect my garden, weeds gain a foothold and multiply. When I take time to tend my garden, the weeds are held at bay and we enjoy the fresh strawberries, tomatoes  and other vegetables.

This is true in our relationship with God and with other people. When we cultivate our relationships with God and others, we enjoy the benefits and blessings. When we neglect our relationship with God and others, we experience the consequences.

Let me encourage you to invest more of your time and energy in your relationship with God and with others. Don’t let the “weeds” get the upper hand. You will be glad you did and they will too!

Pastor Mark Hopper

Efree church of Diamond Bar

3255 South Diamond Bar Blvd

909-594-7604

Sunday Services: 9:00 & 10:45 AM

Efreedb.org

 

Do You Know This Man? Armed Robbery Suspect Sought

By Anthony Saude

DIAMOND BAR— “On March 11, at approximately 1:30 p.m. A male suspect entered the Chevron gas station on Diamond Bar Boulevard. He was brandished a handgun and demanded that the clerk give him all the money.”  The suspect has been described as a Hispanic man wearing a red long sleeve jacket that had an unidentified logo, white beanie, and black turtleneck. He was wearing white skinny jeans and his red shoes had white shoe laces.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Walnut/Diamond Bar station is now seeking this brightly dressed suspect. They are asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspect. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, from 25 to 30 years old, approximately 5’8″ tall, 160 to 170 pounds, with a thin mustache.

The Sheriff’s Department is asking anyone with information as to the identity of this suspect to please contact Walnut/Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Station Detectives at (909) 595-2264 or (909) 890-2833.

Los Angeles County Sheriff/ Walnut / Diamond Bar Division Photo

 

Decorating For Easter

By Mark Hopper

One of my least favorite assignments is to “get the boxes down from the attic.”  I hear these words several times a year, when my wife wants to decorate our house for a new season.

 

The largest number of storage boxes contain Christmas decorations.  Most of these are stored on shelves in the garage.  There are fewer Fall decorations and these are stored in the attic space above the garage.

 

Each of these seasonal decorations contribute to the festive atmosphere in our house for a few weeks.   My job is to get them down and put them away again.

 

Now that Spring is coming, I heard those familiar words again recently.  My wife asked me if I would “get the Easter boxes down from the attic”.  There was a sense of urgency in her voice because two of our granddaughters were coming to our house and she wanted to let them help decorate.

 

I’m not sure who had more fun, the grandchildren or my wife.  These two young girls had a wonderful time discovering the variety of decorations in those boxes.  They couldn’t believe all the neat stuff that Grammy had collected.  They loved finding places to put the decorations all over our house.

 

I noticed the sparkle in my wife’s eye and the smile on her face as she watched the enthusiasm of her young assistants.  It was enjoyable to watch Grammy and her girls decorate our house for Easter.

 

I don’t know how the seasonal decorating goes on in your house, but I know it is important at our house.   My wife enjoyed it very much and so did her young helpers!

 

This year Easter will be on Sunday, March 27th.  Our church will be having three Easter Sunday services at 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30 a.m.  We will also have one service on Good Friday, March 25th, at 7:00 p.m.

 

Easter is the day when Christians around the world celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus.  The Bible says that Jesus died on the Cross and rose from the dead to pay for our sins and to purchase a place for us in heaven.  I hope you will take time to celebrate Easter this year.  Get out those decorations.  Get up and go to church to celebrate that Jesus is alive!

 

If you don’t have a church home, we would be delighted to have you worship with us on Easter Sunday.   You will be glad you did and we will be too!

Pastor Mark Hopper

Efree Church of Diamond Bar

3255 South Diamond Bar Blvd

909-594-7604

Easter Sunday Services: 8:30 / 10:00 / 11:30 AM

Efreedb.org

“Hop” Over To The DB Egg Hunt March 31

Staff Reports

Diamond Bar – Diamond Bar’s popular annual Easter Egg Hunt will take place on Saturday, March 31 at Pantera Park, 738 Pantera Drive.  Over 11,000 colorful treat-filled eggs will be spread throughout the park for children under 12-years-old.

This springtime event will start at 8:30 a.m. with a pancake breakfast and professional photo opportunities with the Easter Bunny for a nominal fee.  Don’t forget to buy a raffle ticket from Miss Diamond Bar and her court; then say hi to the Easter Bunny’s “peeps”!

