Staff Reports Walnut – Sometimes consumers have so many options available that it makes it difficult to choose a company to give your business to. Why not choose a company, such as California Coach Auto Collision and Towing, that believes in giving back to the surrounding communities. Owners Andy and Linda Lujan opened California Coach over 20 years ago. “We sold our house and went out on limb,” Linda said. “We pulled all of our money together and started it when there was nothing in Walnut.” The love for cars and auto repair came from Andy’s father. The two used to work together on cars, Linda said. The family aspect of the business has continued with their son Andrew working as an estimator for the business. Besides the outstanding services and benefits that California Coach offers, such as 24-hour towing, frame and auto repair, free pickup and delivery, and rental cars, Linda said they stay very active in community issues. “We are very involved in our ministry at our church, St. Paul The Apostle Catholic in Chino Hills,” Linda said. Andy also volunteers for inmate services with the County of Los Angeles. “We take social justice very seriously,” Linda said. California Coach also does exclusive collision repair for Diamond Honda of Puente Hills, in the City of Industry. For more info, call (909) 595-9448 or visit them at 22064 Valley Blvd. in Walnut.

By Sarah Armijo Walnut –The 2nd Annual Sheriff Variety Show held last week was a huge success as community members, businesses, and local agencies raised over $3,000 for our local Walnut-Diamond Bar Station. The show was held last Sat., May 4, at Walnut High School, with the Walnut-Diamond Bar Sheriff Booster Club managing the event. The Walnut Valley Unified School District (WVUSD) also sponsored the event that benefits the entire community. “We are glad that the event was successful, and we are proud to assist when it’s for the betterment of the community,” said WVUSD Superintendent, Dean Conklin. “We have a great relationship with the department and will continue to support whenever possible.” The three major donators to the event are: Don Knabe’s office; the City of Diamond Bar; and Marcos Granda from American Pacific Mortgage. Two other sponsors donated their services for our Variety Show. Passion Florists donated a beautiful flower bouquet that was given to the Variety Show event coordinator, Sarah Armijo. Passion Florists sells a variety of fresh flowers for any occasion. Passion Florists is located at 784 Nogales St. in Walnut and can be reached at (626) 506-8014. Former Diamond Bar Mayor Aileen Ansari and a board member to the Sheriff Booster Club, donated cookies and water for the acts that were waiting for perform. Two Sheriff Booster Club members were also the hilarious MCs for the night. Michael of ABC Public Relations and Gil Rivera of http://www.sellyourcasa.com had the audience rolling before they introduced each act throughout the show. Before and after the event, Mt. SAC student and Pomona’s RAW Visual Artist of the Year, Mathew Sanchez, showcased his artwork in the lobby. Mathew sells a variety of artwork and also does custom work for clients. To view Mathew’s work, go to matsanchez.com or visit his instagram at @visionarts. Email matartistic7@yahoo.com for more information on original canvas and charcoal artwork. Also in the lobby, were representatives from the Z-Ultimate Self Defense Studio in Walnut. Z-Ultimate provides the ultimate martial arts experience for students and their families by providing life changing and character building experiences through world-class personalized martial arts instruction. For more information about Z Ultimate, go to zultimatewalnut.com or call (626) 912-0447. The Dance Corner studio located in Rowland Heights showcased three styles of dances at this event, with performers ranging from toddlers to teenagers. Dance Corner offers classes for all ages at reasonable prices. For more information about Dance Corner, go to rtdancecorner.com or call (909) 967-2365. An up and coming local band, “Penny and the Jets,” was an incredible opening act for our Variety Show. This band featured Alisha Ciorlieri as the singer, Adrian Vega on guitar, Steven Cruz on keys, Bryant Seavy on bass, and Eddie Sanches on the drums. For more information on Penny and the Jets, email Adrian at avega909@yahoo.com. Another amazing act at our event was the “MTM Band” who played in honor of Michael Toshio Miyamoto, a heroic member of the Walnut community. The members of the MTM Band are Jason Adauto, Michael Hanlon, Ellie Ikeda, Addam Rodriguez, and Jared Witcher. For more information on the MTM Band, contact Jason at adautojason@gmail.com. Singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and former “The Voice” contestant, Adanna Duru, returned to our 2nd Annual Variety Show for another great performance. She sang an amazing version of Stay by Rihanna. For more information on Adanna, go to http://www.adannaduru.com. Singing sensation Terrah Xtreme also sang at our Variety Show for the second time. Terrah sang her heart out for two songs, Rolling In The Deep and One and Only. To see 9-year-old Terrah’s performances, go to youtube.com/terrahxtreme. Walnut High School drama students, Emma Aragon and Emi Tsukada, did a hilarious comedy scene at our Variety Show, called “Dissecting the Chicken Joke.” Young adult members of the St. Dennis Contemporary Choir, Lisa Martinez and Natalie Martinez, also performed a duet of two beautiful songs for our event. Members of the Baldwin Park Roadrunner’s Mascot Cheerleading team also performed a few of their cheers for the event. These cheerleaders were also featured in the “Gangnam Style” dance with dancing sensation, Luke Rivera, at the end of the show. The show ended with all the participants dancing to the “Harlem Shake”, which was led by Luke Rivera. If you missed the show, JDC Cine Photos of jdcinephotos.com videotaped the entire show, which is available for purchase. DVDs are available for $30 and Blu-Rays for $35. Orders can be placed by email at jdcinephotos@jdcinephotos.com or through facebook message at http://www.facebook.com/jdcinephotos. We would like to give a special thank you to all our sponsors, our volunteers, our community members and everyone who was involved in our show! Thank you for all your hard work and support!

