September 2009 Archives

The supermarket gods took away Albertsons on Archibald and Base Line but they gave us Fresh & Easy this morning.

The store on Foothill and Day Creek (next to BevMo) opened at 10 a.m. to a throng of shoppers at the ready.

You have until 10 p.m. tonight to get a free canvas tote bag.

Go hungry. In the store's first hour, employees handed out apple turnovers, chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter-filled pretzels, shortbread and juice.

"You put on 15 pounds when you work here," said store manager Delton Cast.

County Supervisor Paul Biane and others will mark the completion of a $1.6 million enhancement project at the North Etiwanda Preserve 9 a.m. Saturday. Residents are encouraged to explore the preserve and see the new signs, informational kiosks, trail improvements and other amenities. The improvements were made to encourage the enjoyment of the trails and prevent illegal activities such as the use of off-road vehicles and illegal dumping.

The preserve entrance is located where Etiwanda Avenue runs into the mountains. 

This weekend's Grape Harvest Festival is marking its 70th year with grapes, wine, beer, jazz and cars. Admission is $1; free for children under 12. It all takes place in the parking lot near JCPenney.

Fri: Business leaders start getting buzzed at 5 p.m. during a chamber mixer. Regular folks can come 7 p.m. to midnight for the wine tent, which will be opened all three days. Total Wine, Filippi, Galleano and Wine Tailor wineries will be pouring. Beer lovers can enjoy Budweiser and BJ's Restaurant and Brewery beers. The traditional grape stomp takes place every hour throughout the weekend.

Sat: In addition to the wine tent, there will be food and arts and crafts vendors. Festivities are 10 a.m. to midnight.

Sun: In addition to the wine tent and vendors, there will be a car show, a first for the festival. The hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

From 3:30 to 8 p.m. today, teachers from the St. Peter and St. Paul School will scoop and mix your ice cream at Victoria Gardens' Cold Stone Creamery. Money raised today will go towards the school.  

The Frontier Project, a 14,000-square-foot demonstration building, is almost ready. A "Green Tie Gala" on Oct. 17 will give special guests a sneak peak of the earth friendly project.

Jennifer Cappuccio Maher/Staff Photographer


The Cucamonga Valley Water District is getting ready to open the Frontier Project to the public on Nov. 7. After a personal tour by district staff members, I realized there's too many green features to list here.

There's the obvious things:  solar panels and waterless urinals.
There's the really neat things: a kitchen countertop made of recycled glass, floor made out of cork.
There's the thing that hasn't had much use because of the drought: a cistern that collects rain water.

What ever happened to telling people to turn off the water when brushing teeth?

The conservation message of this project is indeed multifaceted which is why the project comes with a price tag of $14.3 million. So far, the district has raised about $1 million.

 

Spam, spam, cabbage, spam, noodles and spam were on the menu at the L.A. County Fair last week during the Great American Spam Championship. High cholesterol prevented me from gobbling up all the winning entries so I'll just admire them from afar.

Rancho resident Carolyn Ganzen won first place in the adult division of the contest with her low-sodium Spam-stuffed cabbage rolls. She beat out the Spam enchiladas and the Spamalicious tacos.

Are there any Spam lovers out there?

                                                                           Photos courtesy of Chaffey College

When old timers talk about Alta Loma, they often describe Chaffey College as a school in the middle of nowhere. This black and white photo shows that the school site in the late 1950s was indeed in the middle of nowhere in an unincorporated area that was already in the middle of nowhere.

In 1960, when the Alta Loma campus was dedicated, Councilwoman Diane Williams was among the students who helped move furniture from Chaffey High in Ontario (former site of Chaffey College) to the Haven Avenue school. Williams, who lived in Ontario at the time, said it was rather scary driving at night in the middle of nowhere.

Yesterday, the City Council spent two hours walking and golf carting around the campus. The school that was once in the middle of nowhere has more students than ever with nearly 21,700 students, which is a 6 percent increase from last year.

Some residents near the community college wish the school was still in the middle of nowhere. They've been complaining to the city about rude students who park and litter outside their homes. Their concerns are what prompted the City Council to visit Chaffey.

Council members discovered that there is parking at Chaffey but often times, the available parking spaces are too far from the classrooms. The solution for now appears to be permit parking. That means as early as next semester, students who park in the residential neighborhood near Amber Lane could find a big fat ticket after class.      

