Category Archives: The Weekly News

The Worms Are Back

mark-hopper-color-2x2Mark Hopper

This has been a long, hot summer.  Recently, we have enjoyed cooler weather in Southern California, but the hot summer weather took a toll on my vegetable garden.

The tomato plants produced very few tomatoes during the hot summer months.  But, now the plants look better and there are more blossoms again.  I hope we are in for a second harvest in the weeks ahead.

But, there is a new adversary in the garden.  Along with new green leaves and tiny new blossoms are some big, ugly green worms.

These green tomato worms have a large horn on their head.  They blend in with the green leaves and are very hard to see.

I am not sure where they come from or how they get into my garden, but I suspect that some butterfly’s may be responsible.

Two ways I can tell that the worms are back are the black droppings that they leave behind and the twigs that they have consumed.

These ugly, green worms can devastate a healthy plant very quickly.  They must eat night and day.

I don’t like to use bug spray in my garden.  My best way to get rid of the worms is to pull off the branch they are eating and toss it and the worm in the trash.

I have been vigilant, keeping an eye out for these determined adversaries.  It is man against nature.  It seems like nature and the worms are winning.

If you have had any success against these green tomato worms, please let me know.  If you have a homemade or secret remedy, I would like to hear from you.

Raising healthy tomatoes is more difficult than you think.  The little seeds that I planted last spring have grown into big, healthy plants.  They have survived the heat of summer and seem to be ready to produce a new crop.  But, the worms are back – they seemed determined to prevail.

Pastor Mark Hopper is from the Evangelical Free Church of Diamond Bar, 3255 South Diamond Bar Blvd.  Sunday services are 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.  For more information, call (909) 594-7604 or visit Efreedb.org.

OurWeeklyNews.com Complete Edition 10.15.16

The Weekly News covers community news for Chino, Chino Hills, 2016-oct-15-weekly-cover
Diamond Bar, Walnut, Rowland
Heights and surrounding areas of San Gabriel Valley and the Inland Empire. Click this link to access the complete issue in PDF format:2016-oct-15-weekly-all-pages

Council Recap

Diamond Bar – Natalie Kim

The September 20 Diamond Bar Council meeting began with several presentations. First, the Council presented David Liu with a certificate plaque in recognition for 25 years of service to the City. Now the Public Works Director, Liu’s dedication and service to the City helped create the beautiful Diamond Bar residents know and love. The Council also proclaimed Sep 23, 2016 as “Vin Scully Day” in honor of Vin Scully’s 67 years of broadcasting for the L.A. Dodgers. Finally, the Council presented Smart and Final Extra at 240 Diamond Bar Blvd with a certificate plaque honoring them as the new business of the month.

Next, the City Manager updated the Council on the Diamond Canyon Park project. Although bureaucracy and paperwork delayed work on the project, the City Manager announced the good news that the project is scheduled to be complete by this coming December. The City Manager also announced Diamond Bar’s Restaurant Week, from October 8 to October 24. Diamond Bar will showcase its wide variety of restaurants and eating establishments, with participating restaurants offering special deals during Restaurant Week, and residents are encouraged to explore the many gastronomical options the City has to offer.

During the public comments, a representative from the Diamond Bar Public Library announced several upcoming events, including a celebration of Mexican culture and the chance to meet a police officer and his canine partner.

Following the public comments, the City Manager then read the schedule of future events, which consisted of the Parks and Recreation meeting on September 22; the Planning Commission meeting on September 27; the next City Council meeting on October 4; and the highly anticipated Diamond Bar Restaurant Week from October 8-14.

The Council then approved all items on the Consent Calendar, including the minutes from the Special General Plan Update Kickoff Joint Meeting with the Planning Commission of August 10 and the minutes from the regular City Council meeting of August 16; minutes from the Traffic and Transportation meeting of July 14; ratification of a check register totalling $2,131,130.81; the Treasurer’s Statement for the month of July, 2016; an ordinance revising the City’s purchasing system, amending the Diamond Bar Municipal Code and rescinding the previous ordinance in its entirety; an agreement with Los Angeles SMSA Limited Partnership, DBA Verizon Wireless, to construct a wireless communications site at Pantera Park; approval of full exoneration of a surety bond to complete in-tract private street improvement, reduction of 75% of a surety bond to complete landscape improvements, reduction of 75% of a surety bond to complete traffic signal improvements and reduction of 90% of a surety bond to complete sewer improvements for Willow Heights located at the Southeast Corner of Diamond Bar Blvd and Brea Canyon Rd; adopting a resolution amending fiscal year 2016-17 budget in the Parks and Recreation department; approval of an amendment to the consulting services agreement for stormwater compliance and environmental engineering services with John L. Hunter & Associates; adopting a resolution approving and ordering the summary vacation of a portion of a 50’ wide easement for a future street and a portion of a 20’-50’ wide easement for slope purposes located westerly of Timbertop Lane and Southerly of Lazy Meadows Drive; and fiscal year 2017 appropriation adjustments for carry forward expenditures, special revenue funds carryovers, capital project carryovers, fiscal year 2015-16 final adjustments and the establishment of a new fiduciary fund.