The FREE egg hunt will start at 10 a.m. sharp with separate egg hunting areas for the following age groups:

  • Parent-assisted
  • 4 years old and younger
  • 5- and 6-year-olds
  • 7- and 8-year-olds
  • 8- and 10-year-olds
  • 11- and 12-year-olds

It’s recommended that you and your family arrive to the egg hunt early so you don’t miss out on the hunting fun!

A special thanks goes to the City of Diamond Bar and the Diamond Bar Breakfast Lions Club for sponsoring this annual egg-citing event.  For more information, visit http://www.diamondbarca.gov/specialevents or call 909-939-7070.

 

Diamond Bar Students Rocking The Kindness

Courtesy: WVUSD

By Kelli Gile

Diamond Bar—Quail Summit Elementary students are rocking their commitment to spreading kindness.

On Wednesday, the 645 students at the Diamond Bar campus each took home a rock in their backpacks.

But these were no ordinary rocks.

The children painted colorful heart designs with personal messages of kindness, hope, joy, compassion, or strength on the small gray stones.

In the coming days and weeks, these kindness rocks, as they are called, will be left around the community, state, and even the world.

The school is marking its 30th anniversary with a week of caring and compassionate activities.

“We want to spread a positive message to others,” said elementary learning specialist Leann Legind.

The children hope that their kindness offerings will make a difference in the lives of the lucky recipients.

“I want our messages to inspire people,” said fifth grader Lanna Xiao, age 11.

“My rock says “You are special,” shared first grader Emma Johnson, age 6.

“I hope it makes someone feel good!”

“It was fun painting them!” said classmate Aiden Chang.

“I feel like I’m sharing kindness with the world even if it’s just one little way,” said 5th grader Evelyn Wu who decorated her rock with a heart and three flowers.

The nine-year-old penned “Have faith in your heart” on the back of the rock she plans to deliver while on vacation to Taiwan this summer.

Third grader Amy Song wrote “Even though you think no one cares, I care!” and classmate Kyle Chen declared “You are wonderful” on their rocks.

Each kindness rock also comes with a tiny card describing the schoolwide project.

“This gift is for you! Turn the rock over and know that these words came from a child’s heart to yours. Know that someone in this world cares about you!”

Recipients are encouraged to post a message on the “Quail Summit Rocks Kindness” Facebook page.

“I’m probably going to put it in our town!” Chen said.

Fifth grader Bethany Li decided to paint “Hopeful” on her kindness rock after singing at the school’s talent show.

“I performed a song called “Hopeful” with an anti-bullying message,” she said.

Another fifth grader, Wynnson Notomihardjo, age 10, wrote “Honor one another” on his gift.

“I picked it because even if you get mad you should forgive people,” he shared.

“I see many people who give up on their goals, said Anderson Zhu about his “Conquer your dreams” message.

“If you don’t succeed try, try again!” Saym Waraich, age 10, said on his kindness rock.

“A lot of people in this world give up. I believe you should try again until you get it!” he said.

The “School with a Heart” is hosting daily kindness activities including “I can make a chain-ge in this world” paper chains and kindness notes posted around the campus, and an 80’s-themed dress up day to commemorate the school’s opening.

 

Sheriff Golf Tournament Honors Former Mayor

Jack Tanaka

Staff Reports

Walnut, Diamond Bar – The Walnut-Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Booster Club will host a golf tournament in honor of former Diamond Bar Mayor Jack Tanaka on April 2, 2018. Tanaka passed away in August of last year after a battle with cancer. He spent 10 years as a city council member and mayor.

“Jack was always the first to contribute to our annual golf tournaments, always stopping by the booster club booth at the city birthday party, and a fervent supporter of the volunteers who serve at the Sheriff’s station,” said Booster Club President Gil Rivera.

Since 1987, the Walnut/Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Booster Club has provided thousands of dollars to the Reserve, Volunteer, Explorer, and Disaster Communication Services (DCS) programs for the Cities of Diamond Bar and Walnut, and the community of Rowland Heights, to finance needs not funded by the County, Cities, or the Sheriff’s Department.

