Category Archives: Rowland Heights

Pastor’s Corner: To Tell or Not To Tell

Mark Hopper

Many years ago we took our children on a trip to California. We spent two days at Disneyland and then drove north to visit my brother and his family in Grass Valley. Our kids enjoyed time with their cousins and we enjoyed catching up with my brother and his wife.


One day we went to a pumpkin patch and each of our kids and the cousins selected their own pumpkin. They looked forward to carving and decorating their own pumpkins for Halloween when we got home. On our way back to Arizona we realized we would need to stop at the border for an agricultural inspection. We knew we would be asked by the border agent if we had any agricultural products that we were bringing into Arizona from California.

My wife and I had a lively discussion about what we should say to the agriculture inspector. If we said that we did not have any agricultural items – our children would get to keep their precious pumpkins. But, our children would also know we did not tell the truth. On the other hand, if we did tell the border agent that we did have some agricultural items – their personal pumpkins might be confiscated at the border and they would have nothing to carve for Halloween.


What would you say if you were faced with a similar situation? Do you tell or not tell? Do you disclose or conceal. Do you tell the truth and risk the loss of the precious pumpkins? Or to you tell a lie and hope you don’t get caught?


A man named Abraham faced a similar test. His wife was beautiful. He told her to lie and tell people she was his sister. He told the same lie when he was asked about her. Abraham was afraid someone might kill him and take his wife (Genesis 20). Years later his own son Isaac did the same thing following of his father’s example (Genesis 26)!


I know people are more important than pumpkins. I believe it is better to tell the truth and face the consequences than to tell a lie. There is a verse in the Bible that says, “Put aside falsehood and speak truthfully” (Ephesians 4:25). Your reputation is on the line and your children may follow your example. When we got to the border we decided to tell the inspector about our precious pumpkins. We held our breath – then he said no problem. Pumpkins are permitted! Let me encourage you to tell the truth. We were glad we did and you will be too.

You can find more stories and articles by Mark Hopper at his web site – letmarkencourageyou.com. His book with 365 stories and articles (one for each day of the year) is available for $25 which includes postage – contact him at markh@efreedb.org.

Pastor’s Corner: The Man In The Mirror (Part Two)

Mark Hopper

In my previous article I shared about how we need to take a look in the mirror and see what changes we need to make in our own life. The words of the song Man in the Mirror and the story of the pastor with the rebellious daughter really drive home the principle that change needs to begin with you.

Many years ago I attended a helpful seminar on leadership. I picked up some useful ideas on how to be a more effective leader of our staff and our church. One of the speakers was Ken Blanchard, he was well known for his best-selling book – The One Minute Manager.  He shared an illustration that he often used with business leaders that has been very helpful to me as a husband, pastor and leader.

He said that when things are not going well, a foolish manager will look out his office window and place the blame on his workers. Why are sales and production declining? The employees must not be doing their jobs. On the other hand, when things are going well, a foolish manager will look in a mirror and congratulate himself for the great job he is doing.

Blanchard went on to say that when things are going well and sales are up and production is growing, a wise manager will look out the window and recognize the success is due to the hard work of his employees. And, when sales are down and production is declining, a wise manager will look in the mirror and ask himself – What am I doing wrong? What steps do I need to take to help our business improve?

There is a passage in the Bible where King David ignored the warning of his own advisors and demanded that his staff count the number of troops under his command. This action resulted in the death of a number of innocent people. David realized his mistake and asked God to forgive him and stop the devastation and destruction. He accepted responsibility for his arrogant behavior (Second Samuel chapter 24). If things aren’t going well in your life or business, let me encourage you to take a good look in the mirror. Ask yourself – what changes do you need to make in your life? Accept responsibility and change what you are doing. And if things are going well in your life or business, I hope you will give the credit to God and to the people who have made it possible. They will be glad you did and you will too.

Pastor Hopper has published a book with 365 of his articles and stories. The title is “Let Me Encourage You”. The cost is $25 which includes shipping. Order your copy at markh@efreedb.org.