Making treasure out of trash

Dickson Elementary School in Chino collects recyclable items from its students, staff, parents, and community every Friday. All proceeds are used to purchase Dickson’s “Character Counts” agendas for students.
“Not only does this help oschool-pic-2-webur school site to purchase agendas for our students, but it teachers the kids about responsibility and taking care of the environment,” said front office staff member Leticia Tafoya.

Pictured: Dickson Elementary School’s Student Council with some of the recyclable items they collected on a recent Friday.

 

Ask Clark’s

By Clark’s Nutrition and Natural Foods Market"ask clarks" header

A Letter from Janice from Palm Desert

“I want to use essential fatty acids, but where do I start?”

First, I think it is important to understand what essential fatty acids are.

Essential fatty acids are fatty acids that cannot be made by the body and must be obtained from the diet. Essential fats are used by the body to make other substances that control or regulate growth, maintenance and proper function of many physiological processes. Some of the processes essential fatty acids (or EFA’s) help include modulating inflammation, fever, regulating immune responses, and overall cardiovascular health. These manufactured substances are called eicosanoids. These substances are better known as prostaglandins, leukotineines, cytokines and others that regulate inflammatory or anti-inflammatory actions in the body. Eicosanoids are local-acting hormones.  The body makes eicosanoids from fats which include essential fatty acids. The essential fatty acids are called linolenic acid and linoleic acid. Linolenic acids are omega 3 fatty acids while linoleic fatty acids are called omega 6 fatty acids. These are polyunsaturated fats (meaning they are not fully saturated with hydrogen’s, which is one of the chemicals that make up fats). Omega 3 fatty acids and some omega 6 fats seem to have the most prolific effect on reducing the manufacturing of inflammatory substances. Omega 3 fatty acids are also involved in cardiovascular benefits such as reduction in blood triglycerides and blood pressure thus, making omega 3 fats often sought out. The American diet is typically abundant in omega 6 fatty acids, about 10 grams of fats a day, while the diet is typically low and often devoid of omega 3 fatty acids.

Omega 3 and 6 fatty acid food sources have become popular ‘super’ foods today. Omega 6 oils are found in nuts, soy, corn, sunflower, walnuts, peanuts, canola and safflower. Most salad dressings are rich in these omega 6 oils. Foods that are abundant in omega 3 fats include (in ascending order), olive oil, walnut oil, pumpkin, soy oil, canola oil, hemp and flaxseed oil (the highest). Certain fish are abundant in omega 3 fats and are converted into a more active form called EPA and DHA. The American Heart Association recommends two servings of fish a week including salmon, cod and mackerel bringing in the higher amounts of omega 3’s. The intake for omega 3 fats is considered to be adequate at about 2 grams a day for men and 1 gram a day for women. Many authorities suggest approximately 5 grams a day of omega 3 for health benefits. The use of foods is the primary recommendation while supplementation is helpful to achieve our needs. Supplementation should include rich sources of omega 3 fatty acids, GLA a specific omega 6 fats from borage, evening primrose oil or black current oil would be beneficial as well. A combination of fish and flax are good supplements in my opinion.

Have a health related question?

Send us your question along with your first and last name, and city you live in to: askclarks@clarksnutrition.com

Due to the number of responses, we will only be able to answer published questions.

25 Year-old Cold Case Solved

Staff Reports

San Bernardino – On May 27, 1991, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department (SBCSD) responded to the report of a death in the 1800 Block of Santa Fe Avenue. When deputies arrived, they found the victim, Cynthia White, dead from strangulation. Homicide detectives interviewed numerous possible suspects until the case went cold in 1993.

In 2012, the SBCSD’s homicide cold case team re-opened the case and submitted new evidence for DNA analysis. The following year in June, Dean Eric Dunlap was identified as the primary suspect for White’s murder and began to be investigated. Unbeknownst to detectives, Dunlap was already in prison, on death row, for the kidnapping, murder, and rape of a 9-year-old girl.

