Staff Reports Rowland Heights – Three lanes of the 60 freeway will be closed on four weekends in July and August due to construction. Caltrans have recently issued a press release stating that the Pomona freeway (SR-60) will be closed periodically for pavement rehabilitation work between Fullerton Rd. and Nogales St. The “55 Hour Weekend Lane Closure” as Caltrans are calling it, states that on the weekends of July 12, July 26, August 9, and August 23, up to three lanes will be closed for maintenance. The roads will be under construction due to the heavy weight of cars and trucks over time, requiring a more than two feet deep replacement of pavement and concrete base. Caltrans say the new surface will provide a smooth, safer drive for motorists, reduce time required for maintenance and minimize the need for further lane closures. Work is expected to be complete in late 2014. During the following weekends, Caltrans will replace the No. 3 and No. 4 lanes of the westbound SR-60 freeway between the Fullerton Rd. and Nogales St. exits. These weekend closures include: From Fri., July 12 at 10 p.m. to Mon., July 15 at 5 a.m., three lanes of the westbound SR-60 will be closed; northbound SR-57 to westbound SR-60 connector will be closed; and the following on-ramps: Brea Canyon Rd., Fairway Dr., Nogales St., and Fullerton Rd. will also be closed. At midnight on Friday, only the car-pool lane will be open to all vehicles. Some lanes will reopen at 10 p.m. on Saturday and all lanes will reopen at 5 a.m. on Monday. From Fri., July 26 at 10 am to Mon., July 29 at 5 a.m., two lanes of the westbound SR-60 will be closed and the northbound SR-57 to westbound SR-60 connector road will be closed. The same on-ramps will be also closed: Brea Canyon Rd., Fairway Dr., Nogales St., and Fullerton Rd. From midnight on Friday until 5 a.m. on Saturday, all westbound lanes will be closed. Some lanes will reopen on Saturday, but all lanes will be closed again at midnight on Sunday until Monday at 5 a.m. During the following weekends, Caltrans will replace the No. 3 and No. 4 eastbound SR-60 lanes between the same two exits. These weekends include: From Fri., Aug. 9 at 10 p.m. to Mon., Aug. 12 at 5 a.m., three lanes of the eastbound 60 will be closed and the following on-ramps will be closed: Hacienda Blvd., Azusa Ave., Fullerton Rd., and south Nogales St. The following off-ramps will also be closed: Fullerton Rd. and Nogales St. From Fri., Aug. 23 at 10 p.m. to Mon., Aug. 26 at 5 a.m., the same on-ramps will be closed: Hacienda Boulevard, Azusa Ave., Fullerton Rd., and south Nogales St. and the same off-ramps will also be closed: Fullerton Rd. and Nogales St. However, the SR-57 and SR-60 connector will remain open. Caltrans recommend planning a different route using their map app at quickmap.dot.ca.gov/. If you know you will be traveling on the 60 freeway during the construction, Caltrans encourage you to bring water, snacks, medications, and entertainment for children because the delay is expected to be long. If you have any further questions, please contact Public Affairs at (213) 897-3656.

By Kimberley Sander Walnut – Mt. San Antonio College, one of California’s largest community colleges, is proposing to restructure the existing bonds and sell $150 million in new Measure RR Bonds. This would help taxpayers save a lot of money by lowering current interest rates. According to Mt. Sac’s website, the $221 million Measure R state bond that was approved in 2001 has provided the means to quickly renovate and replace deteriorating facilities, and has built more than a dozen new online, instructional, athletic, infra-structure, and support spaces. In an effort to keep their promise to provide the technology and environment that cultivates innovative instruction and learning, a Measure RR extension bond, anticipated to generate $353 million in bond funding, and up to $132 million in state matching funds, has been overwhelmingly approved by voters, the website said. Reports state that the bond sale would be possible because the area has received a property value assessment increase, and a lower interest rate would be passed along to those taxpayers, whose annual property taxes pay the bond assessments, saving approximately $2.6 million. The first new bonds, totaling $150 million, will be sold on July 24. Mt. San Antonio College began in 1946 and currently provides affordable educational opportunities to more than a million students. They offer over 200 degree and certification programs and are distinguished in a number of disciplines. Mt. Sac is committed to achieving optimum results in their upgrades and use of the funding in order to complete their master plan and accommodate future enrollment. For more information on the college and the Measure RR bonds, visit http://www.mtsac.edu/about/construction/.

