Tyler and his family as they drop off the boxes of toys at the Rialto Fire Station
Via the Rialto Fire Department Facebook Page we came across a young man who took his own time to plan a party that not only showed that he understands the meaning of Christmas but he took the time to share this with his classmates as well.
Tyler Nguyen is a 4th grader at Simpson Elementary School in Rialto. He comes from family who does volunteer work locally and in Downtown LA’s Skid Row district. His Christmas party was a toy drive also to benefit SoCal Firefighters’ Spark of Love. Tyler’s Mother coordinated with Rialto Fire to have Tyler visit the station and collect a box for his drive. Instead of getting presents for himself, all guests brought toys and sports equipment for undeserved kids for the holiday. Tyler and his friends enjoyed holiday crafts and home-cooked Vietnamese food. He helped with decorating, cooking, and entertaining his guests. With the generosity of family and friends, Tyler was able to collect 3 boxes full of toys. This was his first community service project and his family were very proud of him. On Monday, after his party, Tyler, his mom, and grandma went to deliver the toys to the fire department. The goal was to introduce Tyler to serving others and we brainstormed to find a creative way. This was also a great way for Tyler’s friends to get involved. Tyler and his family plan to continue this new tradition because they received great support from friends and family.
Tyler is just one of the many young people that are part of our community. This young man and his family are part of what makes Rialto great. It is people like these that show us what is of value and proves it is up to us the people in the community to support our fellow man.
Well here we go again we have another example of what today’s elected official calls being moral, ethical leaders in today’s society. Instead of saying yes I said that yes it is on my website he trys to explain away a conversational statement by saying that wasn’t on my Congress Website it was on My Campaign Website? Wait so were only supposed to be honorable and fourth right on our official websites? Does the Campaign Website give him the opportunity to split the baby? What makes matters worse is the statement in question is Pete Aguilar calling out Republicans for their Campaign tactics when he wont follow the same rules for himself.
Before we move into the three people we will be highlighting we would like to thank the many people that made their voices heard in this poll seeking the community’s input on who impacted Rialto and left a mark that will stand the test of time. These three men all would have been men that I would have chosen as being key to Rialto moving forward in the way that it has.
Police Chief Tony Farrar
Police Chief Farrar is a 34 year veteran of Law Enforcement with 26 of those years were spent right here in Rialto. The Bio below is the best reflection of Chief Farrar’s body of work.
Tony Farrar is chief of the Rialto (CA) Police Department. A police officer for over 30 years, Chief Farrar is a graduate of the California Peace Officers Standards and Training (CA POST) Executive Leadership Command College and the Police Executive Research Forum Senior Management Institute for Police at Boston University. He is also an adjunct instructor through the Coast Community College District.
Chief Farrar holds masters’ degrees in both administration of justice and business administration and a bachelor’s degree in police science. He also graduated from the Police Executive Program at Cambridge University’s Institute of Criminology (United Kingdom) with a master’s degree in criminology in July 2013.
Chief Farrar is a graduate of the CA POST Master Instructor Development Program and a certified trainer in the six different CA POST disciplines. He is also a certified trainer through the California Association of Tactical Officers and the National Tactical Officers Association.
In 2009, Chief Farrar received the CA POST Individual Excellence in Training Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to law enforcement training and encourages innovation, quality, and effectiveness.
Chief Farrar has extensive tactical operations expertise and has shared his knowledge through presentations to law enforcement personnel, community groups, and the private sector throughout California and in other states. He has developed several law enforcement conferences and training venues, and his written materials have been published in both domestic and international publications.
In 2009, Chief Farrar participated in a Homeland Security Training Mission in Israel, training with experts in law enforcement, the military, and the private sector. In 2010, Chief Farrar participated in a Humanitarian Mission to Haiti, assisting with relief efforts and evaluating first response plans.