At the end of the investigation, Deputy District Attorney Denise Yoakum reviewed the case and charged Dunlap with murder on October 4, 2016. Dunlap’s bail was set at $1,000,000. He is currently serving on death row at San Quentin State Prison and will be transferred to San Bernardino County to face his charges.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call Detective Patty Ruiz, Detective Ed DeLaTorre, or Sergeant Greg Myler at 909-387-3589. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can call the We-tip Hotline at 1-800-782-7463 or can go online at http://www.wetip.com.

Did You Know?

6 Tips to Battle Everyday Messes

By StatePointdid-you-know-pic-web

When it comes to cleaning up after children, it often feels impossible to keep up. Don’t let the housework get the best of you; there are strategies that can help make being a parent just a little bit easier. Check out these helpful tips to ensure the kids are having fun, while your home stays tidy — and your sanity remains intact.

  1. The Cleanup Game.

In the words of Mary Poppins, “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun, and — SNAP! — the job’s a game!” Hold children accountable for picking up after themselves, by making it seem like less of a chore and more like a game. Issue each child a challenge, such as asking him or her to pick up as many red toys as possible before a timer expires. If successful, consider giving a small reward.

  1. Sticky-Finger Solution.

Even the pickiest of eaters can’t say no to a sticky peanut butter and jelly sandwich. However, the remnants on dishes can be a nuisance to wash. Ease the pain and upgrade to a faucet with extra power options, such as Power Clean spray technology, available on select Moen kitchen faucets. Power Clean makes clean-up fast and easy. You’ll soon notice peanut butter, tomato sauce and other tough-to-rinse foods are no longer an issue.

  1. Arts and Crafts Aftermath.

There’s nothing more entertaining than a messy arts and crafts hour. From finger paints and crayons to markers and glitter, it’s all fun and games until mom has to wipe up the aftermath — especially the glitter. Easily tidy up glitter spills with a lint roller. It works wonders on all surfaces including clothing and furniture. For embedded sparkles, use rubber gloves to loosen them from the surface, then roll over the area with a lint brush or vacuum.

  1. Keep Towels Handy.

Spills and messes can often seem endless. Keep towels close by and easy to access for the entire family by installing a towel ring or towel bar in the kitchen. For instance, the new Press & Mark installation system by Moen makes it easy. It features a washable ink stamp to show users exactly where to drill, and select accessories even include a self-adhesive level, helping to ensure proper and accurate installation.

  1. When in Doubt, Dance.

Burn some energy and get the family involved in housework by enjoying a nightly pick-up session. Crank up the music and dance your way around the room until everything is back in order. Assign each family member a task, like dusting or organizing, and groove your way to a more orderly abode.

  1. Make Every Bath a Safe Bath.

After a long day of peanut butter sandwiches and finger painting, bath time brings about a sense of calm. But did you know that children younger than five account for 43,000 slips and falls in the bathroom annually? That’s one accident every 12.5 minutes, according to Nationwide Children’s Hospital research. Keep bath time fun and safe for little ones by installing a grab bar. Opt for one that pulls double-duty and features a shelf for added storage of shampoo and rubber duckies.

Recent Recalls

Staff Reports

  1. Infant Carriers recalled due to fall hazard; Manufactured by Lenny Lamb– The internal stitching on the infant carrier is missing.
  2. Kiwi Care Package Company, a South Tahoe, Calif., establishment, is recalling approximately 90 pounds of Wattie’s canned spaghetti with sausage that was not presented at the U.S. point of entry for inspection and was received from a New Zealand establishment that was not eligible to export product to the U.S.
  3. Denon Recalls rechargeable battery packs due to fire and burn hazards- The lithium-ion battery packs can overheat.
  4. Spices USA Inc. is recalling 772 bags, 50 pounds each, of TASTY SAWA GROUND TURMERIC, used for furthering manufacturing or repacking, because it contains elevated levels of lead. Consumers are warned not to use the product. Lead can accumulate in the body over time, and too much of it can cause serious and sometimes permanent adverse health consequences.
  5. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing- Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Prius vehicles manufactured November 30, 2015, to June 14, 2016. An air bag inflator manufacturing error may result in the inadvertent partial inflation of the front passenger air bag.
  6. Subaru of America, Inc.- Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Legacy vehicles manufactured November 26, 2008, to June 7, 2013, and 2010-2014 Outback vehicles manufactured January 9, 2009 to June 7, 2013. Due to contamination, components within the windshield wiper motor bottom cover may interfere with each other. If an obstruction, such as a buildup of snow or ice prevents the wiper arms from being able to stop in the parked position, the wiper motor may overheat and the bottom cover may melt.

Brakes On Breast Cancer!

