Family | rialtonow

URGENT PLANNING MEETING

16 Apr 2012 4 Comments

by rialto-now in AFL-CIO, American Water, Budget, Ca, Cancer, City of Rialto, Coffee Nutz, Currupt, davidsMarketing, Deborah Robertson, Ed palmer, Ed Scott, Family, Flores Park, German owned company, Grace Vargas, In & Out, Joe Baca Jr, Layoffs, Lazy, Lewis Properties, Mike Story, Nieghborhood Watch, Poor, Protest, Public Safety, RDA, Rialto Fire, Rialto Police Department, rialto unified school district, Ron Pharris, RUSD, SOSRialtoWater@gmail.com, Sr., SWAT, Target, Taxes, Terra Vista Shopping Center, The Circle Vision Quest, Uncategorized, Water, wwwstoprialtowaterratehikes.com

URGENT PLANNING MEETING

Thursday, April 19, 2012, 6:00 p.m.

Teamster Local 63 Hall

379 W. Valley Blvd.,

Rialto, CA 92376

Dear friends and neighbors:

Please come to an urgent meeting to help make plans for stopping the outrageous water and sewer rate hikes recently approved by the Rialto City Council. …

As you know, the Council voted on March 27 to impose huge water and sewer rate hikes on you and your neighbors, and to saddle ratepayers with an outrageous 30-year contract for American Water Company to run the City’s water system. Rialto citizens can block these unfair rate hikes, but there is no time to lose!

We need to collect thousands of signatures in Rialto over the next few weeks. This urgent planning meeting will take place on Thursday, April 19, at 6:00 p.m., at the Teamsters Local 63 Hall, 379 W. Valley Blvd., Rialto, CA 92376.

We will have the necessary campaign materials at the meeting. We will also provide pizza and soft drinks.

Thank you for your continuing support.

We look forward to seeing you at this important meeting.

Sincerely,

Mark Brooks

Stop Rialto Water Rate Hikes!

Rialto City Council Meeting 4-10-12

14 Apr 2012 2 Comments

by rialto-now in AFL-CIO, American Water, Budget, Ca, City of Rialto, Coffee Nutz, Currupt, davidsMarketing, Deborah Robertson, Ed palmer, Ed Scott, Family, Flores Park, German owned company, Grace Vargas, In & Out, Joe Baca Jr, Lazy, Lewis Properties, Mike Story, Nieghborhood Watch, Poor, Protest, RDA, Rialto Fire, Rialto Police Department, Ron Pharris, Sheet Metal Workers Union, SOSRialtoWater@gmail.com, SWAT, Target, Taxes, The Circle Vision Quest, Uncategorized, Water, wwwstoprialtowaterratehikes.com

Pictured Below : was the representative from the county child abuse division Rialto had 1,285 reports of child abuse 10% were found to be true.

So the first meeting after the meeting where Rialto’s Water and Waste Water systems were sold down the river to American (German) Water. Lets just say I learned a little more about the RUA (Rialto Utility association) and it wasnt good.

First order of business was to raise your fines for late payment of water and waste water bills. Did you know that there is a 20% rate reduction for Seniors 65 years of age and older and Very Low Income residents. You qualify for the rate reduction if you fall into one of the following (this is gross before taxes):

1 in household – 23,000 yearly income.
2 in household – 26,000 yearly income.
3 in household – 30,000 yearly income.
4 in household – 33,350 yearly income.
5 in household – 36,050 yearly income.

How do they pay for this program? With the 1.5% fine you pay if you pay your bill late. Now for some reason staff’s recommendation was to raise the rate to 10% because of the increase in water rates and also to fall more in line with other cities that charge 20-30%. They are operating under the assumption that more people will apply for the discount with the increase in rates.

One problem with this, why would more people qualify if it’s based on their income and not overall financial burden? Maybe because they are horrible at publishing what this city has to offer it residents, but that’s it. This is a hidden tax increase because the unused portion goes into the general fund so the city can allocate where the money goes.

