Category Archives: Weekly News Top Stories

Canyon Hills Junior High Robotics Club Seeking World Championship

Photo courtesy CVUSD

Photo courtesy CVUSD
State Champion Canyon Hills Robotics Club

Courtesy of Chino Valley Unified School District

CHINO HILLS– Canyon Hills Junior High School’s Robotics Team is planning to compete in the VEX World Championships in Louisville, Kentucky, April 20-23, 2016.
The competition requires students to design, build and compete with VEX EDR robots.
The first-year team has been named 2016 State Champions in VEX robot competition. They have also been named Tournament and Excellence Champions, Programming Champions, Skills Champions, received sportsmanship awards, and an innovation award.
Their advisor, Canyon Hills Junior High science teacher Isaac “Jami” Cabase, started an afterschool robotics club in fall 2014 at the school in Chino Hills.

Walnut High And Mt. SAC Threatened With Bomb

Photo by: Louie Ortega Mt. SAC students evacuate the campus after a bomb threat.

Photo by: Louie Ortega
Mt. SAC students evacuate the campus after a bomb threat.

By Lyn Taylor

 

WALNUT–  A threatening note claiming that a bomb was going to be set off at two Walnut campuses forced the lock down and evacuation of Walnut High School and Mt. SAC college on Thursday, March 24.

A note was found by students in the boys’ bathroom at Walnut High around 10:30 a.m., according to Walnut Valley Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Matthew Witmer.  Written in red ink, the note stated that bombs would be blown up at the school and at Mt. SAC at 2:45 p.m. The writer ended the note with, “God be with you all.”

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was contacted and Walnut High was put on lock-down.  Mt. SAC’s officials decided to evacuate the campus because of its close proximity to Walnut High.

An emergency alert text message was sent to Mt. SAC students around 11:30 a.m., according to campus spokeswoman Jill Dolan. The text read, “Report of a threat to campus at 2:45 p.m.  Calmly leave the campus. Classes and services are closed until at least 4:30 p.m. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.”

Deputies and K-9 officers searched both schools with bomb-sniffing dogs before clearing the campuses, according to L.A. Sheriff Department’s Lt. John Saleeby.  Classes resumed at Mt. SAC at 4:30 p.m.

Mt. SAC is the largest community college in the nation with more than 12,000 full-time students.  Although police were directing traffic, roads were crowded and traffic was snarled as thousands tried to leave campus.  Many students complained on social media that it took over an hour to evacuate due to the traffic conditions.  Foothill Transit ordered extra busses to be dispatched to Mt. SAC to help with the evacuation.

Golf With Your Local Sheriffs In Chino Hills

By Walnut-Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Booster Club

CHINO HILLS – The Walnut-Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Booster Club will host a golf tournament in honor of the sheriff department’s 150 volunteers next month.
The tournament will begin at 11:30 a.m. April 4 at the Western Hills Country Club, 1800 Carbon Canyon Rd., in Chino Hills. A luncheon will immediately follow the tournament.

“Thousands of hours are donated annually by our department’s volunteers, explorers, reserves and disaster communication specialists,” Captain Jeff Scroggin said.  “From vacation checks and traffic control to color guard and keeping disaster communication equipment ready in case of emergency, these are a few of the many services they provide the community.”
Prizes for the longest drive, closest to the pin and hole-in-one will be awarded during the luncheon. The cost for a single player is $100. Sponsorship opportunities are available.
Platinum sponsor – $3,000- Includes 16 players/four teams, recognition during the awards luncheon, repeated advertising of your company in Our Weekly newspaper and during the tournament, name placement on event signage and a recognition certificate from the Walnut-Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Booster Club.
Gold sponsor – $2,000- Includes 8 players/two teams, recognition in Our Weekly newspaper, recognition during the awards luncheon, name placement on event signage and a recognition certificate from the Walnut-Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Booster Club.
Silver sponsor – $1,000-Includes one team of four players and a recognition certificate from the Walnut-Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Booster Club.
Other sponsorship opportunities include: beverage cart for $1,000, hole-in-one sponsor for $500, goodie bag sponsor for $500, closest-to-the-pin sponsor for $400, and tee sign sponsorship for $100.
Captain Scroggin encourages community members to join this fun and meaningful tournament to continue to help provide the needed uniforms and equipment to the people who volunteer their time to improve the service and security to the cities of Walnut and Diamond Bar, and the unincorporated communities of Rowland Heights, Covina Hills and West Covina.

