June 2011 Archives

The Lions Club will host a golf clinic for the visually impaired on July 23 at the Empire Lakes Golf Course. The Blind Buddies Golf Challenge is from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with check-in at 8 a.m. Each participant will learn basic golf skills and get to hit balls on the driving range. The event is offered free of charge for the blind and vision-impaired. For more information or to pre-register, call Scotty at 909-987-5450 or Tony at 909-244-0735 or Dave at 909-980-3201.        

There's all kinds of things going on at the libraries these days that didn't exist when I was young. Video games, computers, arts and crafts to name a few.

Next Thursday, there will be yoga.

The Biane Library will host a free yoga workshop at 7 p.m. The class is part of the Adult Summer Reading Program "Novel Destinations," which focus on travel and world cultures.

Information: 909-477-2720

Among the many responsibilities of dignitaries is the occasional holding of a golden shovel and giant scissors. (It's not an elected official's responsibility to make a dumb joke about the giant scissors but they do so anyway.)

Giant scissors are used in ribbon-cutting ceremonies. Golden shovels are used to break ground on a construction project.

Today was City Manager Jack Lam's last chance to hold a golden shovel. The city marked the start of construction on a $10.8 million Public Works Services Center and Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility. The project will take 15 months, which means those giant scissors will come out fall of 2012.

Lam is retiring at the end of August.

At the groundbreaking, the public works services director introduced Lam as the "distinguished city manager."

"I guess being distinguished is better than extinguished," Lam said.

Don't worry, joked Mayor Dennis Michael.

"The extinguish will occur two months from now," Michael said.

Lam introduced his replacement, John Gillison, to the audience. Lam also volunteered Gillison for some construction work.

"He needs more things to do," Lam said.

Gillison and the city reached a tentative deal on his new contract on Monday. The City Council is expected to release the details of the contract next week and vote on it at the next City Council meeting.

At 43, Gillison will be among the youngest city managers in the Inland Valley. That means, he's got about 15 years of holding a golden shovel left.  

My college roommate was nothing like DeWayne Stevenson. The Rancho Cucamonga resident will put toothpaste on your toothbrush in the morning and play Play Station with you for hours just to let you win. He's so super duper in fact, he was nominated by Apartments.com as one of 12 finalists for Roommate of the Year. Watch his tongue-in-cheek video below and vote for him here. If Stevenson wins, he'll get rent for one year plus $10,000.

Victoria Gardens continues its outdoor summer movies series at Chaffey Town Square in July. Movies begin at dusk every Tuesday. "Alpha and Omega" is July 5, "Yogi Bear" is July 12, "Furry Vengeance" is July 19, "How to Train Your Dragon" is July 26 and "Tangled" is Aug. 2.

On Fridays and Saturdays from 6 to 9 p.m., there will be outdoor concerts in the town square through Aug. 20.

These events are free.  

Last year, you might remember Paul Chabot debating former Mayor Don Kurth during the race for the Assembly. Last night, Chabot debates Tommy Chong about marijuana on CNN. Highlights include Chabot calling Chong an addict and Chong telling Chabot to "shut up for a minute."

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2011/06/23/exp.arena.marijuana.debate.chong.cnn?iref=allsearch

Tuesday night is world music night next month at the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center courtyard. The concerts are free and begin at 6 p.m.

The music series kicks off July 12 with the Salaam Ensemble, bringing sounds from the Middle and Near East. On July 19, Albredo Lopez y su Grupo Quetzacoatl (pronounced ketz-al-KO-watt) will perform songs that celebrate Mexican and Latin American culture. Finally on July 26, the Adanfo Ensemble will offer songs and dances from Ghana.

Seats are available at the outdoor concerts but feel free to bring a lawn chair.

Information: 909-477-2752 

The Route 66 Plaza, 9445 Foothill Blvd., will pay special tribute to military personnel and veterans with a cruise night on July 2. A Department of Veterans Affairs Mobile Vet Center will be there with military vehicles on display. The free event takes place 4 to 7 p.m.

