By K.P. Sander Norco – Silverlakes Equestrian Sports Park, the anticipated 122-acre recreational facility that began its development as far back as 2007, has been at a standstill for some time. Developer R.J. Brandes of Balboa Management Group, vowed the project’s completion as recently as July of this year, telling City Council that delays from property flooding, a lack of funding, and a personal divorce were at the root of the problems. He said funding was imminent the next week, and the project would be completed in nine months. The barren acreage at Hamner and Citrus Avenues does not excite one to expect a grand opening this spring. But all this doesn’t mean that completion of the project isn’t hoped for. If finished, the park will be used for equestrian and sporting events, as well as dog shows, car shows, weddings, corporate and community events, circus performances, camping, and more. The park would also join with nearly 120 miles of biking, jogging and equestrian trails. With 25 sports fields, six equestrian sand rings, an event center with climate-controlled barn, reception hall, and camping and recreational vehicle space, Silverlakes would definitely be a destination facility as well as a bonus to the City of Norco and the surrounding areas. Will the project ever reach completion? Brandes agreed to provide updates at the City Council meetings each month, but since there is nothing new to report, he has not been present. Citizens of the area have a right to know, however, what is happening with the project. A lot of graded land doesn’t do anyone any good. Dave Henderson, Norco Planning Commission Member, and his wife, Shirley, made a public presentation at the American Legion Hall to do just that. On October 18, 2013, Henderson provided the facts surrounding Silverlakes: • $5.1 million was spent by the end of 2012. • No authorization existed beyond $3.7 million. • No water, sewer, or road infrastructure is in place. • Water/sewer municipal bond money appears to have been used for something other than the designated purpose. • Inspections were not made. • Documents required before any money was to be released are not with the City. • The only loan that is contemplated in the Funding Agreement is for when bond funds are repaid by Balboa to the City over the next 30 years. • Billing was not for the actual cost of facilities or discrete components, as was required. Henderson said, “Putting the construction, billing and everything else we have discussed together, the only conclusion possible is: The Funding, Acquisition and Construction Agreement and the ground lease agreement were not followed by ANYONE”. Henderson posed a lot of questions in his presentation, mainly, why wasn’t the agreement followed, and where was the City Attorney in all of this? In speaking with Norco City Councilman, Harvey Sullivan, he has a few questions of his own. “Brandes accepted the property “as is”. The initial funding should have been used to lay the water, sewer and road infrastructure”, he says. So why, then, did Brandes spend $5.5 million to move in 300,000 yards of dirt instead of laying the infrastructure? Sullivan adds, “There is still some of the initial $6 million set aside, so why isn’t it being used to lay the infrastructure now? No further requests for release of funds have been received. Why aren’t they moving forward?” Brandes is apparently seeking funding to complete the project. To move forward there is a requirement to provide a letter of authorization showing funding for $36 million. The City of Norco has received nothing to date. So where does this leave us? Sullivan says, “Both sides, Brandes and the City of Norco, violated the original agreement. Hamner Avenue was not widened by the City by the April 19 deadline, and Brandes did not use the land as intended. A wrong has been done by misleading the City Council and the public by wrongful use of the funds; people have enough trouble trusting their government. But we all hope the project will be completed”. The current situation is awash in funding, reimbursement, legalities and mistrust. The City is going to have to amend the contracts and figure out some way of getting the project back on track. Lawyers say the case has been filed with the District Attorney, so time will tell what happens next. When asked if Silverlakes is still a go, Sullivan says, “I certainly hope so! It will be a boon to all the areas surrounding it”.

By Jennifer Madrigal Eastvale – When the area of “Eastvale” first wanted to gain local control and map out what their destiny was, they began the “incorporation process.” Now with the many changes and growth in our area with over 57,000 residents, should the City of Eastvale consider developing their own school district as 15,000 of these residents are currently students? The idea of Eastvale becoming its own school district is one worthy of further investigation on the ramifications and the actual process. So let’s examine the facts: The Corona-Norco School District (CNUSD) currently consists of thirty-one elementary schools, eight intermediate/middle schools, five comprehensive high schools, a middle college high school and three alternative schools. With the district serving over 53,000 students in the communities of Corona, Norco and Eastvale, CNUSD is the largest school district in Riverside County. Of the over 53,000 students in the district, 15,000 of them are Eastvale students. Eastvale residents already pay a large amount of property taxes, special assessment taxes, a bond tax (Measure U), and also are asked to pay an upcoming proposed additional $299m bond, on top of the $250 million general obligation Measure U Bond passed by voters in 2006. “It was a huge process (to incorporate the city), but I believe it was worth the hundreds of hours of work,” said Councilman Jeff DeGrandpre, who helped spearhead the process of the team who brought the decision to a vote. “It was tons of work, but now we have local control. We are right where we wanted to be as a community.” Many smaller school districts have broken away from larger school districts for reasons from lack of accountability to simply a desire to run their own system. Walnut Valley Unified School District has a student population of 15,500 and became their own school district in the 1970’s when the area was in its infancy. Duarte Unified School District is a small district that serves about 4,700 students from the areas of Duarte, Bradbury, and the Maxwell Park area. Baldwin Park Unified has over 15,000 students and broke away from Covina Unified before the 1950’s. All of these school districts were part