There are three people and organizations that keep circulating through the Rialto News cycle (that is if any news outlet covered Rialto). Rialto Police Chief Deanda, Rialto Mayor Robertson and MHM & Associates. As you may already know MHM CEO Luvina Beckley a close personal friend of the Mayors was found to have been Federally Disbarred from working on Federal Grants for the next two years. We found out later that this also puts into jeopardy her ability to work on any State Grants as well. As hard as Mayor Robertson tried to get Luvina Beckley to keep her $100,000 dollar contract to manage the cities Prop 47 grant program in the end the city choose to find another grant program facilitator.
In a claim letter attached to tonight’s city council agenda Rialto Police Chief has put the city in yet another financial loss due to poor decision making and may have bought himself a criminal charge. Here is a short list of the litigation Chief Deanda is responsible for dragging the city into:
Officer Brayshaw – Discrimination Lawsuit settled out of court amount unknown.
K9 Officer Anderson – Wrongful Termination Lawsuit Multi Million Dollar Suit
Officer Jones – Wrongful Termination Lawsuit amount unknown.
It seems as though Chief Deanda seems to have forgotten the rules when running a persons name through criminal databases. His running Annette Kelly-Whittle’s name through public databases was only the tip of the iceberg. According to the complaint Chief Deanda was speaking negatively in regards to Mrs Whittle’s employment with MHM and her ability to work on Police grants. According to the complaint Chief Deanda spoke negatively to Mrs Whittle’s Probation Officer, BSS Program director and other people.
In regards to the possibility of criminal charges being filled it is a Misdemeanor to run someone for personal in the way the complaint claims.
This item is hidden inside the consent calendar so lets see if it is pulled for discussion. Sources close to the department have came in with new information on this claim from Mrs Whittle. According to sources close to Rialto Police the information in question came up as Mrs Whittle changed residences and that action alone creates a notification to be sent to Police and probation. What is still unclear is the issue of Police Chief Deanda had issues with Mrs Whittle working on grants for Rialto Police.
Sources close to former Councilman O’Connell said that prior to his passing he was concerned about the way MHM was handling Police Department Grants yet he failed to go into detail over what exactly he was concerned about.
We will update as more information comes in.
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The sequel to Run for Your Wife finds the bigamist taxi driver John Smith still keeping his two families in different parts of London, both happy & blissfully unaware of each other. However, his teenage children, a girl from one family & a boy from the other, have met on the Internet & are anxious to meet in person since they have so much in common name, surname and taxi driving dad! Keeping them apart plunges John into a hell hole of his own making. The situation spirals out of control as John juggles outrageously with the truth.
On September 22nd the residents living around the area of Cedar and Foothill in Rialto were treated to a lot of sounds that are now all too common in our small bedroom town. Loud police sirens followed by Police Helicopter and then the Fire Engine sirens that almost always follow.
Two women were hit by a driver on Foothill Blvd (Route 66) in between Linden & Cedar Avenues. One woman was killed and the other is in serious condition in the hospital. The Driver a 38-year-old Rialto man has been arrested in a hit-and-run crash Friday night.
According to Rialto police, two women were crossing Foothill Boulevard, near Cedar Avenue, at about 8:35 p.m. when they were struck by a car traveling east on Foothill. After hitting the pedestrians, the car continued on Foothill before turning south onto Cedar, police said.
Both victims were rushed by ambulance to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, where one of them was pronounced dead. The second remains in grave condition, police said Saturday.
Rialto police located the suspect’s vehicle at a nearby apartment complex. Desmond Ashley was later found in a motel in Fontana. He was booked into the West Valley Detention Center on felony hit-and-run charges.
The identities of the victims were not immediately disclosed.
Stay tuned to Rialto Now for more information.
For video go to http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2017/09/23/rialto-man-arrested-hit-run/
Last year San Bernardino Unified was rocked with a school shooting that left 3 people dead one of the dead a student along with another student injured by gunfire. Ever since the shooting last year San Bernardino Unified spoke about strict standards for dealing with access to school campuses and weapons being allowed on campus. So one would think that staff who were deeply effected by the loss of a student and colleague would understand how important keeping weapons off campus would be right?
Some staff at Paakuma School say that yesterday reports of a physical fight between two staff members led San Bernardino School Police to find a weapon in the car of one parties vehicle. The letter from school principal Victoria Morales seems to offer a different story, one that has a gun but omits the employee fight.
Angelic Davis posted the post above on Next Door that confirms the same story that the School Principal put in the letter. We reached out to the Principal as asked in the letter and we were directed to the District Communications office where after getting hung up on twice we were finally able to leave a message.