Most recently, Chief Farrar concluded an extensive yearlong study to evaluate the effect of body-worn video cameras on police use-of-force. This randomized controlled trial represents the first experimental evaluation of body-worn video cameras used in police patrol practices. Cameras were deployed to all patrol officers in the Rialto (CA) Police Department. Every police patrol shift during the 12-month period was assigned to experimental or control conditions. In July 2013, Chief Farrar received the 2013 Award for Excellence in Evidence-Based Policing for this study from the Society of Evidence-Based Policing at the 2013 Conference on Evidence-Based Policing at the University of Cambridge (UK). The award is given annually for outstanding policing research that advances the evidence base in policing and informs police practice.
Chief Farrar is a member of the California Police Chiefs Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and the Society of Evidence Based Policing. http://www.policefoundation.org/team_detail/chief-tony-farrar/
On the side of the community I can recall the first time I met Chief Farrar it was in a meeting with his predecessor then Chief Mark Kling and even though I didn’t know it I would come to respect that Captain that terrified me with his silence. Chief Farrar had a REAL open door policy with the community and his department. He never made you feel inferior before him and he worked tirelessly to make Rialto the technological leader in today’s world of policing. Even when you didn’t see eye to eye with Chief Farrar he gave you the respect he wanted in return. He brought back real Community Policing and bridged the gap that existed between the community and our law enforcement agency.
As Chief Farrar retires I wish him the best and Rialto wont be the same without him at the helm.
Council member Shawn O’Connell
Shawn O’Connell has been described in his most recent position as the type of elected official that our forefathers had envisioned when they set up our democracy. A person from the people who served the people. Councilman O’Connell wasn’t always a councilman he also served Rialto Police his last rank was Sergeant. Shawn O’Connell was involved in an accident off duty that left him paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. Shawn down but far from out worked to regain his strength and became the leader behind the group Voice United and group of people that seeked to demand that our elected officials work and speak for the people. Shawn took the work of advocacy very seriously and was a key part of keeping the city of Rialto from outsourcing police services to the SB Sheriff’s Department. Since December 12th of 2012 Now Councilman O’Connell has worked for the PEOPLE. He went as far as to kick off his campaign after he was sworn in as a Councilmember to give out his Home Phone number here is Shawn’s first words after being sworn into the Rialto City Council as reported by the Pasadena News
“O’Connell described his campaign as a grassroots effort and thanked his supporters. Then he announced his phone number.
“I will not forget that I work for you,” he said.”
Councilman O’Connell has lived by those words standing up for the community even when it went against the fray or ruffled feathers of his fellow members he is here to do the work of the people.
Councilman O’Connell was involved in a series of events where he made the people of Rialto Proud. He participated in the 1st annual Rialto Police Fallen Officer Memorial 5k and formed a team of people that supported our Rialto Police officers. Councilman O’Connell helped bring actual real facts to Rialto voters as the city asked them to approve a measure to raise much needed funds for Rialto’s future. Councilman O’Connell didn’t want the issue to rely on scare tactics but real tangible reasons that Measure W was needed. Councilman O’Connell also is probably the only elected official to come in with a list of things that he would like to see changed in Rialto and he has accomplished all of those issues as he enters the last year of his first term on the Rialto City Council. Councilman O’Connell does so much that lives behind the scenes or out of the public eye because he is not looking to be known by the crowd for what he does but rather in the lives of those his actions touch. In the video below Councilman O’Connell shares a personal story of leaving his mothers funeral at the age of 18 looking out the rear window of the car he was in and saw all the lives that she touched. Well Councilman O’Connell your mother must be smiling down on you from heaven for the life of good work you have done with your 44 years on this planet.
Gino Garcia
We have known Gino Garcia for a few years and though he is at times quiet he is loud with passion and drive for a healthier Rialto. His passion for the health of his community proves why the community chose him as one of the Top Three most Influential people of 2015. We reached out to Gino to learn even more about him and what makes him the man so many people admire. Here is what he wanted to say about why he works so hard to make Rialto a healthier place to work, play and live:
Hello fellow Rialto residents. Thank you for giving me the time to connect and share a bit about myself and the personal mission I have to make Rialto a healthier place to live. My name is Gino Garcia and I have lived in Rialto with my wife and two daughters since 2010. When we moved to Rialto I was in the process of starting my own fitness business and was actively plotting potential cities where I felt my business could thrive. After conducting research and determining there was no type of fitness service or dominant business within Rialto that offered the quality of training and fitness culture I sought to establish and build, I made the decision to launch Vibe Fitness in our city. Aside from the business aspect, it just made sense to improve my own city where my family would be living before going out and improving someone else’s home city.