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

Miss Diamond Bar 2016 Crowned

Photo Courtesy: Diamond Bar High School Miss Diamond Bar 2016 and her Court. From Left to Right: Princess Shannon Clewley, Princess Tayla Beasley, Miss Diamond Bar Ashley Chen, Princess Lauren Ritchie, and Princess Bree Ward.

Photo Courtesy: Diamond Bar High School
Miss Diamond Bar 2016 and her Court. From Left to Right: Princess Shannon Clewley, Princess Tayla Beasley, Miss Diamond Bar Ashley Chen, Princess Lauren Ritchie, and Princess Bree Ward.

Staff Reports

Diamond Bar – On Sunday, March 13, Diamond Bar High School junior Ashley Chen was crowned Miss Diamond Bar 2016 in the DBHS theater.

The 2016 Princess court includes Bree Ward, a sophomore at Mt. Sac (DBHS c/o 2014), Shannon Clewley, a senior at DBHS,  Lauren Ritchie, a senior at DBHS, and Tayla Beasley, a junior at DBHS.

Since 1964, Miss Diamond Bar and her Court of Princesses have been committed to serve as ambassadors for the City of Diamond Bar and positive role models to the youth of our community for 50 years.  These young ladies all juggle full time school schedules and/or part/full time jobs, while maintaining their rigorous pageant schedule of over 50 appearances a year.  The Miss Diamond Bar Scholarship Pageant, Inc. is a non-profit organization that depends on the support of the volunteers, local businesses and city leaders to continue this important community tradition.

For more information about the Miss Diamond Bar pageant, and for an application for the 2017 pageant, visit http://www.missdiamondbarpageant.org.

Oxford Prep Charter Denied

Photo courtesy of Oxford Preparatory Academy OPA supporters

Photo courtesy of Oxford Preparatory Academy
OPA supporters

By Carol Heyen

The Chino Valley Unified School District school board voted March 17 to deny Oxford Preparatory Academy’s 5-year charter renewal, much to the dismay of over 1,500 school staff and supporters who attended the district meeting held at Don Lugo High.

Oxford Prep, or OPA, a charter school located in Chino, presently has a charter that runs through June 30, 2017.  OPA submitted a renewal charter school petition to the CVUSD on January 25, 2016, which would be for a 5-year term running from July 1, 2017-June 30, 2022.

The renewal charter, according to the school district, was denied because it has several flaws.  In a 77-page report, CVUSD stated that OPA is “demonstrably unlikely to successfully implement the program set forth in the OPA-Chino charter renewal petition.” The district also said that the petition failed to address eight of the 15 elements required by state law governing charter schools.

Superintendent Wayne Joseph, who was one of the original supporters of OPA’s charter in 2010, spoke at the meeting.  Superintendent Joseph said, “… it is really with a heavy heart that I come to you tonight, board members, and ask you to approve my recommendation to deny OPA’s current charter petition. Simply put, the petition OPA submitted on Jan. 25 of this year, unlike the other two petitions that were approved, is seriously flawed.”

CVUSD states that the charter petition is “not consistent with sound educational practice.”

One of the failures of the petition, according to the district, is that the OPA budget presents an unrealistic financial and operational plan for the proposed OPA charter school.  The school board said that they “cannot carry out its statutory fiscal oversight responsibility without the ability to review and audit all of OPA’s finances” the way the charter is now written.