Staff Reports

Chino – During the month of October, 139 auto repair shops from across the United States offer free brake pads to their customers to help put the Brakes on Breast Cancer. For every break service that is performed, the customers will receive the brake pads for free, the customers just pays for the labor and other parts if necessary. The shop will donate 10% of the brake service to The Cleveland Clinic Breast Cancer Vaccine Research Fund. A local participating auto repair shop is: Gabriel’s Automotive at 13654 Central Ave. Chino, CA 91710.

Please go to their website, www.brakesforbreast.com to also find other participating automotive repair shops. If you don’t need brake work done, you may also go to the website to donate to this great cause.

San Antonio Hospital Hosts Event For New Buildings

Staff Reports

Upland – The San Antonio Regional Hospital will be hosting an event to show off their new patient tower and emergency department to the community. The emergency department will consist of 52 new beds while the patient tower will include 80 private rooms and 12 critical care beds on its main hospital campus.

Residents from the Inland Empire are encouraged to visit the event which will include tours of the newly added buildings. The event will also include a health fair which will provide attendees with important information and activities on how to promote and maintain a healthy lifestyle. They may also receive free health screenings but are encouraged to reserve a time for an appointment at SARH.org/OpenHouse.

Children wearing their favorite superhero shirt will be entered into a drawing to win Disneyland tickets and will also be recognized as a healthcare superhero for the day. Local radio stations KOLA 99.9 and KFROG 95.1 will be at the even broadcasting live. Also, The Ontario Reign Ice Crew will be attending to join the children in outdoor activities along with mascot Kingston. Also in attendance will be Luc Robitaille of the Los Angeles Kings who will make a guest appearance at 10 a.m.

Walnut City Council Meeting

By Natalie Kim

Walnut – The September 28 Walnut Council meeting began with a commendation for Captain Scroggin of the Sheriff’s Department. The Council thanked the Captain for all his hard work in making Walnut a safer, better place to live, and wished him good fortune in his future. Although the Council were sad to bid farewell to Captain Scroggin, they were glad to see his career flourish.

Next, the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control gave a presentation on mosquito and disease control. A representative from the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control explained that mosquitoes lay eggs in still water, and that mosquitoes can lay eggs in pools of still water small enough to fit inside a bottle cap. The representative also cautioned that rainwater collection barrels require modifications in order to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs inside of them. Mosquito eggs are not toxic or harmful, and prevention requires merely emptying out water receptacles and ensuring that the eggs are also removed from receptacles.

Following the public comments, the Council approved all items on the consent calendar, including a resolution allowing the City of Walnut claims and demands in the amount of $864,006.09; a traffic mitigation agreement with the City of Industry Successor Agency for the Industry East and Industry Business Center Developments; and a three year contract extension for ICF Jones & Stokes, Inc. for biological monitoring of Meadow Pass mitigation area. The Council then approved all items on the successor agency consent calendar, including a resolution of the City of Walnut as Successor Agency allowing certain claims and demands in the amount of $3,000; and a resolution of the City of Walnut as Successor Agency to the Walnut Improvement Agency approving the amended recognized obligation payment schedule for January 1, 2017-June 30, 2017.

During the Council individual comments and updates, Councilmembers reminded residents of the upcoming Walnut Family Fun Festival, as well as to keep in mind the safety precautions presented earlier in the meeting.

The Council adjourned until Wednesday, October 12, at 21201 La Puente Rd. at 7 p.m.

Eagle Canyon helping Blake fight cancer

Chino Valley Unified School District

Photo courtesy: CVUSD

Photo courtesy: CVUSD

Eagle Canyon Elementary School in Chino Hills kicked off its Cancer Awareness Month in October with a special assembly honoring 3-year-old Blake Wood who is battling leukemia.
Arriving in a Batmobile and greeted by the cheers and tears of students, teachers and parents, Blake became an instant hero in the eyes of the Eagle Canyon community.
Eagle Canyon will join the fight against cancer with Blake as they host four dress up days, take part in a memorial run, collect colorful band aids and socks for local hospitals and spread awareness about cancer. Eagle Canyon’s PTA and its Safe School Ambassadors, an anti-bullying group, will host the month-long awareness campaign.

Pictured: Blake Wood (top center) and his mother Janet Wood are pictured with the Eagle Canyon Elementary Safe School Ambassadors.

 

Pic 2

Making treasure out of trash

Dickson Elementary School in Chino collects recyclable items from its students, staff, parents, and community every Friday. All proceeds are used to purchase Dickson’s “Character Counts” agendas for students.
“Not only does this help our school site to purchase agendas for our students, but it teachers the kids about responsibility and taking care of the environment,” said front office staff member Leticia Tafoya.