By Kelli Gile Walnut — Walnut Valley Unified School District will launch the Hockwalt Resource & Transition Training Center (HARTT Center) for the 2013-14 school year. The HARTT Center serves 18-22 year old students with disabilities who are receiving a Certificate of Completion from high school and have significant needs for support as they transition to adulthood. The HARTT Center aids in the development of a continuum of transition skills based each student’s unique level of ability with the goal of successfully transitioning to adult living. Skills are developed using community-based instruction in addition to classroom instruction. WVUSD is seeking tax-deductible donations from the community for a kitchen that will be set up at the Center on Lemon Avenue in Walnut. Donations of dishes, cookware, silverware, utensils, dishes, placemats and napkins are now being accepted. The District is also looking for local businesses that would be able to provide possible work experience placements. Please contact Judi Koorndyk, Coordinator of Special Education, at jkoorndyk@wvusd.k12.ca.us, if you would like to donate or get information about helping provide work experience for the students.

Staff Reports Southern California -There has been a lot of crime in the area this past month, here is a quick recap of all the events that have gone on. On May 2, two separate incident occured. The first incident occured when an unnamed Industry man was airlifted to the hospital after striking a light post around 12:27 p.m. Fire teams were dispatched to the scene and were able to cut the man from the vehicle at 1:27 p.m.. The driver’s injuries were unspecified. The second incident occured when a man and woman were caught in a string of recent burglaries. The duo was identified as Andrew Martin, 47, and Gloria Quintero, 46, both from Ontario. They were suspected to be involved in over 40 burglaries ranging from Glendora, Azusa, Covina, Diamond Bar, La Verne, Claremont, Chino, Ontario, La Palma and San Bernardino. The duo was finally caught when an officer who viewed the security footage recognized Martin from a recent traffic stop a week earlier. A getaway vehicle was also identified to be a primer gray 1989 Chevy S-10 pickup truck. The two were put on $20,000 bail. On May 3, two more incidents were cited. The first incident occurred at around 9:15 a.m. A broken big rig’s gas tank forced the shutdown of an exit ramp on the 60 Freeway for hours as crews worked to clean the spill, CHP reported. The exit ramp at Garey Ave. off the 60 freeway was shutdown shortly after 10 a.m. and remained shutdown for several hours. The second incident that occured on May 3 was a 15-year-old Diamond Ranch High student was arrested for bringing a firearm onto school grounds. Police were called to investigate at around 12:30 p.m. When deputies arrived on scene, a cooperative effort was enacted between deputies and school officials to do a thorough search of the classroom and detain the student. When officers checked the student’s backpack, they found and recovered an unloaded firearm inside the student’s backpack next to his desk on the classroom floor. It was later determined the firearm in his possession had been reported stolen in 2008, according to a written police report. The student was arrested for possession of a firearm on school grounds, possession of a stolen firearm, and being a minor in possession of a firearm. The student was booked at the Walnut/Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Station and was transported to the Los Angeles County Probation Department’s Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall. The student was not eligible for bail. On May 5, a suspect was attemted to break into a Diamond Bar residence but could not enter. Police attempted to search for the suspect via helicopter and vehicle patrols, but were unable to find the suspect.

Mayor Ike Bootsma delivered the State of the City last month, to a record crowd.

