September 2011 Archives

Russ Warner, a Rancho Cucamonga democrat and a candidate for Congress, will speak at the Family of Veterans Social Club on Tuesday. The club meets at 1:30 at the Central Park senior center.

Information: 909-256-1112

This may sound like a kindergartner's exercise but what's the difference in these two photos?

The top pic shows a public art piece erected in 1995 near Office Max on Foothill Boulevard. The bottom pic was taken this week showing the same art piece repainted.

Few would notice the new paint job, especially without the photo showing the original colors to compare it to. But at least one person noticed -- Don Wakefield, the artist himself.

"Basically, they destroyed the original," said Wakefield about his piece "The Never-ending Puzzle." Wakefield, whose name appears on the lower right puzzle piece, wasn't consulted about the paint job.

A close look at the art piece, one can see paint dripping from one color to another.

"It just feels insulting," Wakefield said.

It appears to be a simple mistake. The shopping center just east of the Terra Vista Town Center has changed ownership since the art piece was made. Diane Iversen of Glacier Peak Management Services, which manages the center, said she did not have Wakefield's information.

"It was not intentional," she said. "I wish we had all of his information."

Iversen said she welcomes a proposal from Wakefield to correct the situation and is waiting for his reply. 

 

A frozen yogurt shop that became a victim in the short-lived craze has become a Chinese wedding gown store at the Hellman Avenue and Foothill Boulevard strip mall. Talk about adaptive reuse. Also at the center, a tux rental store and dry cleaners. If you want to have your wedding at Chuck E. Cheese, all your wedding needs can be taken care of in one strip mall.

You don't have to travel to San Marino to see Sam Maloof's masterpieces.

"In Words and Wood," which opens Saturday and runs through Jan. 29, 2012, displays the woodturnings of Maloof and his friends Bob Stockdale and Ed Moulthrop. Stockdale's group of bowls is show at right.

The exhibit can be seen during a tour of the historic Maloof residence on Carnelian Avenue, where participants can see Maloof's collection of arts and crafts and of course, his famed handmade furniture.

Tours are offered Thursdays and Saturdays at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. A special Pacific Standard Time tour is offered Sundays through January at 1 and 2:30 p.m. Due to limited availability, reservations are required. Cost is $10; $8 for seniors and $5 for students.

Pacific Standard Time is part of a Getty Research Institute initiative to celebrate the art scene in Southern California.

For those with a green thumb: On Oct. 15, there is a pruning and planting workshop at the Maloof residence where gardeners can lend a helping hand. A certified arborist will be on site to show the right way to prune trees. Bring gloves and tools.

For painters: On Thursdays and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m., painters can set up their easels in the gardens of the Maloof residence for a plein air painting session. Reservations are required.

To RSVP for any of these events or for more information, call 909-980-0412 or visit www.malooffoundation.org.

   

An exhibit featuring the works of Sam Maloof opened in the Huntington Library this past weekend. "The House That Sam Built: Sam Maloof and Art in the Pomona Valley 1945-1985" is on display through Jan. 30, 2012 at the San Marino library and gardens.

The exhibit features more than 30 pieces of Maloof's work in addition to approximately 80 pieces from his friends including painters Millard Sheets and Karl Benjamin. The Los Angeles Times interviewed the curator of the show in an article this past weekend.

"The House That Sam Built" is part of Pacific Standard Time, a collaboration of Southern California cultural institutions with a goal to tell the story of the Los Angeles art scene.

Visit lacountyfair.com/onlinetickets and enter promo code "9ranchocucamonga28". The fair is open noon to 10 p.m. that night.

RC Day at the Fair2011.pdf

Congratulations to Cindy Roy, who was named one of five San Bernardino County Teachers of the Year.

Roy teaches kindergarten through second grade at Valle Vista Elementary School. She was nominated out of more than 180,000 people who teach in the county. The five teachers will compete in the state Teacher of the Year event in November.

For the past nine years, Roy has taught special education students from kindergarten through third grade. In support of Roy's nomination, Valle Vista principal Luanne Weaver wrote, "Cindy Roy is a rare and gifted educator that changes the lives of her students and their families."

The other winning teachers are Susan Clewley Barkdoll from the San Bernardino City Unified School District, Richard Holk from Chino Valley Unified School District, Darlene Pitman, from Yucaipa-Calimesa School District and Kay Williams Pierce from Chaffey Joint Union High School District.
 

Massage Envy, 7305 Day Creek Blvd. Suite 101, will donate $10 from every one-hour massage and facial session on Oct. 12. The one-day fundraiser Healing Hands for Arthritis will benefit the National Arthritis Foundation. According to the foundation, one in five Americans suffer from arthritis and 300,000 of those are children.