Pictured: Dickson Elementary School’s Student Council with some of the recyclable items they collected on a recent Friday.

 

 

Quality Comes First At Peterson Auto Repair

By K.P. Sander

Visit Peterson Auto Repair Center in the Big Valley Industrial Park, located at 3980-A Valley Boulevard, in Walnut. They can be reached at (909) 598-3881. Also see their ad on page 8 Weekly News.

Visit Peterson Auto Repair Center in the Big Valley Industrial Park, located at 3980-A Valley Boulevard, in Walnut. They can be reached at (909) 598-3881. Also see their ad on page 5 Weekly News.

Walnut – If you are looking for a local automotive repair center that performs quality work at reasonable prices – and delivers it all with excellent service – look no further than Peterson Auto Repair Center.

Peterson now houses a full mechanic shop to serve all your automotive needs.  They not only specialize in lube and oil changes, but also repair and maintain radiators, alternators, starters, brakes, clutches, shocks and struts, axles,  air conditioning, belts and hoses, and much, much more.

In business for over 15 years, owner Eric Peterson says, “For me, it’s all about providing quality automotive repair for the neighborhood.  I grew up in La Puente and Walnut, and we have so many good customers in this area.  We really appreciate the business and word of mouth referrals.”

Carhelp.com customers agree constantly giving Peterson high marks for quality workmanship and fair pricing.

Look for Peterson to add quality auto-body services to the business in the future.

Peterson Auto Repair is located in the Big Valley Industrial Park, at 3980-A Valley Boulevard in Walnut.  They are open Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and can be reached at (909) 598-3881.  Mention their ad (see page below) and get a discount on your brakes.

 

C.J. Morris students vie for spots on Science Olympiad team

By WVUSD 

Charles Lei’s Pasta Mobile with hand-carved wheels sails down the ramp during the Science Olympiad Trials. Photo courtesy: WVUSD

Charles Lei’s Pasta Mobile with hand-carved wheels sails down the ramp during the Science Olympiad Trials.
Photo courtesy: WVUSD

WALNUT, CA—C.J. Morris Elementary 5th grader Harrison Chung is hoping to win a spot on the school’s Science Olympiad team.

On Tuesday, he patiently waited for his turn during the Egg Drop trials held at lunchtime. The mission was to create a cushioned package to protect a raw egg from a high free fall. Chung, who used bubble wrap and straws, was relieved that his egg bundle survived the drop.

“Last year, I was an alternate, so I really wanted to be on this year’s team,” he said.

Several retired educators were invited to coordinate and judge three different events held September 27-29.  “They made the little containers and we put a fresh egg inside,” explained C.J. Morris retiree Katie Trumbo who recorded the entries.

Steve Cusson, retired social studies teacher from Suzanne Middle School, climbed up a ladder to drop each egg package over a chalk bull’s eye on the black top. “This has been a lot of fun! At Suzanne we did this from the top of the library!” he said.

For the second round, Cusson launched the egg bundles from about 15-feet atop a supply shed. A crowd of students and staff cheered as he held each entry over the drop area.

Five of the eggs survived the fall on the first day, others didn’t and splatted their yolks.

Forty 3rd-5th grade students are competing for 15 spots on the Science Olympiad team.

They’ve been encouraged to enter more than one event during the trials for prepare for regional competition held next spring, according to Principal Shezhad Bhojani. “Our goal is to provide more access to students in experiencing hands-on science in an authentic selection process to represent C.J. Morris at the L.A. County Science Olympiad.”

Students also showed off their creative skills during the Pasta Mobile and Can Race events.“This competition is also allowing them to think outside the box,” Bhojani added. The tin can cars were designed to drag down a three-meter track on the playground.

“I like science a lot and wanted to give it a shot!” said 3rd grader Lorelei Silva-James while waiting to race.

Students fashioned running arms from toothpicks and rubber bands to propel their entries. “They can put weights inside the can, but they can’t push it at the starting line,” said Suzanne retiree Ronnie Hee.

Teacher Dave Boots built a wooden ramp last weekend for the Pasta Mobile contest. Students used all shapes and sizes of dry pasta including penne, macaroni, and rigatoni to build their entries.

Boots steadied each car at the top of the ramp using a yardstick. On his cue, the little cars rolled down onto the 1.5-meter lane. The goal was to travel the farthest without going out of the boundaries or falling apart.

Fourth grader Hailey Chan’s lasagna car rolled an impressive 150 centimeters on Day 1 of the trials. And Charles Lei, a 5th grader who was leading after the first day’s noodle event, carved oversized wheels from flat noodles.