From day one my personal mission was to create energy, excitement, and enhance the living experience of residents who came into contact with my business. You see, as a United States Marine I understood the power of creating community, culture, and team for the sake of fueling and completing a mission. I knew my passion to help others achieve their personal level of greatness would create something special within Rialto. Since the start of Vibe Fitness in 2012, the mission of making Rialto a healthier place to live has been active and successful thus far. The trend of a healthier Rialto was highlighted in 2015 through several events and program collaborations between city organizations and my business. Two projects that really fueled the healthier Rialto mission were the hosting “Operation Fitness Fury” at Rialto City Park in March and the collaboration between the Rialto Pride Platoon and I.
Operation Fitness Fury attracted over 150 residents from all over the Inland Empire for a morning of health and fitness to promote active and healthy lifestyles. The event consisted of group workouts, giveaways, and the promotion of several wellness organizations within the city. Another highlight was the successful completion of two Rialto Pride Platoon programs throughout 2015 which graduated over 60 high school youth from the program. On a physical and mental level combined, both these projects were key components in the success of making Rialto a healthier place to live in 2015. I am excited what 2016 will bring for our city and I believe strongly in my mission.
The focus for 2016 will be to continue building from the generated momentum that has been created in 2015. The goal will be to attract larger community involvement to wellness events for the sake of enhancing Rialto’s living experience across the entire city. This can be accomplished by working with other wellness organizations and city departments to create massive energy and traction to propel the healthier Rialto mission forward. In addition, it will require residents just like you to get involved either through active participation or support.
I will end by saying that my hope is you will be part of the healthier Rialto mission in 2016 at some capacity. The mission is not just about physical exercise; it’s about improving ALL aspects that make our city what it is. The mindset, pride, loyalty, compassion, and synergy we as residents should have when it comes to our city. The healthier Rialto mission is about us taking charge of our city and working together as residents to enhance the living experience we share. I hope we can meet at some point in 2016; I invite and encourage you to connect with me or my business on the web by visiting the websites below. Happy Holidays!
This effort to find the most influential people in Rialto was an awesome adventure into being able to highlight three awesome men who have one goal in mind make Rialto better for you the community. All three have one thing in mind that we need to be reminded of. Each man has at one or more times wore a uniform and swore an oath to protect the people and freedom that makes America the country we call home. The staff here at Rialto Now thank the community for choosing these three men and giving us the honor of highlighting them in this special way.
Before we close out this post we would also like to thank the many other people on the poll for what they have done big or small to make an impact on Rialto. It is people like you that show the upcoming generation how vital it is to stand and advocate for your community and its people.
Everyone have a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year.
Were putting together a 2015 re-cap for the city of Rialto and were looking for your help in choosing the top three people that made life here in Rialto a pleasant experience. So often we get accused of pushing our own agenda and that would be fine if people knew our only agenda is to inform the people of the city of Rialto and the outlying cities that surround us.
If you don’t see your choice that is fine you can add people to the poll and others can vote for your choice if they like. We will be highlighting the top three choices that YOU vote for. No tricks no gimmicks even if one of the choices we don’t like we will still highlight them because we want to hear the communities voice.
David Phillips will sit down with one of Rialto’s finest public safety officers and we learn how to be safe this holiday season and other great things in store for the Community of Rialto. Listen to the show and find out all the upcoming news, retirements and new promotions. Also hear about what Rialto Police added to the Terrorist attack on San Bernardino last week.
Watch live at www.kcaaradio.com or listen at AM 1050 or FM 106.3 or FM 106.5
Like the Facebook page for the video podcast and other updates on what is going on in the Inland Empire https://www.facebook.com/inlandcommunity/
Were sure you have heard by now that the former county health inspector turned radical terrorist effected the fine city of Rialto and also left his mark on the community. By now you have also heard the scare tactics being spread throughout social media. These tactics are not linked to any fact and have opened the door to sick people using peoples fear to feed their sick minds. As we have stated many times in the last 6 years Rialto is in a unique position to feel safe and know that our public safety officials are more than equal to the task of keeping us safe.