Pastor’s Corner: The Man In The Mirror

Mark Hopper

Many years ago, I heard a pastor share his story about his relationship with his teenage daughter. He was discouraged and concerned that his daughter was angry and frustrated with him. One day he took his whole family to a local park. As they sat on some tree stumps, he asked his wife and each of their children this question – “What changes do I need to make in my life that can help heal our family”? He said it hurt deeply as each of them shared some of their frustrations with him. His teenage daughter was the most vocal. She told her father that he was too busy and he never listened to her.

After each of them shared, he told them he needed some time to be alone and think about what they had said. As he got up to leave, his daughter stopped him and said she needed to ask him the same question. “What changes did she need to make in her life?” This was a turning point in their strained relationship. His heart was softened and he began to make some changes in his schedule and he spent more time with his daughter. The daughter’s heart was softened and she began to make changes in her life too.

There is a passage in the Bible where Jesus said, “Before you try to remove the speck from your brother’s eye, you need to remove the log from your own eye” (Matthew 7:1-5). If there is a problem in your family, marriage or other relationship – the place to begin is in your own life. Look in a mirror and ask yourself this question – what am I doing that is causing problems in our relationship? What changes do I need to make in my life that will help heal the wounds and restore my relationship with others?

There is a song from the 1980’s written by a famous singer with the title – Man in the Mirror. Some of the words are, “If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change. I’m starting with the man in the mirror. I’m asking him to change his ways”.

I love the phrase – Changed people change people. I believe that when you make positive changes in your life it will produce positive changes in others too.  Your words, attitudes and actions can have a positive or negative impact on others. Let me encourage you to look in the mirror and ask yourself – what changes do I need to make in my life. You can ask your spouse, children or a trusted friend too. Pray and ask God to reveal some things to you that you need to change in your life with His help. You will be glad you did and those around you will too.

Pastor Hopper has published a book with 365 of his articles and stories. The title is “Let Me Encourage You”. The cost is $25 which includes shipping. Order your copy at markh@efreedb.org.

Pastor’s Corner: Water Pressure

Mark Hopper

When was the last time you checked the water pressure in your house? Most people have never checked it. We just turn on the faucet and we are thankful to have running water in our homes. We assume the water pressure is fine until we have a problem. Recently a hose burst in our bathroom in the middle of the night. My wife heard a noise and woke me up at 3:00 AM.  The noise came from the bathroom at the other end of the house. The hose that supplied water to the toilet had burst and it looked like a fire hose was flooding the bathroom, bedroom and hallway. I quickly turned off the valve but the water damage was extensive. I wondered why the small hose had burst and flooded the rooms. The next day I checked the water pressure in our house and discovered it was 120 PSI – twice what it should be. A few weeks later I was able to replace the water pressure regulator which reduced the pressure down to a normal 60 PSI.

Just as high water pressure can damage your home and high blood pressure can damage your heart, outbursts of anger can cause serious physical and emotional damage to yourself and to others. Two different words are used to describe anger in Ephesians 4:31-32. One word is thumos which describes outbursts of anger when people lose their temper and vent their anger with words and deeds. The other word for anger is orge which is a slow, simmering temper that gradually builds up like a volcano until it finally bursts or explodes.  Both of these types of anger can be harmful and destructive just like high water pressure and high blood pressure.

In the same passage there are two different words – kindness and compassion. These are helpful and constructive. They are the antidote of anger.  Kindness and compassion seek to resolve problems and restore relationships. Words and acts of anger damage and destroy relationships. If anger is simmering beneath the surface in your heart or revealing itself in harmful words and deeds, let me encourage you to get help.  A new ministry called Domestic Kindness is equipping churches to be part of the solution to domestic abuse. Find them at domestickindness.org. Let me encourage you to ask God and ask those you have hurt to forgive you. Ask God to give you a heart of kindness and compassion that comes through faith in Christ. You will be glad you did and your family and friends will too!

Pastor Hopper has published a book with 365 of his articles and stories. The title is “Let Me Encourage You“. The cost is $25 which includes shipping. Order your copy at markh@efreedb.org.

