January 2012 Archives

LifeStream will hold a community blood drive from 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday at First United Methodist Church, 262 N. Euclid Ave. in Upland.

Donors will receive Gift of Life Donor Loyalty points that may be redeemed in the online store at www.LStream.org and may enter to win a pair of three-day general admission passes to the 2012 Stagecoach Country Music Festival.

Donors may also register for Be The Match bone marrow screening at all donor locations free of charge or visit www.bethematch.org and use promo code 92408.

Healthy individual at least 15 years old may donate.

Those 15 and 16 years old must provide a written parental consent. Parent consent forms are available at any donor center, community blood drive or at www.LStream.org.

All prospective donors should be free of infections or illness, weigh at least 110 pounds and not be at risk for AIDS or Hepatitis.

Donors will receive a free mini-physical as part of the donation process.

For more information call 1-800-TRY GIVING.

Upland Fire Division Chief Suzanne Cable was recognized by the City Council on Monday for her service to the city.

Cable is retiring after 32 years of fire service, of which the last 10 years were spent with the Upland Fire Department.

"Thank you to everybody," Cable said. "It's been an honor to serve the city of Upland and a big thank you to my husband for putting up with me and supporting me with this decision."

Prior to working for Upland, Cable was a wild land fire fighter for the California Department of Forestry.

Councilman Ken Willis thanks Cable for her service to the city, in particular her leadership during the Grand Prix fire in 2003.

"It swept across I think over 15 houses in San Antonio Heights were lost during that horrible occasion, but I remember people talking about your leadership during that fire and things that you did to protect our citizens. Thank you," Willis said.

The Upland Chamber of Commerce will hold its "First Friday" networking breakfast meeting 7 to 8:30 a.m. Friday at the Carnegie Building, 123 E. D. St. in Upland.

Cost to attend is $10 for Chamber members and $15 for prospective members.

Cost is $15 at the door.

The meeting is sponsored by David H. Gilbert, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in Upland.

Breakfast will be provided by Pine Haven Catering and Confections.

Reservations must be made today by calling 909-204-4465.

The Upland Police Officers Association is hosting a golf tournament Feb. 3 at the Oak Quarry Golf Course at 7151 Sierra Avenue in Riverside.

Check in is at 6:45 a.m. with tee off at 8 a.m.

Proceeds from the tournament will go to the Upland Police Foundation's Widows and Orphans fund.

The Police Officers Association donates over $5,000 a year to local charities and other uses that need help throughout the community," said Marc Simpson, president of the Police Officers Association. "This is a good opportunity to get out and play gofl with some of your police officers and leaders."

For more information email UPOA@live.com or call the Upland Police Department at 909-946-7624.

The Upland Public Library will host a free program on keeping resolutions in 2012.

Nancy DeVore, psychological assistant with Journey Coaching and Counseling Services in Irvine, will present an interactive seminar on how to identify and tap into personal motivation and going after goals in 2012.

The seminar will be from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Feb. 18 in the Library's multipurpose room at 450 N. Euclid Ave.

Registration is required and can be done by calling 909-931-4205.

Dominica Greene of Upland was recently named as a YoungArts Honorable Mention Award Winner in Modern Dance.

The Los Angeles High School of the Arts student was chosen from more than 5,000 applicants in nine disciplines in the visual, literary and performing arts.

Greene is one of 174 Honorable Mention winners, selected in a blind adjudication process from a pool representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia as well as all U.S. territories.

Greene will receive a monetary award and join the ranks of 16,000 YoungArts alumni, including multimedia artist Doug Aitken, actors Vanessa Williams, Raul Esparza and Kerry Washington as well as musicians Nicki Minaj and Chris Young.

YoungArts is the core program of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts.

The city is looking for volunteers to participate in the "Point-In-Time Count" from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. Feb. 22 throughout the city.

The Count will help the city, in conjunction with San Bernardino County's Office of Homeless Services, count and provide a needs assessment survey for sheltered as well as unsheltered homeless within the city.

The survey will assist the city in providing services to help the homeless population and prevent future homelessness.

All are being encouraged to volunteer including county and city employees, service providers, faith based organizations, college students, civic organizations, bilingual citizens as well as anyone with a heart for the homeless population.

For more information visit www.sbcounty.gov/sbchp.

To sign up for a volunteer position contact Michele Bletcher by phone at 909-252-4054 or email mkbletcher@dbh.sbcounty.gov

Rancho Cucamonga Women's Connection is having it's "Love is in the air" buffet luncheon from 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 14 at Upland Hills Country Club, 1231 E. 16th St.

There will be a fashion show featuring Jockey "Person to Person" comfortable, chic and versatile fashions by Cheryl Sites-Halett.

Diane Jackson of Rancho Cucamonga will sing love songs.

Dawn Maxwell, writer, business woman and mother, will speak on "what to do when life gives you the opposite of your desires."

To make reservations call Cecilia at 909-987-7069.

