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.
To provide tips or have an event highlighted on our media email rialtosnow@gmail.com
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.
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.
It has been my privilege to serve the City of Rialto for the past 32 years. Since 1985
when I started working for Rialto as a Planner, then as a Director, in that time I believe
we have accomplished some extraordinary things together. I can say without
hesitation that serving as your City Administrator has been the highlight of my
professional life. Thank you Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem and City Council Members for the
honor and privilege you have given me to serve our community.
Rialto, too, has meant so much to me and my family. Janet and I moved here in 1981,
and we could not have found a better community in which to raise our children and
grandchildren. Rialto has been and will forever be our home.
So, after a 41 year career of working in city government for the cities of San Dimas,
Duarte, Fontana and Rialto, the time has come to move on to the next stage of our
family’s lives, and therefore this is my formal notice to the Rialto City Council that I
intend to retire from active service on December 23, 2017.
I wanted you to know well in advance in order to ensure a smooth transition. I am also
happy to offer any help in recruiting and/or working with the next City Administrator –
again to ensure as smooth a transition as possible.
Again, I would like to thank you, the Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem, Council Members,
Department Heads, City employees and the community for all of your support all these
years, and I look forward to accomplishing more over these next six months. We’ve
got an amazing staff at City Hall, and I am confident that greater things are yet to
come, and greater things are still to be done in Rialto.
Sincerely,
Mike Story
City Administrator
City of Rialto
Story by David Phillips
Mike Story was one of the more honorable men to hold the position of City Administrator. Unlike many of his colleagues in other cities he worked hard to make local government work for the taxpayers. Mike is a man of strong character and a man of God. He has been a role model and second father to many youth growing up in Rialto. I was one of those youth and I can tell you that Mike has been someone I look up to. One of legacy setting items Mike Story will leave the city of Rialto with is his dedication to education of the Public Administration process. Mike created and ran the Institute of Progress which gave people a first hand look at the who, what where and why of the operations of local government.
Mike is also one of the few public employees in the nation that worked tirelessly to lead with his actions and not just words. When the city was in serious trouble in regards to the budget he was the 1st person to take massive pay and benefit cuts to show that he was not going to ask anyone to do something he wouldn’t 1st do. His integrity shows out in the words of former Police Chief Tony Farrar.
We also can’t forget the man who wore integrity like a God given tattoo Former Councilman Shawn O’Connell. I can remember many conversations with Councilman O’Connell where had it not been for an ethical leader like Mike Story Councilman O’Connell would not have had the impact he had for the city of Rialto.
History will remember those who stood in the gap for strangers with no care for the personal cost. History will remember you Mr. Story have a great retirement.
Photo credit SB Sun George Molina-flores, 26, of Rialto, was arrested for suspicion of attempted kidnapping at Flores Park Tuesday.
Residents of Flores Park and Parents of Dollahan Elementry have been concerned with the illegal and questionable activities taking place outside the school and park that are only seperated by a single 5 foot chain link fence.
Parents of Dollahan Elementary spoke at recent school meetings with Rialto Unified School District Security officers and School Safety Chief Leary (meetings Rialto Police were absent) about creepy guys harassing moms walking in the park, homeless people sleeping and drinking in the park as well as people being witnessed preforming sexual acts in the park in broad daylight.
Residents say that more drugs and sex go on in the park restrooms than anything else. At a recent Safe Routes to School meeting at Dollahan (meetings Rialto Police were absent) parents marked multiple problem houses on maps where drugs are sold, kids are used as drug mules, gang related and former felons sit in open garages and drink all day and a group home full of mentally disturbed right across the street of a park and elementry school are located all around the school. One attempt to create walking groups to school failed because of a concern that pedophiles were targeting the walking group.
Local resident Marie said “that she has lived in the community for over 10 years and there was a time that we felt like Rialto PD cared about our safety. Now they have removed any officers that wanted to help us keep this neighborhood clean what is worse is a council member and officers still have family living here and we get no help”. Marie is right there were dark times where Lt’s like Burkholder, Crispin and Karol all worked very hard to make sure that good people were taken care of and evil did not prevail. These leaders with a community mindset brought in aggressive officers and staff that made things much safer in the Flores Park Community. Then people like former Captain Joe Cirilo that was witnessed multiple times yell at and threatening residents that were looking for help for their community.