The Eye Of The Beholder

Michael Armijo

It was a warm yet windy day filled with strong sorrow. The air reflected a deep sense of respect as people gathered to say goodbye to a friend whose spirit had left the earth.

As everyone gathered, the vibrant, wooden casket lay atop the ground as the family huddled closely around. The youngest, a young man, gazed at the casket while tears flowed from his swollen eyes. He walked up and laid his cheek on the rigid, shiny, wooden box, as his white-gloved hands gently caressed the top of the last home his father’s body would ever have. He laid gentle kisses on the top of the casket, as his unconditional love was reflected in front of all those who watched. A gentle whisper was heard a row back, “Did you see that? How sad.”

When I heard those words, I felt something deep inside that disagreed; something that didn’t see the message of sadness when the boy showed his emotions. Instead, I saw an act of love. A love so strong, it displayed the true meaning of unconditional love. Something deep inside that didn’t care if the world looked on or what people felt. A feeling of purity, of joy, and of strength.

I believe the old saying, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” I believe we all see life in certain light, and sometimes, in certain darkness. I also believe that when we express the darkness which surrounds our lives, it spreads like a contagious and cancerous disease. It attaches by simple contact, clings like a dependent child, and deteriorates in a short amount of time.

I’ve learned that opinions are only perceptions of a person’s immediate thinking, and reflections of someone’s inner self. What we see is usually what we feel, what we feel deep inside. Without realizing it, we express past experiences, deep histories, insecurities about our future, and we reflect the perception of our own lives.

I also believe that when we see life in its darkest hour, we have the opportunity to see life through the brightest light. For some, it’s a short path traveled to a place inside that holds our mind hostage from our heart. For others, it’s a level of confidence that sits deep within that’s been damaged by a careless act from another.

I believe that the true meaning of life can only be understood through the light of beauty and the inner joy that sits deep in our hearts. I believe the vision of what will come can only be seen through the eyes of a believer. I feel the truest form of emotion can only be felt when a person can feel the presence of a higher power, a stronger entity, something or someone greater than themselves.

I understand that life is not always what it is expected to be. It changes moods like a spoiled child. But I also understand that life can be what we want it to be; all we have to do is apply our hearts in front of our minds. Following what we truly feel, not what we think we see, is the only way to put aside our petty angry thoughts and our insignificant bitterness. Because just as the young man who helped bury his father, the tears that flow from our swollen eyes are tears of love that can only be seen when beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Planes of Fame Airshow 2020

Planes of Fame Airshow Fans

Planes of Fame Air Museum is proud to present the Planes of Fame Air Show on May 2-3, 2020 ‘Victory Through Air Power’. Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII we will be  featuring over 50 historic aircraft, including the B-25 Mitchell, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-38 Lightning, F4U Corsair and P-51 Mustangs flying for your enjoyment. We invite you to join us in honoring the history, contributions, and sacrifices of our Veterans.

USAF Heritage Flight

Performers include: USAF A-10 Thunderbolt II Demo and Heritage Flight, Pacific, European & Korean war era Flight Displays, Gregory ‘Wired’ Colyer T-33 Aerobatics, Philipp Steinbach GB1 GameBird Aerobatics, Sanders Sea Fury Aerobatics, John Collver AT-6/SNJ Aerobatics, Rob Harrison the Tumbling Bear and more!

USAF A-10 Thunderbolt II Demo Team

There will be a Kids Zone, static displays and plenty of food & vendors!

In addition to many other fantastic airplanes that will be performing and on static display, there will be a special panel discussion with some of our honored Veterans. Follow our Planes of Fame Facebook page to receive up to the minute news on Performers, attending Aircraft and Veterans!

Start your Air Show weekend early! Planes of Fame Air Museum opens at 10:00 am on Friday May 1st. Regular admission to the Air Museum includes a tram ride out to the display area as well as access to Planes of Fame Air Museum. Participating aircraft will be arriving throughout the day. Display area closes to the public at 4:00 pm.


Planes of Fame Air Show, Saturday and Sunday May 2-3 2020  8am – 4pm   See all of your favorite airplanes fly!

