Photo courtesy: Facebook

Courtesy of the City of Chino Hills

Chino Hills– The Art Committee of the Chino Hills Community Foundation, known as chARTS, has partnered with the City of Chino Hills to showcase the work of local artists in the lobby of the Chino Hills Community Center, located at 14250 Peyton Drive. The artwork is now on display.

There will be a “Meet the Artist” reception on Thursday, January 14th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The featured artist this quarter is Chino Hills’ resident Marilee Poirier. She first discovered her passion and talent for drawing during her early childhood in the Philippines. She moved with her family to the United States in 1982, where she began sketching realistic portraits of her family and friends. Marilee is a self-taught artist who specializes in portraits, landscapes, and illustrations. She works with several traditional drawing mediums, such as charcoal, colored pencils, and watercolor, as well as digital technology to create digital paintings and illustrations. Marilee is a wife and mother who finds personal fulfillment in being an artist. Her greatest inspirations are her family and God.

New permanent artwork at the Community Center will also be featured at the January 14th reception. The artwork was purchased through a $10,000 donation from the County of San Bernardino during the tenure of former San Bernardino County Supervisor Gary Ovitt. The newly-installed pieces include three custom eight-foot murals painted by local artist Enrique Vidal; canvas prints of photos taken by professional photographer Council Member Peter Rogers; historical photos of the Chino Rancho Ride; and “before” and “after” aerial photographs of locations in the city. In addition, a beautiful Oak tree painting by Laguna Beach artist Carolyn Reynolds has been relocated to the Community Center lobby from the reading room in the Library.

ChARTS is led by local artists and art lovers who represent a wide range of expertise in fine arts, graphic design, music, creative writing, theater, and more. They encourage the creation, enjoyment, and enrichment of the arts in Chino Hills. The Chino Hills Community Center serves as a home base for chARTS. For more information about chARTS, please call (909) 364-2736.

Photo courtesy of Facebook
7-11 clerk celebrates winning ticket

By Carol Heyen

CHINO HILLS– Lady Luck struck Chino Hills on Wednesday night, after it was announced that a winning Powerball ticket had been bought at the 7-11 convenience store on Chino Hills Parkway and Pipeline Avenue.

Chino Hills’ residents eagerly checked their tickets after it was announced that the winning ticket was bought in the city.  Ashley Wagenhoffer, a Chino Hills resident, admitted to checking her tickets “more times than I’d like to admit.”

The winner has not come forward, but Chino Hillians were still cheering on their city.  The 7-11 was swarmed by residents eager to celebrate the win with shop owners.  The store will receive a $1 million bonus for selling the winning ticket.

The ticket, worth approximately $528 million, was one of three winning tickets sold for this week’s record $1.5 billion Powerball drawing.  The other winning tickets were sold in Tennessee and Florida.  This was the largest lottery prize ever offered in North America.

For every $1 in lottery sales, half goes to prize winnings, 40 percent goes to education and 10 percent goes to the retailers who sell the tickets and administrative costs.

Photo Courtesy: City of Chino Hills
Council Member Peter Rogers poses with his dog Chloe and Sparky, the fire dog, makes quick friends with Chloe.

By Monique Valadez

Chino Hills – The newest addition to Chino Hills’ is for the dogs. After more than a decade of discussion and planning, Vila Borba Park – the city’s first ever off-leash dog park – is now open to the public.

A fanfare of nearly 200 people and their furry four-legged friends gathered at the grand opening ceremony Dec. 18.

City officials and community members snipped the official red ribbon but it was Sparky the Fire Dog and McGruff the Crime-Fighting Dog that made the “leash cutting” ceremonies complete for all dogs in attendance.

The 5.6-acre park is located south of Pine Avenue west of Butterfield Ranch Road at 17001 Amadora Drive. It offers a fenced in space for both big and little dogs to roam freely. The park comes equipped with convenient dog waste stations and dog-appropriate water fountains. There is also a Tot Lot play area for children, picnic areas, exercise stations, and walking paths. The park will be open from 7 a.m. until dusk each day.

City officials say it’s free and open to all dog owners, though there are a few rules. Dogs must be at least four months old and non-aggressive, and owners are asked to keep a leash with them at the park – though dogs can be unleashed within the fence.
City officials say the park has been more than a decade-long project. The concept of a dog park in this city was first addressed in March 2000 by the Parks and Recreation Commission, through a community engagement process, according to the city’s staff report.

Developer’s Standard Pacific presented plans for its new 200-home project to the city council and offered to incorporate a dog park. Standard Pacific built the dog park at no cost to the City as part of their requirement to provide park space.

Residents of the city also rallied behind the cause by starting the nonprofit Dog Park for Chino Hills. The group’s next fundraising efforts are to install commemorative bricks in a section of the park.

Photo Courtesy: City of Chino Hills
City officials, local legislators and community members join in the ribbon cutting ceremony at the Tot Lot children playground at Vila Borba Park.