Information: 951-681-5535

Kudos to the MainStreet Theatre Company for receiving the National Endowment for the Arts grant of $15,000. The money will go toward next year's production of "A Wrinkle in Time." The grant was part of NEA's distribution of $88 million to arts projects nationwide.

It's a great birthday gift to the children's theater company. MainStreet marks its fifth year this year at the Lewis Family Playhouse.

The MainStreet Theatre Company was formed when Victoria Gardens Cultural Center opened,  bringing children-friendly performances to families and school groups. To date, more than 170,000 children have passed through the theater.

This year, MainStreet is all about time traveling. In addition to "A Wrinkle in Time," the 2011/12 season also features "Honus and Me: A Baseball Card Adventure" and "Sleeping Beauty -- the Time Traveler."

Information: 909-477-2752

 

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8680 is a resource center and hangout for local veterans but you can also consider it a dining option. There's a bar in the back, too.

On Tuesdays, tacos are a buck. Tonight and next Tuesday, they're bringing shrimp tacos back. Carne asada, chicken and shrimp tacos are $1. A taco plate with rice and beans is $5.

Tacos are served 5 to 7:30 p.m. at 8751 Industrial Lane.

Information: 909-980-5220  

The IE Food Truck Fest on Saturday was a success for truck owners and those who came hungry early. By late afternoon, however, some trucks began running out of food. It's understandable considering 11,800 people showed up.

Slapfish ran out of "lobsticles," which were split lobster tails on a stick, and workers had to leave the arena to get more. They ended up selling 600 anyways.

Our Rancho gals at Suite 106 Cupcakery, a Victoria Gardens bakery, sold out 1,000 cupcakes by 2 p.m. and had to go replenish their supply. They ended up nabbing first place in the people's choice awards for "Sweetest Treat."

Here are the winners:

Best looking truck: Dos Chinos (first place) and Cheeseball Wagon (second place)
Best comfort food: The Grilled Cheese Truck and Bacon Mania
Coolest creation: Coolhaus and Longboards Ice Cream
Sweetest treat: Suite 106 Cupcakery and Crepes Bonaparte
Life of the party: White Rabbit and Pogi Boy
Best eats: Nom Nom and Slapfish

If you missed the event, you'll have to hop over to Los Angeles for street food. But Supervisor Janice Rutherford hopes to repeal the ban on food trucks in this county and is awaiting for a staff report next month.

But not everybody wants food trucks coming in. Mr. Harris from San Bernardino left me this voicemail, "You know what? All this is just a boondoggle, just a Tijuana mentality. That Janice Rutherford, she's just a Johnny come lately."

Lobster tails and red velvet cupcakes in Tijuana? Count me in.

Read more about the festival here or to see some videos on our Dine 909 blog, click here. Columnist David Allen shares his take, too.

A 120-feet banner will be flown this morning over Cal State San Bernardino wishing Maria Romero the best on her graduation. Romero, a Rancho Cucamonga resident, has been working on her degree for 7 years, all while working full time and raising two children.

Andre, Romero's boyfriend, is responsible for the massive banner. He considered getting her flowers but then ultimately went with something much bigger.

"I just want to make her feel special and let everyone know I am proud of her," Andre said.

Romero is receiving her masters of arts in rehabilitation counseling today. Congratulations!

June 20 update: Here's the photo of the banner flown over Cal State San Bernardino yesterday.

 And somewhere down there is Romero looking up.

Applebee's will help raise money for the city's homebound seniors during a pancake breakfast June 25 from 8 to 10 a.m. For $10, you'll get pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs, coffee and juice. Proceeds will go toward senior center programs. Tickets are sold at Central Park or cash only at the door.

Information: 909-477-2780

The California Historic Route 66 Association will host a classic car show at the Magic Lamp on July 30.  There are spots for 100 vehicles. Pre-register by calling Magic Lamp at 909-981-8659 or Ed Dietl at 909-985-2231. It costs $30 to enter and includes lunch. The event is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and free to the public.  