What these terrorist attacks have also shown us is that terror does not play by our set rules of engagement. We also saw that seeing something that doesn’t look right and not reporting it because we didn’t want to sound racist can cost lives. The mantra of SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING is not just a catchy phrase it is a call to let the authorities know if something doesn’t look right. Neighbors and other people in Redlands saw activity that didn’t look right for MONTHS and said nothing. It is beyond comprehension to know we could have saved 14 lives and kept 21 people from being injured if someone had made a phone call.
We cannot change the past but it is beyond vital that we learn from it. Our all time favorite quote is “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.” by George Santayana. If we cannot learn from our past we will keep making the same mistakes. St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, Coffee Nutzz and Carter High School are just a few of the locations that the county health inspector turned radical terrorist had some type of ties. Probably the most chilling tie were the photos found in the terrorists possession of Carter High School. Luckily our public safety officials were equal to the task to see that our schools were safe.
So we need to show our public safety officials that we will not remain silent. We need to share information that they need to keep us safe. One great way yo do that is Area Command Meetings see the flyer below:
Well as much as we would like to move on from the West Valley Water board they seem to want to be the main topic of conversation. Newly elected Water Board Director Gregory Young who I have never met has taken it upon himself to attack our blog. I don’t know this man and I have no strong feelings one way or the other.
So why am I writing this article? Right? Well when the West Valley Water Board made a move away from the Roberts Rules of Order in lue of the Rosenberg Rules of Order some questioned if this was a move to control or silence the other board members and/or the public. Of course the board denied that this was their intention but now you have Board Member Gregory Young advocating that this blog not be able to post links to our online content on a popular Bloomington Community page.
Here is what the group uses as its rules for posting:
CODE OF CONDUCT:
The following is a list of guidelines for commenting on our wall and posts. Stay positive and let’s have fun.
*No spamming
*No offensive language.
*We may remove any URL for any reason.
*No personal attacks (hostile, derogatory or deliberately insulting comments toward a specific individual or group).
*No business advertising or political promotions are allowed, not-for-profit organization promotion is allowed.
*No flaming (posting comments intended to induce an angry response).
*If you have an inquiry regarding constituent services, it’s always best to call Supervisor Josie Gonzales’ office (909) 387-4565 to formalize your concern.
*This group reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason.
Please note: if a portion of a comment is inappropriate, the entire comment will be deleted.
This is a group created to act as a discussion forum for the San Bernardino County community known as Bloomington and the Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) that represents it.
Feel free to post and share any interesting thoughts, ideas, concerns, or news that pertain to the citizens of Bloomington. Any information about county projects or issues involving Bloomington will be shared here as well.
We reached out to the supervisors office and we were supposed to get a call back on whether we are breaking the rules of the group. Nobody has called us back but I’m sure the county is busy with last week’s terrorist attack.
What do you think should a water board director be able to force another elected official to silence the community?
The Neighborhood and Housing Preservation Beautification Commission & Development Services Department Housing Division are seeking nominations for the most effective use of decorations. Residents will be recognized and an award to be presented to the top 5 nominations at the January 2016 City Council Meeting.
For more information or to submit your nominations, contact the Housing Division at(909)820-8013 or email rjoiner@rialtoca.gov. Deadline to submit nominations is December 17, 2015 by 4:00pm.
Rafael Trujillo is a name you may know but may not be able to remember where from. Prior to September his greatest claim to fame would be a former aide to numerous State and Federal elected officials and a member of the Rialto Parks and Recreation Committee. He has tried to run for every local office that is available to him and has always fallen short. He has even used political favors to try and get appointed to Rialto City Council but not even that worked.
It wasn’t until a seat came open on the West Valley Water Board that Rafael found his way in. This September Rafael was appointed as a Director of the water board. He still had to cross a hurdle that he has yet to successfully win an election where the people had to choose him. He failed to win one of three seats on the water board even though he worked hard to tarnish the reputation of the only incumbent seeking re-election Alan Dyer.