“Each year we hold an annual golf tournament to raise funds for this event among other needs the department needs that are not on the budget from the county,” said Sheriff Booster President Gil Rivera ofwww.SellYourCasa.com. “They give generously of their time to help in many areas including patrol and vacation home checks, in addition to thousands of hours at sobriety check points and school traffic assistance

This cannot be accomplished without participation from local businesses, as well as individual citizens. Membership in the Booster Club helps ensure that needed funding for these auxiliary programs is available to help protect our communities and provide a high degree of safety for our citizens.

“Thousands of hours are donated annually by our department’s volunteers, explorers, reserves and disaster communication specialists,” Captain Alfred Reyes said in an earlier statement last year.  “From vacation checks and traffic control to color guard and keeping disaster communication equipment ready in case of emergency, these are a few of the many services they provide the community.”

If you would like to contribute and/or cannot attend and would like to donate, the Booster Club is looking for 150 minimum promotional product donations to help in honoring the volunteers.
The registration will be at 9:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. and followed by a Shotgun Start of 11:15a.m. on  April 2 at the Western Hills Country Club, 1800 Carbon Canyon Rd., in Chino Hills. A luncheon will immediately follow the tournament.

Sponsorship opportunities are available as follows:
Platinum sponsor – $3,000- Includes 16 players/four teams, recognition during the awards luncheon, repeated advertising of your company in Our Weekly newspaper and during the tournament, name placement on event signage and a recognition certificate from the Walnut-Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Booster Club.
Gold sponsor – $2,000- Includes 8 players/two teams, recognition in Our Weekly newspaper, recognition during the awards luncheon, name placement on event signage and a recognition certificate from the Walnut-Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Booster Club.
Silver sponsor – $1,000-Includes one team of four players and a recognition certificate from the Walnut-Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Booster Club.
Other sponsorship opportunities include- Soft drink/Beer Cart Sponsors for $1,000, Hole-In-One sponsor for $500, Goodie Bag Sponsor for $500, Closest-to-the-Pin Sponsor for $400, and Tee Sign Sponsorship for $100.
Captain Reyes encourages community members to join this fun and meaningful tournament to continue to help provide the needed uniforms and equipment to the people who volunteer their time to improve the service and security to the cities of Walnut and Diamond Bar, and the unincorporated communities of Rowland Heights, Covina Hills and West Covina.

Tanaka stated that the city council, staff and residents made his 10 years of service memorable and a great learning experience. His last day in office was December 1, 2016.

Tanaka, was first elected in 2005, served twice as the city’s mayor and served on the City’s Planning Commission for more than three years. He said he wanted to spend more time with family, but will still remain active in the community who he considers family.
A retired U.S. Army Sergeant and former peace officer with the California Youth Authority and State Department of Corrections, Tanaka was first elected to the Diamond Bar City Council in 2005.
A constant fixture in the community, Tanaka and his wife Wanda devoted much of their time to helping out in the community especially youth. From the Miss Diamond Bar Pageant and the local Humane Society to community birthday parties and city concerts, the Tanaka’s were always there to lend a helping hand.
The Tanakas moved to Diamond Bar in 1976 and have since remained actively involved in community matters. In 2012, the couple was honored with Lions Clubs International’s Lion of the Year Award, the organization’s highest honor and usually given to only one person in the world. This is one of many reasons he has earned the honor of being recognized by the Sheriff’s annual event.

For information and reservations, contact Sgt. Mark Saldecke, volunteer coordinator, at (909) 595-2264, mcsaldec@lasd.org or Gil Rivera, booster club member at (909) 967-4525, GRiveraEmail@gmail.com.

 

 

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Impossible (Part 2)

By Mark Hopper

A few weeks ago, I shared that the foundation of the Christian faith is the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  Easter Sunday is the day that Christians around the world celebrate this important and remarkable event.

For many people it just seems impossible. Why would anyone believe that a dead person could come back to life three days after his public execution and death?

But, the Bible is very clear and specific.  Numerous biblical authors provide specific details that describe Jesus’ resurrection.

For me, the most convincing evidence is the testimony of the eyewitnesses who claim to have seen Jesus alive after his public execution. They claim to have seen and talked with him. They claim that he ate food and drank in front of their eyes. They touched him and spent time with him.

You can read many of the details in New Testament books like Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and the book of Acts. The Apostle Paul provides a list of specific times when people saw Jesus alive (First Corinthians 15). Both Peter and John refer to eyewitness accounts in their letters near the end of the New Testament.

