September 2010 Archives

I had the honor of serving on the Rancho Cucamonga City Council from April 1982 through November 1994. I worked tirelessly those 12 and a half years to help make Rancho Cucamonga the best place to live, work and raise a family. I believe those councils I served on did an excellent job of establishing an orderly plan of transition to a vibrant city that provides excellent balance of residential, commercial and industrial uses. That vision is why we today enjoy the range and quality of housing, shopping, dining and employment opportunities.

Following my council service, I started my business and became very active within our business community. For 15 years, I have helped many Inland Empire companies grow their businesses and create additional jobs and been involved with bringing new restaurants, retail/office and hotels to Rancho Cucamonga.

The economy has also affected Rancho Cucamonga. We need to be working more closely with our businesses that contribute to our economy. This is essential for Rancho Cucamonga's long-term economic vitality and critical to ensuring the highest possible quality of life for Rancho Cucamonga.

My candidacy offers council and business experience that will bring a valuable perspective and focus to our City Council. Thank you for your vote!

I thank God for the blessing it has been to serve on the City Council. I thank you, too!

Because I believe true representative government is threatened, I have tried to stay close to the people, walking neighborhoods, listening to the concerns and aspirations of all citizens. Our council needs members who will stand up for the dispossessed and defend anyone who is not being heard by City Hall. Thousands, including my enemies, have called on me when they needed help with a neighborhood problem. I am your friend and advocate. With my publication, The Vineyard Press, I have tried to install a sense of community among the people. I have borne you up in your afflictions and in return, you have borne me up in mine.

Together, we have built libraries, a beautiful trail, a senior center, a mall and quick police and fire units. I lobbied hard for Bass Pro Shops and Trader Joe's. I will not rest until our Nordstrom is reality. I will protect our hillsides and complete Central Park. I will defend our citizens against government excess and promote a strong business community.

In Rancho Cucamonga, I'm known as the guy wearing a tuxedo holding a silver platter and helping people with real estate.

A 28-year resident of Rancho Cucamonga, I'm happilly married with two daughters. I serve as President of Rancho Cucamonga Girls Softball, Vice President Rancho Cucamonga Library Foundation, and Rancho Cucamonga Seniors Advisor.

Why vote for David Gonzalez? For a decade I have been a trusted and proven leader, volunteer and businessman. I will bring a fresh new perspective coming from someone who was raised in this city, a father whose children attend elementary and middle school, a family man whose kids are active in sports and whose wife is a deputy sheriff in the city of Rancho Cucamona. Currently our City Council doesn't have anyone representing these segments of our community.

When elected I will:

* increase the amount and availability of fields and facilities
* help maintain and increase property values
* strengthen the relationship between the community and City Council
* ensure fiscal responsibility, public safety

Let's move Rancho Cucamongan forward! By electing me you will not only be getting a fresh face with new ideas but someone with established realtionships developed over many years with city staff, commissioners, police, fire, senior center, youth organizations and volunteers.

David Gonzalez is on Facebook.

As your City Council representative, I have listened to your concerns and provided independent, problem-solving leadership. Together, we have made Rancho Cucamonga a dynamic community and a great place to call home.

Increased police patrols and zero tolerance of gangs and graffiti along with our award-winning fire-paramedic program have made Rancho Cucamonga one of the safest cities in the nation. I am endorsed by law enforcement.

I have championed balanced growth in the city with emphasis on high quality family lifestyle and attraction of jobs. I will continue to fight to keep our current hillside ordinance intact to protect our beautiful foothills from over-development.

As a strong voice for honest, fiscally conservative and efficient city government I am committed to the integrity of this office. Early civic participation includes the incorporation drive, Girl Scounts, PTSA, youth soccer, Maloof Foundation, Rotary International, creating of Friends of the Library and Friends of the Pacific Electric Trail. I currently represent the city on several local and regional boards and commissions.