Cost of the program and buffet luncheon, including dessert, is $16.

The Rancho Cucamonga Women's Connection is sponsored by Stonecroft Ministries.

The Ole Skool Supreme Dance Team will hold auditions from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 18 at the Prime Time Dance Studio at 775 N. Central Ave., Upland.

The Dance Team is an ensemble of women ranging from 40 to 60 years old who dance to "ole school" music using the most popular dance moves with a hip hop twist.

Women who audition for the team must be over 40 years old, be in good physical shape, be able to pick up choreography and perform a "mean" freestyle as well as know dance moves and music of the 1970's and 1980's.

The team is the premier performer of the Women's National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Sparks at the Staples Center.

Applicants must provide a headshot, resume and completed application.

They must be able to show proof of age as well as bring their own towel and water.

For more information call Traci Hawkins at 909-272-9763 or email her at osc@la-sparks.com

The First United Methodist Church Preschool at 262 N. Euclid Ave. in Upland is holding a "Meet and Greet" for potential preschoolers and their parents at 9:15 a.m. Feb. 7-8.

Parents will spend the morning getting to know the preschool with a tour, followed by art time, music time, a mini sports lesson and end with a short Spanish experience.

The meet and greet is free, but reservations are required to be made by Feb. 3

For more information call 909-985-0255 or visit www.uplandpreschool.com

Singers who are interested in participating in this year's Upland Lemon Festival Idol competition can attend a free seminar at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26 at Moultrie Academy of Music, Voice & Dance, 405 W. Foothill Blvd. Suite 201 in Claremont.

Winning tips will be shared with all who attend.

For more information call 909-241-7480.

Rep. David Dreier, R-San Dimas, recently nominated several Upland residents to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis in Maryland and U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point in New York.
"This is an outstanding group of young people," Dreier said in a news release. "They would all provide exemplary service as military officers and make our country, state and communities proud."

Naval Academy nominees: Steven Backofen; John Diskin and Amy Epperson,

 Merchant Marine nominees: Steven Backofen; John Diskin and Samy Oubeid.

The nominees will compete with other applicants from around the nation for the available position in the classes that will enter in July.

Singers who are interested in participating in this year's Upland Lemon Festival Idol competition can attend a free seminar at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26 at Moultrie Academy of Music, Voice & Dance, 405 W. Foothill Blvd. Suite 201 in Upland.

Winning tips will be shared with all who attend.

For more information call 909-241-7480.

The Upland Woman's Club will meet for tea at 1 p.m. Jan. 24 at their clubhouse, 590 N. 2^nd Ave.

The scheduled program is "Guide dogs for the blind," presented by Ron Chrisman.

The Club meets the fourth Tuesday of the month for tea.

For more information on the Club and their philanthropic projects call 909-987-1253.

The Upland Woman's Club has announced Hannah Lundberg, a sophomore at Upland High School, as the winner of the Hugh O'Brian Youth scholarship for 2012.

The scholarship will pay for Lundberg to attend a three-day leadership training seminar in June at Chapman University in the city of Orange.

Every year, an accredited public and private high school in the country is invited to select and send an outstanding sophomore leader as its representative to a leadership conference.

Hugh O'Brian Youth's mission is to seek out, develop and recognize leadership potential.

At the conference, students interact with business and community leaders who volunteer as speakers and facilitators.

Using a seminar question and answer format, the young people get a realistic look at what makes the American incentive system work.

For more information on the Upland Woman's club and their philanthropic projects call 909-987-1253.

The city of Upland was recently highlighted as part of the "Strong Cities, Strong State," campaign by the League of California Cities and the California City Management Foundation.

The "Strong Cities, Strong State" website is the centerpiece of a campaign broadly promoting city success stories, alongside profiles of the elected officials and city managers working together to build and maintain a high quality of the life for California city residents.

Highlights of the City of Upland profile:

• Partnerships with other agencies and businesses in the community

• Community programs available to residents

• The city's emergency operation plan

• Resources available to help local businesses succeed

"Upland has celebrated 105 years of being the City of Gracious Living
to its 74,000 residents," Upland City Manager Stephen Dunn said in a League of California Cities news release.
"Our City is proud to provide an excellent environment that allows
for a high quality of life within our community for all our City
residents."

The goal of the "Strong Cities" campaign is to promot the innovation and experience of local officials in delivering vital services at a time when this expertise is needed by state leaders struggling with fundamental issues of governance, according to the news release.

The campaign will continue to profile individual cities every day, with a goal of highlighting all California cities over the next year and a half.

Profiles include photos, video and other media articulating how each city has been working to provide essential services, as well as to elevate the quality of life of its residents, according to the news release.

Success stories will range from public safety initiatives to educational partnerships, infrastructure improvements to community engagement strategies and more.

Visit http://www.strongcitiesstrongstate.com/city/upland to view Upland's profile.

Upland Animal Services adopted out more animals during 2011 than previous years. 