The elementary students are also invited to put their skills to the test this week during Anatomy, Astronomy, and Physical Science Knowledge multiple choice exams. In the Anatomy test, they will also be asked to identify structures and organs of the body. They’ll be quizzed about the planets, the moon and its phases, the sun, a spiral galaxy, a nebula, a star cluster, and a comet on the Astronomy quiz.

“It takes courage and confidence to come out and try for this team!” Boots said.

Vietnamese-Marinated Steak

recipe-pic-1-webWith Herb Salad, Quick Pickled Veggies, and Jasmine Rice

By Hello Fresh

Do you know what the secret is to perfectly caramelized marinades? A pinch of sugar! It adds a hint of sweetness to balance out the spiciness of the jalapeños and tanginess of the lime juice. The other star of this meal is the pickled cucumber and radish salad. It’s quick, crunchy, and one of our go-to side dishes.

Cooking Time: 30 min.

Servings: 2

Nutrition: Calories: 499 cal, Fat: 11g, Sat. Fat: 2 g, Protein: 46g, Carbs: 54 g, Sugar: 7 g, Sodium: 787 mg, Fiber: 3 g

Ingredients:

  • Sirloin Steak- 12 oz.
  • Jasmine Rice- ½ Cup
  • Soy Sauce- 1T
  • Radishes- 3
  • Cucumber- 1
  • Garlic- 2 Clove
  • Jalapeno Pepper- 1
  • White Wine Vinegar- 2T
  • Lime- 1
  • Mint- ¼ oz.
  • Sugar- 2t
  • Oil- 4t

Preparation:

  1. Cook the rice: Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small pot. Once boiling, add the rice. Cover and cook 20 minutes, until tender. Remove from heat and keep covered.
  2. Prep the marinade and steak: Wash and dry all produce. Mince or grate the garlic. Mince half the jalapeño. Thinly slice the other half into rounds, removing the ribs and seeds if you prefer less heat. Zest and halve the lime. Slice the steak in half, making two ½-inch fillets.
  3. Marinate the steak: Place the steak fillets in a medium bowl with the garlic, soy sauce, lime zest, 1½ teaspoons sugar, minced jalapeño (to taste), and a drizzle of oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Turn the steak to evenly coat in the marinade.
  4. Make the quick pickled veggies: Thinly slice the radishes. Peel and halve the cucumber lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon, then thinly slice into half-moons. Toss both in a medium bowl with the white wine vinegar, ½ teaspoon sugar, and a large pinch of salt and pepper.
  5. Sear the steak: Heat a drizzle of oil in a large nonstick pan (or grill pan) over high heat. Add the steak. Sear about 2 minutes per side, until browned and slightly charred. HINT: The sugar on the glaze may burn a bit, but that’s ok! Char + caramelization = flavor!
  6. Make the herb salad and serve: Pick the mint leaves off the stems. Tear any larger leaves in half. Discard the stems. Toss the leaves in a small bowl with a squeeze of lime, a large drizzle of oil, and as much sliced jalapeño as you like (careful, it’s spicy!). Season with salt and pepper. Thinly slice the Vietnamese-marinated steak, and serve on a bed of jasmine rice. Scatter the herb salad over the steak, and serve the quick pickled veggies on the side. Enjoy!

CVMC Takes 1st Place!

Staff Reportscvmc-web

Chino- On October 4, the Chino Valley Medical Center was awarded first place in the Pink Glove Dance video contest for 2016. CVMC was honored to host the $10,000 check presentation ceremony to award the charity of choice, The Let It Be Foundation. The City of Chino Police Department thanked all those who voted and showed support on their Facebook page.

Medline’s Pink Glove Competition is a breast cancer prevention campaign that unites the community, healthcare practitioners and survivors to raise money for a cure and to honor those who have been affected. The original Pink Glove Dance video debuted on YouTube in 2009, where 200 people from Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, Oregon danced in support of breast cancer awareness.

Last year, CVMC took first place in the Small Bed Category that brought $10,000 for the win which was donated to Relay for Life. Also, taking a second place win in the School Health category. The Let it Be Foundation was started by the Rosen Family and says, “To understand that when a family is confronted with a life threatening childhood diagnosis, it is just too big to fight alone.” This foundation assists and cares for families who have children suffering through life-threatening diagnosis. Christen Grelling, MSN, FNP, PHN and Interim Chief Nursing Officer of CVMC states, “We are thrilled to dance for a great cause. We want to bring awareness to the survivors, they are our heroes.”

History 101

Achille Lauro hijacking ends

By History.com achillelauro08ct

The hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro reaches a dramatic climax when U.S. Navy F-14 fighters intercept an Egyptian airliner attempting to fly the Palestinian hijackers to freedom and force the jet to land at a NATO base in Sigonella, Sicily. American and Italian troops surrounded the plane, and the terrorists were taken into Italian custody.