Staff Reports Walnut – At the Walnut City Council meeting on Wed., June 26, the City Council let staff know that they will likely appoint someone to fill Walnut Mayor Tom King’s seat, since he recently announced his retirement. The Council has three options to fill King’s seat: have a special election, appoint someone to his seat, or keep the seat vacant, according to Management Analyst/Public Information Officer Fabiola Huerta. City Council members expressed their support of appointing someone at this week’s City Council meeting. They believed it was a good process and the smartest move out of the three options. A special election didn’t seem like the best choice to the Council members because it would have cost over $100,000 and wouldn’t have occurred until next year, which is when the next City Council election will occur anyways. King also expressed his support of appointing someone to fill his seat and even mentioned former council members, commissioners, and candidates as good replacements for him. He also said that the City Council should open the position up to anybody because there are a lot of good people who can fill his position temporary or even permanently. City staff will be accepting applicants to fill the position and plan to officially announce the appointment next week. They will also hold a special meeting on July 31 to select an appointment. The Council must appoint someone by Aug. 29 and that appointed person will serve until the City’s next election on April 8, 2014, according to local reports. King recently announced his retirement, effective July 1, at the City Council meeting on Wed., June 12 after he and his wife sold their Walnut home. They decided to move out of town to live in a house that better suites their empty nest and leave their beautiful one-acre property for another family to enjoy. King has been a huge part of the Walnut community for 16 years. He was first elected to the Walnut City Council in 2002 and served twice as Mayor from July 2005 to September 2006. He was reappointed Mayor by the City Council on November 25th, 2009 for the third time and on April 24, 2013 for his fourth time. From 1999 to 2002 he served on the Planning Commission and served on the Parks and Recreation Commission from 1993-1999. He also chaired both Commissions prior to his election to the City Council. At the June 26 Council meeting, King was awarded and recognized for all the hard work he’s done in the City of Walnut. This Council meeting was King’s last meeting as Mayor, so many community members came out to show their appreciation of King. Some of the community members that recognized King at the meeting included: the Walnut Council members, the Los Angeles County Fire Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff Capt. Jeff Scroggin, Diamond Bar Mayor Jack Tanaka, Mayor Pro Tem Ron Everett, Councilwoman Ling-Ling Chang, and representatives from the offices of Sen. Bob Huff, Assemblyman Curt Hagman, and U.S. Ed Royce. King expressed his appreciation of all the awards, certificates, and gifts that were given to him.

Mayor Tom King

By Sarah Armijo

Walnut- At the City Council meeting on Wed, June 12, Walnut Mayor Tom King announced his retirement, which will be effective July 1.

King’s announcement to leave the Council, as well as the City, came as a shock to everyone in the crowd, including the other council members.

King’s only reason for leaving is because he is moving out of town, according to the City Clerk Teresa De Dios. King said that he and his wife decided to move to a smaller house out of town and leave his beautiful one-acre property for another family to enjoy.

King has been a huge part of the Walnut community for 16 years. He was first elected to the Walnut City Council in 2002 and served twice as Mayor from July 2005 to September 2006. He was reappointed Mayor by the City Council on November 25th, 2009 for the third time and on April 24, 2013 for his fourth time. From 1999 to 2002 he served on the Planning Commission and served on the Parks and Recreation Commission from 1993-1999. He also chaired both Commissions prior to his election to the City Council.

At the June 12 Council meeting, many council members and members of the community shared their memories with King and thanked him for all the work he’s done in the City of Walnut. King told the crowd that he still plans to stay close to the City.

Now that King will be retiring, the Council has three options: have a special election, appoint someone to his seat, or keep the seat vacant, according to Management Analyst/Public Information Officer Fabiola Huerta.

Huerta said she isn’t sure which option the Council is leaning towards, but she said the Council will discuss what they’re going to do at the City Council meeting next week. Huerta also said that the public is welcome to come and give their input on what they believe the Council should do, since special elections usually cost a lot of money.