So what did our elected officials have to say on the issue?

Mr. Ed Scott had an issue with the fact that it rolled over into the general fund but still voted for it.

Mrs. Deborah Robertson was wondering if it should be at 7-8% based on the reason staff was making the recommendation.

Mr. Ed Palmer was fine with the full 10% because we need to keep up with the jones even if it was un-nessicary we should feel good because we don’t pay 20% yet.

Mrs. Grace Vargas agreed with staff on the increase.

Mr. Joe Baca Jr. was also fine with the full 10%.

The way to get Mrs. Robertson to vote for it was to allow the income levels to be increased from Very Low to Low Income residents which follows as:

1 in household – 30,000 yearly income.
2 in household – 33,000 yearly income.
3 in household – 37,000 yearly income.
4 in household – 40,350 yearly income.
5 in household – 43,050 yearly income.

So with this yes you should see an increase in enrollment if they were ever going to tell anyone. This passed with a 5-0 vote.

Next was the total amount the city paid to MDI Media for the development and implementation of community outreach sources (the sale of our utility) $15,000 was set aside and grand total came out to $66,205. Does anyone think that we received our moneys worth? For that kind of money I would have liked to see all the bids from all companies in some type of online format. Passed 5-0.

Next was the changing of the company that handles the street sweeping we reduced the times to once a month instead of twice and we low balled it so don’t expect to get any real street sweeping done anymore. Passed with a 4-1 Mrs Robertson voted no because she didn’t believe the new contractor would be able to fulfill the contract at the bid rate (she is right BTW). Want to know the street sweeping schedule? You can request a map at Public Works.

Next was the realization that we still are responsible for certain things in the waste water system and their not cheap so far 1.7 Million has been spent on one piece of equipment. Council added to throw another 112,900 at it. Vote 5-0.

Now before we leave the water issue for this post let me tell you how out of touch our city government (excluding Joe Baca Jr) is with the residents. Ed Palmer stated at the council meeting that in the 2 weeks after the vote to sell our water interests to German Water he recived 30-50 calls & emails supporting the water deal? He never stated if these were residents, how many were unions or workers of American Water he just took it as there are only 30-50 people living in Rialto and they all want it so it’s a good deal, really?

Im a firm believer that our current council is well planted in fantasy land and either don’t know or care about what the tax payers want. Either way its wrong and borderline criminal. They all think that another Walgreens (Pepper & Foothill), adding a Circle K store to the 76 station (Foothill & Riverside), a new repair shop on foothill, more Dollar General stores (location unknown) that Rialto is making serious economic progress forward. Walgreens and Discount stores in Rialto are just not safe, Rialto PD is not able to handle the stores and crime we have now, I can’t even shop in this city without being robbed or having shady subjects approach me and my wife. People sit on the curbs in our neighborhoods drinking and acting crazy, drugs all over, gangs control massive sections of the city, robberies and petty thefts, stolen cars, cars broken into and homes broken into. Read the paper or watch the news a lot crimes comited in the recent months in Southern Ca are traced back to Rialto. Brian Stow beating, gang injunction, massive crack raid, RIALTO: Suspended officer charged with making criminal threats.

Your council wants to sell your water interest for 30 million in payoffs, they are all old and wont be around to see this water contract expire. They say they need the 30 million to replace RDA funds attract development. What happens when that money is gone? What are they going to sell next?

What scarier is they are going to attend the big retail shopping center conference in Las Vegas in the later part of May to represent our city in attracting new business. What we need is a pimp to go with them and every time they talk to someone pitching a discount mall, liquor store, medical marijuana store, some type of dollar store or we will re-sell you the stereo equipment we just stole from your vehical store the pimp would slap them and redirect them to a more favorable option one WE THE PEOPLE would like to shop at.