The new record of 1,841 surpassed 2010's record of 1,434.

The euthanasia rate also dropped from 920 in 2010 to 526 in 2011, showing a 42 percent drop in euthanasias over the course of one year.

"2011 was a great year for the dogs and cats in Upland, however there is still a lot of work to be done in saving many more lives," said Jon Knowlton, the city's animal services supervisor, in a city news release. "The credit for this turnaround goes to all the adoption partners, volunteers, rescue groups and the community who have consistently and continuously helped save lives throughout the year."

There were numerous special dogs and cats that found their new lifelong homes during 2011, including 17 beagles that were rescued from a puppy mill in Victorville by Chino Hills-based animal rescue charity Priceless Pets.

All 17 beagles that were taken in by the shelter have been adopted and are now living happier and healthier lives with loving families.

For more information on the shelter call 909-931-4185 or visit them at 1275 San Bernardino Road, inside Memorial Park.

View the animals up for adoption here: http://www.uplandpl.lib.ca.us/asp/Site/Living/AnimalShelter/Adopt/index.asp

The Upland Public Library will be closed in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday.

John Elway's Crown Toyota in Ontario, in partnership with the Toyota Dealer Match Program, donated $5,000 to the Upland Public Library's Adult Literacy Program.

Crown Toyota donated $2,500, while the Toyota Match program provided an additional $2,500.

"We all share the same dream to see our communities thrive," said Jim Lentz, Toyota Motor Sales President and CEO, in a city news release.

Since its inception in 1989, the Adult Literacy Program has helped more than 1,000 English-speaking adults improve their basic reading and writing skills by matching adult learners with trained volunteers for free one-on-one tutoring.

"We're a part of the communities we serve," said John Elway, CEO of Crown Toyota. "The work Upland does for literacy and the enrichment of the community is invaluable and we're honored to help them in continuing their mission."

For more information on the library's Adult Literacy Program or how to become a volunteer call the Literacy Office at 909-931-4212.

The Upland Animal Shelter and Friends of Upland Animal Shelter are sponsoring the second annual Yard Sale of the Century from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 18 next to the shelter at 1275 San Bernardino Road.

All proceeds will be used to care for the animals at the shelters and help them find new, lifelong homes.

Last year's sale raised nearly $7,000, which helped to save the lives of many dogs and cats.

The shelter is now accepting donations for the yard sale.

Anyone who has always wanted to help homeless pets, but are financially unable can donate items they no longer use.

Anyone looking for special treasures can stop by the sale on Feb. 18.

For more information call Upland Animal Services at 909-931-4185.

The Mt. Baldy chapter of the National Active Retired Employees will hold its monthly general meeting and luncheon at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Coco's, 60 W. Foothill Blvd. in Upland.

The Association is solely dedicated to preserving and improving the health care and retirement benefits of federal workers and retirees.

Fred Navarro, an outreach specialty for the California Public Utilities Commission, Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications program, will speak.

The program provides help to individuals with any difficulty using the telephone.

Individuals can receive free phone equipment with certification by a medical doctor, a licensed audiologist, a qualified state agency or a hearing aid dispenser.

All active and retired federal employees as well as their spouses are invited to attend the meeting.

The chapter also recently elected their 2012 officers at an installation ceremony at Coco's in Upland.

They are:

President Bernice Minnis; First Vice President Marco Rodriguez; Second Vice President Stanley Dack; Third Vice President Will Patton and Treasurer Lorraine Brannen.

District Vice President Lee Manak performed the installation.

The chapter meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m. at Coco's.

For more information visit www.narfe.org/chapter1497

The city is inviting the public to help them celebrate the grand opening of Jersey Mike's Subs on Wednesday at their new location in the Colonies Crossroads shopping center at 1945 N. Campus Ave.

Residents can stop by Upland City Hall at 460 N. Euclid Ave., the Upland Public Library at 450 N. Euclid Ave. or the Upland Recreation Office at 651 W. 15^th St. to pick up coupons for 50 percent off.

For every coupon redeemed between Wednesday and Sunday, Jersey Mike's will donate $1 to the city's Adult Literacy and Build-A-Dream scholarship programs, which benefit underprivileged youth.

The Upland Woman's Club will host their monthly luncheon at noon on Tuesday at their clubhouse, 590 N. Second Ave.

The Sentimental Sisters with Jay Munns will provide the entertainment.

The Upland Woman's Club meets every second Tuesday of the month for their luncheon meeting.

Cost is $10 and reservations must be made by Friday.

To make reservations call 909-986-2800.

The Parent Teacher Association at Pepper Tree Elementary School will be holding a drive in conjunction with Goodwill Industries from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 7 at the school, 1045 W. 18^th St. in Upland.

The PTA is trying to raise money to purchase new playground equipment.

People will be able to drive up to the sale and drop off gently used items to donate. Donations are tax deductible.

All items must be sell-able as is.

For more information email Peppertreefundraising@yahoo.com