On October 7, four heavily armed Palestinian terrorists hijacked the Achille Lauroin the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt. Some 320 crewmembers and 80 passengers,were taken hostage. Hundreds of other passengers had disembarked the cruise ship earlier that day to visit Cairo and tour the Egyptian pyramids. Identifying themselves as members of the Palestine Liberation Front–a Palestinian splinter group–the gunmen demanded the release of 50 Palestinian militants imprisoned in Israel. If their demands were not met, they threatened to blow up the ship and kill the 11 Americans on board. The next morning, they also threatened to kill the British passengers.

The Achille Lauro traveled to the Syrian port of Tartus, where the terrorists demanded negotiations on October 8. Syria refused to permit the ship to anchor in its waters, which prompted more threats from the hijackers. That afternoon, they shot and killed Leon Klinghoffer, a 69-year-old Jewish-American who was confined to a wheelchair as the result of a stroke. His body was then pushed overboard in the wheelchair.

Yasir Arafat’s Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) condemned the hijacking, and PLO officials joined with Egyptian authorities in attempting to resolve the crisis. On the recommendation of the negotiators, the cruise ship traveled to Port Said. On October 9, the hijackers surrendered to Egyptian authorities and freed the hostages in exchange for a pledge of safe passage to an undisclosed destination.

The next day–October 10–the four hijackers boarded an EgyptAir Boeing 737 airliner, along with Mohammed Abbas, a member of the Palestine Liberation Front who had participated in the negotiations; a PLO official; and several Egyptians. The 737 took off from Cairo at 4:15 p.m. EST and headed for Tunisia. President Ronald Reagan gave his final order approving the plan to intercept the aircraft, and at 5:30 p.m. EST, F-14 Tomcat fighters located the airliner 80 miles south of Crete. Without announcing themselves, the F-14s trailed the airliner as it sought and was denied permission to land at Tunis. After a request to land at the Athens airport was likewise refused, the F-14s turned on their lights and flew wing-to-wing with the airliner. The aircraft was ordered to land at a NATO air base in Sicily, and the pilot complied, touching down at 6:45 p.m. The hijackers were arrested soon after. Abbas and the other Palestinian were released, prompting criticism from the United States, which wanted to investigate their possible involvement in the hijacking.

On July 10, 1986, an Italian court later convicted three of the terrorists and sentenced them to prison terms ranging from 15 to 30 years. Three others, including Mohammed Abbas, were convicted in absentia for masterminding the hijacking and sentenced to life in prison. They received harsher penalties because, unlike the hijackers, who the court found were acting for “patriotic motives,” Abbas and the others conceived the hijacking as a “selfish political act” designed “to weaken the leadership of Yasir Arafat.” The fourth hijacker was a minor who was tried and convicted separately.

 

Riverside Medical Clinic Receives Award

Staff Reports

Riverside – The Riverside Medical Clinic received the 2016 Excellence in Healthcare Award on September 23 from the Integrated Healthcare Association (IHA) at their Annual Stakeholder Meeting. The award was given to Riverside Medical Clinic out of 34 other physician organizations statewide for top performance on clinical quality, patient experience and cost measures.

“Through our internal patient care initiative that we call “RMC Signature”, we work hard to provide quality care. So we are proud to be recognized for indeed improving health care quality, making sure patients have a good care experience and working to keep care affordable,” said President Judy Carpenter.

The Excellence in Healthcare Award is a part of IHA’s program, Value Based Pay for Performance (VBP4P), and recognizes physician organizations that perform in the top 50 percent in the following areas: clinical quality, patient experience and total cost of care.

“Through the Excellence in Healthcare Award, we recognize physician organizations that are making a real difference in their communities and in their patients’ lives every day through their commitment to high-quality, affordable, patient-centered care,” said IHA President and CEO Jeffrey Rideout, M.D.

Out of over 200 physician organizations participating statewide, less than 1 in 5 reached the awards standards.

In order for any of the other organizations to win an award just as Riverside, they would have to have done the following:

  • More than 41,000 California patients with diabetes would have their blood sugar controlled, helping to lower their risk of adverse health outcomes.
  • More than 290,000 California patients would rate their overall care quality a nine or a 10 with 10 being the highest score.
  • Health care savings would be about $3.9 billion a year.

Artist Corner

Andrea Cruz

By Racine Guajardo andrea-cruz-1-web

Andrea Cruz was born in Lake Tahoe, California but later moved to Southern California at an early age.  A sketchbook and pencil played a huge role in her upbringing. Her first influence was her Grandfather, saying, “He was the one that opened my eyes to the arts.” He was the one to put her first pencil in her hand and helped guide her through her passion as he was a self-taught colorblind artist.