I ask for your vote to preserve our quality of life and continue to safeguard our tax dollars as we work toward an even brighter future for Rancho Cucamonga.

E-mail Diane Williams.

Dear readers,

I am going on a long vacation to Boston/Toronto and won't be back for Daily Bulletin duties until Oct. 13.

Instead of leaving this blog idle, I decided to post the City Council candidates statements, which should be arriving in your mail soon if you're an absentee voter. For today, we start with Diane Williams.

Also, keep your eye out for a future City News feature about these candidates. I've asked them to weigh in on Central Park and the Carrari Ranch project. The answers will be published some time in October while I'm away.

Best,
Wendy

It's official. The city's longest and tallest cat is also the world's longest and tallest.

At 18 inches tall and 43 inches long, Scarlett's Magic broke two records and will appear in the 2011 Guinness Book of World Records. Last year, she broke the record for world's tallest.

When she's not home in Rancho Cucamonga, the Savannah cat is usually with others of her breed at Savannah Cat Shoppe in Corona.

Supervisor Paul Biane is looking for volunteers to clean up graffiti and pick up trash at Cucamonga Canyon. The clean-up effort starts bright and early at 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 2. Volunteers will receive training, equipment, water and lunch afterward. You must be accompanied by a parent if you're under 18. Dress appropriately; hats, work gloves, sunglasses and sunscreen are recommended.

Sign up by calling 909-945-4297; that way organizers will know how much food to bring. Meet in the Almond Parking Lot between Crestview and Sapphire.

About every 10 or 20 years, the Inland Valley is greeted with a snow storm. This early 20th century photo shows San Antonio Heights blanketed with snow.
Courtesy of the Model Colony Room at Ontario City Library


One of the perks about living in Rancho is the mountain views, which are especially beautiful when it snows. But what if it snowed down here?

In 1949, it did just that. The entire area was blanketed with snow, which fascinated residents who weren't used to seasons changing.

Catherine Bridge, who managed a citrus farm on Banyan and Carnelian with her husband, remembers it well.

"It was an amazing sight," she said. "You can stand on Banyan Street and see white all the way up."

Bridge recently shared her memories with Library Director Robert Karatsu, who is recording digital oral histories for the library. I tagged along because I was nosy.

The library recently received a two-part grant to record stories about Rancho Cucamonga. The 12 recordings that are already complete can be found here.

The Quakes Jon Townsend, left, shows an out at Sunday's 4-0 victory over San Jose. Let's hope for another win tonight.

Thomas R. Cordova/
Staff Photographer


I would bust out my vuvuzela if I had one.

The Quakes are about to face San Jose in Game 5 of the best-of-five Championship Series. The team, under new management this year, is looking to win their first league title since 1994.

The tea leaves look good. They have home advantage tonight and they shut out San Jose yesterday. Let's hope the City Council won't be there for the opening pitch. Three council members showed up in Game 3. Their pitches weren't bad but the Quakes, perhaps jinxed, fell short in an 11-inning loss.

Grumble: Some time before midnight, the Quakes lost in a heart-breaking 7-6 lost in 10 innings. 

A letter came in snail mail this week addressed to Wendy from Inland Paper. It had a sideways Archie stamp and a return address from Las Vegas.

"In prophacy, Coran is evil and the Hamass is evil would be against the U.S.A in a conflict," wrote the reader on the inside of a Krispy Kreme bag. "They don't respect the USA."

I believe this letter is in reference to the front page story on Sept. 11 about Los Osos High School students forming the word Peace on the quad in memory of the terrorist attacks. In the article, I quoted one student who did not support the Florida pastor's initial plans of burning the Quran.

The letter continued, "I feel bad for USA that we do not support this pastor a minor in voice of America. If I am wrong, let me know Thank you"

                

Here it is on a Friday night -- bedtime reading.

In case you missed it, here are the bios of the City Council candidates. They were published in today's City News edition.