Get there Early, you don’t want to miss the ‘Victory Through Air Power’ Opening Ceremony and National Anthem Commemoration!

F4U Corsair. Over 40 WWII aircraft will fly.

Free Admission Kids 11 Years & Under, General Admission $30, Preferred Parking $20,

Grandstand Seats, Sunrise Photo Access Passes and RV Parking are available to purchase online at: WWW.PLANESOFFAME.ORG

SAVE $5 on General Admission Tickets when you purchase online! (Limited Time Offer)

FOR INFO AND TICKETS GO TO WWW.PLANESOFFAME.ORG

For more information please contact :

Harry ‘T’ Geier

Director of Marketing Planes of Fame Air Museum

14998 Cal Aero Drive, Chino, CA  91710

Tel – 909-597-7576   harry.geier@planesoffame.org   http://www.planesoffame.org

Rocky Bettar Named Adult Ed Administrator of the Year

Staff Reports 

ROWLAND HEIGHTS –– Rowland Unified Superintendent Dr. Julie Mitchell announced that Rocky Bettar, Director of Adult Education/Career Preparation, has been named as the statewide Adult Education Administrator of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA). Bettar is considered an industry expert in the adult education field by his peers. He has been a leader in adult education since 1995 when he was named Director of Rowland Adult & Community Education. He is an advocate for Adult Education at the local and state level, serving in many roles in ACSA, such as Region XV Adult Ed Chair and as State ACSA Adult Ed Council President. Bettar will be honored at the 2018 ACSA Leadership Summit November 8-10 in San Diego. 

“To be recognized by State ACSA as Adult Ed administrator of the year is very humbling,” said Bettar. “This recognition does not occur without the support of our board and district administration as they see the value of Adult Education in RUSD. But most importantly, the teachers and staff at RACE are the ones that allows our school to be what it is in our district community and I am just the beneficiary of this award. This award is truly our schools and the district’s. Without them, it would not have happened.” 

Bettar is proud to have grown the Rowland Adult & Community Education (RACE) program, collaborating with the adult learners since many are parents of the TK-12 students in the district. “As we look to the future, the landscape for adult education has changed and now that we are part of a consortium and have dedicated funding, hence the flex years which damaged Adult Ed in the state is a thing of the past, we are ramping up program and services,” said Bettar. “We currently offer classes at 16 different locations in our district boundaries. We are expanding our Distance Learning opportunities for our ESL students, expanding this to five elementary sites during the morning, we have created what is essentially individual learning plans for our adult diploma and GED students, which we call ACES, Adult Compact for Educational Success and continue to explore and try different things that will resonate with the adult learner.” 

Under Bettar’s leadership, the school has been awarded the California Golden Bell for its’ Community Based English Tutoring program, and has attained a 6-year WASC Accreditation in every WASC that the school has done since 1995. Bettar has also been instrumental in Career Vocational Education in Rowland Unified, founding the unique Career Pathways Program where every high school student in Rowland Unified is exposed to two or more Career Technical Education (CTE) courses in a student’s area or career interest to graduate. Pathways are in 8 of 15 industry sector areas and students can also choose to earn a Certification of Completion in a career pathway that further develops professional and personal skills including participation in an internship. 

 

Indecent Exposure Incidents near Rowland High School

Walnut/Diamond Bar Station

Rowland Heights – There has been recent incidents of indecent exposure near Rowland High School. Previous incidents involve students being asked for directions from someone inside of a vehicle. Suspect described as a male White or male Hispanic in a dark colored vehicle.  The public is asked to remain vigilant in the vicinity of the school.
•     Be cautious of strangers calling you towards their vehicle
•      Do not approach vehicles you do not recognize
•      Stay in groups of two or more while walking home or waiting to be picked up (use the buddy system)
•      Be aware of your surroundings, do not become distracted with your cell phone
•      Call for help should you find yourself in an uncomfortable or potentially dangerous situation
•      See something, say something
In an emergency dial 911
http://sheriff.lacounty.gov/wps/portal/lasd
http://shq.lasdnews.net/pages/patrolstation.aspx?id=WAL%20
If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP on Google play or the Apple App Store or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org/

