By Sarah Sanchez

Our Facebook page (Facebook.com/EastvaleCommunityNews), is used to connect the community with news, events, meetings, city press releases, and any other information the community should know. If you missed out on what happened last month, we provide a monthly recap of what was trending on our Facebook page.

Trending posts for February included: an Eastvale resident warning the community about mail thefts occurring off Harrison and Chandler; Deputy Myers’ monthly article about what to do if you’re a victim of a crime; a fatal traffic collision that occurred in Corona; Centennial High School’s football coach being named the ALL-USA Football Coach of the Year; and a reminder about an ordinance prohibiting Marijuana cultivation, dispensaries, and delivery in the City of Eastvale.

There were two posts that were especially popular on our Facebook page. The first was about three Eleanor Roosevelt Students who signed onto NFL teams. See the full article at anapr.com. The second most popular post was about a local church, VantagePoint Church, who formed a “Cash Mob” for a family that was displaced in Eastvale. Read more about this story on page 1.

In addition to these types of posts, we provide other information on a daily basis, including articles, meetings, yard sales, and events. Every Thursday, we post the local yard sales that are happening in the surrounding areas that weekend, and we encourage you to post your yard sale notice in the comments. On Fridays, we post the weekend events and link to our local monthly calendar. We also post the online version of the full Eastvale Community Newspaper for you to download, save, or print out.

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram at @EastvaleNews, and subscribe to our website at anapr.com in order to stay up to date on what’s happening in the community. Use #ILoveEastvaleNews to tell us why YOU love Eastvale News.

Keep on Trending, Eastvale!

Eastvale City Manager Michele Nissen

By Michele Nissen, City Manager

Code Enforcement is a critical and valuable service offered by the City of Eastvale.  The City recognizes the vital importance of preserving a high quality of life throughout the community and has adopted local codes and ordinances that govern the proper use and maintenance of private properties.

The Code Enforcement Department is responsible for performing field inspections of properties to ensure compliance with applicable zoning, safety, fire and nuisance codes, ordinances and abatement regulations.  Code Enforcement also serves as a resource to other departments, divisions, and agencies and resolves complaints while providing public education.

The Eastvale Code Enforcement team consists of two seasoned, full-time Code Enforcement Officers and one Code Enforcement Volunteer.  This small, yet highly effective team engaged in 867 code actions since January 1, 2016, ranging from administrative citations, inspections, illegal signs, discarded shopping carts, parking citations, to scavenging enforcement and more.

The top five complaints that the Eastvale Code Enforcement Department responds to are (in order of call frequency):

1. Trash Bins in public view
2. Outdoor Storage
3. Property Maintenance
4. Boat and R.V. parking
5. Inoperable Vehicles

As a proactive approach to potential code violations, we recommend familiarizing yourself with the Eastvale Neighbor Preservation Overlay (ENPO) which may be found on the City’s website www.EastvaleCA.gov under the City Hall tab and select Code Enforcement.   The provisions of the ENPO zone apply to all currently approved and future residential developments. The Neighborhood Preservation Standards are meant to maintain a safe, orderly, sanitary and aesthetically pleasing environment on public and private properties.  The overlay covers topics such as landscaping, trash receptacles, parking, yard maintenance, façade treatment, outdoor lighting and temporary exterior holiday displays, to name a few.

Here are a few simple suggestions to help homeowners be consistent with the overlay and avoid code enforcement violations.  Ask yourself: Is my yard maintained like the rest of the neighborhood? Are my Holiday lights still up in March?  Are my trash bins BEHIND the gate?

One of the goals of Code Enforcement is to promote a positive image of the department and the services we provide to our community by promoting a culture that is helpful, customer service oriented, approachable, knowledgeable and of the highest integrity. We are dedicated to preserving and improving the high quality of life and standards here in Eastvale!

Should you have any questions or comments, City Hall may be reached at (951) 361-0900. City Hall office hours are Monday-Thursday from 7:30 am – 5:30 pm, closed every Friday. Residents can also report code violations via the E-Citizens app. For additional information please visit http://www.bit.ly.com/ECitizen.   City Hall encourages all residents and visitors to register for e-notification on the City’s website: www.EastvaleCA.gov.

Photo credit: by Valerie Hire
A car crashed through the backyard and into a home in Eastvale on Feb. 23.