So lets email our council and mayor and let them know what 80 people tried to tell them 2 meetings ago. No to German Water and Please bring REAL development to Rialto. Below are their contact numbers and email:

Ed Palmer – epalmer@rialtoca.gov, Epalmeratlaw@sbcglobal.net 909-874-2103 & 909-820-2518

Ed Scott – scotte@rialtoca.gov 909-820-2586 & 909-875-3717

Joe Baca Jr. – bacaj@rialtoca.gov 909-820-2509

Deborah Robertson – robertsond@rialtoca.gov 909-644-8520

Grace Vargas – vargasg@rialtoca.gov 909-820-2520

Amahad Anasari (Public Works) – aansari@rialtoca.gov 909-421-4999

Mike Story (City Administrator) – administration@rialtoca.gov 909-820-2528

2 side notes State still controls some interest in the In & Out site thus that project is in limbo.

June 15th the new Circle K is set to open on Riverside & Foothill.

Also there will be an open house coming soon for the new fire station on North Riverside Ave.

Conversation with In & Out

10 Apr 2012 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in AFL-CIO, American Water, Budget, Ca, City of Rialto, Coffee Nutz, Currupt, davidsMarketing, Deborah Robertson, Ed palmer, Ed Scott, Family, Flores Park, German owned company, Grace Vargas, Holidays, In & Out, Joe Baca Jr, Layoffs, Lazy, Lewis Properties, Mike Story, Nieghborhood Watch, Poor, Protest, Public Safety, Rancho Cucamonga, RDA, Rialto Fire, Rialto Police Department, rialto unified school district, Ron Pharris, RUSD, Sheet Metal Workers Union, SOSRialtoWater@gmail.com, SWAT, Target, Taxes, The Circle Vision Quest, Water, wwwstoprialtowaterratehikes.com, youth

Here are the facts:

San Bernardino and Highland have new In & Out Burger locations.

Highland didn’t use any development funds to get that project done. (per the sun paper)

Our City Manager in Rialto says that there is little hope for an In & Out here. ( Stated at the Area 1 command meeting in January)

Listening to council and our mayor use the Dias and Sun Newspaper as their mouth piece stating that without the selling off of our utility and getting paid off they can’t attract new business.

I decided to give In & Out a call and I spoke to the Project Manager Ken. Ken said that they were days away from signing the deal and getting started when Governor Brown killed the RDA’s. He said that they are still committed to a In & Out restaurant here in Rialto and that they have done all of their due diligence paid all their fees and are waiting on the city to re-draft the contract from the RDA to the City.

So when your city council & mayor tell you that unless we sell off our water interests to a German Company and raise your rates over 100% and guarantee German water 30% a year profits no new business will come here know that they are full of it.

The real issue is that the people who council is playing to is big developers like:

Lewis Properties developers of the proposed Target shopping center where the airport now resides. The city has already thrown millions of dollars at this project to no where in environmental and Economic Studies, removing tenants from airport and re building streets. Now Council wants you to dump most of their 30 million dollar payoff from German Water into this project, a project lewis homes ran screaming from once because of the housing crash then with the loss of RDA’s. The only reason they are back in because there is now the possibility of more money 30 million worth.

Ron Pharris developer of the proposed Lytle Creek development project and the main reason that the water system needs to be up graded NOW. You see Ron wants to add a massive home community up above the 210 freeway, but he doesnt want to wait or pay to have the system upgraded he wats you to. Read all about it at http://inlandpolitics.com/blog/2010/05/27/sbsun-lytle-creek-ranch-development-in-rialto-facing-opposition/

SUPER WALMART someone is fighting for a Super Wal-Mart I don’t know who but they are. To make that project happen WE the RESIDENTS must pay to have infrastructure upgraded.

Lowes in old Wal-Mart spot ( One we get that Super Wal-Mart yuck) Lowes couldn’t pull off a successful store in North San Bernardino where more wealthy people live, what makes them think it will work here.

Unions AFL-CIO, Pipe Layers or Metal Workers they will sell your water company down the road to these select few to have the veiled promise of jobs and heck German Water can afford it remember the city has promised them 30% profits every year on top of expensive labor.