The district’s concerns include OPA’s lack of sufficiently projecting enrollment or estimating Independent Study students, cash flow and reserve discrepancies, and timing of revenue. It also notes that OPA has not satisfied the California law that all students be admitted who wish to attend the school.  OPA’s enrollment runs in a lottery system, but children with siblings already attending the school, or parents who are OPA staff or founding members are exempt from the lottery and get first priority.

OPA is very popular with students and parents in the Chino Valley.  Test scores at the school have consistently been in the high 900s, and it has been named a California Distinguished School.

OPA’s supporters are vowing to keep fighting.  OPA Principal Sue Roche’s husband Terry told the crowd, “For eight years, I’ve heard from Mr. Joseph, from Mr. Na how great OPA is,” referring to Superintendent Joseph and board member James Na. “For eight years, every evaluation they gave us — every evaluation they gave us — financially, academically, was the best in California!”

Oxford Prep administrator Jared McLeod said that OPA will “…move on with our legal rights to prove this district wrong and prove what is legally right, which is that this is our school, for five more years!”

 

Armed Forces Banners

Courtesy of the City of Diamond Bar

DIAMOND BAR– The first of two annual deadlines for Diamond Bar residents to honor an immediate family member serving on active duty in the United States military through the City of Diamond Bar’s Armed Forces Banner Program is coming up.

Friday, April 8 is the first cutoff date to submit a request to have a banner personalized with a loved one’s name and military branch. Banner installations will occur in the month of May. Applications received after April 8 will be part of the second round of requests, with banners going up in November.

Complete participation requirements and a downloadable application form are available online at www.diamondbarca.gov/armedforces or by calling the City’s Community Services Department at 909.839.7060.

Walnut Looking for Historians

Staff Reports

WALNUT– The City of Walnut is now seeking candidates to serve on the Walnut Historical Preservation Ad Hoc Advisory Committee. The Committee will meet the first Wednesday of each month, as well as on an “as-needed basis” and will include appointed persons that are Walnut residents.

The primary responsibility of committee members is to provide recommendations to the City Council and/or Planning Commission relating to historical preservation in the City of Walnut. Some of the historical sites currently identified in Walnut include Suzanne Park, the Bob Quattlebaum Windmill, the Brookside Equestrian Center and the W. R. Rowland Adobe Ranch House.

Applications are due to the City Clerk’s Office by Monday, May 2, 2016. Interested individuals may obtain an application on the City website homepage or by contacting Teresa De Dios, City Clerk at 909-348-0710, or by email: tdedios@ci.walnut.ca.us.

For questions regarding the committee, please contact Justin Carlson, City Planner or Derrick Womble, Senior Management Analyst at (909) 595-7543.

Walnut City Hall is located at 21201 La Puente Road, Walnut, CA. For information about the City of Walnut, please visit our web site at www.ci.walnut.ca.us.

 

19th Annual Taste of the Chino Valley

Enjoy the Chino Valley’s finest cuisine, wine, and spirits as local establishments dish up their very best at the impressive Chaffey College Chino Community Center.

Enjoy the Chino Valley’s finest cuisine, wine, and spirits as local establishments dish up their very best at the impressive Chaffey College Chino Community Center.

By Zeb Welborn

CHINO– It’s a food lover’s dream!  Enjoy great food from some of the area’s new restaurants as well as some long-standing favorites at the 19th Annual Taste of the Chino Valley.  We’ve put together a great team who is working hard to bring local restaurants together to give our community a taste of what Chino Valley restaurants have to offer.

The Taste of the Chino Valley will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday, April 4, at the Chaffey College Community Center, located at 5890 College Park Ave.

Spots for the Taste of the Chino Valley are filling up fast.  We’ve already signed up Cannataro’s, The Pub, Oke Poke, Wara Bistro, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Pacifica Senior Living, Los Portales, Riverside Grill and Award Winning Wines by Fairplex.  We have verbal commitments from numerous others, and we’ll be sharing those through our website and Facebook page as they come in.