Perhaps it's too early to talk about Christmas. (It's going to be 103 today!) But it's never too early to fine tune your cockney accent.

Auditions for "A Christmas Carol" are coming up next week. Auditions for actors will be 2 p.m. Oct. 3; 6 p.m. Oct. 5 for carolers. All roles require cockney and English accents.

No prepared monologues are required; just come prepared to read from the script. Copies of the play are available at the Biane Library.

The play will be staged at the Lewis Family Playhouse Dec. 3 to 14.

E-mail questions to Patrick Hediger. 

New Beginnings Family Worship Center is hosting a clothing giveaway on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. If you have clothing to donate or would like to volunteer, e-mail Brandon Robinson. If you want to receive clothing, just show up. The address is 8137 E. Ninth St.

Claremont High senior McKinley Pollock at work on a video submission for the My Home Town contest.









Courtesy photo

High school videographers will have a chance to showcase their work in the My Home Town video contest organized by the University of La Verne. The contest, also hosted by La Verne Community Television LVTV-3 and San Dimas Community Television KWST, asks students in high schools of 14 cities to submit a video about their communities.

The cities are Azusa, Montclair, Claremont, San Dimas, Ontario, La Verne, Claremont, Diamond Bar, Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Glendora, Diamond Bar, Covina and West Covina.

The video submissions should be five minutes or less and can be about what you love/hate about your community, the strange/interesting characters who live there or the historic/haunted places that mark the town. The deadline is Sept. 30.

There's cash prizes for the top three winners ($250, $125, $75). The top submissions will be aired on public access television stations and shown at an Oct. 10 screening at University of La Verne.

Information: (909) 392-2706



 

Residents near Chaffey College have been complaining to the city lately because too many students are parking on their streets. It has put the city in a pickle because it has little or no say in how the community college expands. At recent meetings, council members have told residents: Hey, why don't you complain to Chaffey's board?

Opportunity to speak on this issue to both groups of elected officials is tomorrow at 3 p.m. A joint study session with the City Council and Chaffey governing board will precede the 4:30 p.m. regular meeting. Click here for a brief agenda of the study session. Click here for the agenda to the regular meeting.

The meeting will be held in the staff dining room in campus center west, which is listed as CCW on this map.


   

From The Bizz, Matt Wrye reports that Sen. Bob Dutton will speak at the Inland Valley Business Alliance next Monday. As you may know, the IVBA is former Chamber President Norm MacKenzie's latest venture.  

RC Family Resource Center is hosting a community yard sale this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you have things to sell, you can rent out a booth. Call (909) 477-2781 for more information.

The resource center is on 9791 Arrow Route.

Some say the best part of the Fair is the food, others say it's the animals. Here's a pic of a donkey and a wine-o.

Thanks to grape guru Gino Filippi for sending. Got Fair photos to share? E-mail me.

The Frontier Project Foundation wants students grades K to 12 to participate in the Think Green Essay Contest for a chance to win Ontario Reign tickets. Participants have to submit two or three paragraphs about what they're doing in their home, school or community that's earth friendly.

Cucamonga Valley Water District formed the Frontier Project Foundation as a nonprofit supporting the Frontier Project, a 14,000-square-foot facility scheduled to open Nov. 7. The foundation and the Ontario Reign Hockey Club will host a Go Green Night on Halloween. Winners of the essay contest will get a chance to see the game that night and go out on the ice to drop the game puck.

Essay entries are due online next Monday. 

Deputy City Manager John Gillison will lead the last set of meetings around the proposed fee hike in landscape maintenance districts 4, 6 and 8. If you've been to the August meetings, there's no reason to go again unless you have more questions about the special election.

The meetings are at Caryn Elementary tonight, at Ruth Musser Middle School on Wednesday and at Summit Intermediate School on Thursday. All meetings are 6:30 p.m.

Special note: The meeting at Terra Vista community is at Ruth Musser and not at Terra Vista Elementary as it was in August.

Information: (909) 477-2700 ext. 2585

This city with a unique name has a City Hall full of people with even better names. I was reminded of this yesterday when I bumped into Shirr'l Griffin of the city clerk's office. Anyone with a punctuation mark in their first name should get a special mention.

There are hundreds of people who work at City Hall and I've only met a small group of them. But here is a very subjective list of the top five names who work in this city. Feel free to disagree and add your own.