So don’t listen to what council IS SAYING listen to what their not saying.

Development is possible without handouts

10 Apr 2012 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in American Water, Budget, Ca, City of Rialto, Currupt, davidsMarketing, Deborah Robertson, Ed palmer, Ed Scott, Family, Flores Park, Fun, German owned company, Grace Vargas, Holidays, In & Out, Joe Baca Jr, Layoffs, Lazy, Lewis Properties, Mike Story, Nieghborhood Watch, Poor, Protest, Public Safety, Rialto Fire, Rialto Police Department, rialto unified school district, Ron Pharris, RUSD, SOSRialtoWater@gmail.com, SWAT, The Circle Vision Quest, Water

Below is the article in reference to the latest IN & OUT Burger location to come to the IE. Highland landed the popular burger chain after 5 years of work, and they used no development funds. Yes if you approach them the right way and prove that thier is nothing but upside to adding thier business to your city GOOD companies will take the measured risks in opening a new location.

Our city officals can’t figure out how to do this without selling off all their utilities and allowing a German Company to steal from the residents.

HIGHLAND – In-N-Out has arrived.After years of waiting, Highland residents now can say they have an In-N-Out Burger.The newest Inland Empire location at 28009 Greenspot Road opened last week.

Mayor Larry McCallon said the arrival of the popular burger chain “is a big deal.” It’s the most common question people had asked, he said, “When is In-N-Out opening?”

McCallon said the quest for In-N-Out began some five years ago when he and other city officials approached the company’s booth at an annual convention of the National Association of Shopping Centers in Las Vegas.

Does anyone from Rialto even know what this is? If not our new council should figure it out.

He also said that no redevelopment funds were used to entice the restaurant to the city.

The restaurant employs about 50 (if these were union jobs our current council would be tripping over themselves to get ours open) and features one drive-through lane plus indoor accommodations for 97.

This location of the Irvine-based chain is led by manager Shauna Myers, an employee of the company for 15 years.

Highland residents were excited to know that the long-awaited restaurant had finally arrived.

Anita Fonnett said, “all my friends are really excited about this.” Her husband, Richard, said he’s been a fan of the chain since at least 1978.

Both said there would be more occasions for enjoying In-N-Out now that the restaurant has opened in their town.

After finishing classes at Redlands East Valley High School on Monday, Steven Taylor, 17, stopped by his hometown’s newest restaurant.

“The animal fries are addicting,” he said.

Paul Todak, 25, of Redlands said he has been eagerly awaiting the opening.

On Monday, he met several family members at the restaurant for lunch, including his sister Katrina Johnston, 34, also a Redlands resident.

“I wish they would open one in Redlands,” Johnston said. Redlands will probably see one in their city before Rialto ever does.

Rialto water rate hike is necessary??? Mayor thinks so.

09 Apr 2012 3 Comments

by rialto-now in AFL-CIO, American Water, Budget, Ca, City of Rialto, Coffee Nutz, Currupt, davidsMarketing, Deborah Robertson, Ed palmer, Ed Scott, Family, Family Sports, Flores Park, Fun, German owned company, Grace Vargas, Holidays, In & Out, Joe Baca Jr, June Hayes, Layoffs, Lazy, Lewis Properties, Mike Story, Nieghborhood Watch, Poor, Protest, Public Safety, Rancho Cucamonga, RDA, Rialto Fire, Rialto Police Department, rialto unified school district, Ron Pharris, RUSD, Sheet Metal Workers Union, Sierra Lakes Parkway, SOSRialtoWater@gmail.com, SWAT, Target, Taxes, Terra Vista Shopping Center, The Circle Vision Quest, Uncategorized, Water, wwwstoprialtowaterratehikes.com, youth

Below is the article Mayor of Rialto Grace Vargas had published in the San Bernardino Sun Paper on Easter Sunday.

