The City of Rialto is teaming up with SCAG (Southern California Associated Governments) to show you how they plan to get you out of your cars and remove your freedom.
This Group is run by a former communist from RUSSIA Hasan Ikhrata and as you can see from the photo below he is all about his own version of fair. The force climate change rules on us, force people into electric cars then claim that those electric cars that don’t use fuel are the reason SAN BAG and SCAG are pushing you out of your cars and forcing you to pay twice for freeways with TOLL LANES.
What cracks me up is in the video below Hasan Ikhrata asks a room full of Progressive Hippies who has a Hybrid car and only one person has one and he still trys to use that one person as the main reason that we can’t fund road construction.
The real reason there is no money for roads is that the people YOU elect into office vote to raid the gas tax funds to pay off special interests and line the pockets of them and their friends. Don’t be fooled these people do not care about you all they want is you out of your cars and into crowded homes.
Affordable Housing = Stack and Pack no yard just more small houses
Bike Sharing = No more freedom of choice you use what is available to others
Bike Lanes = Well you must have somewhere to ride that shared bike
Bus Transit = You know those large, smelly things that hold all the people you try to avoid? Yeah they want you in one of those.
Freeway Improvements = Toll Lanes so you can pay twice for smaller lanes and no more shoulders
Replacement Bridges = A great way to spend millions for those people that worked to get you elected the special interests
We asked SANBAG when we would begin to see any advertisments about the public comment session since it was supposed to begin in December and this was their message to us:
Hello thank you for your message. As we shared with you and the other Community Advisory Group members on December 17, 2015, the I-10 Draft Environmental Document, which was originally scheduled to circulate this month is now planned for circulation in February/March 2016. This additional time is needed as the Environmental Protection Agency has a new air quality modeling requirement and we are in the process of running new models to comply. We are looking to provide additional updates on timing of the circulation as we continue to make progress on the modeling. Once a firm date is identified for the start of the circulation period, there will be a full public outreach push to meet and exceed notification requirements for the public review and comment period of the Draft Environmental Document. Please stay tuned for updates in the coming weeks. Thank you.
So are they looking to go all the way to March or is this failed attempt at “informing” the public going to come at an abrupt end soon?
Please make time to come down to city hall this weekend and make your opinion heard.
Sign up before January 1st and register for only $35 (plus racewire fee). After January 1st the cost goes up to $40 (plus racewire fee).
Rialto Police Officer Remembrance Day The City of Rialto has declared that January 31st of each year will be “Rialto Police Officer Remembrance Day” to honor those Rialto Police Officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Members of the Rialto Police Department and the Rialto Police Benefit Association are working toward building a permanent memorial to these officers.
On January 30, 2016, we are holding our second annual Memorial 5K & 3K Run/Walk Fundraiser. The monies from this run will help fund the memorial and future Remembrance Day events. Join us on Saturday, January 30, 2016 to partake in this wonderful event. An awards ceremony and festivities will take place after the race.
Location: Ferguson Park, 2395 Sunrise Drive, Rialto, CA Sign-up begins at 6:30 a.m. Race starts at 8:00 a.m. Follow the link to register.
RaceWire Timing has graciously provided Chip-Timed Technology for our event. All paid participants will receive a Finisher Medal and a “Swag Bag.” Medals will be given to Top-Three Finishing Males and Top-Three Finishing Females in the following divisions: Ages 14 & Under, Ages 15 through 54, and Ages 55 and Over. Trophies will be given to the Top-Three Finishing Teams.
If you are unable to run/walk or form a a team for the run/walk, please consider making a donation to help sponsor a participant and/or a team.
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.
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/
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.
According to SB Sun Reporter Ryan Hagen the city council in a closed session decided to terminate City Manager Allen Parker’s employment with San Bernardino. According to Ryan Hagen’s story and comments to Rialto Now we see some major Brown Act Violations. First is the fact that the City Attorney never reported the closed session report and second that Ryan Hagen’s source decided to take Closed Session information out of the room and divulge it to the public.