We’ve also secured sponsorships from Waste Management, the City of Chino, the City of Chino Hills, Champion Newspapers, Chaffey College, Insurance & Surety Services, Oke Poke, and Welborn Media.

Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to put this together, we have a great team of people securing restaurants, sponsors and donations for the event.

You can sign up online at www.eventbrite.com/e/taste-of-chino-valley-tickets-22749102177.  Hope to see you there.  Tell your friends!

Ramona Students Going To Race Track To Learn STEM

Courtesy of CVUSD

CHINO– Ramona Junior High students will be among 500 eighth graders from 17 middle schools in San Bernardino and Riverside counties to attend the seventh annual Auto Club Speedway STEM Day on March 18 as part of the Auto Club 400 Weekend in Fontana.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are foundations of the motorsports industry.
The students will have an opportunity to do hands-on math and engineering exercises with student volunteers from local colleges and universities, as well as interact with exhibitors.
Students will be introduced to several speakers, including Sprint Cup driver Aric Almirola of Richard Petty Motorsports.
The students will also receive a pair of reserved grandstand tickets to the Auto Club 400 race that will take place March 20 at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.

Murder Suspect Found Guilty in 2013 Case

 

Photo courtesy: Chino Police Department

Photo courtesy: Chino Police Department

Courtesy of the City of Chino

CHINO– Nearly two and a-half years after the cold-blooded murder of a Check ‘n Go employee, the shooter, Jorge Cisneros, was found guilty of first-degree murder and second-degree robbery.

On November 15, 2013 at approximately 1:24 p.m., two suspects entered the Check ‘n Go located at 12083 Central Avenue and shot and killed 24-year-old Vanessa Martinez of Riverside. Within 24 hours, Chino Police Investigators and SWAT team members located and arrested two suspects in the cities of Ontario and Pomona.

Jorge Esteban Cisneros, a 43 year-old resident of Ontario, was identified as the shooter during the commission of the crime. He was found guilty Thursday, March 17, 2016 in a San Bernardino Court.

David Mendez, a 29-year-old Pomona resident was convicted in 2015 of first-degree murder and second-degree robbery. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Cisneros’ sentencing hearing is pending.

If you have information regarding this case please contact Detective Acuna at 909-334-3016 or facuna@chinopd.org.

 

Golf with Your Local Sheriffs in Chino Hills

By Walnut-Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Booster Club

 

CHINO HILLS – The Walnut-Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Booster Club will host a golf tournament in honor of the sheriff department’s 150 volunteers next month.
The tournament will begin at 11:30 a.m. April 4 at the Western Hills Country Club, 1800 Carbon Canyon Rd., in Chino Hills. A luncheon will immediately follow the tournament.

“Thousands of hours are donated annually by our department’s volunteers, explorers, reserves and disaster communication specialists,” Captain Jeff Scroggin said.  “From vacation checks and traffic control to color guard and keeping disaster communication equipment ready in case of emergency, these are a few of the many services they provide the community.”
Prizes for the longest drive, closest to the pin and hole-in-one will be awarded during the luncheon. The cost for a single player is $100. Sponsorship opportunities are available.
Platinum sponsor – $3,000- Includes 16 players/four teams, recognition during the awards luncheon, repeated advertising of your company in Our Weekly newspaper and during the tournament, name placement on event signage and a recognition certificate from the Walnut-Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Booster Club.
Gold sponsor – $2,000- Includes 8 players/two teams, recognition in Our Weekly newspaper, recognition during the awards luncheon, name placement on event signage and a recognition certificate from the Walnut-Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Booster Club.
Silver sponsor – $1,000-Includes one team of four players and a recognition certificate from the Walnut-Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Booster Club.
Other sponsorship opportunities include: beverage cart for $1,000, hole-in-one sponsor for $500, goodie bag sponsor for $500, closest-to-the-pin sponsor for $400, and tee sign sponsorship for $100.
Captain Scroggin encourages community members to join this fun and meaningful tournament to continue to help provide the needed uniforms and equipment to the people who volunteer their time to improve the service and security to the cities of Walnut and Diamond Bar, and the unincorporated communities of Rowland Heights, Covina Hills and West Covina.