At the age of 10, Cruz learned the meaning of life and death as her mother had lost her battle with cancer. The more she tried to comprehend what happened, the more she dove into her sketch book. After high school she moved to Hollywood, but due to unforeseen circumstances, she became homeless and lived her life on the streets of Los Angeles for the next 4 years.

No matter what extremes Cruz was faced with on a daily basis, one thing that she could count on was her sketch book and pencil that she carried around with her everywhere she went. It became her release and comforted her with the overwhelming amount of emotions she was experiencing. Through all her life experiences, she became more in tune with herself and the world around her. In 2004, she started experimenting with paint. The longer she worked with art, the more she realized how much it has helped throughout her life.

Cruz realized that creativity helps build self-esteem with young kids and adults across the board. She wanted to create a platform for people to express their creative side.

“I have been able to be part of some wonderful organizations with my art like donating my creative expertise, for example, building a dollhouse that won third place in a contest for Habitat for Humanity, to help them to raise money for the organization. Partnership with Orangewood Foundation, helping our foster youth and soon to be aged out fostered teens express their creative sides by introducing them to painting on canvas,” Cruz said.

When Cruz was asked what she would like people to know about her she said, “I am passionate about my art and it is important to live my life through my passion. I believe that we are all born with talents, it is up to us to recognize them, find ways to develop them, and as we are inspired, it will inspire others.”

She is a self-taught artist; her own style allows her to be able to break down any paint for anyone to understand.

Today she has found a way to be able to share her talent as an artist by creating a business with her close friend, Oscar Torre. In 2015, they formed a paint and sip company called, The Painter’s Loft.

“From day one, I knew we had something wonderful that we were offering to our customers. Oscar, with his witty sense of humor and zest for life, connects wonderfully with each of our customers. He creates a wonderful synergy while I step by step instruct the painting of the evening,” Cruz said.

Cruz has since been featured in numerous publications including: The Chocolate Voice and Inland Empire Magazine. Her work has been featured in Dallas, Southern, and Central California. She also sells her work to a collector in the Philippines. She currently has art pieces hanging in The Robbins Nest Wine Bar in Orange County. You can also visit The Painter’s Loft several times a week at Mimi’s Café in Corona and Chino Hills, The Robbins Nest in the Artist Village district in Santa Ana, Renata’s Café Italiano in Orange County, and Rodrigo’s Mexican Restaurant in Corona. Throughout the week, Andrea and Oscar instruct private parties in four-counties (Riverside, San Diego, Orange County and Los Angeles County).

Andrea and Oscar can be found on multiple social media sites including, Facebook: The Painters Loft, their website: www.thepainters-loft.com, Instagram: the_painters_loft, and Twitter: @thepaintersloft.

Full Moon

mark-hopper-color-2x2By Pastor Mark Hopper

I love the beautiful summer and fall evenings when the sky is clear and the full moon comes up over horizon.

Recently, the TV weather forecasters were alerting viewers to watch for the harvest moon.  In earlier times, farmers were able to work longer hours to harvest their crops with the aid of a bright, clear full moon illuminating the night sky.

In ancient times, people were apparently fearful of being “moon struck” by the light of a full moon.  In Psalm 121:5-6, the author writes, “The Lord watches over you, he is a shade on your right hand.  The sun will not hurt you by day and the moon will not harm you at night.”

I learned that the expression “Blue Moon” is when there are two full moons in the same month.  Apparently this does not happen very often.

When we hear the expression “once in a Blue Moon” it means that something is unlikely to happen or refers to something that does not happen very often.

I remember when the first men landed on the moon in July. 1969, there was a full moon filling the night sky.  It was amazing to look up at the moon and realize two men from our country were walking on the surface.

The moon influences our planet in a variety of ways.  The moon affects the changes of the ocean tides.

The orbit of the moon around the earth helps keep our planet’s rotation steady and prevents the earth from wobbling and becoming unstable.

In Psalm 19, King David wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God and the skies proclaim the work of His hands”.  The beauty of the full moon and the vastness of the star filled sky provide evidence of God’s existence.

Let me encourage you to take time to stop and gaze at the next full moon or look up at a clear evening sky filled with stars.  Take a moment to consider the majesty and wonder of the God who created it!

Pastor Mark Hopper is from the Evangelical Free Church of Diamond Bar, 3255 South Diamond Bar Blvd.  Sunday services are 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.  For more information, call (909) 594-7604 or visit Efreedb.org.