By Andrew Hoover Eastvale – The City of Eastvale held its Second Annual State of the City Address on the night of April 9, 2013 to give a public update on Eastvale and how quickly it’s growing. The Eastvale State of the City, hosted by the Eastvale Chamber of Commerce, began the event with a speech by Jorge Razo, Chairman of the Board Chamber of Commerce. See Jorge’s entire speech on page 13. The speech was followed by the Showing of the Colors performed by the Jurupa Valley Station Explorer post #880, pledge of allegiance, and a beautiful rendition of the Star Spangled banner sung by Abbey Horan of Roosevelt High School. After a quick presentation of the sponsors, Dignitaries, and Board of Directors, Jeff DeGrandpre took the stage. “Why Eastvale?” Jeff asked the crowd. “Well, Eastvale has great schools,” Jeff stated. Jeff went on to explain that Eastvale also has well maintained parks and is a safe place to raise a family. DeGrandpre explained that Eastvale is the fastest growing city in the Riverside County and the fifth fastest growing city in the State of California. He also pointed out that Eastvale has the highest median household income in Riverside County at $115,025. Jeff expanded on that by adding that Eastvale has absolutely no city debt, passed a balanced budget, and has a healthy reserve. Jeff finished up his speech by adding that Eastvale’s sales tax that it earned by consumers in Eastvale grew by 49.58% from 2011 to 2012 and is still growing. Eastvale’s Mayor Ike Bootsma gave his speech next. After a brief introduction of the new businesses in Eastvale, Bootsma went on to the core of the address. “We have wonderful schools in Eastvale, which we are so proud of. Corona Norco Unified School District is the largest district in Riverside County and now the 9th largest district in the State of California, serving over 55,000 students in the cities of Eastvale, Corona and Norco,” said Bootsma. Bootsma also showed the Academic Performance Index, which measures how well students are learning. Out of 1000 points, Eastvale Elementary School topped out at 911 API points with the lowest being 812 API points at Eleanor Roosevelt High School. “We are proud to have 2 California Distinguished Schools in the City of Eastvale: Clara Barton Elementary and Harada Elementary. In addition, the School District has been nominated twice for the prestigious Eli Broad Award which is one of the highest honors a school district can achieve,” said Bootsma. After an introduction of the City Council and staff members, Bootsma stated Eastvale’s planned projects for 2013, which included the widening of Hamner Ave. near Citrus for the Silverlakes Project underway; widening of Schleisman Ave. between Hellman and The Enclave; coordinating the tear down of the old cell tower in the middle of Schleisman Rd. which is not a city project; the repavement of Hellman Ave.; develop a Bikeway Master Plan and Truck Route Study; and continue efforts to seek funding from regional, state, and federal agencies to fund additional infrastructure improvements. Bootsma wrapped up the State of the City Address with Eastvale’s City Plan. “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.”