The Library Department will hold a scrapbooking workshop on Thursday to teach participants how to make the most of their travel photos and memorabilia. It's a free event starting 7 p.m. at the Biane Library.

The event coincides with the Adult Summer Reading Program "Novel Destinations," which focus on travel and world cultures. Readers can sign up at the Archibald Library.

Information: 909-477-2720

The Root 66 Garden needs your help. It stands to win $50,000 from a Pepsi Refresh grant and all you have to do is text.

This fall, garden organizer Dee Matreyek hopes to break ground on a community garden on Foothill Boulevard near Day Creek. Located on the Southern California Edison corridor, Root 66 Garden bills itself as the biggest community garden west of the Mississippi. If the garden wins the Pepsi grant, the $50,000 will be used for water well equipment and irrigation system.

Here's how you can vote:

You can vote online by clicking here and then clicking "Vote for this idea." You can do this everyday through June.

You can vote via cell phone by texting "106896" to PEPSI (73774). You can also do this once a day this month.

Finally, you can "power vote," which involves entering a code on specially marked Pepsi products online. You can vote this way 10 times a day.

Matreyek has big plans for the 15-acre garden. When complete, members of the community will be able to rent plots and take part in a farmer's market. Excess produce will be donated to local food banks and homebound seniors.

The city's firefighters will put on a classic car show on June 26 to benefit the Firefighters Quest for Burn Survivors and the Burn Institute Inland Empire. The event is free and there will be music, prize drawings and fire equipment on display. The event is 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Red Hill Community Park with a pancake breakfast from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Classic cars and trucks will be judged by other entrants for awards such as best in show, best work in progress and other categories. Car registration, beginning 7 a.m., is $30.

Click here for entry form or more information.

Information: 909-477-2770

Due to budgetary constraints, the city did not have a July Fourth fireworks event last year at Quakes Stadium like it usually does. This year, it is back, with food, field games and fireworks starting at 9 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. and festivities begin 6:30 p.m. Tickets -- available by phone, online or at the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center box office -- are $8. Online tickets include an added fee.

July Fourth is a Monday this year, making it a three-day weekend.

Information: 909-477-2752

If you don't mind spending $33 on your dad, consider the three-course prix-fixe brunch at Fleming's on Father's Day. The Victoria Gardens steakhouse has a special menu from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.on June 19.


Cost is $32.95; $15.95 for children's menu. Dads get a $25 Fleming's gift card.

Information: 909-463-0416   
 

Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour (remember Farrell's?) wants to open in this city in the Terra Vista Town Center where Macaroni Grill used to be. Next Tuesday, representatives from the ice cream parlor will talk to the Design Review Committee at 7 p.m. about the changes they want to bring to the building.

Once upon a time, there was a Farrell's in Montclair Plaza. Actually, once upon a time, there were Farrell's all over Southern California in the 1970s and 80s. But after being sold to an investment group in 1985, according to Farrell's website, the restaurant faltered and nearly all of its 130 locations closed by 1990.

Today, there are two locations -- Mission Viejo and Santa Clarita -- offering shakes, sundaes and the famed pig trough. At $11.99, the pig trough is two orders of the banana split sundae served on a, you guessed it, pig trough.

Farrell's wants to come to Foothill Boulevard but it wants to keep its flashy designs and bold colors. The Terra Vista development boasts Spanish Revival architecture using mild earth tones.

Does Farrell's belong there? The Design Review Committee, consisting of two planning commissioners and two Planning Department staff members, will decide.   

There will be a community blood and bone marrow drive on June 18 at the Homecoming complex on 11660 Church St. Donors will receive a discounted ticket to Knott's Soak City and an opportunity to receive a free ticket after future donations. The drive is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Information: 1-800-TRY-GIVING, www.lstream.org   

If you've ever eaten at the Red Hill Coffee Shop or been to a City Hall event, you've seen Jim Moffatt, pictured right. And if you've ever seen Moffatt, you've seen him smoking a cigar.