                                                                                                               Courtesy of WLC Architects

There will be a meeting from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday to discuss fundraising efforts for the Veterans/Armed Forces Reflection Area, slated for Central Park.

Architects last week unveiled preliminary designs of the future project, which will feature a central monument honoring the five branches of the military. The monument will include a reflective wall surrounded by a timeline of wars past.

The meeting will take place at Central Park.

Lily Tomlin, Lily Taylor and Lily Allen will be among those who can get in free at the Lewis Family Playhouse production of "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse." Anyone who shares the name of the main character will get free admission to the show on Oct. 2. Not sure if Lost actress Evangeline Lilly will get in though.

The production is appropriate for children ages five and up. If you're not named Lilly, tickets are $17; $15 for seniors and $14 for youth. The performance runs Oct. 2-17.

Information: 909-477-2752

You can also follow the Playhouse on Facebook.

Don't cry for Jesus, Rancho Cucamonga. Evita is coming to town.

Broadway at the Gardens was scheduled to stage "Jesus Christ Superstar" next April but learned that the rights became restricted. But folks at the Lewis Family Playhouse found out that there will be a small window of time when "Evita" can be staged prior to its 2012 Broadway revival.

"Evita" will open March 8 to April 17 with Friday and Saturday evening performances and a Sunday matinee. Tickets are $33.50.

If you already bought tickets to see "Jesus Christ Superstar," you can exchange your tickets or get a refund at the box office.

In 2009, the city created the annual Broadway at the Gardens production aimed for mature audiences. Previous performances included "Sweeney Todd" and "Rent."

Information: 909-477-2752

Next Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., bring your expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs to the police department for an event that law enforcement officials say is aimed to prevent pill abuse and theft. The Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is part of a nationwide effort taking place in nine San Bernardino County sites.

According to Sheriff Rod Hoops, a majority of abused prescription drugs come from home medicine cabinets, not from the streets. The event also encourages residents to dispose of unused prescription drugs properly, as opposed to flushing them down the toilet.

The police department is located at City Hall, 10510 Civic Center Dr.

Information: 909-387-3700

A number of scholarships for current and upcoming UTI students are available through a new program. To see the complete list of scholarships, click here.

The Universal Technical Institute, located on Haven near Sixth, is a technical school specializing in automotive, motorcycle, NASCAR and other industries. The A. Richard Caputo Jr. Scholarship program provides 40 $2,500 scholarships to help defray the cost of UTI tuition.     

You might have caught the Perspectives page in the Sunday paper, featuring statements from City Council candidates. Three of the 13 candidates -- Marc Steinorth, Rex Gutierrez and Alexander Mendoza Sr. -- were not featured but that doesn't mean they're not running. The Opinion department simply didn't receive statements from those three candidates. The way it works is, an invitation was published in the Opinion page soliciting such campaign statements. The candidates were not contacted individually. So if the candidates didn't read the paper that day, they probably didn't know about it.

However, in the City News section this Friday, you will find bio boxes and candidate statements from each candidate. For this feature, the candidates were notified via mail and e-mail to participate. In mid October, City News will also publish a short Q & A, just two questions actually, of each candidate who participate. If you are a candidate reading this, your deadline to get those answers back to me is a week from today.

The unofficial start to elections season is Saturday. That's when you'll start seeing all the political signs on our city's streets.

There's no City Council meeting tonight because some city leaders are at a conference in San Diego. The next meeting is three weeks from today -- Oct. 6. 

The L.L. Bean catalog came in the mail this week inspiring me to take a vacation to somewhere cold like Alaska, Antarctica or ... Alta Loma?

Quotes from unnamed Bean customers are throughout this catalog including one from Alta Loma who praised the men's field coat. "I am really impressed ... probably the best coat I have ever owned," according to the anonymous customer.

Depending on the version, the coat is suitable for 30 to -25 degree-weather and "built to withstand the briars and branches of the thick Maine woods." I can't imagine it gets much wear in Alta Loma.