What is odd here is that arrest records are not confidential when a crime is committed at a school yet the District is circling its wagons around this situation and controlling the conversation. San Bernardino Unified is already coming under attack as their move from citations to peer court is blowing up in their faces as the program is not providing the results.
At 4pm Tuesday we found out that Anita Rene Scott a Counselor at the school was arrested for bringing a loaded gun onto school grounds. Linda Bardere the district spokeswoman said ” It was locked in the employee’s personal car, which was in the parking lot on school propoerty. At no time was the weapon brought out or shown”. District officials said that another employee shared information that Anita Rene Scott claimed to have a firearm in her car. Anita Rene Scott posted $25,000 bail Tuesday and was placed on administrative leave.
We will keep you up to date as more information comes in.
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Below is a list of events and some of the awesome things in store for tomorrow. The local celebrity that can be seen in Rialto regularly showing off what is cool to do and see right here in our little town is pretty popular. The exact time for the local celebrity arrival with his ever so popular live video stream that is seen by hundreds of thousands of Facebook users hasn’t been announced but as soon as we find out you will know so stay tuned/
Join Joel Greene as he helps to kick off the Rialto Relay for Life event. This year the Rialto event is looking to raise $30 Thousand to combat cancer. If you would like to help them hit that mark you can donate any amount by clicking here.
Relay For Life is the signature fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Relay is staffed and coordinated by volunteers in more than 5,200 communities and 27 countries. Volunteers give of their time and effort because they believe it’s time to take action against cancer.
Join us at these events to bring communities together to remember loved ones lost, honor survivors of all cancers, and raise money to help the American Cancer Society make a global impact on cancer.
Time: 9:00am
We’ll kick off the event by celebrating everyone who’s been affected by cancer. Whether someone’s been diagnosed for 10 days or been cancer-free for 10 years, they gather together for the crowd to cheer them on.
Survivors & Caregiver Lap
Time: 9:30am
Survivors define courage and inspire those facing a cancer diagnosis. Their strength is honored with each step they take around the first lap. If you know anyone who’s overcome cancer, invite them to join.
Caring for others is such a selfless act, which is why we honor caregivers with a lap. They often walk with the person they’ve supported.
Fight Back Ceremony
Time: 10:00am
Have you ever wanted to see a cement truck up close? Climb inside a cherry picker? Explorer a firetruck? Join us for a second annual Touch-A-Truck event.
Kids Corner sponsored by Target with games, crafts and activities for kids of all ages.
Be your own builder. Join us for a kids workshop sponsored by the Home Depot where kids can use tools to build their own creations.
Time: 4:00 pm
We will talk about what we can do beyond the event to fight back against this horrible disease.
Time: 9:00 pm
Each Luminaria bag represents a loved one lost to cancer, brings support to those affected by it, and honors survivors. This powerful moment gives people the opportunity to grieve but also offers hope and comfort.
Closing Ceremony
Time: 10:30 pm
We celebrate all that we’ve accomplished together and remember those we’ve lost. Together, we commit to take action and help end the pain and suffering of cancer.
On August 3rd Councilman Rafael Trujillo posted a post about checking out one of the newest stores to be brought to Rialto’s last chance to finally bring something that residents want.
“My wife, Mirella, and I were checking out the market set to open as part of the Renaissance Marketplace in 2018. Any feedback?”
I’m not sure he was really prepared for the feedback he got. Residents in Rialto are TIRED of all of the discount markets being dumped in our area. We asked on our page if Rialto needed another discount market let alone one in the North End Development.
Julie said “No, have enough of those …. Drive down Baseline between Sycamore and Willow and there are a couple of hole in the wall dollar type shops, a Dollar Tree, a 99 cent store, Big Lots, Walmart (grocery), Stater Bros (grocery), Superior (grocery), Family Dollar, Walgreens, CVS, DD;s Discounts, Fallas, and Save and Tell…. if we want discount stores we can go there, can we maybe get a Hobby/craft store? How about an Ulta or Sephora? How about a Bath and Body works? See’s candies? Some kind of Family type entertainment? Hot Topic, Forever 21 ?? we really do not need another outlet type store, grocery or otherwise”.
You can’t help but agree with Julie or the throngs of other people chiming in on the Councilman’s post. Jason said this about the Councilman’s post “It makes me sad to see that you as a councilman believe this to be a good option for Rialto. We need to make our city better and stop bringing in trash stores. Looking at the images you showed how is anyone supposed to be excited for a store that sells discounted garbage items that are of poor quality?” Families are spending real money that isn’t being captured here because our city seems to think were nothing more than a bunch of poor people looking to search through cheap 2nd class items. Families have commented that they spend $160 to $200 a month on stores that offer better quality and fresher options. That is $2400 of tax money going out the window with each families year fresh food bills.