As your used to reading here the Brown Act is used as more of a tool to keep information away from the public rather than make sure that public officials are playing by a set of rules that keeps them accountable before the people. Below you will see the various times local elected bodies have violated this act:
San Bernardino City Council Members divulging closed session information.
West Valley Water use of private counsel to investigate other members and report back to the entire board.
Rialto City Council members walking into June Hayes public comment trap.
The list can go on and on…….
The issue here is that San Bernardino City Council seems to think they are above the law. I don’t fault Ryan Hagen too much for allowing someone to go off the record but….. normally when I allow someone to go off the record I find another source that is willing to go on the record so I can show proof that I am not fabricating information. Leticia Garcia posted the following statement on the “I Love San Bernardino” Facebook page:
“As an FYI. It is a violation of the Brown Act to divulge closed session information. The Sun is irresponsible to condone and report the information without also reporting the offense to the DA Public Integrity Unit.
Why do the residents of this city allow their elected officials to be corrupt unchecked?
I want to know who divulged this? A person in the room is beholden to the Brown Act and as such, would only be an elected or the City Manager. This person should RESIGN from office or Administration immediately!
According to Mrs. Garcia “We should demand from Ryan Hagen that he divulge the name of his source!!!” We called Ryan Hagen and he was not prepared to divulge his source but did say that “he believed it was appropriate to report the communication because it was an informational item and not an item that had anything to do with litigation.”
“Allen Parker’s last day as city manager will be Dec. 31, after the City Council agreed Monday to modify his contract to include a year’s severance pay in exchange for his resignation, according to a source who was in the room for the closed-session vote. However, Monday’s vote was not to dismiss Parker. Instead, according to the source, the City Council agreed to give him a year’s salary — $221,976 — and benefits for himself and his wife.”
So what do you think? Should the press have to follow the same laws that elected officials are supposed to? When will the DA and his defunct Public Integrity Unit start requiring that local elected bodies start following the very set of rules that are there to level the playing field for the public?
On November 5th 2015 the West Valley Water Board held their regular meeting with their new 6pm. Even though the meeting time had changed the way the board acts towards vendors, staff, media and rate payers has not changed. Our staff was not in attendance mostly due to schedule conflicts and partly was we didn’t want to poke the tiger too much. The meeting from what we heard was well attended when compared to past meetings yet Vice President Young and Director Gonzales were upset to the point of bringing it up multiple times that we were not in attendance. The early part of the meeting things seemed a little tense.
Board Vice President Young, Gonzales & Trujillo were not prepared for this meeting. Time and time again they were asking to have business items tabled many into the last meeting of 2015 which was six weeks from the date of the last meeting of the 2015 year. At one point Board Director Linda Gonzales states that she works 8-5 and doesn’t have time to look over her board packet material?????? When did it become the rate payers responsibility to make sure you had enough time to do your job? Why did you run for a Civil Service position if your not prepared to put in the work? Director Gonzales didn’t have time to read her board packet but she had time to hobnob with various elected officials and complain about her dislike of the food they provided her.
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Join Paul Chabot for Coffee & Conversation November 19th
Second was they spend so much time fighting former General Managers and politicking from the dais that they are not paying bills in a timely fashion leaving space and bills unpaid which is beyond unfair. If you have a dispute over the costs have the client come to a meeting and ask your questions and them come to a majority consensus and pay what the vendor has coming to them. Vivian Moreno a Riverside Based activist asks the board why they act like the West Valley Water District doesn’t know what they are paying. Both President Gosney and General Manager spoke up after Mrs. Moreno asked them why they didn’t know what they were paying. President Gosney said that each bill came with a list of items for which the total bill represented.
The boards lack of direction and the constant fighting with vendors and ratepayers seems to be blowing up in their faces. It has already cost ratepayers a board director as President Gosney decided not to seek another term as a water board director. Vice President Young has asked that the 15 percent rate increases that are scheduled to be on the next two years be added to the last meeting of 2015.
Stay tuned for more on this as the saga seems far from over………………..