Photos by San Bernardino County Sheriff – Chino Hills Station
Stolen vehicle and items recovered by Chino Hills Sheriff’s deputies.

By Sara Cipollone

Chino Hills – Two Riverside County men were arrested on Sunday, Dec. 20 by the Chino Hills Sheriff’s Station in response to a service call regarding a vehicle burglary.
On Sunday morning, the Chino Hills deputies responded to a call reporting a vehicle burglary in progress. Adam Rudolph, 23, of Riverside and John Gillespie, 26, of Menifee were arrested in relation to the report.
The reporting party provided police with a description of the suspect vehicle and the last known direction of travel, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Deputies set up a perimeter and conducted a traffic stop on the suspect vehicle on Rock Springs Drive, just west of Oakland Way.
Police found several stolen items inside the suspects’ vehicle which link them to an ongoing investigation involving numerous victims throughout the city of Chino Hills.
Rudolph and Gillespie were identified during a lineup and booked at West Valley Detention Center for burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, and possession of stolen property.

Photo courtesy: SBCS-Chino Hills

Over 80 Victims in 4 Counties
Staff Reports

 
Chino Hills – Officers arrested a Diamond Bar man on suspicion of identity theft, manufacturing or altering credit cards, and possession of credit card manufacturing equipment Dec. 2, Chino Hills’ sheriff officials said.

Chino Hills’ sheriff deputies discovered that Michael David Soriano, 35, had unlawfully obtained the identity, email, and credit card information from a Chino Hills resident, which he used at the Chino Hills Buffalo Wild Wings. Deputies traced the fraudulent activity to Soriano, and a search warrant was issued. Deputies confiscated several devices to manufacture and alter credit cards. Soriano was in possession of over 80 fraudulent credit cards. Additionally, deputies located numerous names, addresses, and credit card numbers that belonged to victims in San Bernardino, Orange, Los Angeles, and San Diego Counties. Numerous victims in those counties were contacted by deputies, who were not aware their personal information had been unlawfully obtained and used. Soriano was arrested and booked at the West Valley Detention Center.

Photo courtesy: Hagman’s office

By Monique Valadez

Chino Hills – San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman welcomed friends around the community to his annual Christmas open house Dec. 10 at the Chino Hills City Hall lobby. More than 70 people including Santa Claus turned up for the festive affair decked out with carolers from Diamond Ranch High School, sweet treats and tacos.

Among the participants were local city officials, public safety personnel, representatives from Pomona’s Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez’s and Chino’s Senator Connie Leyva’s office and constituents from across San Bernardino County.

Hagman addressed the attendees, reaffirming his support for the lives lost in the horrific shooting in San Bernardino.

“It’s going to be a long healing process but together we are strong and will overcome this tragedy,” Hagman said.

“It was encouraging to see our community come together and support one another while remembering the season of hope.”

City of Chino Hills

Chino Hills– The City of Chino Hills celebrates its 24th anniversary of incorporation on December 1, 1991! On Election Day in 1991, 58% of the voters elected to become the 24th incorporated City within the County of San Bernardino. Voters also chose the name “Chino Hills” instead of “Canyon Hills” and elected five Chino Hills residents to represent them as City Council Members at large. The newly elected City Council Members had the task of selecting the first Mayor. They opted to order the Council according to the number of votes received. The City’s first Mayor was Gwenn Norton-Perry, followed by Mayor Pro Tem James S. Thalman, and Council Members Gary G. Larson, Michael G. Wickman, and Ed Graham.

Staff Reports

CHINO HILLS – Three people were arrested for stealing mail from Chino Hills’ neighborhoods, according to Chino Hills Police Department.

Rekha Bun, 41, of Norwalk, Joel Berberabe, 34, of San Dimas, and Chingtai Ngo, 34, of Long Beach each face several counts of felony theft.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff, Chino Hills Station says three suspects were arrested in November for mail theft.
On Nov. 19, the Chino Hills Sheriff’s office received a call of people stealing mail from home mailboxes near Turquoise Circle and Feldspar Lane. Area resident’s provided authorities with a description of the suspects and vehicle license plate number.

Deputies located the suspect’s vehicle at a hotel in Pomona. Authorities issued a search warrant for the hotel room.  At the scene, deputies recovered stolen mail from Chino Hills residents, equipment to manufacture fraudulent access cards, numerous stolen credit cards, stolen Social Security Cards, fraudulent credit cards, and narcotics.

Bun, Berberabe and Ngo were booked into the West Valley Detention Center. Investigators say the stolen mail will be released to the U.S. Postal inspector who then will notify victims.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service offers the following tips to protect your mail.

• Use the letter slots at your post office to mail letters, or give them to a letter carrier.
• Pick up your mail promptly after delivery. Don’t leave it in your mailbox overnight.
• Destroy or shred all unneeded documents that contain personal & financial information. These include credit card receipts, insurance forms, medical and bank statements, AND credit card offers.
• Don’t send cash in the mail.
• Ask your bank for “secure” checks that can’t be altered.
• Tell your post office when you’ll be out of town, so they can hold your mail until you return.
• Report all mail theft to a Postal Inspector.