5. Jon Gillespie -- I've written a number of stories throughout the years about traffic in the city and every time I quote this traffic engineer, I get an automatic urge to listen to Dizzy Gillespie. I've never asked Jon whether he's into bebop but if he's as cool as his name suggests, he is. Jazz just makes bad traffic better, don't you think?

4. Shirr'l Griffin -- I made the mistake the first time I met this amicable deputy city clerk of calling her "Sheryl." Her name is nowhere near that bland. Shirr'l is pronounced Sher-rel; "sher" as in usher and "rel" as in relative. This name is even better written. Who needs a vowel when you can have an apostrophe?

3. Ravenel Wimberly -- Why this planning commissioner goes by Ray is beyond me. If this was my name, I'd make everyone call me Ravenel. Heck, I'd make everyone call me Ravenel Wimberly every single time they want my attention.

2. Tabe van der Zwaag -- Although I've spoken to Tabe, I've never quoted him, which is a relief. How do I write his surname in second reference? van der Zwagg? Van der Zwagg? Do I dare to just use Zwaag? I'm not one to change my name if I marry but if I ever had a chance to have both a Z and a W in my last name, I'd drop Leung in a heartbeat.

1. Salvatore Spagnolo -- Who is this, you ask. Why it's Councilman Sam Spagnolo. The mystery of the councilman's real name is one of the reasons why he gets top billing. I ask the question I posed to Ravenel Wimberly. Why wouldn't you use Salvatore? It's got stature and flavor.

"Sam was something that just stuck ... all through school and the military," Spagnolo said.

I have one pet peeve, however. Many people mess it up and call the councilman "Spagnola," thus making him sound more feminine than he actually is.

All in all, a great name. Salvatore Spagnolo. Let me guess, you're Italian?          

Is 2010 the year that former RC mayors return?

As of last month, former Mayor Bill Alexander was still planning to run for the City Council next year. Last week, former Mayor Dennis Stout said he's thinking of running against District Attorney Mike Ramos.

Stout cites allegations against Ramos of prosecutorial misconduct and inappropriate relations with his colleagues as reasons he might run.

To that, Supervisor Paul Biane said thanks, but no thanks. Biane pointed to sexual harassment allegations that Stout faced himself while he served as district attorney.

"While the District Attorney's office does have some problems that need to be
addressed, I believe incumbent DA Mike Ramos is far better qualified to lead this
vital County crime-fighting agency," Biane said in a statement.

The Daily Bulletin was also unenthusiastic about a Stout comeback as expressed in an editorial that found fault in his reasons for running. Stout defended himself in yesterday's guest column and used the opportunity to bash on Ramos some more.

What do you think? Should Stout run?


 

A wrap-up of Big Read activities:

Tomorrow -- The kickoff event and Hispanic Heritage Month festival starts 7 p.m. at the Biane Library.

Oct. 2 -- Edward James Olmos will give a keynote speech at 7 p.m. at the Cultural Center Celebration Hall Lewis Family Playhouse. The actor, director and producer will give a speech entitled "We're All in the Same Gang." Free tickets are available at the Biane and Archibald libraries starting Monday.

Oct. 14 -- A screening of "Stand and Deliver" is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Lewis Family Playhouse.

Information: (909) 477-2720

At 1 p.m., there will be a subcommittee meeting on the parking situation in Cucamonga Canyon. The public works subcommittee, consisting of council members Rex Gutierrez and Diane Williams, will discuss the implementation of permit parking for the residential neighborhood near the canyon. The meeting is in the Tri-Communities Room on the first floor of City Hall. 

This year's Founder's Day Parade will be Nov. 14 at Victoria Gardens. Schools, businesses and other community organizations can submit parade entries now through Oct. 16. The theme is California Dreamin'.

It's free to join the parade but you must pre-register. Get an application here.

Information: (909) 477-2760

 

City Council watchers will have to wait until October to voice their civic-minded opinions.

Rancho Cucamonga rarely takes a break from its twice-a-month meetings but tomorrow's is canceled because council members are at the League of California Cities conference. The next meeting is October 7.

The last 10 days were spent in Boston, with side trips to Toronto, Providence and Cape Cod. It's why this blog was quiet for so long.

The highs include a gorgeous sunrise while driving through upstate New York, fried clams and Fenway Park. The lows include two rainy days, a flight that was delayed for four hours and having the car searched very thoroughly at the U.S./Canada border.

It'll take me awhile to get this blog going. I haven't thought about Rancho in many days. But last night, on the flight over, American Airlines showed a rerun of  "Deal or No Deal," which featured Rancho resident Chelsea Drake. I thought about Rancho then.