 

If you're planning to shop at Fresh & Easy the next couple of days, you can get a free canvas bag if you spend $20. To get the coupon, go to the store's Facebook page and look under "offers." It expires Wednesday.

There are two Foothill Boulevard locations; at Vineyard and at Day Creek.

Starting today through Sept. 22, Jamba Juice is offering a buy one drink, get one free special. Click here for a coupon.  Jamba Juice is at Victoria Gardens

If you saw a group of runners near Heritage Park on Saturday trailed by one slow poke, that lonely jogger was me. The morning 5K came about after a friendly challenge by some friends, among them were a couple of running enthusiasts. I'm more of an dining enthusiast but joined in the "Fun Run" anyways and clocked in at 44 minutes, about six minutes faster than the pace of most senior citizens who walk the same distance around Central Park.

Unless you're Gordon Barnard, of course. He could probably complete the run in half the time without breaking a sweat. I first met Barnard, a senior center regular in his mid-70s, at an early morning 1-mile walk. When I showed up yawning, he arrived after already finishing six miles. Recently Barnard came back from his native England, where he ran two full marathons in less than a week. When he told me this, I was thoroughly embarrassed.

"I've never even run a 5K," I told him.

"Don't start," Barnard joked. "There's something masochistic about us runners."

I did not follow Barnard's advice this weekend but I'm still embarrassed. Two marathons in a week ... that's like 17 more 5Ks!

"I just flew over LOHS," Chris Hollister, principal of Los Osos High School tweeted this morning.

Hollister took a helicopter ride and snapped this photo. About 1,300 students formed the word to mark the ninth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Live entertainment, games and crafts will mark Hispanic Heritage Month at the Biane Library next Friday. Like other Cultural Arts Nights that the library hosts several times a year, this is a family-friendly affair. Festivities take place 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are free and can be picked up at the Biane and Archibald libraries.

Information: 909-477-2720

The City Council, which typically meets on the first and third Wednesday of the month, will not convene next Wednesday. Some on the council are attending the League of California Cities conference in San Diego. The next meeting will be Oct. 6.

Members of local law enforcement, schools and other community leaders are encouraged to take part in the West End Gangs and Drugs Task Force meeting scheduled 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 20 at Central Park. The planning session will address the issues of substance abuse and gang violence in the western portion of San Bernardino County. Check-in is 8:30 a.m.; breakfast and lunch will be served.

Information: 909-982-8641 

Preliminary design plans for a Veterans/Armed Forces Reflection Area slated for Central Park will be unveiled at a 6 p.m. meeting on Tuesday at Central Park.

In June, a group of residents, local veterans and community members brainstormed ideas for a future memorial. WLC Architects and RJM Design Group took those suggestions and developed a design. On Tuesday, the public is invited to give feedback.

When complete, the project, planned in an outdoor site between the community and senior centers, will be a place where visitors can reflect on those who served in the armed forces and learn about the nation's past wars.

Information: 909-477-2760 ext. 8003  
  

The Jade Aveda spa at Victoria Gardens is among the participating SpaFinder businesses participating in the nationwide Wellness Week.

From Sept. 20 to 26, Jade Aveda will offer $50 deals on hour-long massage, hour-long facial, body polish and any two waxing services. That's a $35 discount from the regular price.

Make an appointment through the SpaFinder website here.




Courtesy of SpaFinder

If you're thinking of bringing solar power into your home or business, the workshop this Saturday at the Frontier Project is for you. The 9 a.m. event will give you tips on incentive programs and show you how solar-power systems operate. It's free.

The Frontier Project is on 10435 Ashford St.

Information: 909-944-6025  

At tonight's meeting (yes, it's Wednesday already!), the Planning Commission, acting as the Historic Preservation Commission, will take part in a workshop on implementing the historic preservation elements of the General Plan.

It will also discuss the technical and design issues surrounding a plan for Tesoro/Shell to build an automated car wash at the gas station on Base Line near Milliken. This could be a controversial project because when the gas station and a drive-thru restaurant was approved there, many residents in the adjacent condo development complained. This car wash proposal is currently in the pre-application process.