I totally disagree with everything this Mayor says here, and now that she is ending her term as mayor and not seeking re-election she seems to not care what direction our poor city is thrown in. Also he uses this forum to make lies and false statements so that no one can refute them, when the 80 people took the time to come down and tell the city government what they thought about the bad deal they were making they sat silent. They only responded to the various Labor Union reps that lived outside the city advocating for the POSSIBILITY of jobs.

So what I will do here is give the honest reasons this is happening and voice what the people really said they wanted at the last council meeting. Our responses will be in bold black hers will be in normal type and font.

Raising rates for city services is something no mayor or council member wants to do.

From the looks of it Mayor Vargas, Ed Scott, Ed Palmer, Deborah Robertson all in favor as well as new City Manager Mike Story the only one that has voted no twice was Joe Baca Jr. Thank You Mr Baca. Your votes speak volumes we no longer listen to your words.

Sometimes, though, the alternative is worse, which is where we in Rialto found ourselves as we confronted the reality of a city water and wastewater system badly in need of repair.

If this is so then its your fault for not directing the water company to slowly make these improvements, it is your lack of leadership and responsibility that has brought us here you have had the job as Mayor for the last 12 years.

Though we’ve been holding down rates for years, time had run out. Our system needs more than $40 million in upgrades – far more than we can afford with existing revenue streams.

I grew up in Rialto made the mistake of buying my first home here NEVER did I here you’re getting water at cost I hope your appreciating it. Quite the contrary we have been paying a perchlorate fee for years, 8% utility tax that was sold as a way to keep public safety at good standards now its going into the general fund to be mismanaged. Please stop saying you have kept rates low it all sounds like lies because we all pay our bills and we know what we have been paying.

In addition, the loss of redevelopment financing has left us unable to provide the kind of infrastructure improvements needed to attract businesses and retailers that create jobs, pay taxes and improve our quality of life.

Giving away free money to businesses to get them to come to Rialto is a lazy way of development. RDA made cities lazy gave away money and paid fees developers should have paid as the cost of doing business. Developers like Lewis and Pharasse are using you to force us to pay for the cost of doing business. When Lewis Properties builds out the area ear marked for Target they will throw lame lazy security guards out to help protect the property, one old man in a truck that will pester Girl Scouts selling cookies but hides behind the old circuit city and sleeps while his son walks around with what looks like his detec ( Detec is a magnet with a chip the guard touches it to a certain spot will hear a beep and the company know he did his particular rounds). Pharasse Homes wants every lawn to look like the Country Club he destroyed, he wants the city to force us to make improvements he should be making if he wants to build his monster of a housing development in the Lytle creek wash.

This past week, that forced us into a difficult, unpopular, but necessary decision to raise rates for Rialto water customers as part of a public-private partnership with American Water.

Difficult I think not you had your minds made up before you hit the door, Unpopular YES, necessary NOPE. Take the PUBLIC out of your statements regarding American Water They are Really German Water and the REAL PUBLIC wants nothing to do with them.

Much was said about this in the months, weeks and days leading up to the vote, and as someone who has lived in Rialto for 30 years and has been your mayor for the past 12, I certainly understand and appreciate the concerns that were expressed. These are difficult economic times, and to add higher water rates on top of that is a sacrifice for many.

Yes a lot was said since this issue came to be, and you ignored all of the RESIDENTS & BUSINESS owners who want nothing to do with this deal. Even Joe Baca Jr. who is normally right in line with all the unions you let in to speak on Tuesday and even responded to their comments saw that this was a bad deal for Rialto and its residents. REALLY Grace REALLY!!!!!!

But let me assure you that we’re doing this for the right reason. Those of us elected by you to make these kinds of difficult choices do so because we believe in Rialto, and we believe in you. We live here, and, like you, we want what’s best for the community.

What is your idea of the right reason? Unions Jobs? Taking advantage of a low-income community? guaranteeing German Water a 30% profit every year for 30 years? Outsourcing jobs? Paying for things that companies should be paying for THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS? Oh and don’t worry we won’t vote for any of you ever again (Joe Baca Jr excluded) so you wont be bothered with listening to what the VOTERS want rather than the various lobbyist you actually do work for.