Any information for  Jim McDonnell, Sheriff, Los Angeles County

DETECTIVE L. GOMEZ OR DETECTIVE D. COLEMAN Walnut/Diamond Bar Station Detective Bureau
21695 E. Valley Blvd., Walnut, 91789
(909) 595-2264

 

Large Amount of Cash Found

Sheriff Dept. Looking For Owner

By Michael Armijo

Rowland Heights, CA –A large amount of money that was found in Rowland Heights and turned into the Walnut Diamond Bar Sheriff Station is looking for it’s owner. And if no one come forward, the Sheriff’s Department will deposit it into an account unless the finder makes a claim.

“A resident found the large amount of money and turned it into us, so we are currently looking for the owner,” said Detective Blaylock, from the Rowland Heights substation. “They have 30 days to recover the money, and we will not be releasing the amount, the location, nor the denominations of course. The owner will know those facts.”

The process of unclaimed money is the owner has 30 days to claim the money to get it back. After the 30 days, the FINDER can make a claim to the money. But what if you DON’T report the money?

So what’s the law?

Until now, laws around keeping found cash has been pretty hazy. Technically, the crime is known as ‘theft by finding’.  This means that if you find a wad of cash on the street and don’t try to return it to its owner – by handing it into the shop, for example, or the police – you’re guilty of theft.

What if there’s no way of knowing where it came from?

You should try and find the owner – even if it’s only $5. This is where it gets a little bit more complicated…

Daniel Wise, associate solicitor at Slater Heelis LLP, told Metro.co.uk that not reporting this money is ‘theft’. ‘There are many cases will no doubt come as a surprise to many people, but it serves as a timely reminder of the definition of “theft” – which has remained largely unchanged for almost 50 years,’ he said.

‘Under the Theft Act 1968, a person is guilty of theft if they “dishonestly appropriate property [including cash] belonging to another”.

‘Lost property will continue to “belong to another”, unless it has genuinely been abandoned by the owner. The fact that cash has been dropped in the street does not necessarily mean it has been abandoned.’

However, he adds that in the end it’s down to whether you could reasonably believe the owner of the cash was untraceable, or you had already taken reasonable steps to find them – such as by going to the police.
But for now, a large amount of money is sitting in the Sheriff’s Department looking for it’s owner. If you are, or know of the owner, please contact Det. Blaylock at the Sheriff Sub Station: 626.913.1715, directly: 909.859.2838, email: tblaylo@lasd.org, or go to the Walnut Station located at 21695 Valley Blvd, Walnut, CA 91789.

Housekeeper Arrested For Burglary

Staff Reports

Rowland Heights – Marco Rivas, a 25 year old man from Rowland Heights was stopped by Walnut deputies on a routine traffic stop. He was driving a Green Honda Accord and was pulled over at Batson Avenue and Colima Road. When the deputies questioned Rivas they discovered that he was had never been issued a driver’s license in his life. Upon a search of his vehicle a large Samsonite bag containing jewelry and jewelry boxes with Asian writing on them were found. The search also produced several smaller bags containing watches, electronics, and credit cards in other people’s names. The last thing they were able to find was a bag with what can be described as burglary type tools. Rivas was arrested for receiving stolen property and possession of burglary tools. Later at the station during questioning Rivas confessed to stealing the items while working as a housekeeper. According to Captain Reyes of the LACSD at the Walnut/Diamond Bar Station, “they have only able to trace one of the victim’s credit cards back to them and have not been able to identify the victim’s of any of the stolen jewelry or other credit cards”. The case was rejected because the LA County District Attorney’s office did not approve of the complaint report that was filed and decided not to prosecute Rivas. Not all arrests or citations result in the filing of criminal charges. In some cases district attorney’s office may decline to prosecute or “reject” a case if there is insufficient evidence or if more investigation is required. The statute of limitations for the district attorney’s office to file misdemeanor charges is generally one year and they three years to file on most felonies.