of larger areas that became smaller school districts and grew. “We would support such a move if it benefitted our community,” said a group of parents at Clara Barton Elementary. “Especially if we have to pay for another bond. Our last bond, Measure U, we pay taxes on but only received 17% of that money.” Another parent felt they didn’t have enough control of the district and felt it’s because it’s too large. They all requested to remain anonymous because they’ve never researched the idea. “I never realized it was possible,” she said. If Eastvale were to explore the possibility of separating from CNUSD and becoming its own individual school district, the California Department of Education requires a certain process to be followed. According to the California Department of Education District Organization Handbook- July 2010, this type of reorganization would seek to form one new school district of the same kind from parts of one existing school district of that same kind. This type of reorganization is more commonly referred to as Unification. Although the exact method of Unification is based on a variety of factors, the first step in this process is a petition. This petition would then be presented to the County Superintendent of Schools and he/she would have 30 days to determine the legal sufficiency of the petition. If the petition is found to be legally sufficient, it is then sent to the County Committee on School District Organization and the State Board. A public hearing would then need to be held within 60 days to advise the public of the petition. After the hearing is held and within 120 days, the petition would need to be reviewed to see if it meets Section 35753 of the Educational Code. These conditions are as follows: (a) The reorganized districts will be adequate in terms of number of pupils enrolled. (b) The districts are each organized on the basis of a substantial community identity. (c) The proposal will result in an equitable division of property and facilities of the original district or districts. (d) The reorganization of the districts will preserve each affected district’s ability to educate students in an integrated environment and will not promote racial or ethnic discrimination or segregation. (e) Any increase in costs to the state as a result of the proposed reorganization will be insignificant and otherwise incidental to the reorganization. (f) The proposed reorganization will continue to promote sound education performance and will not significantly disrupt the educational programs in the districts affected by the proposed reorganization. (g) Any increase in school facilities costs as a result of the proposed reorganization will be insignificant and otherwise incidental to the reorganization. (h) The proposed reorganization is primarily designed for purposes other than to significantly increase property values. (i) The proposed reorganization will continue to promote sound fiscal management and not cause a substantial negative effect on the fiscal status of the proposed district or any existing district affected by the proposed reorganization. (j) Any other criteria as the board may, by regulation, prescribe. To maintain neutrality, the County Office of Education would most likely hire an independent consultant trained in evaluating this type of criteria. If the independent consultant does find the petition to be in compliance with EC35753, it is then passed on to the State Board of Education and they will determine if it is approved or sent to an election within the area affected. In most cases, this becomes a major obstacle, as a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) would need to be done, which can be expensive. According to a source from the Department of Education, this is where most of these petitions “die”, mainly due to the large expense of the CEQA. This step often takes a few years due to the state pipeline and the Environmental Impact Study. If the petition makes it through all of these steps and wins in an election of the area affected by the Unification, then a new school district would be formed. While there are many pros and cons to becoming our own school district, any action to do so would most likely come at a large expense, be extremely controversial as well as political, and would need to be thoroughly researched to truly understand the greater impact on the students and the communities involved. “It took us 3.5 years to get the city incorporation to the ballot,” DeGrandpre said. “It’s definitely worth looking into, but a tough road because CNUSD is highly regarded within the state.” (Michael Armijo contributed to this story.)

By Jennifer Madrigal Eastvale – Corona-Norco Unified School District has begun the transition process to the new state mandated Common Core State Standards. 46 states brought together experts, teachers and researchers to write the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), which were adopted by California in 2010. CNUSD then began the process of transitioning into this new standard by spending the 2012-2013 school years raising awareness, the 2013-2014 school year planning the transition and finally, will conclude with the implementation of the CCSS for the 2014-2015 school year. In order to ensure that parents and community members are well prepared for the changes that these new standards will bring, CNUSD hosted a parent information night on August 28, 2013. The District will also host another informative meeting at Santiago High School in the theatre on Thursday September 12, 2013 at 6:30pm. At these meetings, parents will be able to learn about the curriculum and the new learning standards from teachers and district administrators. Parents will also be able to ask questions and instruction on how they can assist their children in their quest for academic success. At the Parent Information Night on August 28 at Corona High School, teachers and administrators shared with the community pertinent information about the new California Common Core State Standards, the main goal of which is to make students college and career minded and able to compete with the world. Teachers will concentrate more on working with students to deliver receive instruction ensuring a deeper level of mastery and problem solving. There will also be a more coherent progression of learning expectations in English, Language Arts and Math; which are designed to prepare K-12 students for College and career success. This success is based on a firm foundation of “Anchor Standards” that applies to each grade level. The complete list of standards can be found at