The next City Council meeting will be held on June 26 at 7 p.m. at the Council Chambers in the new City Hall located at 21201 La Puente Road.

Photo By Michael Armijo
Bella Napoli Trattoria & Pizza in Walnut is one of the local businesses that has recently closed.

By Kimberley Sander SGV – Unfortunately, small businesses in the surrounding area are continuing to close. Bella Napoli Trattoria & Pizza recently shut its doors due to a health and safety violation. The restaurant, located at Valley Blvd. and Grand Ave. in Walnut, received a Notice of Closure posted on its doors from the Los Angeles County Public Health Department. Specific health code violations at the Trattoria are not known, but the City of Walnut stated that the owner’s had recently sold the business. A new pizza establishment is coming soon to that same location. Pieology, an Orange County-based franchise, is in the planning stages to open its doors in Walnut. If you’re not familiar with Pieology, their website states they have a corporate mission of “Making the world a better place one pizza at a time.” They have energy-efficient operations that can produce a delicious, hot pizza in less than five minutes. You can choose one of their suggestions, or make your own pie from a bar of the freshest ingredients; a bit like creating your own edible artwork. They pride themselves on providing the best tasting, healthiest kustom pizzas in the world, says the website. Another recent business closure is Christy’s Donuts & Ice Cream, located on Brea Canyon Road in Diamond Bar. CitySearch.com lists it as “Reported Closed”, but their building is vacated and their number has been disconnected Bob’s Big Boy on Golden Springs Drive in Diamond Bar is also looking to save itself from closing by initiating a petition to make the building an historical landmark. Owner James Tsai feels like their landlords are trying to force them out of the location they have been at for over 30 years. Sometimes business turnover can stimulate the economy by making way for new companies to invest and grow in the community, and sometimes it’s a sad nod to the state of the economy. Whatever the reason, it does pay to shop and dine locally, and let the businesses you enjoy remain a thing of the present.

Photo Courtesy: wecanchange.com
WHS team, ET (Energy Team), were one of the State Finalists in the Siemens We Can Change The World Challenge.

By Kimberley Sander SGV – Walnut High School, Diamond Bar High School, and Wilson High School, were among those named as State Finalists in the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge. The Siemens Foundation, which provides more than $7 million in annual support of U.S. education initiatives for math, science, engineering and technology, sponsored this new program, which encourages students to develop innovative green solutions for today’s environmental concerns. According to their website, the Siemens Foundation wants to “support outstanding students today, and recognize the teachers and schools that inspire their excellence, helping to nurture tomorrow’s scientists and engineers.” The challenge is open to high school students (grades 9-12), who must select an environmental topic relating to energy, biodiversity, land management, water conservation, or air/climate cleanup. The teams are made up of two to four students, and an advisor/mentor. The challenge took place from September 13, 2012 to March 5, 2013. Team ET (Energy Team) from Walnut High School, under the direction of teacher/mentor Jeri Braviroff, proposed to the Walnut City Council that installing LED (Light Emitting Diodes) street lights throughout the City would be a great ecological idea. Reports state that the Walnut City Council listened to the team’s proposal and said they would have their staff look into the idea. According to Team ET, as described on the Siemens Foundation website, “Our goal is to educate the public and our city on the implementation of the light-emitting diode, or LEDs, into city street lights. This phasing in of LEDs will reduce energy consumption and the probability of mercury poisoning among civilians and surrounding landscapes, reduce the amount of mercury that is released into the air through the burning of coal, and increase the environmental benefits. Subjective testing was done using CFLs, incandescents, and LEDs, comparing the general brightness and color output of the bulb. A positive relationship was found between the usage of less wattage and general brightness and color output.” Under the direction of teacher/mentor Jinasha Udeshi, Team Wildcats of Wilson High School in Hacienda Heights was also a finalist. They proposed to install a grass roofing to buildings which will reduce their carbon footprint and decrease energy usage via better insulation. The green roof would also reduce costs and improve the surrounding air quality through photosynthesis. “A green roof provides a win-win situation for the environment and the user, possibly making it one of the best ways to have everyone help contribute to the fight against global warming,” said Team Wildcats. Finally, Diamond Bar High School had four team finalists, all under the direction of teacher/mentor David Hong. Team Bagsters placed collection boxes next to school trash cans for hard-to-recycle materials, like potato chip bags, to determine if awareness and knowledge affects whether people recycle or not. “Our team will compare the amount of potato chip bags recycled before and after an awareness campaign on recycling potato chip bags. The campaign will include a survey of 100 students on campus to determine if they know what products are recyclable, and if given a convenient way to recycle, would they, and campus announcements,” said members of Team Bagsters. The second DBHS team, Eco Friends, developed special recycling bin tops that fit only bottles in an effort to prevent trash from mixing in to recycling. “This would make it easier for our school to sort through the bottles, if it decides to recycle them for money,” said Team Eco Friends. Team AQ2, the third DBHS team, installed water bottle refilling stations around the school, and encouraged the use of reusable bottles versus plastic. “By reducing our school’s overall plastic bottle usage and reliance, we can save an estimated amount of 12,500 plastic bottles from our school every year,” said Team AQ2. And finally, the last DBHS team, Steampunk Machiavellians, determined the school could reduce energy for metal and aluminum production by using fewer staplers. “We want to reduce the amount of metal used in our school by persuading teachers to use fewer staplers. By doing so, we believe that we can change the world by reducing the amount of energy used for metal production and for processing of the aluminum used in staplers and staples. If all goes well, then our impact in the school will be significant and that’s the change we would love to see,” said the Steampunk Machiavellians. Congratulations to all of our local high school finalists. Your eco-friendly ideas will definitely help to make positive changes in our world.