 

Upcoming RHCCC Meeting

Rowland Heights- The Rowland Heights Community Coordinating Council (RHCCC) holds a monthly community meeting the second Monday of each month from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Rowland Heights Community Center located at Pathfinder Park, 18150 E. Pathfinder Road, Rowland Heights. Supervisor Don Knabe & Sheriff Jim McDonnel will be featured at this event.

This month’s meeting will be held September 12, 2016.  The first hour of the meeting will consist of a reception and award ceremony honoring Los Angeles County Fourth District Supervisor Don Knabe on his 20 years of service.  At 8:00 p.m. the featured speaker for the evening will be Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell. He will give a presentation on a special training program he has introduced to better train deputies to recognize mentally ill patients and provide them options to minimize the need for resorting to deadly force.

All residents in surrounding areas are welcome to attend.  There is no admission fee.

June 2016 SGV News

2016-06-SGVNews-COVERSGV News covers Diamond Bar, Walnut, La Puente, Rowland Heights and surrounding areas of the San Gabriel Valley; portions of the western Inland Empire; and northern Orange County. Click this link to access the complete issue in PDF format: 2016-06-SGVNews-WEB

Rowland Heights: Woman Charged With Fatal Stabbing

Photo Courtesy: DMV Lisette Kimberly Moreno

Photo Courtesy: DMV
Lisette Kimberly Moreno

Staff Reports

Rowland Heights – On Tues., Aug. 18, a 19-year old woman was charged with killing her brother’s girlfriend with a pair of scissors.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Lisette Kimberly Moreno has been charged with one count of murder. The felony complaint includes a special allegation that the defendant personally used a deadly and dangerous weapon – scissors – during the commission of the crime.
Moreno was scheduled to be arraigned on Aug. 18, but the court appearance has been continued to Sept. 17 in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Pomona Branch.
Prosecutors said on Aug. 16, Moreno reportedly got into an argument with her brother’s girlfriend at a Rowland Heights home. Following the verbal exchange, Moreno allegedly stabbed the victim, Annette Martinez, before fleeing the area.
Authorities were called and Martinez was taken to the hospital, where she ultimately succumbed to her injuries.
After the attack, law enforcement located Moreno and arrested her in connection with the fatal stabbing.
If convicted as charged, Moreno faces a possible maximum sentence of 26 years to life in state prison.

Rowland Heights: Buckboard Days Scholarship Pageant

Photo Courtesy: BuckboardDaysParade.org

Photo Courtesy: BuckboardDaysParade.org

By Gina Ward

Rowland Heights – With an outpouring of community and business support, a new scholarship pageant has launched to help local high school students receive funds for college/career plans.

The Miss Buckboard Days Scholarship Pageant will be held on Sat., Sept. 12, 11 a.m., at the Rowland Heights Community Center (18150 E. Pathfinder Road, Rowland Heights).

The scholastic event focuses on the spirit of giving which mirrors this year’s Buckboard Parade theme of, “Good Neighbors, Good Friends.” A distinguished panel of community members will judge students on community-focused speech presentations. A total of $1,800 in scholarships will be given with a $1,000 Scholarship, a $500 Scholarship and a $300 Scholarship. The Queen and her Court will ride in a traditional horse-drawn buckboard in the 43rd Annual Buckboard Days Parade and Festival on Sat., Oct. 17.

“We are excited to showcase this pioneering group of student contestants who truly showcase the values of our community, the skills being taught in our schools, and reward our top contestants with scholarship funds to help them reach their goals,” said Teri Malkin, Pageant Chair.  “We want to thank our many supporters including the Nogales High School Fashion Design Class that designed formal attire for some of the students, and support from the Rowland Unified School District and Family Resource Center.”

Student contestants are all juniors and seniors residing within the Rowland Unified School District boundaries.

The event is sponsored by the Buckboard Days Parade Committee, Diamond Plaza and support from Los Angeles County. More information can be found at buckboarddaysparade.org.