  

This blogger is going on furlough, spending the next ten days in Boston and Toronto. Please come back on Sept. 15 and have a wonderful Labor Day weekend.

Family members of armed forces members are invited to the next Military Family Support Group meeting 6:30 p.m. Sept. 14 at Calvary Chapel. The church is on 10700 Town Center Drive. For more information about the group and its monthly meetings, send an e-mail to Linda Bryan. 

Councilman Rex Gutierrez recently took his dog Nellie out for an excursion to Cucamonga Canyon.

This is the wilderness area in the northwest part of the city where residents have been complaining about impolite youngsters parking and loitering in their neighborhood. The canyon has often been a popular spot but it has grown in popularity thanks to a couple of blogs bragging about it.

Last night, Gutierrez ended the council meeting showing an 18-picture slideshow of the beautiful and peaceful the canyon. Gutierrez said he picked up trash as he walked through the neighborhood and then took a short cut through private property.

"It is much shorter," he declared.

Perhaps his intentions were good but many neighbors might not appreciate this. They are already fed up with visitors in their neighborhood and now a councilman is declaring on television how great and peaceful it is up there?

Well, at least Gutierrez picked up after his dog.

Nellie "did some business" in a neighbor's lawn, which Gutierrez quickly scooped up and disposed in another neighbor's trash can. Unfortunately, it was after pick-up so the trash can was empty.

To the neighbor who had to endure Nellie's "business" in their trash can for the last seven days, the councilman is sorry.

If you have unwanted computers, printers, televisions or other electronic devices, your chance to get rid of them is Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Happy Recyclers and Abundant Life Family Church is hosting the e-waste collection event in the church parking lot.

The church is on 10900 Civic Center Dr.

Information: (949) 335-2971, (626) 820-0598

There's a new outdoor kiosk at the main entrance of City Hall, a computer that lets you conduct city business electronically. You can view previous council meetings, renew your business license, see bids and proposals, buy tickets to Lewis Family Playhouse, etc. It's like a very well bookmarked computer with touch screen technology.

These are the normal online services you can get on your own computer so it's mainly for computer-less people.

Assistant City Manager John Gillison said many people don't know what that machine is.

"A lot of people try to get cash out of it but it's not an ATM," Gillison said.

You've driven by it a zillion times. It's finally going to open.

Fresh & Easy's doors open 10 a.m. Sept. 30. Reusable bags will be given out on opening day.

The neighborhood grocer is on the corner of Foothill and Day Creek, next to BevMo.

"Masters of the California School," an exhibit featuring 70 watercolors by Rex Brandt, Phil Dike and Millard Sheets, will be at the Sam and Alfreda Maloof Foundation for Arts and Crafts Sept. 12 to Nov. 14. Admission is free.

An opening reception will take place Sept. 13 from 1 to 3 p.m.
An exhibition lecture by curator Janet Blake will take place Sept. 20 at 2 p.m.

The Maloof Foundation is on 5131 Carnelian St.
 

Today's meetings begin at 4 p.m. when the public works subcommittee, which consists of Council members Rex Gutierrez and Diane Williams, will discuss the issue of permit parking near Chaffey College.

At 6 p.m., the City Council will honor a number of community members and organizations at a special meeting. Honorees include library telethon donors, fire district volunteers, little league champions and others.

At 7 p.m., the City Council is expected to extend the moratorium prohibiting human and animal crematories in the city. Redevelopment Director Linda Daniels will update the council on ideas to solve the parking issue near Cucamonga Canyon. Kelly Matheny is expected to be appointed to the Park and Recreation Commission.
 

LifeStream will host a blood drive Thursday at City Hall from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Donors can be as young as 15 but minors need to have a parent fill out a consent form.

In anticipation of the Frontier Project grand opening, water district officials will host an Inaugural Green Tie Gala on Oct. 17. Supervisor Paul Biane is the top contributor for the gala so far, donating $25,000.

The Frontier Project, scheduled to open Nov. 7, is located adjacent to the Cucamonga Valley Water District headquarters. The building will be used to promote sustainable technologies in water and energy conservation.

Officials are seeking sponsorships for the gala, which will be hosted by Joel Greene, of the PBS show "Curiousity Quest." The event will include dinner, entertainment and a silent auction. Tickets for the gala are $100 per person or $1,000 for a table for 10.

Information: (909) 483-7484