These authors claim to have personally seen Jesus alive after his crucifixion and burial.  When they were warned by local authorities not to speak about Jesus’ resurrection, Peter and John said that they could not stop speaking about what they had personally seen and heard (Acts 5).  They were convinced that Jesus was alive. They wrote down what they saw and boldly told others what they had seen and heard.

Shortly after my wife and I bought our first new car, we went to dinner with some friends to a new restaurant in Claremont.

Parking was scarce, but we found an empty spot and carefully parked parallel to the curb. After dinner, we walked back to our car and started for home. My friend saw a piece of paper on the wind shield.  It looked like a parking ticket.

However, after we pulled over, my friend got out and retrieved the paper that was under the wind shield wiper. It wasn’t a ticket at all. It was a hand written note that informed us that my new car had been hit and damaged by a Foothill transit bus! A worker in a local bike shop had heard the crash and ran out of his shop to see what had happened. He wrote down the name and license plate number of the bus and left a note on my car window.

We called the police and they investigated the matter. They were able to confirm that the back bumper of the bus hit the front finder of my car. There were scratches on the bus and extensive damage to my car. We had not noticed the damage because it was so dark.

We would have never known what had happened to my new car on that dark winter night if the bicycle repairman had not seen the accident and left a written note on my wind shield. This eyewitness was the key to solving this mystery. If someone had not seen it and written down the name and license number, we would probably never know what had really happened.

I am convinced that Jesus literally rose from the dead because many eyewitnesses saw him alive after his death on the cross. Individuals saw him. Small groups of people saw him. At one time over 500 people saw Jesus alive at the same time. All of them were convinced that he really was alive.  He wasn’t just a ghostly image or a shadowy figure. He was real, physical and tangible.  They talked with him, ate with him and literally touched him after he rose from the dead.

This may seem impossible to many people, but I believe it is true. I hope you will dust off your Bible and carefully read the final chapters in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Read the testimonies and personal accounts in the book of Acts. Examine the evidence for yourself.

I hope you will attend a church near you on Easter Sunday, April 1st. Come and celebrate the most important event in history – the resurrection of Jesus. I believe you will be glad you did!  Happy Easter!

Pastor Mark Hopper

Efree Church of Diamond Bar

3255 South Diamond Bar Blvd

909-594-7604

Easter Sunday Services: 8:30 / 10:00 / 11:30 AM

Efreedb.org

 

Best Seat in the Class

By Kelli Gile

Classrooms transform with flexible seating options

DIAMOND BAR—Several Walnut Valley educators are discovering that flexible seating classrooms are providing learning environments that kids need.

Flexible classrooms give students a choice in what kind of learning space works best for them, and helps them work collaboratively, communicate, and engage in critical thinking.

At Quail Summit Elementary, first grade teacher Jessica Cabral replaced rows and rows of traditional desks with a variety of innovative seating options this year.

Learning areas are now filled with stability disks, stadium chairs, yoga balls, camp chairs, hooki stools, stack stools, lap desks, standing tables, and even a few “old school” desks.

When her 26 students enter the classroom, they decide which type of chair or desk to occupy for the day.

“They enjoy having the ability to choose where they sit,” Cabral said.

The new education space was intentionally designed to foster the five C’s (critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity, and citizenship), the educator said.

“They need to be given the opportunity to collaborate and solve problems with different students in the classroom. They couldn’t do that sitting in the same old spot every day,” Cabral said.

“I feel that flexible seating absolutely impacts student learning. Statistics have shown that movement increases memory,” she added.

Her goal is to provide students the opportunity to move while learning, in order to increase their attention, focus, engagement, and overall, their learning experience.

“The Hokki stools are an absolute hit. We can’t get enough of them!” she shared.

Logan Shih, age 7, didn’t hesitate when asked about choosing his favorite mobile seat in class.

“Oh, that’s simple,” he proudly announced.

“The yoga ball – because I like to bounce around!”

“All the kids like the yoga ball!”

A few feet away, classmate Clovis Hung was settled on a red stadium chair while writing at a low table.

“I like it because I can adjust it,” he said.

How did she do it?

Most recently, Cabral was able to purchase eight swivel Hokki stools, at $96 each, with funds raised through the online classroom project site, Donor’s Choose.