Moffatt, a former City Council candidate, loves his cigars and when he's without one for any length of time, he'll usually say, "All this fresh air is killing me!"

This fall, when Judd Apatow's "Wanderlust" opens, Moffatt will be seen in the film smoking a marijuana cigarette. It wasn't a real joint, Moffatt said.

The coffee shop owner is a part-time actor with appearances in a number of movies including "Jerry Maguire." Moffatt had no lines in "Wanderlust" but he got to rub elbows with the movie's star, Jennifer Aniston.

Moffatt said she was as pretty in person as she is on screen.

"If she was good enough for Brad Pitt, she's good enough for me," Moffatt said.

Pitt, of course, is long history. Aniston apparently has a new flame in her "Wanderlust" co-star Justin Theroux.

Raymond Herrera and Robin Hvidston, two regulars who often discuss issues of day laborers at City Council meetings, told the council earlier this week about a Foothill Boulevard billboard with a Spanish language message. The two are offended by the Spanish beer ad across from Sycamore Inn and want the City Council to do something about it.

Herrera, who speaks but does not read Spanish, said a Spanish language sign is worse than graffiti.

"I don't want to learn Japanese. I don't want to learn Portuguese," Herrera said. "I don't want to learn it. I don't want to see it. It's divisive."

Hvidston said she started a campaign to demand Crown Imports, the company responsible for the Victoria Beer billboard, to change the ad to English.

"It doesn't send the correct message to this city," Hvidston said concerning the billboard. "Why not an American beer company, and in English?

At the end of the meeting, long after the duo left, City Attorney Jim Markman reminded the council that it has no authority to tell a commercial sign company what language it can use.

"The constitution precludes government from telling people what content of their commercial sign needs to be," Markman said. "It's a matter of freedom of speech. From a legal constitutional point of view, no city council has the right to control the content of commercial speech so as to dictate which language it needs to be in."

Mayor Dennis Michael concluded, "We really do welcome the diversity in our community, whether it's by ethnicity or whether it's by religion. I believe in my heart of hearts we have a wonderful, vibrant community because of that. And each and every one of us supports the way the community has developed and the people living in our city.

"Aside from other people's opinions ... we had the public comment period, that's what the law calls for, is people can come up and say whatever they want to say within reasons."

Hvidston and Herrera have visited other city councils before to discuss this issue. Did you catch David Allen's column about it? In a letter to the editor, Hvidston slammed our columnist and called for his resignation. That in turn got Allen's supporters to write back.

 

A South Coast Air Quality Management District panel said yesterday that 99 Ranch's cooking odors was a public nuisance.

Now before you go asking AQMD to declare your ex-husband or that black sheep in the family a nuisance, consider the district's definition. Also known by the air pollution control agency as Rule 402, a nuisance is thus defined:

A person shall not discharge from any source whatsoever such quantities of air contaminants or other material which cause injury, detriment, nuisance, or annoyance to any considerable number of persons or to the public, or which endanger the comfort, repose, health or safety of any such persons or the public, or which cause, or have a natural tendency to cause, injury or damage to business or property.The provisions of this rule shall not apply to odors emanating from agricultural operations necessary for the growing of crops or the raising of fowl or animals.

99 Ranch Market is known for its wide selection of fish, some of which still swim in the store's tanks. But does the store sell herring, particularly the red variety?

At the South Coast Air Quality Management District hearing yesterday, when the hearing board declared that 99 Ranch created a public nuisance, the red herring idiom cropped up on a couple of occasions.

The market argued that its neighbor Bobaland, a tea shop and eatery that opened within weeks of 99 Ranch's opening, is another source of odor.

But the AQMD attorney Karin Manwaring said inspectors ruled out Bobaland after several visits.

"Bobaland is nothing more than a red herring," she said.

Earlier in the hearing, the store's general manager testified that without the ability to barbecue and fry foods, the hot deli and seafood departments would no longer be viable. Philip Gonzales said without the two departments, the whole market would close.