To schedule an appointment, call 909-803-1001.

Other Massage Envy locations in Southern California are also participating in the fundraiser including the store in Upland.  

If you don't get enough sleep next Thursday, that's a-ok. Caffeine consumption is encouraged that day.

Sept. 29 is National Coffee Day and convenience store 7-Eleven is hosting National CofFREE Day from 7 to 11 a.m. A medium coffee, cappuccino or latte will be free for those four hours.

There are four 7-Elevens in the city. They are located on Masi Drive at Foothill Boulevard, Fourth Street at Milliken Ave., Base Line Road near Archibald Avenue, and Alta Loma Drive near Haven Ave. 

Creative comics fans should mark this on their calendars: 24-Hour Comics Day on Oct. 1.

That day, amateur and professional cartoonists can participate by writing, drawing and lettering a 24-page comic book in 24 hours. Cartoonists of all ages are welcomed to take part in this extreme cartooning.

The event starts noon on Oct. 1 at 4 Color Fantasies, 7172 Archibald Ave. For more information or to see a list of other participating comics shops, visit www.24hourcomicsday.com. 

Information: 909-563-8751

Michael Bailey, a financial adviser for Ameriprise Financial Services will conduct a free seminar entitled "Getting the Most from Social Security" from 6 to 8 p.m. next Tuesday. The event will take place in the Central Park Etiwanda Room.

Information: 909-948-7650

President of World Vision Rich Stearns will be the guest speaker at Hillside Community Church on Oct. 9. Stearns will give his speech at 8:30 a.m. and again at 10:15 a.m. The church is on 5354 Haven Ave. The church will provide a shuttle service from the Chaffey College parking lot.



Information: 909-980-2191

Assemblyman Mike Morrell will host a free seminar to educate seniors about the scams out there that target the elderly community. The event is 9:15 to 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 29 at the senior center. To RSVP or for more information, contact the assemblyman's office at 909-466-9096.

Last month, the Animal Care and Adoption Center offered significantly discounted adoption fees for all small dogs. In August, more than 100 dogs were adopted as part of the Hula Hounds promotion.

The promotion is extended through September with the $5 adoption fee applying to all dogs older than 4 months. Each adopted pet comes spayed or neutered and micro-chipped. Pet owners will also get a five-pound bag of food and a special gift.

Hours at the center is 1 to 7 p.m. weekdays, noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Information: 909-466-7387

According to today's Los Angeles Times, many government workers are working pro bono for Bell including our own Pam Easter.

Easter, posing here for a library poster, retired from the city as assistant city manager. She is now the acting assistant city manager for Bell.







Photo courtesy of Rancho Cucamonga Public Library

Gordon Barnard, one of the most active senior citizens in this city, marked the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks yesterday with a running club on a five-mile run.

Barnard, 75, is an avid runner, hitting the pavement five days a week, running a few miles here, a marathon there. Ten years ago, Barnard was part of a cross-country run from Boston to Los Angeles, a symbolic journey that finalized the route of the four California-bound planes destroyed in the terrorist attacks. Pictured here is Barnard, left, and his son, Adam Barnard, who is holding the American flag.

Barnard said it was a pretty emotional run. Approximately 4,000 runners participated in the 3,872-mile run, carrying an American flag through New York, Washington, Atlanta, Dallas, Phoenix and finally to Los Angeles. The run culminated two months after the terrorist attacks. Barnard ran the leg from Banning to Beaumont and from Rancho Cucamonga to Claremont.

The Root 66 Community Garden is in the running for a Pepsi Refresh grant this month. If this voting process gets enough of your support, the garden could get $50,000 to fund its well pump and irrigation system.

Here's how it works: You can vote every day this month online or via text message. Text "109075" to Pepsi or 73774 or click here to vote.

The Root 66 Community Garden is a major undertaking by Dee Matreyek of The Restorative Justice Center. Matreyek wants to convert a large swath of land near Foothill and Day Creek boulevards to a community garden. According to Matreyek, it will be the largest community garden west of the Mississippi.

Garden organizers are crossing their fingers on this grant. They have stockpiled 4,000 Pepsi bottle caps because specially marked caps and wrappers allow participants to use "power votes" and vote 10 times a day.

I came across a Facebook post announcing that Chef Tim's has closed. The barbecue restaurant near Chaffey College had a decent following. It was one of the few soul food eateries in the area.

Earlier this week I stopped by and noticed construction work inside and a red notice from the sheriff's department posted on the door prohibiting the owner and employees from entering.