After experimenting with choice seating options for years, Kathy McLean “dove in all the way” three years ago.

The second-grade teacher began with Goodwill tables repurposed with a fresh coat of paint and whiteboard tops.

Next, McLean brought in few Wobble and Hokki stools, and two double standing tables.

McLean received a grant for the standing tables, that run about $200 each.

“Some of my students prefer to stretch out on the floor with lap desks,” she reported.

The savvy educator discovered that doing away with assigned seating has empowered her students to make positive decisions for their own learning.

“By being able to change seats each day, students also have the opportunity to collaborate with different classmates while working on self-discipline. After all, to sit by your best buddy, you have to abide by classroom expectations!” she said.

McLean said trusting her students to make the best choice for themselves has been an important factor in the success of innovative classroom.

“Flexible seating has been a game changer for me!”

Cabral advices teacgers contemplating the classroom seating switch to “start small.”
“Change a few chairs and tables. Expect chaos, it’s not as easy to manage at first, but you will see the benefits as the year progresses!”

 

Evergreen Odyssey Of The Mind Team Qualifies For State Tourney

Courtesy: WVUSD

By Kelli Gile

DIAMOND BAR—Evergreen Elementary STEAM Odyssey of the Mind team won first place in the Los Angeles County regional competition held on February 24.

The champions will now go on to compete at the state level March 24 at University of California, Riverside.

The Odyssey of the Mind program promotes creativity and problem solving skills.

The two parts of competition are the long-term and spontaneous problems.

The spontaneous problem is private and cannot be spectated, however the long-term problem comes in the form of a skit that anyone can watch.

The plot, props, and actions in the 8-minute skit are all created from scratch by the students.

This year team’s long term problem is “Emoji, Speak for Yourself”.

Teams build several devices as the communication tools to perform a detective investigation story by operating different mechanic functions without any human verbal voice at all during the skit.

Evergreen team members are Evan Auyeung, Ianna Lin, Reese Chen, Sarah Teng, Andrew Tsai, Audrey Doraton, and Rohan Chakrabortyguf. They are coached by Sam Lin, Rajesh Gupta and Sean Lin.

 

How Did I Get Here?

By Mark Hopper

I was sad when I heard the news that Billy Graham died.  He was 99 years old.  I never met the man, but he had a profound influence in my life and my family.

According to the news reports, Billy Graham spoke to over 200 million people who attended his crusades during his lifetime.  He preached in almost every country on our planet.  He preached to the Queen of England in her private Chapel and met many leaders around the world.

He personally met with every US President from Truman to Obama.  He advised and encouraged many of them during difficult times in our nation’s history.  Billy Graham spoke to the nation at the service in the National Cathedral in Washington, DC after the terrorist attacks on our nation in 2001.

When I was a young high school student, my parents and my brother and I attended a Billy Graham crusade at the Arizona State University football stadium in 1964.  I must admit that I didn’t pay attention to what he said that day, but I will always remember that at the end of the service, my mother got out of her seat and went down to the football field and put her faith in Jesus.

Don’t misunderstand; my parents were church going people.  They were good people.  But, the Bible teaches that each of us needs to personally decide for ourselves if we want to be a committed follower of Jesus.

In the Gospel of John chapter three, Jesus told a devout, religious scholar named Nicodemus that he needed to be “born again”.  Just like we all have a physical birthday, we also need to have a spiritual birthday – be “born again” (John 3:1-8). I believe that my mother’s spiritual birthday was the day she went down to the football field at Arizona State University in 1964.

My mother met a counselor on that football field that day.  The counselor encouraged my mom to start reading her Bible and to go back to church.  The counselor told my mother about a new church that had started in our town.  It was called Scottsdale Bible Church.  In 1964 the church met in a store front on Scottsdale Road.  A few years later they got a building of their own.

Through the influence of a wonderful pastor at Scottsdale Bible Church, Dr. James Borror and an energetic youth pastor named Sherrill Babb, my brother and I eventually came to faith in Christ, too.  It took our father a little longer to come to the conclusion that he needed to put his faith in Jesus but eventually he did, too.

When I heard about the death of this remarkable man, I was struck by the fact that I would probably not be where I am today if it wasn’t for Billy Graham.  My brother and I would probably not have become pastors.  Some of our children would probably not be serving on church staffs and as missionaries and Christian educators if it wasn’t for Billy Graham.   Through the words of one man who taught the Bible and preached the Gospel (Good News) our whole family was changed forever.