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

Chino Man Fires at Officers, Sets Home on Fire

Courtesy of the Chino Police Department

Courtesy of the Chino Police Department

Staff Reports

 

CHINO– A man who was about to be evicted from a rental property in Chino barricaded himself in his home after shooting at police officers and was later found dead.

Around 8:20 a.m. March 9, Chino Police officers approached the home in the 11400 block of Santa Anita with the landlord in order to serve an eviction notice, when the man inside the home began shooting at the officers.

“Upon our officers arrival … an unknown subject came to the front of the location and fired upon the officers,” Police Captain Wes Simmons said. “The officers did return fire, and they did deploy chemical agents on the house.”

Neighborhood residents were evacuated for several hours.  The house became fully engulfed in flames after officers deployed non-incendiary chemical agents into the home.  Officers do not believe that the chemicals started the fire.

Monica Gutierrez, spokeswoman for the city of Chino, said that police learned later that the man had planned to set the house on fire and commit suicide. His remains were retrieved from the home on Thursday.

The owner of the home had been trying to evict the man for several months.

Chino Valley Fire was able to knock down the flames, but the house is a complete loss.  The suspect remains unidentified.

No officers, fire personnel or citizens were injured during the incident.

 

CarMax Crash Fugitive Sought

Photo courtesy: San Bernardino County Sheriff Fugitive Alex Demetro sought

Photo courtesy: San Bernardino County Sheriff
Fugitive Alex Demetro sought

Staff Reports

SAN BERNARDINO-  A Union City, CA  man charged with killing a CarMax salesman has been declared a fugitive.

Alex Demetro, 28, allegedly crashed a Corvette into a tree during a test drive around 12:45 p.m., February 23, on Mercedes Lane in Ontario.  Witnesses told police that the driver was traveling at a high rate of speed, possibly as high as 70 mph, when he lost control of the car and crashed.

After the collision, 43-year-old Warren Smale of Montclair, a CarMax employee, was taken to a hospital in critical condition.  He was later pronounced dead as a result of his injuries. Smale had worked at the CarMax dealership since October 2013, and was the first CarMax employee to die during a test drive, according to the company.   He grew up in Pennsylvania and moved to California to find a good job.

Demetro was released from jail February 24 after posting $100,000 bail.

On March 7, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office charged Demetro with one count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, one count of driving while under the influence of a drug causing injury, and one count of driving when privilege suspended or revoked with priors.  When Demetro did not show up for his court hearing, a warrant for his arrest was issued.

The case is currently under investigation by the Ontario Police Department.  If you have any information regarding the whereabouts of Alex Demetro, please contact Ontario Police Officer Brian Olivo at (909) 395-4646 or callers wishing to remain anonymous can dial WeTip at (800) 78-CRIME.

Join Us For Our March Mixer!

ABCPR-March-2016-Mixer-WEBStaff Reports

 

CHINO– Join us for the Chino Valley Chamber March Mixer hosted by ABC Public Relations and Armijo Newspapers. Don’t miss out on this fun business mixer on March 24.

We will have FREE food, drinks, and giveaways. One of the prizes that will be raffled off will be a tablet, in addition to other prizes donated by located businesses. The mixer will also be a great opportunity to market your business with other Chino Valley Chamber Members and community members.

If you would like to sponsor one of our raffle prizes, your business will be featured in our newspaper, along with a picture of you and the winner. Please contact us at (909) 464-1200 if you are interested in being a sponsor.