By Andrew Hoover Eastvale – Eastvale City Council members have recently held a crossfire about the Las Vegas International Conference of Shopping (ICN) Centers in May of last year. At the City Council Meeting on March 27, a motion was called to decide who would be attending the next International Convention of Shopping Centers (ICSC) RECON conference in Las Vegas again. When a motion was made to have Mayor Ike Bootsma and Mayor Pro-tem Adam Rush go instead of Jeff DeGrandpre and Kelly Howell, DeGrandpre was the first to speak up about it. DeGrandpre stated at this City Council meeting that he did not agree with the way money was utilized during the last event, which was held last year in Las Vegas. “I was at the Ontario Airport Monday morning, not Sunday night. Monday morning heading out there, a lady from the County came up to me … I had my shirt on that said Mayor City of Eastvale, and she said, ‘I’m glad to see somebody from the City of Eastvale is finally coming because nobody was there from the Eastvale the night before’,” stated DeGrandpre. “That upset me a little bit. So, I mean, after all, some people went out Saturday, they came with spouses, it was a nice little vacation there.” DeGrandpre went on to further state his side of the conference by making allegations such as, the booth being empty each time he visited it, and how certain developers who are already in the City of Eastvale were being met. He further stated that it “was a waste of tax payer money.” DeGrandpre was also upset with the developers that Kelly Howell and Michele Nissen met with. “I’m looking at the report from last year and these folks went to places like In-N-Out, Steak and Shake, a bakery, Hickory Farms, Jersey Mike’s, Brunswick Bowling. This is not the purpose of this conference, this conference is not to get another sub shop here in Eastvale, it is to get the development underway, and the developers then go out and get the people that then lease space from them,” said DeGrandpre. “My idea of going to this conference, and I already actually have a couple of appointments set, is to get the big developers in here with millions of dollars to get it going, not to go get another dry cleaners. Sorry, that’s just a waste of money.” Kelly Howell was next to retort back stating that DeGrandpre’s allegations of the trip being a vacation was untrue. “I do like to discount and I disagree with you, regarding the comments you made about going with spouses and making a vacation of it, because that’s completely untrue and unnecessary,” stated Howell. According to a document sent to last year’s City Manager, Robert Van Nort, Howell and Nissen visited 31 retailers and developers during that time, which accounted for the booth being empty from time to time due to lucrative business opportunities and meetings being made. Some of the developers and retailers being met with included In-N-Out, Jersey Mikes which opened recently in September of 2012, the U.S Postal Service, and Brunswick Bowling. At the most recent City Council meeting on April 10, Brian Nissen, the husband of Eastvale Public Information Officer Michele Nissen, and local community activist, Richard “Dickie” Simmons, attended the meeting, where both stated that were appalled at the allegations that were made at the last city meeting. Brian Nissen defied DeGrandpre’s notion that they “had a nice little vacation” at tax payer expense. “This is an outright lie,” Brian Nissen said. “I did not attend the convention.” Dickie Simmons pointed out that meeting with developers is city business, and that council should refrain from such meetings. DeGrandpre then defended himself stating that “at no time did I say they misused money.” However, he felt the $7,700 that council members voted to use for marketing materials “was kind of wasteful.” “I may have gone off the rails,” DeGrandpre added. At the April council meeting, Kelly Howell provided documents clearly stating every expense made at the conference. She wanted to show her side of the story, as well as allow the public to clearly view the amounts spent by each member as well as a memorandum of the event detailing the business and developers that were met with at the conference. According to a memo to then City Manager Bob Van Nort, last year in May, the Eastvale City Council visited the ICSC RECON in Las Vegas to allow them to get better acquainted with new developers for the City, make new connections with new developers, and introduce the City of Eastvale to a larger market of individuals and make our cities presence known. ICSC RECON is the world’s largest real estate exhibit and convention where approximately 30,000 industry professionals attend with hundreds of exhibitors. Councilman DeGrandpre and Councilwoman Kelly Howell attended ICSC RECON last year, as well as City staff member Michele Nissen. The total amount that Eastvale tax payer money was spent during that trip was $7,761.26, which covered travel for the event, lodging, pavilion fee, give-a ways, pamphlets, as well as other misc items such as phone and food, which was all necessary toward the conference trip itself.

By: Andrew Hoover Eastvale – Several upscale communities like Walnut, Diamond Bar, Chino Hills, and Eastvale have been targets for “marijuana grow houses.” Just recently, the Sheriff Dept. has released a statement indicating that over 17 houses have been uncovered in a 20 mile radius since Jan 2013. A “Marijuana grow house” is typically a house located in a suburban area that is industrialized to grow and distribute Marijuana. This process includes bypassing the electrical meter by way of expensive and high grade electrical equipment or leading a wire to the power line before the meter. The houses must be maintained at a certain temperature as well to ensure the crops growth. Due to this, the houses can posses the ability to create an immediate fire hazard with all the electricity being generated through amateur wiring. However, fire hazards aren’t the only downside to grow houses. Most of the time, growers are involved in gang activity which brings the threat of violent crime into your neighborhood. Grow houses can also cause property values to drop which can put a strain on homeowners in the area. According to the DEA and FBI, marijuana is a multi-billion dollar industry which includes profits made from the “legal” dispensaries across the states that have legalized it for medical purposes. Grow house owner’s supply to every market as well as including the medical marijuana dispensaries and the current black market, making marijuana an incredibly lucrative crop and one of the most easily accessible drugs. Eastvale has been home to multiple grow house incidents. The most notable were the raids that happened in March, which led to the uncovering of a large marijuana grow operation that spanned from multiple cities including Eastvale, Walnut, and Diamond Bar. In April, four more grow houses were spotted in Eastvale. The first was on April 10 at 1:45 P.M. on the 6300 block of La Mesa St., where deputies seized over 600 marijuana plants, one pound of processed marijuana, digital scales and packaging material. The next grow house was raided on April 16 at 11 pm on the 6900 Block of Rapids Dr. Deputies seized over 1100 marijuana plants, one pound of processed marijuana, digital scales and packaging material. The last and most recent houses were discovered on April 24. The houses were located on the 6400 block of Harrow St. and 13000 block of Running Deer Cir. The first warrant was served at around 4 pm on Harrow Street, where deputies seized over 850 marijuana plants, a half-pound of processed marijuana, digital scales and packaging material. Additionally, electricity was being bypassed around the meter, causing a serious fire hazard and resulting in approximately $3000 a month in stolen electricity. The second warrant was served on Running Deer Circle at around 6 pm when deputies seized over 600 marijuana plants, digital scales and packaging material and estimated that around $4,000 worth of electricity had been bypassed around the meter. Eastvale police and the Riverside Sheriff Dept. has recently released a statement giving tips on how to spot a grow house, Some of these tips include looking out for windows that are covered from the interior, lights and televisions on timers, subjects moving in commercial grade electrical equipment during the late night or early morning hours, no signs of normal residential occupation, and the smell of marijuana emitting from the home. It’s also advised to never approach someone who you may think is operating a grow house for your own safety, as owners are usually criminals involved in some form of gang activity and do not want anybody interfering with their operation. If you or someone you know suspects a home of being a grow house, you are strongly advised to call calling Deputy Javier Morando at the Jurupa Valley Station at (951) 955-2600 or the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department’s dispatch center at (951)776-1099.