Rowland Heights: RUSD Student Wins Poster Contest

Staff Reports

Rowland Heights – Rowland Unified School District/Killian Elementary Student, Marlene Tjutiwaty, recently became the 3rd Grade winner of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s, “Junior Fire Chiefs Poster Contest.”

The contest was designed to help send the message to “Visit a Professional Fireworks Show,” in an effort to promote Independence Day safety.”

Tjutiwaty – daughter of a Rowland Unified School District employee – was selected from more than 200 3rd Grade entries. She was recognized – along with all the 2015 Junior Fire Chiefs – on July 2, at a press conference at Los Angeles County Fire Department Headquarters.

San Gabriel Valley: Church Youth Leader Arrested

Photo Courtesy: SBSD Yanhao Ren

Photo Courtesy: SBSD
Yanhao Ren

Staff Reports

Rowland Heights – On Sun., July 12, just before midnight, CHP Officers conducted a welfare check on the occupants of a vehicle parked in a turn-out of Highway 330, near Fredalba Road in San Bernardino County.  A 24-year old male and a 13-year old female were found in the back of the vehicle. According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department – in cooperation with personnel from the California Highway Patrol’s Lake Arrowhead Office and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Twin Peaks Station – Detectives from the Crimes Against Children Detail arrested Yanhao Ren (aka Eric Ren), 24, of Fullerton, on Mon., July 13, for engaging in a sexual relationship with the victim, 13, of Rowland Heights.

Ren has been a youth leader for the Evangelical Formosan Church of Rowland Heights for the past two years, and has attended that church since 2006.  The victim met Ren while attending youth programs there. They told officers they have been involved in a sexual relationship since May. Investigators have determined that during the following months they engaged in several sexual acts in the counties of Orange, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino.

Ren was booked into the Central Detention Center on charges of Sex Crimes, Sodomy, Oral Copulation, Penetration with a Foreign Object and Kidnapping (all with a child under the age of 14).  He is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail and was arraigned on July 15 at the San Bernardino Justice Center.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is encouraged to call Detective John Everman at the Crimes Against Children Detail, at (909) 387-3615.

DEL Records Donates $12,000 To Nogales HS

By Gina K. Ward

DEL WEBRowland Heights – On Fri., Apr. 10, the Rowland Unified School District announced that DEL Records – the largest regional record company in the United States – along with SONY Latin U.S., has donated more than $12,000 to RUSD for student and teacher scholarships.

“On behalf of DEL Records, we are pleased to make a difference in the lives of future leaders,” said Nogales High School Alumnus and Executive Vice President of External Affairs for DEL Records, Brian Gutierrez. Of the funds donated, DEL Records will contribute $5,000 to Nogales High School for student scholarships that will be awarded to graduating seniors and one underclassman student.

“We want to recognize students for their academic efforts, good citizenship and commitment to their community. DEL Records believes that students today are the leaders of tomorrow,” said Gutierrez.

Nogales High School students can apply for the DEL Records Scholarship beginning the week of Apr. 27.

An additional $3,000 will be used for RUSD teacher classroom grants.

“It is important that teachers are recognized for their hard work and dedication to students. This grant will allow them a shopping spree to buy materials and other items for their classrooms and students,” said Angel Del Villar, owner of DEL Records.

A donation of $4,200 was also made by DEL Records to support this year’s “Principal For A Day” event, which supports schools and student scholarships for the Bassett, Hacienda, La Puente, and Rowland Unified School Districts, and the La Puente Valley Regional Occupational Program.

DEL Records is the largest Latin Regional music record label in North America and is a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment Latin U.S. For more information, visit www.delrecords.com or www.Facebook.com/DelRecords.

 

 

First General Bank Continues RUSD Scholarships

By Gina Ward

Rowland Heights – On Mon., Feb. 2, First General Bank announced that applications for the 2015 First General Bank Scholarship Fund were available. The scholarship fund provides financial assistance to graduating Rowland Unified School District (RUSD) high school students who have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership and community involvement.  This is the third year of support to RUSD – offering five scholarship awards in the amount of $1,000 each – for students in need.