The Business Mixer will be held from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at ABC Public Relation’s office, located at 14144 Central Ave. Ste. H, Chino CA 91710. The office is right across the street from Ayala Park and our building is behind the 14122 Central Avenue building.

Please RSVP by calling (909) 464-1200 or emailing RSVP@anapr.com. We hope to see you there!

 

Diamond Bar: Easter Egg Hunt

Courtesy of the City of Diamond Bar

 

DIAMOND BAR – The City of Diamond Bar and the Diamond Bar Breakfast Lions Club are again teaming up to host their popular annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 26.

The fun begins at 8:30 a.m. with a pancake breakfast organized by the Fire Explorers Post 19 (nominal fee applies), followed by the free egg hunt at 10:00 a.m., featuring thousands of treat-filled plastic eggs.

Hunting areas will be divided into six areas based on age groups, with parental assistance allowed for the youngest attendees.  Photo packages with the Easter Bunny will be available for purchase, starting at $10.  Please be advised that only cash will be accepted as a form of payment for the pancake breakfast and photo packages.

Children need to bring their own baskets for the egg collection. Pantera Park is located at 738 Pantera Drive in Diamond Bar.

For more information, call the City’s Recreation Services Division at 909.839.7070 or visit www.diamondbarca.gov/EEH.

Diamond Bar City Council Recap

By Natalie Kim

DIAMOND BAR-The March 1 Diamond Bar Council meeting began with an award presentation to Charles Fisher. Fisher reported suspicious activity in his neighborhood, which led to the apprehension of two burglars. He received $500 from the Report for Reward program. Planning Commissioner Bob Nishimura and Parks and Recreation Commissioner Ted Owens were also presented with a City Tile, in recognition for their years of service to the community.
Lt. Philip Marquez was also introduced as the newest member of the Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Team. Although Marquez is new to the city, he is not new to policing; he served the public for many years before his move to Diamond Bar.
During the public comments, several residents expressed their distaste for the Millennium home development. The lawyer representing the current owners of Millennium refuted several claims, but residents remained disgruntled.
Next, a Diamond Bar resident called for body cameras to be worn by the city police force, as they would help keep policemen accountable for their actions and possibly reduce unnecessary police force. The City Manager acknowledged the advantages of body cameras, and discussed current efforts to make body cameras part of standard police uniforms. A representative from the Diamond Bar Public Library then announced upcoming events, such a workshop regarding the new SAT and ACT tests on March 12 from 12-4 p.m., and a presentation about diabetes on March 14 from 2-3 p.m.
The Council then approved all items on the Consent Calendar, including the minutes from the City Council meeting of February 16; ratification of a check register totaling $762,553.58; the treasurer’s statement for the month of January 2015; an agreement with Exterior Products Corporation for services related to vertical street pole banners; a design and construction administration/inspection services contract for Area 4 residential and collector street rehabilitation to Onward Engineering, Inc; a contract amendment with Fehr & Peers for the development of the adaptive traffic control system request for proposal and travel time data collection; a resolution authorizing participation in the MiCTA Master Services Agreement government purchasing program and authorizing the City Manager to enter into a seven-year agreement with Time Warner Cable to purchase increased internet bandwidth; and a resolution amending the City’s personnel rules and regulations, effective March 2. The Council also approved the first reading of an ordinance amending city code relating to an administrative personnel system.
Following Council reports and comments, the Council adjourned until March 22 at 6:30 p.m. at 21865 Copley Dr.
The schedule of future events includes the Planning Commission meeting on March 8 at 7 p.m.; the Traffic and Transportation Commission meeting on March 10 at 7 p.m.; the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting on March 24 at 7 p.m.; and the State of the City by Mayor Lyons on March 30 at 6 p.m. at 1600 Grand Ave. The Planning Commission meeting for March 22 was cancelled, and the next City Council meeting was postponed to March 22 at 6:30 p.m.