At the November 5th meeting Rafael hinted at the future for him even though he had already lost the election? What pray tell can be his future when he lost the election?
On top of all this Rafael was given a glowing recommendation of his time on the board three whole months. Below is Rafael’s speech after he was given his Resolution for his three months as a water board director.
Here are our problems with this:
Two board members left with this election Betty Gosney and Rafael Trujillo. The resolutions were done on different meetings Mrs. Gosney the outgoing President and 13 year veteran did not get her resolution and was called a racist. Rafael Trujillo revived his with a unanimous vote for only three months of service.
When President Clifford Young gave Rafael Trujillo his award Mr. Young gave Rafael time to speak yet he didn’t limit him to the same three minutes that he limited all other speakers to.
Rafael refers to issues he was passionate about but fails to remember his passionate issues when accepting his public resolution.
The West Valley Water Board continues its witch hunt on Mr. Dyer and if they find enough dirt to remove him from his seat you can guarantee that Rafael will be there waiting in the wings.
Are there people on the board feeding Rafael information from closed session meetings? Everything having to do with the Boards illegal informant is done in closed session and Rafael seems to be well versed in what has been going on.
We write all of this not because we dislike Mr. Trujillo or to cause him grief we simply want to get our elected officials to work on the peoples behalf not their own.
Would you believe that temporary appointed Water Board Director Rafael Trujillo who only served a few months on the Board will Recognized, Honored and Commended for his time on the water board but Betty Gosney the long time elected board member will get no such recognition? Well it is true. As you can see below that Rafael Trujillo will be recognized at tomorrows West valley Water Board Meeting. Some people are saying that Clifford Young has worked behind the scenes to be a puppet master of other people and it looks like it has worked out for Rafael with yet another recognition for following another persons agenda without thinking for himself.
The two resolutions look very different and speak to the tone the majority of the board was acting when each resolution was penned.
Here is the one for President Betty Gosney:
Adopt Resolution No. 2015-18 Commending President Betty Gosney for More than 12 Years of Dedicated Service.
Here is the one for Appointed Director Rafael Trujillo:
Approval of Resolution No. 2015-20, Recognizing, Honoring and Commending Rafael Trujillo for Outstanding Public Service as a Board Member.
So from the get go the Board majority penned resolutions that should have sounded the same yet are much more different when it comes to wording and perceived tone. Another question is why were these two resolutions made separate of each other? It would be inappropriate to deny President Gosney her Resolution and give one to Appointed Director Trujillo. President Gosney who had served on the West Valley Water board for 12 years has underwent a lot of attacks and game playing by a majority of the board especially Vice President Clifford Young. So after the lastest round of attacks and political games that were played President Gosney asked if Clifford Young’s signature could be left off the resolution which is her right. Clifford Young did not like being left out and he knew ahead of time so he invited Irma Flores to the meeting to call President Gosney a racist for not wanting the only African American member of the board’s signature on her resolution.
Now remember we called Appointed Director Trujillo a rubber stamp for Vice President Young and originally Appointed Director Trujillo seconded the motion to approve President Gosney’s resolution for service. He changed his mind after Clifford Young instructed his fellow board members to not no on this resolution.
Personally I have always thought it was silly to give resolutions on behalf of an entire body to a specific person or group. Many times most of the elected body of any city or board have no idea who they are recognizing or even agree they should be recognized.
Below is the entire body of the Water Boards agenda tonight.
BUSINESS MATTERS Consideration of:
1. Approval Resolution No. 2015-18, Adopting the Rosenberg’s Rules of Order as Official Parliamentary Procedures for West Valley Water District Meetings.
2. Approval of Resolution No. 2015-19, Appointing Shanae Smith as Board Secretary Confidential Assistant Reporting to the Board of Directors and Two (2) Assistant Secretaries.
3. Approval of Resolution No. 2015-20, Recognizing, Honoring and Commending Rafael Trujillo for Outstanding Public Service as a Board Member.
rialtonow 