But Manwaring pointed out there are stores in the 99 Ranch chain without a hot deli and they are still viable.

99 Ranch's attorney Byron Gee did not like that argument.

"By suggesting that some 99 Ranch does not have a hot deli and remains viable ... that is a red herring," he said.

Gee said the deli-less 99 Ranch stores are located in ethnic neighborhoods where there is a "captive audience" of Asian shoppers.

"Such conditions do not exist in Rancho Cucamonga," he said.

So there you go, red herring all over the place. Maybe the attorneys thought they were before a herring board.

By the way, red herring, the idiom has its own Wikipedia page, which states there is no such fish called the red herring. But if 99 Ranch sold such a fish, you would not be able to get it deep fried. At least not until July when the hearing board meets on this issue again.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District hearing board has declared that 99 Ranch Market's cooking operations created a public nuisance. The board has ordered the market to cook using the methods of steaming and boiling only until a consultant is hired to conduct a thorough study. While the consultant drafts a report, the market could barbecue and deep fry only for the purposes of this study.

On July 13, the board will meet again to determine what 99 Ranch needs to do next.

Today was day 3 of the hearing and it was the first time we heard the opinions of the five-member board.

Edward Camarena chairs the AQMD panel.

"An odor no matter how pleasant -- depending on intensity, duration and frequency -- can rise to the point of being offensive," Camarena said. "I believe the odors have caused a nuisance as defined in health and safety code. I also believe there are other odors generated by other cooking operations in the shopping center where 99 Ranch is located but that does not take away from the fact that 99 Ranch has caused a public nuisance."

Another board member, Julie Varon, said she found the neighbors' testimonies "very credible."

You might remember from previous postings on this blog or in the newspaper articles that some residents claimed the smell coming from 99 Ranch was so bad, they couldn't stay outside or open their windows.

"What was most important about their testimony was the level of these odors -- what level these odors are and how it has impacted their lives," Varon said. "This has essentially taken away their ability to enjoy their property and that's the very definition of nuisance."

As of last night, it seemed 99 Ranch Market and the South Coast Air Quality Management District were in a preliminary agreement as to hiring a consultant with regards to the odor issue at the Base Line Road market. But this morning, those negotiations are at a deadlock and the district withdrew the agreement.

Today, the AQMD hearing board continues its hearing, now in day 3. Whether the board will reach a decision on the fate of the market today is not known. 

The South Coast Air Quality Management Board met once again today on the issue of odor coming out of 99 Ranch. The panel made no decision but it appears there is a preliminary agreement between AQMD and the market on a set of measures.

If the proposal is approved by the board tomorrow, the market will have to bring on a consultant to analyze the situation and propose a remedy. In the meantime, the market may continue its barbecue and deep-frying services before 2 p.m. However, if there are more than two verified complaints of odor in one day, the market will have to cease deep frying on that day.

Tomorrow, the board will deliberate on this preliminary proposal.

Residents, AQMD staff and the general manager of the supermarket were among those who testified today.

Michael Wirtz, who lives just east of the market, said he expected some problems when he moved next to a supermarket but did not expect 99 Ranch to have food services that resemble a restaurant.

"That's not something we signed up for," he said.

Andy Sze, a 99 Ranch supporter who lives a mile away from the market, said the complaints stem for a difference in cultures and wonders if residents would still complain if the smells came from KFC. He reminded the board that the plaza had little activity after Albertsons left and before 99 Ranch moved in.

"If the deli closed, this once dead plaza might be dead again," Sze said.

Day 3 of the hearing starts 9 a.m. tomorrow.

 

Assemblyman Mike Morrell, R-Rancho Cucamonga, will be the guest speaker at the West Valley Republican Assembly's June meeting. The 63rd District lawmaker will discuss the current happenings in Sacramento during the dinner. The event begins 6:30 p.m. on June 9 at Carrows Restaurant on 11669 Foothill Blvd. To RSVP, call 909-947-5311 or send an e-mail to earldevries@gmail.com.