Our responsibility to manage city government and to provide the quality of services you’ve come to expect will, from time to time, causes to do things reluctantly. Certainly this is one of those occasions. We don’t want to raise rates, but we know it’s necessary.

You know its necessary to GARUNTEE 30% profits yearly for 30 years? Also yes you do want the rates to rise because it also fills your 8% Utility Tax slush fund, as the rates rise so do the proceeds from the ADDITIONAL TAX.

Also, with the recent loss of our Redevelopment Agency, we understand how important the public-partnership can be to our present and future. As part of this agreement, $30 million in improvements can be used to attract the kind of businesses we all would like to see in our community, like Target, Super Walmart and In-N-Out Burger.

I love Target and havent been inside of a walmart in 5 years, and I would love an In & Out in Rialto. BUt I would not shop at either big box store here in Rialto and might use the drive thru at In & Out. Rialto isn’t a safe place it just isn’t. Our police work very hard but we don’t support or staff our police with the resources to handle the added theft and crime big retail brings and the In & Out will be an awesome stop and rob location get off on Riverside Rob the restaurant shoot a few people jump back on and be gone. I have been near robbed at Bakers both Carls Jrs (Foothill and North Riverside) the Post Office right next to city hall and countless times at the Homedepot shopping center and that’s just me!!!!!!!!

Let me give you 2 examples of a city similar size of Rialto and how they handle it. Redlands PD actually communicates with the Loss Prevention personnel at the big retail locations, they come out and actually arrest and protect in their city.

San Bernardino never comes out for theft even a 211S doesnt get them moving, they can have someone report a male beating on a female less that 100 feet away and they will ignore it and let the male finish her off. San Bernardino is so dangerous because the police don’t care and the city is horribly mis-managed bring in big retail with no plan to handle all the crap and get ready for a bumpy ride.

Oh and NO ONE wants a Super Wal-Mart or a Lowes, Wal-Mart Ugh and Lowes can’t carry another location in the area look at the north San Bernardino building that now sits empty.

It is, in a way, like running a business. If we’re to succeed, we need to invest.

If your running a business then why did you put up a 7 year moratorium building along the 210 freeway in Rialto? Was that a wise BUSINESS IDEA? We need to take the 30 million fix our own infrastructure, if its really that bad.

Fortunately, our “business” – our community – has always shown an amazing ability to work together, and I’m confident that this will be no exception. We may have our disagreements, but when all is said and done, we want the same thing – a vibrant, healthy Rialto.

We no longer want to work with any of you, leave by yourselves or just wait for the election but everyone’s days are numbered as leaders of Rialto.

In the coming weeks, you will get information on Proposition 218, which offers an opportunity to vote down this increase. You owe it to yourselves to study the facts – the reality we face – and make an informed decision.

The communities biggest beef with the council, mayor and city manager was the fact that they sent this deal packing and thought you were looking at other options. What do you do bring back the same bad deal and force feed us, I cant wait to cast my NO VOTE.

Once you do, I am confident you will see this the way the City Council did, and continue to work with us in turning these very difficult economic challenges into opportunities our entire community will be able to take advantage of.

Grace Vargas is mayor of Rialto.

Ok here is what I think this really is. It’s the councils answer to losing RDA funding. Their Democrat Governor gave them the shaft and took away their easy way of attracting business. So they find a way to pull 30 million to continue with the status quo and let the tax payers suffer. Most of this 30 million will be spent on the Target project with lewis homes. Ask your city government how much money we have already wasted on environmental and economic impact studies along with the massive cost of shutting down the Airport and moving two major helicopter agencies to San Bernardino Airport. The sheriffs department & Mercy Air. The Target project has seen 20 & 30 million thrown at it and was never seen again. Lewis Properties needs to stay in Rancho and other high-end cites where crime is low a thier lame security staff wont be bothered. The filth of Rialto will harm the shoppers and destroy the lame post guards.