“We are pleased to continue our support for education in our community through working together with RUSD,” stated President and Chief Executive Officer, Cliff Hsu. “Once again, this year First General Bank will award a total of $5,000 in scholarships to five eligible students, providing financial assistance for their higher education expenses.”

Seniors from Rowland High School, Nogales High School and Santana High School that are in financial need, have a 3.5 GPA (or higher) for all four years, and who have demonstrated leadership through school and community involvement and service may apply for the scholarships, Feb. 2 through 20.

“We appreciate the continued support of our students by community partners such as First General Bank,” said RUSD Superintendent, Julie Mitchell, Ed.D. “We thank them for making this opportunity available for our students who desire to continue their education, but who have financial challenges which make it difficult for them to achieve their post-secondary goals.”

The First General Bank Scholarship deadline is 4 p.m. on Feb. 20.  Applications are available at each high school. For more details about the application process, please contact the RUSD Educational Services Division at (626) 854-8348.

RUSD is proud to serve 15,000 students at 20 elementary and secondary schools in the communities of Rowland Heights, Walnut, La Puente, City of Industry, and West Covina. More than 5,000 adults (16+) are also served by the Rowland Adult and Community Education School. For more information about Rowland Unified, contact Gina Ward at (626) 854-8352 or visit www.RowlandSchools.org.

Rowland Heights: 42nd Annual Rowland Heights Buckboard Days

BY GINA K. WARD

Rowland Heights – This year’s 42nd Annual Buckboard Days Parade and Festival will be held on Sat., Oct. 18, in Rowland Heights, and will be bigger than ever with the theme, “Nature in Our Own Backyard.”  

Rowland-heights-buckboard-parade

(Photo Courtesy: buckboarddaysparade.org)

Co-organized by the Rowland Heights Chinese Association and the Rowland Heights Community Coordinating Council, the parade will feature a variety of local school bands, community organizations, equestrian groups, floats, and the Wells Fargo Stage Coach. Local environmental scientist and educator, Kimo Morris, Ph.D., is this year’s Parade Grand Marshal.

The parade begins at 9 a.m. at the corner of Nogales and Colima, and will conclude at Rowland Heights County Park. There is no parade entry fee for community organizations and individuals. There is a $50 fee for each commercial or business application. The deadline for Buckboard Parade Entries to be included in the parade program is Sept. 17. To be in the parade but not the program, the final deadline is Oct. 10. All parade and festival applications can be found at www.buckboarddaysparade.org. Applications can be emailed to buckboardparade@hotmail.com.

Following the parade will be a Family Festival at Rowland Heights County Park from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. For everyone’s enjoyment, there will be entertainment on stage and throughout the park, with a variety of community booths offering food, handmade arts and crafts, and community information and services until 2 p.m., organized by the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation. For Festival Booth Applications, please contact Letty Guerrero at Rowland Heights Park by email at lguerrero@parks.lacounty.gov. Applications are available at www.buckboarddaysparade.org.

The Hacienda Heights Kiwanis Club will be sponsoring a pancake breakfast before the parade, starting at 7 a.m. Come early and enjoy breakfast at the Bell Memorial Church parking lot on Nogales, near the corner of Colima (1747 Nogales Street, Rowland Heights). Breakfast is just $5 per person.

The Parade Co-Chairs are Rachel Fung, Rowland Heights Chinese Association, and John Grant, Rowland Heights Community Coordinating Council. The Buckboard Days Parade Sponsors are Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe; Los Angeles Parks & Recreation Department; Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol; First General Bank; Aera Energy, LLC; Southern California Edison; Henry Woo Architects; Rowland Water District; Walnut Valley Water; Southlands Christian Schools; Advanced Martial Arts; SK Taekwondo School; and the Shaolin Temple Cultural Center.

 

 

 

The Weekly News Complete Edition 09.06.14

The Weekly 09.06.14

 

The Weekly News covers community news for Diamond Bar, Walnut, Chino Hills, Rowland Heights and surrounding areas of San Gabriel Valley and the Inland Empire. Click this link Sept6WeeklyAll to access the complete Sept 6th issue in pdf format.