Van Donated To HARTT Center

By Kelli Gile

Walnut– The Hockwalt Adult Resource & Transition Training Center (HARTT) Center received the keys to their very own minivan on Tuesday.

When the silver 2014 Lincoln Town and Country minivan was delivered to the school, students immediately gave it the thumbs up.

“These are the kids’ lives you’ve changed today!” exclaimed teacher Cheryl Faren.

The new car was made possible through generous donations from the Walnut Valley Women’s Club, Penske Mercedes-Benz of West Covina, Dedicated 2 Learning (D2L), David Lee, and Davis Lu.

The HARTT Center, which opened in 2014, serves 18-22 year-old students with disabilities who are receiving a Certificate of Completion from high school. The Center teaches important life skills as students transition into adulthood.  Partnerships with local business are helping the young adults develop job and vocational skills.

The 20 students and their job coaches take public transportation to their internships four days a week.

“Our students take public transportation everywhere. It’s a skill that they’ll need as adults to become independent,” said Special Education Director Judi Koorndyk.

But there are some areas the busses don’t go and they have to walk.  And on hot or rainy days, the mile-trek can be very long.

“This new van is going to provide a lot of opportunity for our kids!” she added.

“One of the keys to the HARTT program is for students to get out into the community and have real life experiences to prepare them for life. And that’s hard to do without transportation,” said Superintendent Dr. Robert Taylor.

The HARTT Center’s dedicated staff and parents had a vision to get a van from the very beginning.  When Walnut Valley Women’s Club member Jeannie Stowell read about the opening of the new HARTT Center in the Highlander newspaper, she immediately cut out the article and brought it to friend Dee Chambers.

“We needed to do something for them,” the longtime members shared.

After touring the Center with Faren, they asked a question.   “If you could have anything in the world for the program, what would be your first choice?  She immediately replied ‘A van!’” Chambers explained.

“And we said, ‘We’ll do our best!’, and that’s how it got started,” she added.  The Women’s Club donated $9,400 towards the van.

“We saw what incredible people at the HARTT Center are doing for kids today,” said Joe Mehanna, President of Penske Mercedes-Benz in West Covina after touring the Center.  “And we want to be a part of this!” He added that Penske donated a portion of the cost of the new car for the HARTT Center.

“The least we can do as a business is give back to the (Walnut Valley) community and the kids!”

“The reason we’re here every day in our school district is to help kids and meet their needs, and we can’t do that alone,” said Taylor. “It takes a village!”

“It’s the whole community working together for them,” added Nancy Hogg, retired WVUSD administrator and D2L co-founder.

Faren is excited about the future with the school’s new wheels.  “This will open up tons of new areas for us, like Brea Mall and Chino Hills.”

She also plans to help educate students about sites available after the HARTT program.

“Normally I’d have to get a school bus. Now, I can load up a couple kids that are aging out and take them around. It will be so nice!”

Walnut Hero Nominations Now Being Accepted

Courtesy of the City of Walnut
WALNUT– The City of Walnut is seeking nominations for our “L.A. County Fair Community Hero 2016” who will also serve as the 2016 Family Festival Parade Grand Marshal.
A Community Hero is someone who works determinedly to make a difference in the community without thought of recognition or reward. They volunteer at local hospitals, schools, churches and organizations such as Relay for Life, American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity. This is your chance to nominate an individual whom you feel contributes to the quality of life in Walnut.
Selected heroes will be honored at the L.A. County Fair during a special presentation that will take place on Walnut’s Day at the Fair on Thursday, September 15, 2016. The Walnut Family Festival will follow on Saturday, October 8.
Nomination Forms are available at http://www.ci.walnut.ca.us , or you may call (909) 598-5605 to have one mailed to you. Nomination submissions may be mailed to P.O. Box 682, Walnut, CA 91788-0682 or faxed to (909) 598-2160.
The deadline to submit a nomination is Thursday, May 26, 2016. The volunteer Walnut Family Festival committee will review all nominees and their contributions to the Walnut community before making a selection.