Staff Reports Eastvale – In an effort to reach out to the city residents as well as the businesses, the Eastvale Chamber of Commerce has taken advantage of the donated space the Eastvale Community News has offered by making the page their official newsletter. The paper will be sent out to all Chamber members as well. “As a fairly new chamber, we’ve decided to utilize the space given to us by the Eastvale Community News and mail copies to our members, informing them of the upcoming events and chamber news,” said Eastvale President Jorge Razo. “Most chambers only mail the information to other members, we will be reaching residents AND chamber members, with pictures, highlights, and other information.” Razo also noted that there will be changes to the format, with business member highlights, listings, and pictures. The mailing begins this month, changes go into effect in the June 2013 edition.

Staff Reports Eastvale – April 16, 2013- Eastvale: deputies from the Eastvale Police Dept., received information regarding an illegal cultivation of marijuana within a residential neighborhood on the 6900 Block of Rapids Dr., Eastvale. An investigation was initiated and a search warrant was obtained for the residence. When officers arrived on scene, they found over 1100 marijuana plants, one pound of processed marijuana, digital scales and packaging material. Additionally, electricity was being bypassed around the meter, causing a serious fire hazard and resulting in approximately $4500 a month in stolen electricity. April 13, 2013- A postal worker delivering mail in Corona was shot in the left temple by a pellet gun according to police. Mail service has stopped until a suspect is arrested or until the mailbox is moved and/or deemed safe to work again. April 18, 2013- Booked for investigation of burglary and conspiracy to commit a felon were 35-year-old Eric Lee Rivera, 42-year-old Camilo Rivera, and 22-year-old Dloreen Jae Lachesky. All 3 suspects were accused of robbing grocery stores, pharmacies and hardware stores in Corona, Moreno Valley, Perris, Menifee and Murrieta. April 21, 2013- A Riverside bus driver is credited with helping police catch a violent robbery suspect who boarded his bus in Corona. Bob Owens, a Riverside Transit Agency bus driver, recognized Eric Cunningham’s face from wanted posters. Police said that on April 16, Cunningham, 45, used a hammer or mallet to bludgeon the 52-year-old owner of a Riverside tobacco shop and then grabbed cash from the register. The victim was hospitalized in serious condition, officials said. On Thursday morning, Cunningham boarded the bus on Smith Street in Corona and took a window seat at the front of the bus, according to the Riverside Transit Agency. Owens played it cool, taking care not to look back at Cunningham, appear nervous or report the crime over the radio, for fear Cunningham would hear. Owens waited until he could quietly ask another bus driver to alert police during a stop. Minutes later, Owens made a stop on his route at the Galleria at Tyler, where officers were waiting for Cunningham. April 12, 2013- A former Corona police officer who did not disclose allegations that a 13-year-old boy was possibly being abused by the pastor and other members of her church was sentenced to three years’ probation and 250 hours of community service. Margaret Bell Former cop testified in court on April 12 stating that she was never told that anything criminal was going on at the church other than a witness report stating the boy was poked in the chest with a pair of pliers. Lonny Lee Remmers, 54, Nicholas James Craig, 22, Darryll Duane Jeter, 28, who are the pastor and church members, are facing a slew of felony charges for allegedly threatening and physically assaulting a then-13-year-old boy, one allegation stated that the men tied the boy to a chair in Remmers bathroom and pepper sprayed and pinched him in the chest to punish him.