Staff Reports

CHINO HILLS – Four suspects were arrested Nov. 17 for credit card sham at a Chino Hills business.

According to detective, Silvano Flores Orozco, Celene Rodriguez, and Juan Rodriguez were captured on video surveillance at a business in Chino Hills using fraudulent credit cards. During the investigation, detectives identified one of the male suspects as Silvano Flores Orozco, 34, of West Covina.

On Nov. 17, a search warrant was issued for the arrest of Orozco, Celene Rodriguez, 30, of Montclair, Juan Rodriguez, 22, of Baldwin Park and Kevin Minive, 26, of Downey, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s press release. Over 150 fraudulent access cards, numerous victims of identity theft and over $25,000.00 in fraudulently purchased items were recovered during the arrest, officials reported. The four suspects were booked into the West Valley Detention Center.
Anyone with additional information is urged to call the Chino Hills Police Department. If you choose to remain anonymous you may call WeTip at 1-800-78-CRIME. You may be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward.
 

Utility bill aims to provide water usage data, easy-to-read information

Staff Reports

CHINO HILLS – Residents of Chino Hills have a new utility bill that will cover water, sewer and trash starting this month.

The utility bill was redesigned following customer suggestions and ideas. Residents requested easy-to-follow information on water usage and consumption history as well as more clear and transparent language, according to a City-issued press release.

City Manager Rad Bartlam believes that the newly designed utility bill will help residents understand monthly water usage and remain vigilant in their water conservation efforts.
“Residents wanted to see their water usage in gallons, not the typical “hundred cubic feet (CCF)” used by water providers,” said Bartlam. “They also wanted to see the results of their water saving efforts on a monthly and yearly basis. The City is very interested in our residents having that information so that we can continue to work toward meeting our State-mandated 28 percent reduction in water use.”

Residents stated receiving the new utility bill along with a flyer explaining the new utility bill on Nov. 9.

The new utility bill includes a previous month and current month comparison of their total monthly water usage in gallons and CCFs.

According to city officials, customers will also see an easy-to-read bar graph that shows a month-by- month comparison of water consumption data for the current year and previous year, if the historical information is available for the account. Customers also have access to water consumption history online, but the new design will make it conveniently available on the monthly bill, officials added.

The water section of the bill includes charges for the system that delivers the water, as well as the cost of the water used. The line item “City Maintenance Charge,” reflects the costs to have the system ready to deliver water (water pipes, pumping stations, maintenance, personnel, etc.) and is based upon the size of the meter.

For residential properties, the cost of water is tiered, so the costs increase as the usage increases. The bill now reflects the Tier 1, 2, and 3 rates and provides the final total for water charges. The Tier rates also vary depending upon the rate zone, which is noted at the top of the bill under “Account Information.” The City is divided into three rate zones, based upon geography (low, intermediate, high), to reflect the costs of pumping the water to higher elevations.

The sewer section of the bill also includes the amount charged by the Inland Empire

Utilities Agency (IEUA) for sewer treatment labeled as “IEUA Pass-thru Treatment Fee,” and the “City Maintenance Charge” which reflects the costs to have the City’s sewer system ready to move sewage to the IEUA treatment Plant (sewer pipes, pumping stations, maintenance, personnel, etc.). “City Pumping Charge reflects the costs to pump sewage within the City sewer system, if necessary.

Trash charges on the bill are listed as a line item and the “Bill Summary” section has the typical items such as the last payment, outstanding balance, adjustments, current charges, and the total balance due. The bill also includes a “Special Message” section for messages of general interest to residents and businesses.

Photo Courtesy: DandelionMoms.com

Staff Reports

CHINO HILLS-The City of Chino Hills is seeking donors for the annual Adopt-A-Family Program to assist families who face difficult financial hardships that may prevent them from providing food, clothing, and gifts for their families during the holiday season.
Established in 2005, Chino Hills’ Adopt-A-Family Program offers community members the opportunity to give back to less fortunate families during Christmas.
Families qualify for the program through an application and interview process.  Residents, local businesses, and community groups are asked to “adopt” one or more of these families to provide them with the items they need so they may have a happy holiday season.  Donors must complete a donation form and submit it by 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13 to the Recreation Division at City Hall, 14000 City Center Drive, or online at http://www.chinohills.org/AdoptAFamily.
Donors may select a small, medium, or large family to “adopt.” The family’s Christmas wish list will be provided no later than Nov. 16, after all interviews have been conducted.
Adopt-A-Family donors are required to drop off their wrapped and labeled gifts at the Chino Hills Community Center, 14250 Peyton Drive, from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 30.
If unable to Adopt-A-Family, gift cards can also be donated and used to purchase gifts for a family. Gift Card Donors must complete the online form and mail or drop the gift card off at Chino Hills City Hall, 14000 City Center Drive, Chino Hills, CA 91709.
For additional information, please call the Recreation Division at (909) 364-2730.