Tonight's meeting will take place in the Rains Room at City Hall, not the Council Chambers.
 

The city will lead a Business Disaster Recovery workshop to give small and mid-sized businesses tips on how to be up and running after a major disaster. The work shop is from 9 to 11 a.m. at the City Hall Council Chambers. The workshop is free but registration is required, so click here. Registration closes Sept. 27.

Visit the Redevelopment Agency website for more information about this workshop.

 

After a round of interviews with the candidates for City Council and mayor, the Rancho Cucamonga Professional Firefighters Association has announced its endorsement of Councilman Dennis Michael for mayor and Councilwoman Diane Williams for another term. With Michael, the fire union picks a former fire chief while steering away from another former firefighter and ex-mayor Bill Alexander. Union members are also staying clear from Councilman Rex Gutierrez, endorsing just two candidates for three open seats.

The San Bernardino County Safety Employees Benefit Association, another key campaign contributor, has announced its endorsement of Michael, Williams and former Councilman Chuck Buquet.   

Should Foothill Boulevard change its name to Route 66?

Ed Dietl of the Historical Preservation Association thinks so. Officially changing the name of the city's busiest street would bring in tourism dollars, he said.

"Some of the historic structures and pavement still exist along this section including the Garrett or Virgina Dare Winery, the Richfield Gas Station, the Sycamore Inn, Thomas Brothers Winery and the Klusman house to name a few," Dietl told the City Council last night. "These properties, plus all of the businesses along the Foothill corridor could benefit from the traffic and tourism that might be created just by a freeway sign saying "Historic Route 66, Rancho Cucamonga."

Dietl forgot to mention that "Get your kicks on Foothill Boulevard" just doesn't rhyme.

Last month, Councilwoman Diane Williams asked staff members to look into renaming Foothill to Route 66 and place it on a future agenda for discussion. She said with the Foothill widening project, which includes a Route 66 arch near Grove Avenue, scheduled to complete December 2011, now might be a good time to explore the idea of giving Foothill a new moniker.

The City Council last night gave the Planning Department direction to draft a social host ordinance for adoption at a later date. A social host ordinance would allow police to cite those who host parties that involve underage drinking. A couple of speakers during the public comment period backed such an ordinance including a representative from Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Inland Valley Drug Free Community Coalition. A first reading of the ordinance is scheduled for Oct. 20. 

Mayoral candidate Robert Ledbetter says he is no longer running for Don Kurth's seat. Ledbetter said he is withdrawing from the race due to "family timing and some health issue." However, it is too late for Ledbetter to officially pull out. His name will still appear on the Nov. 2 ballot. Still in the race are Dennis Michael, Marc Steinorth and Bill Hanlon. 

Councilman Sam Spagnolo reminds us how the nation was once covered with American flags following the Sept. 11 attacks nine years ago next week. He hopes that symbol of patriotism will be all over Rancho Cucamonga in coming days.

"On Saturday, Sept. 11, put out that American flag," Spagnolo said.

The ballots have been counted. Property owners in landscape maintenance district 6 have voted for an increase.

The Beer Mug matter has been postponed until Oct. 6. Staff members and an attorney representing the business gave some testimony on the issue but it just got too late. 

Did we forget to observe August?

Anyway, here's a friendly reminder that September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, National Preparedness Month, National Senior Center Month and National Mold Awareness Month. The first three were observed by the City Council. Mold awareness is a reminder by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Have a fantastic September.

It'll be a long meeting tonight. I'm already downing coffee to prepare.

The Beer Mug stands to lose its ability to serve liquor. We will find out tonight whether the City Council will agree with the planning commissioners and revoke the business' conditional use permit.

While this is going on, consultants will get to work counting ballots for landscape maintenance district 6. We will find out the results of the fee increase at the close of the meeting.