Cal Poly Release Pomona – Cal Poly Pomona has sanctioned a fraternity that was found to have hazed potential members. The Office of Judicial Affairs has determined that Sigma Nu engaged in conduct that is in violation of the group’s social probation, and additionally, took part in hazing activities that included underage drinking, provision of alcohol to minors, and coerced activities. The chapter also obstructed the investigation by providing false information and concealing information through the course of the investigation. The university worked in consultation with the national organization of Sigma Nu Fraternity, Inc. to arrive at the outcome. Sigma Nu has been suspended by both the national organization and Cal Poly Pomona through 2018, and its return to campus will depend on the behavior of its members during suspension and whether it has met specific conditions, such as the successful completion of educational workshops on hazing, says Vice President for Student Affairs Doug Freer. “We have made it clear to students in a multitude of ways that hazing is illegal, and we have zero tolerance for it in any manner,” Freer says. “While many organizations on campus have done good work to reflect on and modify old practices, this organization unfortunately chose to go in a different direction. As such, they are no longer recognized at the university.” While the fraternity is under suspension, its members may not sponsor campus events, hold group meetings, or use items bearing the fraternity’s trademarks, symbols or name. If Sigma Nu is permitted to return to campus, it will be in coordination with the national organization and recruitment may begin, at earliest, July 1, 2019. The fraternity will also be placed on probation for one year following the re-colonization of a new chapter. Individuals within the fraternity are going through the disciplinary process and will face disciplinary action that could include case dismissal, warnings, probation or suspension.

Staff Reports SGV – The Diamond Bar City Council met on Tuesday evening, June 4, voting 4-0 to adopt three resolutions for the 2013 general election. One resolution requests that the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors consolidate the general municipal election with school elections. This would mean that the Los Angeles County Registrar/Recorders Office would plan and run the election, with a potential cost of around $140,000. This year, the three seats up for election of the four-year terms are Mayor Pro Tem Ron Everett, and council members Ling-Ling Chang, and Steve Tye, with Chang looking for reelection to the council. Any U.S. Citizen is eligible to run, as long as they are registered to vote in Diamond Bar at the time nomination papers are issued. Local elections are typically set during November in odd-numbered years, with November 5 scheduled for 2013. For more information visit the City of Diamond Bar at https://www.ci.diamond-bar.ca.us.