By Carol Heyen

EASTVALE– The Espinoza family of Eastvale has been forced out of their home after a car crashed through a cement wall, into the back yard of their house and into their living room.
Just after 2 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 23, the fire department was advised of a car that had crashed into the first floor of a home in the 13800 block of Dellbrook Street, in the Brookdale Terrace housing development. A fire official at the scene said that the crash caused the car to burst into flames, which set the house on fire.  Firefighters were able to put the fire out within 20 minutes.
A resident of the home, Hunter Espinoza, said it sounded “like a bomb.”
“I was in shock for a little bit,” said Freddy Espinoza, Hunter’s father, who alerted the rest of his family members. “I went ‘there’s a car here and I think it’s going to catch fire.’ I told the people ‘get up, get out of the house.’ ”
One occupant of the home had minor injuries, and all five residents have been displaced so that repairs can be done. The American Red Cross was called to help the family find shelter.
The two occupants of the Saturn sedan fled the scene, and the cause of the collision is still under investigation.
Anyone with information about the incident was encouraged to call the Eastvale Police Department, which is serviced by the Jurupa Valley Sheriff’s Station, at 951-955-2600.
Hearing about the incident, VantagePoint Church in Eastvale decided to come together to help the Espinoza family. On Feb. 28, the church formed a “Cash Mob” at the Eastvale Gateway Center. The Espinoza’s was told they would be having lunch with VantagePoint Outreach Director Adam De Corte, but they didn’t know that a crowd of church members were roaming around the center waiting for “the signal,” according to church members. A silver bucket was placed in front of the Espinoza family, hundreds of church members and community members filled the bucket with money.
“When VantagePoint Church heard about this, we knew that we had to act,” Pastor Mark Lee said. “We have always aimed to live up to our mission statement, “Helping People to Become Living Proof of a Loving God. Today, we were able to live out our mission statement for the Espinoza family.”

Photo courtesy of Eastvale P.D.
Eastvale mail theft suspect Paul Wagner

Courtesy Eastvale P.D.

EASTVALE-On March 1, 2016, members of the Eastvale Police Department’s Special Enforcement Team (SET) responded to the 700 Block of Villa De Luna, in the city of Corona, to conduct a follow up investigation related to ongoing mail theft in the Eastvale area.  Once there, SET located Paul Wagner, who had a felony warrant for his arrest for Possession of a Controlled Substance for Sale.

During the investigation, members of the Eastvale Special Enforcement Team arrested Mr. Wagner.  A search warrant was obtained and during a search of Mr. Wagner’s residence, officers located over 100 stolen checks, 30 stolen credit cards, several washed checks, computer scanners, assorted tools used to break into mail boxes, and a U.S. Postal Service mailbox.  The mail and property recovered belonged to over 150 potential victims of theft and/or identity theft.  Victims were identified from Jurupa Valley, Eastvale, Corona, Norco, Fontana and several other cities. Deputies will follow-up with potential victims to ensure all victims are notified and any criminal acts are documented and properly submitted to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.  Information on crimes committed in other jurisdictions will be forwarded to the appropriate police agency.

Based on the evidence collected, members of the Special Enforcement Team gained a better understanding about how mail theft occurs and the techniques mail thieves are using to gain access to mailboxes.  The United States Postal Inspector’s office recommends the following actions to protect your mail:

• Use the letter slots inside your Post Office for your mail, or hand it to a letter carrier.
• Pick up your mail promptly after delivery. Don’t leave it in your mailbox overnight. If you’re expecting checks, credit cards, or other negotiable items, ask a trusted friend or neighbor to pick up your mail.
• If you don’t receive a check or other valuable mail you’re expecting, contact the issuing agency immediately.
• If you change your address, immediately notify your Post Office and anyone with whom you do business via the mail.
• Don’t send cash in the mail.
• Tell your Post Office when you’ll be out of town, so they can hold your mail until you return.
• Report all suspected mail theft to a Postal Inspector.
• Consider starting a neighborhood watch program. By exchanging work and vacation schedules with trusted friends and neighbors, you can watch each other’s mailboxes (as well as homes).
• Consult with your local Postmaster for the most up-to-date regulations on mailboxes, including the availability of locked centralized or curbside mailboxes.
• If you see a mail thief at work, or if you believe your mail was stolen, call police immediately, then call Postal Inspectors at 877-876-2455 (press 3).

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is committed to the safety of the citizens of Eastvale and will be vigilant in investigating all crimes of this nature. This investigation is ongoing and we are asking anyone with additional information to contact Deputy Ramirez at the Jurupa Valley Station at 951-955-2600.

Staff Reports

EASTVALE–  Did you know that Eastvale has an anti-scavenging ordinance?  It is illegal to search through trash containers in the city of Eastvale.  The purpose of the ordinance is to deter people from removing solid waste or recyclables from a public or private container.

The ordinance passed November 2012, after a rash of complaints from homeowners and businesses about trash scavengers.   The law states that, “It shall be unlawful for any person to do any of the following: scavenge from, tamper with, move, steal, tip, deface, or destroy any solid waste collection container, or the contents thereof.”

After State Assembly Bill 341 was signed into law July 2012, requiring cities to achieve a 75% reduction in waste by 2020, it became important for the city to accurately capture and report the amount of recycling and solid waste diversion taking place in Eastvale, in order to meet the mandatory state requirements. For waste measurement purposes, diversion is any combination of waste prevention (source reduction), recycling, reuse and composting activities that reduce waste disposed at landfills and transformation facilities.
The ordinance imposes a $100 fine for the first offense; $200 for the second offense within one year; and $500 for each additional violation within one year.

In addition, the City of Eastvale has the right to confiscate all solid waste or recyclables from any person who is in violation of or who is failing to comply with any of the requirements of the ordinance.

The anti-scavenging ordinance is enforced by the city’s Code Enforcement Department. Residents are encouraged to report any instances of scavenging to the Eastvale Code Enforcement Department by calling (951) 361-2888 or emailing:  Code_Complaint@eastvaleca.gov.
For more information about the City of Eastvale and useful recycling programs and resources, please visit: www.EastvaleCA.gov.