Most of us will probably never know how many people we influenced in our lifetime.  I doubt that Billy Graham could ever imagine how many people he influenced in his lifetime.  But, I do know his ministry and his words have impacted three generations of my family.  And, I’m thankful he did.

Let me encourage you to find the Billy Graham ministry website and learn more about this remarkable man.  I think you will be glad you did!

Pastor Mark Hopper

Efree Church of Diamond Bar

3255 South Diamond Bar Blvd

909-594-7604

Sunday Services: 9:00 & 10:45 AM

Efreedb.org

Chaparral Middle School Wins Cal State LA Middle School Regional Science Bowl

Staff Reports

Diamond Bar – Chaparral Middle School, located in Diamond Bar, recently won first place in Cal State LA’s 11th Annual Middle School Regional Science Bowl.

The Chaparral team also earned a spot to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C. in April.

The winning team includes students Daniel Chou, Ryan Chung, Akash George, Allen Wang, and Edmond You. They were coached by teacher David Chou.

Eighteen teams representing 12 schools from across the Los Angeles region participated in the competition hosted by Cal State LA’s College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology.

Walter Reed Middle School in North Hollywood earned second place and third place went to Harvard Westlake Middle School in Los Angeles.

Winning teams from the regional tournaments—69 high school teams and 50 middle school teams from throughout the nation—will travel to D.C. to compete for the national title.

 

The teams will face-off in a fast-paced question-and-answer format. Students will answer questions on a range of science disciplines including biology, chemistry, Earth science, physics, energy, and math.

The national competition is sponsored by the DOE’s Office of Science and Technology to inspire students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Students will also attend presentations by scientists on current topics in math and the sciences.

 

 

 

Wasted E-Waste? Don’t Hoard It

Staff Reports

Diamond Bar – Diamond Bar residents with unwanted electronics or hazardous waste are reminded that the Los Angeles County’s popular mobile Household Hazardous Waste and E-Waste Collection is coming to Diamond Bar on Saturday, March 10.

Starting at 9 a.m. and going on until 3p.m, residents are invited to drive to the 1300 block of Bridge Gate Drive in Diamond Bar and drop of any household items banned from disposal in the garbage. Bring all of your computers, television sets, microwave ovens, batteries, expired medicine and pesticides. Recycling these items are very beneficial for the environment. Responsible E-Waste Management is our responsibility even if it is “just an old device”. Any device you donate with private information will be scrubbed and will possibly be reused as is or refurbished.

If you have an old device taking up space that you keep telling yourself you fix it one day stop fooling yourself. Sometimes throwing it away feels as if you wasted your money. This gives you the opportunity to give others opportunities they might not otherwise have had.  You know what they say “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

This is a drive-through event, which means that staff at the collection site will remove the items intended for disposal without the driver having to exit the vehicle.

For more information or a complete list of what you can and cannot bring, call 800.238.0173. For details about the even, contact the City’s Environmental Services Division at 909.839.7015. Or greendb@diamondbarca.gov.

 

Planning Ahead

By Mark Hopper

My wife and I will be celebrating our 47th anniversary soon.  That is a lot of anniversaries to celebrate and it is a lot of Valentine’s Days to remember, too.

You would think that we would have learned to plan ahead by now.  But that is not the case.  Sometimes things just come together at the last minute.  Valentine’s Day was a good example.

My wife and a girl friend began to make a plan for Valentine’s several weeks ahead.  But, as our wives looked on line at various restaurant possibilities they were surprised that most were already booked and did not have any openings available for Valentine’s Day dinner.  Bummer.

What should we do?  Where could we go to celebrate Valentine’s with our wives?  Finally, our wives found a nice restaurant with dinning available on Friday, two days after Valentine’s Day.  The husbands were willing to be flexible so we set our sights on February 16th for a late Valentine’s dinner.

However, I realized that my wife and I still needed something to do and some place to go on Valentine’s Day.  We talked about just grilling some steaks at home, but the weather was questionable.  Then I got the idea that maybe we should find a nice place for a late lunch and stay home for the evening.