http://corestandards.org/the-standards. However, the overall goals of these standards are to provide students with a more rigorous education in content and application that is aligned with college and real world work expectations. Testing will be done to ensure that students are performing well and that they are able to communicate successfully throughout all subject areas in the form of the Smarter Balances Assessment Consortium (SBAC). This assessment will be given to students in third grade, eighth grade and eleventh grade beginning in 2015. To find out more about the SBAC and to receive updates, please visit http://www.smarterbalanced.org The implantation of the CCSS will result in a shift from the “normal” English/Language Arts and Math standards and classrooms. In the English and Language Arts classes, the shift will take place by putting a greater emphasis on non-fiction work and less of a focus on the “classics” and other works of fiction. While fiction will still be a part of the curriculum, students will rely more heavily on non-fiction, scientific and technical books to obtain information. Reading, writing and speaking will also be more heavily grounded in evidence from text and other forms of information. Students will also practice with complex text and using its academic language. Since the ability to read and read well, leads to the ability to write well, the heightened focus on historical, scientific and informational reading should help students to be better prepared for college and careers. Math Standards will also shift in three major areas. The first shift will be to focus on moving from coverage to mastery. This will be done by encouraging focus and deeper instruction on fewer topics instead of trying to fit a large number of lessons into the school year. The second shift will work toward coherence by teaching students to think across grades and link to major topics within each grade. Lastly, rigor in the form of pursuing conceptual understanding and procedural skills and literacy with the final result of applying these lessons with equal intensity is the final goal. The idea is to teach students that it is about more than just doing the math, it’s about USING the math. Students are expected to be involved in rigorous tasks that require thinking and then be able to verbalize, discuss and write about the thought process that they used to arrive at answers. Students, who are below grade level, have special needs or are English language learners will not be left behind when these new standards are implemented. Instead, teachers will have more time to cover subjects in greater detail and students will have an opportunity to really understand what is being taught. Teachers will use scaffolding strategies to support students who are below grade level or need more help. Different states will also work diligently together to constantly improve upon any issues so that that these students do not get left behind. The change in the classroom will be evident, but teachers and administrators hope that the change will be welcomed. However, learning doesn’t just happen at school and parents are encouraged to get involved by talking to their kids about school, homework and what their future holds. It is important to talk to kids about college and graduating high school, as well as being involved with your children’s school and activities. With the adoption of these new standards, states and districts can share experience, methods of assessment, teaching practices and materials to help parents support learning at home. If you have any questions about the implementation of the Common core State Standards please contact Corona Norco School District at (951)736-5000.

By Kimberley Sander Diamond Bar – Bob’s Big Boy, the iconic diner-style restaurant located on Golden Springs Dr. in Diamond Bar, is amid some controversy. In an effort to preserve his beloved restaurant from extinction, franchise owner James Tsai has started the process to make Bob’s a historical landmark for the City of Diamond Bar. Why now? According to Tsai, the landlord of the center where the Bob’s Big Boy is located, is looking to force them out. After 30 years, Tsai has other plans. According to the National Historic Landmarks Program, “National Historic Landmarks (NHL) are exceptional places. They form a common bond between all Americans.” Wikipedia further characterizes NHLs as “Sites where events of national historical significance occurred; places where prominent persons lived or worked; icons of ideals that shaped the nation; outstanding examples of design or construction; places characterizing a way of life; or archeological sites able to yield information”. The process to have the U.S. Department of Interior declare Bob’s Big Boy in Diamond Bar an NHL is long and detailed. Tsai has already started the process by obtaining over 1,800 petition signatures from loyal customers. Reinforcing his plea, a large sign inside the restaurant reads, “PLEASE JOIN US TO HELP KEEP THIS BOB’S BIG BOY FROM BEING CLOSED. WE NEED YOUR SIGNATURE SO WE CAN BECOME A HISTORIC LANDMARK”. Built in 1981, Tsai took ownership of Bob’s in 1993. “The building is old, but well-kept,” said Tsai. With 24 employees, 14 of which have been with him for anywhere from 10 to 20 years, the Diamond Bar location is known for its customer loyalty. According to the restaurant’s manager, Lucy Bartlett, “We are concerned about the public and hear from hundreds of people that they love coming to Bob’s. They want us to stay in the community.” Is it possible for Bob’s Big Boy in Diamond Bar to become a Historical Landmark? It’s happened before. The Bob’s in Burbank is the oldest in the United States. It was built in 1949 by Los Angeles architect Wayne McAllister in the 1940s streamline modern style, and became a California Point of Historical Interest in 1993. Not a Historical Landmark, but certainly noteworthy, Bob’s Big Boy in Norco – Horsetown USA – has “Cowboy Bob”, the only one of its kind, greeting customers in a cowboy hat. The possibility for Diamond Bar is definitely there. James Tsai invites you to his restaurant to enjoy his food, speak with his employees and see for yourself if you’d like to help his cause. He says, “We have been at the same location in Diamond Bar for 30 years, and our customers are loyal from generation to generation. Thank you for your loyalty! We need your continued support to keep this Big Boy location alive.” Come to think of it, an Original Double-Deck Cheeseburger sounds pretty good! Check it out for yourselves. Bob’s Big Boy 21090 Golden Springs Drive Diamond Bar, CA 91789 (909) 595-9170.