Was West Valley Water ever considered? I actually thought I paid my bill to them when I forgot to mail my bill and went up to baseline to pay only to be told that I had to go to city hall to pay my bill? Why is the city split so awkwardly?

No when I call German Water about my bill or service I will get some guy named tom from India with such a strong accent I wont even be able to understand him. Or have an automated bill paying station in a convient place for thugs to rob me and vandals to destroy. Thus giving German Water the ability to say because the costs are so much operating in Rialto the rates will increase more than originally anticipated blah blah blah blah blah………………………….

Rialto PD Citizen Academy PSA

08 Apr 2012 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in Ca, City of Rialto, Coffee Nutz, davidsMarketing, Family, Flores Park, In & Out, Joe Baca Jr, Nieghborhood Watch, Public Safety, Rialto Fire, Rialto Police Department, rialto unified school district, RUSD, SWAT, The Circle Vision Quest, youth

Below is the link to the Rialto PD Public Service Anouncement for the Citizen Academy on May 2nd.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=3055186859382&saved

Please like the page if you already havent, we put alot of small content there.

Sherriffs Department Air Units

06 Apr 2012 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in Budget, Ca, City of Rialto, davidsMarketing, Family, Grace Vargas, In & Out, Joe Baca Jr, Lewis Properties, Mike Story, Public Safety, RDA, Rialto Fire, Rialto Police Department, SWAT, Target, The Circle Vision Quest

RIALTO – With 22,000 square miles to patrol, it isn’t surprising that the San Bernardino County Sheriff’sDepartment has a

large aviation division.”There are times when we need to get to Needles, Barstow, Chino Hills or Morongo very quickly,” Capt. Jeff Rose, who heads the sheriff’s Emergency Operations Division, said here Thursday.

“At a moment’s notice, we can utilize our helicopters to get emergency personnel, SWAT team members, VIPs or dignitaries to any location in a timely manner,” Rose said at a media briefing in the aviation unit’s main operations hangar at the Rialto Municipal Airport.

The sheriff’s aviation unit has seven patrol helicopters and three, more powerful, medium-range helicopters for search-and-rescue and fire operations.

The patrol helicopters are equipped with the latest in aviation technology, including FLIR (Foward Looking Infrared) systems, in-flight GPS mapping programs, a powerful spotlight, external hoist systems and high-definition video downlink capability.

The department also has four-fixed wing aircraft for narcotic surveillance and personnel transport.

The Cal Fire San Bernardino Unit and the Sheriff’s Department have been partners in cooperative firefighting efforts since 1990.

The department also showed its aerial hoist capabilities by lowering a paramedic from a hovering helicopter to a simulated “injured person” on the ground.

The “injured person,” a dummy for this demonstration, was then lifted into the still-hovering helicopter.

The exercise simulates many real-life situations where the department has evacuated injured hikers from some of the county’s mountainous areas, Rose said.

Another hat Rose wears as chief of the department’s Emergency Operations Division is to direct the department’s 1,970 volunteers.

Their hard work in a variety of positions saved the county nearly $13 million in personnel savings last year, he said.

Because the Rialto airport will eventually become a mixed-use real estate development, the Sheriff’s Department is planning to move its main hangar to San Bernardino International Airport.

After the meeting – Rialto and American Water

30 Mar 2012 3 Comments

by rialto-now in AFL-CIO, American Cancer Society, American Water, Budget, Ca, Cancer, City of Rialto, Coffee Nutz, Currupt, davidsMarketing, Deborah Robertson, Ed palmer, Ed Scott, Family, Family Sports, Flores Park, German owned company, Grace Vargas, In & Out, Joe Baca Jr, June Hayes, Layoffs, Lazy, Lewis Properties, Mike Story, Nieghborhood Watch, Poor, Protest, Public Safety, RDA, Rialto Fire, Rialto Police Department, rialto unified school district, Ron Pharris, RUSD, Sheet Metal Workers Union, SOSRialtoWater@gmail.com, Target, Taxes, The Circle Vision Quest, Uncategorized, Water, wwwstoprialtowaterratehikes.com, youth

Let me start this post with WOW. I have never seen such a ground swelling of the community come out on an issue only to be ignored by the politions in Rialto.