When I called one of our favorite fancy restaurants to see if they had any openings for lunch on Valentine’s Day, the hostess said that she had just received a cancelation for a party of two for that night!  Would we be interested in that?  “Sure – that would be great!”  Suddenly we had a reservation for a very nice restaurant for Valentine’s Day!  How did that happen?

My wife was pleasantly surprised that we were not staying home or simply going out to lunch, but we were actually going to one of our favorite restaurants on Valentine’s Day!  Suddenly I looked like a genius instead of a goat!  The evening turned out great and we had a special Valentine’s dinner with a few dozen other lucky couples!

While we were at the restaurant, we saw some friends from our church.  We spoke to them briefly and asked them how long ago they had made their reservations for Valentine’s dinner.  Their answer was January 2nd!  Now that is good planning!  When they asked when we made our reservations, I reluctantly told them it was about eight hours ago.

There must be a lesson here.  Planning ahead isn’t always what it is cracked up to be.  Sometimes it just takes one more phone call to find the open door to a very nice restaurant on Valentine’s Day.  Hope your Valentine’s dinner was as nice as the one we enjoyed!

Pastor Mark Hopper

Efree Church of Diamond Bar

3255 South Diamond Bar Blvd

909-594-7604

Sunday Services: 9:00 & 10:45 AM

Efreedb.org

 

Box Truck Hydrogen Tank Fire

By Anthony Saude

Diamond Bar – It was Sunday afternoon on February 11 at about 1:23 pm when San Dimas Sheriff’s Station received a report that a vehicle was on fire at a gas station near the intersection at Golden Springs Drive and Brea Canyon Road.

Upon their arrival at the scene, the responding deputies immediately noticed the hazardous material placard on the burning Box Truck however they could not locate the driver. The deputies eventually located the driver of the engulfed truck, who told them that he had gotten scared and ran from the burning truck because he was aware that the material he was transporting was highly flammable. Once the Deputies confirmed that the driver was not at fault for the fire and that no crime had been committed, the investigation was handed over to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The truck was transporting tanks filled with hydrogen gas when it caught fire. The remaining tanks that had not been affected by the fire, had to be manually released by Air Products (Proprietor) with the Los Angeles County Fire Department standing by for safety purposes. Although the process took quite some time to complete, it was the safest, non-toxic way to handle the situation.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department assisted Los Angeles County Fire Department with evacuations of the nearby businesses and residences. LASD enlisted the help of a total of nine other LA County Fire Stations (Altadena, Crescenta Valley, Diamond Bar, San Dimas, East Los Angeles, Norwalk, Temple, Pico Rivera and Walnut). The Emergency Operations Bureau were also brought out to help with road closures and some precautionary evacuations. The “Precautionary Evacuations” had NOT been lifted as of 8:45 PM on Sunday.

Evacuation Areas:
-Area West of Valley Vista Drive/East of Lemon Avenue
-Areas South of the 60 Freeway/North of the 57 Freeway
When evacuations become necessary there are some items residents can get ready.

Prepare yourself with a “go bag” that contains:

Your identification

Your Medications

Any important documents you might have or need (birth certificates, marriage certificates, etc.)

Any emergency supplies you need

a change of clothes and toiletries

You never know how long you will be away from home if evacuated.
Check with you local Sherriff or Fire Department for evacuation shelters in your area. This evacuation event had the following shelters available for use.
Emergency Shelter:
*Diamond Bar High school (Overnight Accommodations)
21400 Pathfinder Road Diamond Bar CA 91765
*Calvary Chapel Golden Springs Church
22324 Golden Springs Drive Diamond Bar CA 91765
Deputies will remained in the area to provide security and escorts if necessary.
– Assist with notifications and evacuations if they become necessary;
– Protect residences, businesses and property;
– Provide posts at road closures;
– And assist the community as needed.

All the residents that were affected by the Box Truck Hydrogen Tank Fin in Diamond Bar were able to return to their homes by 3:45 a.m. by 3:30 am on Monday, February 12.

In order to provide for the safety of homeowners and first responders, residents are always encouraged to comply with the evacuation orders.

The LASD wants all the residents and business partners that were affected by the evacuations for their patience. The cooperation enabled the LASD to work efficiently with partnering agencies to provide the community with a safe environment throughout the event. They also thanked all the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department personnel for assisting with the evacuations and road closures.