By Sarah Armijo La County – Financial scams have reemerged across the county. Three scams in particular have been causing commotion after scamming innocent members of the community. Make sure to be aware of the “secret shopper scam”, the “granny scam”, and the “phishing scam” to prevent from being a victim. The secret shopper scam draws people in by providing what appears to be legitimate payment for services with instructions to deposit the check and act as a secret shopper at a money wiring business, such as Western Union, Money Gram, and others. The “secret shopper” then wires a significant portion of the check they received to the scammers and later, the victim discovers the check was fraudulent and the bank has charged their account to cover the funds. By the time the fraud is discovered, the receiving account has been closed and all of the contact information provided was false, making these crimes very difficult to investigate. Local police departments urge residents to protect themselves by utilizing the following information and prevention tips: • Mystery shoppers set up through legitimate companies generally do not provide any form of payment up front. • Do not deposit checks and then spend and/or wire transfer money received from someone you don’t know. • Verify the validity of the offer by researching the alleged company and any reviews that may be available on the internet. • Report possible fraud to your local law enforcement officials. Similar to the secret shopper scam, the granny scam involves wiring money to a scammer. However, this scam only targets elderly individuals. The granny scam takes place when a caller pretends to be the victim’s grandchild who needs money because he/she has been arrested, in a car accident, at the hospital, or has another emergency that requires wiring him/her cash. Usually the callers ask for the money to be wired to Canada or another country; but victims have been directed to send the money to other U.S. locations as well. The caller can also have a third party pose on the phone as a friend or a lawyer who is assisting the grandchild. In other cases, the caller already knows the grandchild’s name, helping to convince the unsuspecting grandparent that this is real. The imposter gets these names through obituaries, information posted on the Internet through social networking, public information and genealogy sites. If someone asks you to wire money, please read the following tips before you take action: • Hang up and call your family members to confirm your grandchild’s location. • Tell the caller you will return the call and call them directly at his or her home, cell phone, jail, or hospital that they are claiming to be at. • Family members can also develop a password to verify themselves to one another over the phone. • Never provide any of your banking or credit card information. • Never Wire Money! The third scam that has reemerged is the phishing scam, where the caller attempts to fraudulently acquire personal information. Although the circumstances vary from case to case, typical phishing scams involve a misrepresentation of a company via phone or email where the caller/sender attempts to obtain information, which is then used to commit some form of fraud. For example, the Chino Police Department was recently exposed to a phishing scam when a resident received a call from a scammer who was posing as a City employee and inquired about the residents’ electric bill. Most cases lead law enforcement to untraceable or out of the county phone lines and internet service providers, making these types of crimes very difficult to investigate. If found in a phishing scam situation, residents are urged to protect themselves by utilizing the following prevention tips: • Verify the identity of the person by asking specific questions such as their name, title, and the name, phone number, and address of the company they are representing. • Don’t hesitate to question the validity of the information provided by the caller. • Ask if you can call them back after you verify their employment with the alleged company they are representing. • If you receive a solicitation for information via email, remember that legitimate companies will not inquire about personal information such as account numbers, passwords, social security numbers, etc. If you experience any of these scams, you are urged to inform your local Police Department immediately.

By Kimberley Sander Eastvale – It isn’t a secret that the Eastvale schools are at, or over, capacity. Banners have been placed at local schools to notify parents that this is a reality. With construction of new homes still underway throughout the area, there is concern of whether or not children will be able to attend schools in Eastvale. According to the May Town Hall Meeting, there is some immediate relief available. Eight portable classrooms are being built to accommodate the 2013-14 school year, beginning later this summer. Four are located at Harada Elementary, and four are at VanderMolen Elementary, also helping to provide some relief to Rosa Parks and Clara Barton Elementary schools. A temporary, albeit necessary, fix to be sure; but the long term solution of additional schools to meet the needs of the growing community of Eastvale still needs to be addressed. Corona Norco Unified School District (CNUSD) owns the property adjacent to Half Moon Park (south of Chandler and west of Archibald) dedicated for construction of the new Yorba Elementary School. According to Ted Rozzi, Assistant Supervisor of Facilities for CNUSD, additional state and local funding is needed for the $25 million project to complete construction and fund the new technology that is needed district-wide. He said there are some state approvals that will expire soon. A portion of the work will need to be completed this year, with grading to begin in the fall. Rozzi added, “We are in line for state funding next year, and local funding will help. If there is enough support for the schools and it all works right, the district will pass the local bond in 2014, and the school will open in July of 2015.” Local reports also stated that an additional unnamed school is being evaluated for the North West portion of Eastvale, which still has homes under construction. CNUSD is looking to implement another school bond to complete this school.