Now you may say hey your being to hard on Grocery Outlet, I’m sure they offer great products…. right? Actually to offer such cheap prices and not take coupons they are selling some interesting stuff:
Grocery Outlet doesn’t accept manufacturer coupons, because their prices are already low. When a grocery producer has excess inventory or the packaging—not the actual product—is damaged, discount grocers like Grocery Outlet buy these products for pennies on the dollar.
Unlike traditional grocery stores that stock the same items weekly, discount stores stock items depending on what they get in (mostly overstock from other stores). So when you see something you like, stock up and stock up fast, because it might not be there tomorrow.
Often, when bigger stores pass overstocked products to grocery outlets, items are close to the expiration date. Knowing what “Sell By,” “Best if Used By,” and “Use By” dates mean will help you determine whether you can use a product before the quality starts to deteriorate.
Frozen foods are great deals at discount grocery stores, because they can live past their purchase dates as long as they’ve been kept frozen. YUCK
According to the USDA, cans with small dents are safe to eat. So if you see cans with small dents and banged-up boxes, it doesn’t mean the food is bad; it just means traditional stores can’t sell them.
Specialize in cut-rate food and household goods not “good enough” for your average supermarket.
To make matters worse is the following tid bits the City Planners are hoping you don’t notice:
In the next year at least 3 more discount stores will pop up around Rialto. These stores include Aldi, Five Below and now Grocery Outlet.
Still to this day the old Fresh & Easy building and the old ralphs in the North End of the city sit empty.
Plans are to bring ANOTHER fitness center to the old Ralphs building.
Were not sure about you but sooner or later Rialto residents need to hold their city planners feet to the fire and stop the flood of discount stores.
Rialto Mayor is looking to give $100,000 contract to her friend Luvina Beckley who is the CEO of MHM & Associates to run and facilitate the State’s Prop 47 Grant. Besides being highly inappropriate given the relationship they share. It’s also odd that the Mayor is giving Luvina Beckley access to run a state grant because Luvina Beckley has been disbarred from having anything to do with Federal Grants for three years. In a letter from the National Corporation for Community Service spells out why Luvina Beckley is being disbarred.
“Accordingly based upon the reason set out in the August 19th 2016 notice of proposed debarment which is hereby Incorporated by reference and further discussed above I hereby confirm my earlier decision to debar you for a period of three years this department is based on the determination that you.
Violated the terms of a public agreement or transaction so serious as to affect the Integrity of a corporation program.
Engaged in inappropriate activity that was so serious and compelling a nature that it affects your present responsibility to engage in transactions with the federal government.
This department is effective for the following cover transactions as specified in 2 CFR part 180.
Procurement contacts that are subject to Federal acquisition regulations 48 CFR chapter 1 and non procurement transactions including but not limited to Grants Cooperative agreements scholarships fellowships contracts of assistance loans loan guarantees subsidies insurances payments for specify uses and donation agreements.”
The tab item reads as you can see below:
TAB 4 17-669 Request City Council to Adopt Resolution No. 7172 Accepting the Board of State and Community Corrections, California Proposition 47
Program Grant Award in the amount of $996,975 and Authorize a 3 year Contract with M.H.M. and Associates in the amount $99,000 for program monitoring, report writing, compliance, project data collection and program recommendations.
Luvina Beckley who has been not only a close person friend of Mayor Robertson but also a political ally of the Mayor and Council members had been working on Federal Grants over the past 3 years. Before his passing Councilman Shawn O’Connell grew uneasy of the way MHM & Associates were handling grants on the cities behalf but lacked any support from his fellow council members to bring things under control. Now we are allowing a person to handle a State Grant when they have been barred from handling Federal Grants.
As this grant was being written various local organizations were asked if they would be able to offer supports to provide services to the grant program. Some that offered letters of support or programs to make the grant possible are becoming concerned as they learn about the grant manager and the problems that have existed with the Federal Grant Disbarment.
In a press release on her website Assembly Member Eloise Reyes listed who would be honored at her 30 under 30 event:
I am excited to announce the 2017 30 Under 30 Awardees. These 30 young men and women under the age of 30 exemplify dedication, innovation and service in the 47th Assembly District. They are the entrepreneurs, innovators, public servants and community members that will define the Inland Empire in the years to come. Over the last few months we have received an overwhelming amount of nominations, and the process of choosing the 30 Under 30 was not an easy task. We look forward to celebrating our dynamic young men and women in the 47th Assembly District on July 22, 2017 at the Garcia Center for the Arts. If you would like to attend this reception please RSVP with Daniel Peeden at (909) 381-3238 or email him at Daniel.Peeden@asm.ca.gov.