According to Chef Tim's Facebook page, the restaurant closed Aug. 28. Chef Tim's is still catering and plans to open in another location.

The League of California Cities annual conference is in San Francisco this year. The three-day event begins on Sept. 21, which means the next City Council meeting will go dark. With several city leaders attending, there will be a lack of quorum. The next City Council meeting is Oct. 5.

With a brand new city manager comes brand new iPads.

From the glow off of Councilwoman Diane William's glasses, it was clear to see that last night was the debut of the paperless City Council agenda packets. Three of the five council members scrolled through and took notes on their tablet computers. Mayor Dennis Michael and Councilman Bill Alexander needed a few more iPad lessons before taking theirs out.

With retirement comes a new iPad, too.

As a gift to Jack Lam, who retired from his city manager position last week, City Hall employees gave him an iPad, too.

It's like one of those Oprah Winfrey "favorite things" shows -- iPads for everybody!

Michele Jacks-Ollivierre, a 28-year resident of Rancho Cucamonga, was sworn in this evening as the Park and Recreation Commission's newest member.

"I'm excited to be a part of the Rancho Cucamonga volunteer group," said Jacks-Ollivierre, a teacher for the Etiwanda School District who also leads the home education program.

Jacks-Ollivierre, who is passionately involved in youth sports, said she participates in as many soccer activities "as I can humanly fit in."

She won't be able to fit in any soccer on the third Wednesday of every month, that's when the Park and Recreation Commission meets.

At 7 p.m. tonight, the City Council meeting kicks off with Michele Jacks-Ollivierre taking the oath as the newly-appointed Park and Recreation commissioner.

The City Council will also discuss whether to give a grove of eucalyptus trees on Hellman Avenue landmark status, underground utility projects on Base Line Road and Arrow Route, and changing the municipal code regarding food trucks.

At 6 p.m., before the regular meeting starts, a slew of people will be honored by the City Council:

The 2011 Women of Distinction; the 2011 Youth Volunteer Award program; Panera Bread, for their daily donation of goodies to the senior center, Bradley Pate, the national grand champion from World Class Martial Arts; Emerick Brock, a supporter of the Animal Care and Adoption Center; Melissa Hedrick, perfect attendance winner of Alta Loma High School; Ontario Reign, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, Rancho Mesa Care Center and Paisano Ristorante Italiano -- sponsors of the senior center's Black and White gala; Jersey Mike's Subs, for their donation to the Community Services Department; and the Alta Loma Little League teams for their recent championship wins.

Reduced priced tickets will be available for opening day performances of MainStreet Theatre Company's 2011/12 season. The $9.50 tickets are made possible by the Community and Arts Foundation.

Foundation Family Saturdays kicks off with "Honus and Me" on Oct. 1. The show runs through Oct. 16. Discount tickets are available for the Jan. 28th show of "Sleeping Beauty: The Time-Traveler." That show runs through Feb. 12. The last show of the season is "A Wrinkle in Time," which the reduced rate available on the first day of the May 5-20 run.

All shows are at the Lewis Family Playhouse.

Information: 909-477-2752
    

The "special guest speaker" for the West Valley Republican Assembly dinner meeting on Sept. 8 will be A'lyce Baldarelli, vice president of the West Valley Republican Assembly. Baldarelli will speak on "Understanding and Stopping the Fallout from SB48." Dinner begins 6:30 p.m. at Carrow's Restaurant on 11669 Foothill Blvd. The meeting begins 7 p.m.

Information: 909-985-5045, 909-989-4458  

The St. Clare of Assisi Episcopal Church will host "Uncorked Cucamonga!" a wine and Italian dinner at the Filippi Winery on Sept. 10. The $40 dinner, from 4 to 7 p.m., includes wine tastings paired with a four-course dinner, tour of winery and various door prizes. Filippi Winery is located 12467 Base Line Road.

Information: 909-899-9963 

The Chaffey Community Art Association museum will host a juried show from Oct. 7 to Nov. 20. Artists who want to participate can submit an application here by Tuesday. The fall juried show is an open art competition with Daniel Foster, CEO of the Community Foundation, as the juror. Awards in various categories including Best of Show will be given.

CCAA Museum of Art is located inside the Filippi Winery on 12467 Base Line Rd. 

Organizers of Relay For Life will host a relay committee retreat, an event to recruit volunteers for the spring 2012 event. The retreat will kick off the planning process for the relay events in Montclair, Ontario, Upland and Rancho Cucamonga. It takes place 6 p.m. on Sept. 13 at David Dreier Hall inside the senior center. Volunteers are needed to serve on planning committees, team captains and other aspects of the 24-hour relay.

Information: 951-204-9257