Residents Invited to Legal Aid Workshop

Courtesy of the City of Chino Hills

 

CHINO HILLS – Residents are invited to attend a free Legal Aid Workshop from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22 at the Chino Hills Community Center, 14250 Peyton Drive.

The workshop leaders will not be available during a lunch period from 12 to 1 p.m. The Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino provides legal services to low income residents throughout the County of San Bernardino for a variety of civil cases. Qualified residents may receive free legal consultation on a broad spectrum of legal issues as well as affordable access to the legal system. Residents receive document preparation, step-by-step instructions to facilitate requests for court orders, and help navigating the court system.

The judicial system access provided by Legal Aid will allow residents to secure lawful orders in parental rights, child and family support, custody and visitation, freedom from domestic violence and civil harassment, prevention of elder abuse, guardianship to provide care and access to health care for minors of absent parents, or conservatorship to provide care and access to health care for dependent disabled adults.

Note: the workshop leaders will not be available during a lunch period from 12 to 1 p.m.

For more information, visit the Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino website at http://www.legalaidofsb.org, or call toll-free at (866) 889-7328.

Ontario City Council Public Hearing on Harvest Power Permit

Courtesy of the guardian

Courtesy of the guardian

By Nicole Leiva

ONTARIO– Harvest Power appealed a conditional-use permit denial at a public hearing on March 1, during the Ontario City Council meeting. Harvest Power, who wants to establish and operate an organic materials facility on 34 acres near the Chino border at Campus and Schaefer, composts green waste, manure, food materials, fats and grease.  Ontario’s zoning administrator turned down the original permit request, and on appeal, the Planning Commission unanimously turned it down as well.  Ontario City Councilman Alan Wapner requested a council review, and Harvest filed an appeal.

Robert Vandenheuvel is the General Manager of the Milk Producers Council, a non-profit trade association representing dairy farmers in Chino, Ontario and Eastvale. He and his members are concerned about the location of the proposed waste processing facility. The designated location for this plant is right next to a newly constructed water treatment facility for the City of Chino. The farmers and residents near the location are concerned about water contamination, increased truck traffic and fire hazards that have become common with green waste processing facilities.

Ten residents and farmers were allotted time to share their concerns about the green waste facility with the council members. The citizens that live and/or work near the designated location spoke of their concerns about the lack of regulations on compost waste facilities, increased traffic, potential water contamination, potential exposure to toxic smells in the air, and potential fires at the waste facility that can spread to the nearby dairies and kill livestock.  There have already been fires at some of the other eight composting facilities in the area.

The Director of Community Development for the City of Chino, Nick Liguori, stated his concern that so far, there have been no environmental studies done regarding the plant. In addition, other representatives from Chino were concerned that the location of the plant will be too close to the newly built water treatment facility. At the very least, the City of Chino said that they would like environmental studies to be conducted before the Ontario City Council approves the contract.

In opposition to those who spoke against the waste processing facility, a representative from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce gave the Chamber’s support for the project. A lawyer for Harvest Power spoke to defend the company and dispute the statements from the residents/farmers.  A representative from Harvest Power spoke during the public hearing and he listed off prestigious awards the company has been awarded, the services they provide and told how the company will develop into a member of the community.

After all the statements, Ontario Mayor Paul Leon was ready to vote to overturn the decision from the Planning Commission, but two council members, Bowman and Avila, were still adamantly against the project, citing concerns about resident and animal safety, increased traffic and potential water contamination.  Councilman Bowman also expressed that because the testimony from the residents/farmers was very compelling, he would be voting against the project. Councilwoman Dorst-Porada also had questions and concerns about the safety of the facility.

Mayor Leon said that although he was inclined to support the project, the council members could not come to an agreement, and because of that, he will request a town hall meeting with Harvest Power, so residents have their questions and concerns addressed.  The council will schedule a vote after the town hall meeting.