Flores Park Neighborhood Watch now has a new Area Commander who acts a lot like former Area Commander Joe Cirilo. Rialto Police Lt. Paul Stella is the current Area Commander and the leadership among the Neighborhood Watch group have expressed a lack of confidence in his ability to lead the Northern portion of Rialto. Neighborhood Watch leadership asked Lt Stella last summer at a promotion ceremony for officers if they could sit down with him and he barked “why would I meet with you?” When they said we would like to give you a insider look into our community and the ongoing issues. Lt Stella said “I know all about your community and your group I don’t need your help.”
The recent Kidnap attempt at Flores Park after school dismissed yesterday it leaves one to ask does he really know what is going on in the community if these concerns preceded the incident the other day? School Safety officers walk the park when they are on campus and identify people not in the park for valid reasons and multiple people have been removed from the park but not by Rialto Police but by School Safety officers according to sources. Now that this incident has happened Rialto Police will have additional patrols after school and cameras have been looked at and any that are not working have been marked to be fixed according to Sgt Nelson form Rialto PD.
Sgt Nelson said that its sad that sometimes it takes incidents like these to move police into action even though it is the desire and goal to place resources to keep them from ever happening. Sgt Nelson also said that now its vital to remain vigilant in alerting the police to any suspicious persons.
At approximately 6:09 p.m., personnel at the Auto Club Speedway reported a vehicle, a tan 2005 Ford four-door, illegally entered the grounds at a high rate of speed. The vehicle was occupied by a Hispanic male. Security personnel followed the vehicle into the infield to the drivers’ garage area and then back out of the infield. The vehicle then crashed through locked gates and fled westbound on San Bernardino Avenue toward Etiwanda. A security personnel was able to write down the license plate of the vehicle. The vehicle description and license plate were broadcast to the Fontana Police Department. Deputies responded and conducted an investigation, identifying Roger Reyes, a resident of Fontana, as a possible suspect.
On May 15th, at approximately 12:30 a.m., Fontana Police Officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle on Sierra Avenue. The vehicle had damage consistent with having been involved in a collision and the driver and sole occupant, Roger Reyes, was detained. Deputies responded to the scene of the traffic stop and conducted a follow-up investigation. At the conclusion of their investigation, Reyes was arrested and booked at the West Valley Detention Center for PC 594(b)(1) Felony Vandalism.
If anyone witnessed the incident or has additional information, please contact the San Bernardino Sheriff Department, Fontana Sheriff’s Station, at 909-356-6767. Callers wishing to remain anonymous may contact the We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463), or you may leave information on the We-Tip website at www.wetip.com.
For Full info go to https://local.nixle.com/alert/5955941/
Raising A Reader (RAR) is an early literacy and family engagement program for children ages 0-8 that helps families develop book-sharing routines with their child.
The Video above shows David Phillips owner of Rialto Now with the Grand Master of Free & Accepted Masons of California, John Heisner along with Victor Key of I.E. Lodge 306 at Dunn Elementary School in Rialto, discussing the Raising a Reader program and how CA Masons helped contribute $85,000 to this literacy program.
Fontana business man Lou Worthy who is also a Free Mason had this to say about the Raising a Reader program, “For those not in attendance, the mother of one of the kindergarten students (see video below) participating in this program shared an amazingly heart warming story of how her kids LOVE to read to Grandpa and there was not a dry eye in the auditorium during her heartfelt and tear producing Thank You to CA Masons for helping bring this program to her school.
Schools up and down the state of CA participate in this program. This program brings literacy to young students in the early stages of their Elementary School Education. Providing books and special Raising a Reader red book bags students are given another example of the importance of reading in their lives. As of now the program is only in a few schools but Superintendent Dr. Avila pledged to make that program a district wide initiative.
To learn more about this program:
Raising A Reader National Office
Sobrato Center for Nonprofits — Redwood Shores
330 Twin Dolphin Dr., Suite 147, Redwood City, CA 94065
T 650.489.0550 | F 650.489.0551 | http://www.raisingareader.org
rialtonow 