By Kimberley Sander Eastvale – The City of Eastvale gave its Strategic Plan Presentation to the City Council on May 8, 2013, the goal of which is to provide a vision for the City. This vision establishes a Mission Statement, and outlines five-year goals, objectives and action steps. In his State of the City address on April 9, 2013, Mayor Ike Bootsma stated, “The City Council is working on developing a five-year strategic plan as a guiding document for providing leadership and identifying the priorities and direction of the City. This will include the development of a Mission Statement, Vision Statement, and identify the City’s Core Values. The plan will provide an organizational strategy that outlines five-year goals and objectives for the City, as well as outlines how the City can successfully reach these goals.” In order to gain input for the Plan, the Strategic Planning Team conducted a multitude of meetings, interviews, workshops and focus groups with community leaders and stakeholders. Joint meetings of the Planning Commission, Public Safety Commission, and the Community Foundation also helped to establish a solid platform to grow from. The main strategic goals presented were to Establish a Solid Fiscal Foundation for the City by enhancing current revenue sources for public services and improving the cost effectiveness of City operations; Optimize the City’s Economic Development Potential by creating a destination in Eastvale; Maintain an Excellent Level of Public Safety by upholding the current status as the region’s safest city; and to Provide High Quality Public Facilities, Infrastructures and Amenities by establishing plans for the development of a Civic Center, Library, Arts and Cultural facilities and other potential future developments. There are Performance Measures in place to ensure the success of the Plan, which will provide a framework for continually evaluating the City’s priorities and progress. Fiscal stability and economic development planning will be key priorities for the next several years.As revenue becomes available, the focus will be on improving the key mission of Customer Service. Eastvale continues to thrive, and the Five-Year Strategic Plan promotes the excitement of what the future holds in an already stable environment of wonderful schools, the highest median household income in Riverside County, no city debt, a balanced budget and a healthy reserve (as reported in the May Edition of the Eastvale Community News). For more information about the City of Eastvale, visit http://www.eastvalecity.org.

By Kimberley Sander Eastvale – The proposed Eastvale San Antonio Medical Plaza project, previously submitted to the Eastvale Planning Commission by San Antonio Community Hospital, is seeking approval for modifications to the already approved development plan for a portion of the Eastvale Gateway South retail center. The center, located on Limonite Avenue just west of the I-15, already has approvals for several restaurants. The Medical Plaza, which would occupy the lot in front of the recently completed 24-Hour Fitness Center, is proposing a modification that would replace some of the restaurants. Other businesses currently at the retail center include Corky’s Kitchen and Bakery, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Wing-Stop, Game-Stop, and Walgreen’s. The Medical Plaza Project is proposing a major review for the development of two two-story buildings, totaling over 69,000 square feet, and 327 parking spaces. The development would be built in two phases, with the first building, 213 of the parking spaces, perimeter landscaping and walkways to be completed initially. The next phase would develop the second building, the remaining 114 parking spaces and the balance of the landscaping. Phase II would begin one to two years after Phase I has been completed, depending on its success. Since the property is already subdivided into three lots for the originally approved restaurants, the Medical Plaza Project does not configure to the site. They would require approval of a lot line adjustment to the existing parcels. The proposed Eastvale San Antonio Community Medical Plaza would include a combination of physician offices and outpatient services such as surgery, imaging, labs, physical therapies, cardiac rehabilitation, dialysis, oncology, urgent care, and other health-related options. No emergency rooms or ambulance services would be provided at the site. Once approved by the Planning Commission, there is a ten day window to appeal (the project will not go to the City Council for approval). There is also a 30-day window to contest the CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) document, commencing on the date the document is filed with the Riverside County Clerk’s Office.