Notable on the list are die hard supporters of the Assembly Member like Ana Gonzales and Kareem Gongora both awesome and well deserved people that do work a lot in the community but both continue to support the movement that Assembly Member Reyes votes on our behalf that are leading to make life even more expensive to survive in the Inland Empire.
Someone who jumped out at us is the pick of popular Rialto street artist Wet Paint Larry. Larry a great guy and respected artist will join the event as one of the people recognized.
Rialto, Ca- With great pleasure the Rialto Unified School District Board of Education and Superintendent, Dr. Cuauhtémoc Avila will reopen the District Registration Center (DRC), located at 260 South Willow Avenue, in Rialto, to order to create an effective and easier student enrollment process for parents/guardians and staff members. “With our next school year beginning August 7, we wanted to offer convenient, early enrollment
services,” stated Superintendent, Dr. Avila. “On July 5, 2017, starting at 7:30 a.m., staff at the DRC will, officially, begin accepting enrollment for transitional kindergarten to twelfth grade students. We are enthusiastic about offering this one-stop opportunity for parents and our communities’ children.” On Thursday, June 29, 2017, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., the DRC will hold a Grand Re-opening.
The DRC first opened its door in 2007. Drastic budget cuts affected the closure shortly afterwards. “It is exciting to open our doors, again, to serve our parents and students,” replied Pilar Ayala, DRC Supervisor. “We are ready to provide friendly, effective, and time-sensitive service to our parents, and
we also hope to see many faces on June 29, at the reopening of the DRC.” The District’s projected enrollment is approximately 25,530, encompassing 29 schools, within the City of Rialto, parts of the cities of San Bernardino, Colton, Fontana and the area of Lytle Creek. RUSD parents/guardians are urged to register their child(ren) at the District Registration Center. All registrations are on a walk-in basis. From July 5, 2017, office hours will be Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.to 4:30 p.m. Parents/guardians whose children are new to the RUSD schools next year are
urged to enroll early. Trained and friendly staff members are available to answer any questions.
Enrolling a child for school involves the parent/guardian to have the following documentation available: enrolling parent’s Identification Card, proof of residency, your child’s birth certificate, previous school information, check out grades/transcripts and the immunization card.
For more information on registration/enrollment please call the DRC at (909) 873-4300 or (909) 820- 7700, ext. 2357.
When someone says hey lets make the longest pizza ever made, get it qualified by the Guinness Book of World Records and steal the record from the birthplace of pizza Southern California makes sense. The weather here is almost always sunny and warm and we rarely to we see a rain cloud. Then you need a location right? Most would say do it at the Rose Bowl, Colosseum or even Dodger stadium right? Nope when the Carson, Ca based company who first dreamed up this idea thought of a location the Inland Empire was their choice smack dab at the Auto Club Speedway home of California NASCAR Racing.
The old record was held by Italy with a length of 6,082 ft in 2016 when the owner of Italforni USA saw that the record was outside of the US he said this record needs to be brought here. The old record was 6,082 feet in Italy the plans were to mash that record by thousands of feet but a few mishaps in the pizza making process left the US team to beat the old record by 251 feet.
The day didn’t go off without a hitch or two. The first problem was when they lost time and feet to the pizza bunching up inside the ovens and burning up. The second problem came when the scaffold got caught under the rolling oven and stopped the progress. Both times the team overcame each obstacle and regrouped. Part of this 24 hour process was Fontana Pizza Restaurant Owner Jose Torres of My NY Pizza. Jose can be seen below helping the group repair a broken part of the pizza cooking process.
What didn’t end up qualifying for a world record for the simple fact that there was not a category for it was the massive curving scaffold that went for 1.3 miles. At Pac scaffold a scaffolding supplier supplied the miles of equipment for the event and multiple scaffold installation companies from the Inland Empire built the massive cooking surface for the world record pizza.
The new record pizza was done with 8007 lbs of dough, 3602 lbs of cheese and 5604 lbs of sauce. To top that off the Italforni USA employee Elmer thought up and was the lead person behind the design of this massive 3 oven rolling cooking contraption. Jason form PizzaOvens.com told us that for the event that they had twelve one hundred gallon propane tanks to heat these ovens at 900 degrees for over 20 hours.
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