Picture Below I found in a stack of papers left by the residents in the KTRO room:

Dosen’t that say it all, must be nice to be an upper class council person without worries!

First let me say Rialto property owners need to stop this with their paper now or pay for the next 30 years. This deal and this vote is partially the voters fault, you have not voted for years allowing city council and assembly and congress to have a feeling that they don’t speak for us the can do whatever they please. Those select few of you who do vote, vote with a disregard for the people you’re putting in power.

But ultimately those placed in power must be reminded who they ACUALLY work for, its US. The current council and most local elected leaders ignore us and do whatever they wish or please.

Residents compared the council to those who wish to work for American Water since the are guaranteeing a 30% profit to American Water.

30 million will be payed to the general fund that is owed from the utility and this money is going to be used to fund a Target project that Lewis properties have pulled out of multiple times due to the lack of money, when did it become ok for cities to shoulder the brunt of the cost of doing business.

If the city really wanted big retail they would have not imposed a 7 year moratorium on building around the new 210 freeway.

council allowed utilities commission Member June Hayes to accuse Mr Ceasr Acoata of being a card-carrying communist, union labor reps that had conflict of interest issues and didn’t live in the city speak, union workers and developers from the Pharrase group and Lewis homes speak & turned on the heat on the KTRO room to over heat residents and make them so uncomfortable they ended up leaving.

Mr Jim Stienberg of the Sun reported 50 public comments went out yet 80 people singed up. That means the city staff silenced 30 speakers and voted for this even though many speakers were at the las meeting this was on the agenda and were wondering why they were back on the same issue.

The thing is that council never cared what the community thought they just wanted to find as many little ways to stifle this community.

Speakers were not able to hear responses from council members even though most were seeking awnser to better gauge the minds of our (leaders). This council has too often been to busy or to important to talk to the little people this was normal for them.

The final vote was 4-1 in favor the one no vote came from Joe Baca Jr. Not really surprising he can afford any political damage right now because it would hurt is run for assembly and beyond, but whatever his motives I thank him for standing in the divide.

Here are the issues I see with this deal and the community. First off only 200 people are reported to have attended the 2 information meetings that were held on Tuesday & Saturday. Tuesdays meeting was reported to be very dysfunctional and that you couldn’t ask questions. Saturday was better but no one from council was there to awnser questions at either meeting. I was unable to attend these meetings because I work 4 jobs just to get by and have very little free time.

Atmosphere went as follows:

Standing room only in chambers.
3 overflow rooms. KTRO building, fire station basement & library.
Spanish-speaking residents standing outside watching on a monitor with no translator.
Jerry Acosta was passing out bottled water saying “don’t worry this water is free” which brought people to laugh in the KTRO building. Mr Acosta also asked the council to take heed in this decision and think of the poor and unemployed that will be devistaed by these rates. He also spoke in spanish to give some familiar words to spanish speakers outside.
The union reps asking the city to employee their union workers at the cost of hard-working tax paying families were: Lori Stonemaker-AFL-CIO labor union, Joe Whicher Sheet Metal Workers Union & William Perez from the construction workers union.
The young-looking union workers that spoke up were Juan & Robert asking you to pay more for water so they can have a broken promise of a job.
Joe Juladian is a business owner and he told counsel he will be forced to pass these rates onto to customers, they didn’t seem to care.
Pastor Gloria Henderson Quoted Ecclesiastes to the council referring to the topic of their is a time for everything and everything has its appointed time, this isn’t the time to levy such large fee increases on a poor and struggling public.
Lyn Hurts owner of Dans Lawnmower Shop told council that they are doing this because they wont be around for 30 years. She is right i will be 80 before this contract is up.
Sam Wienstien seen here in an interview with our reporter http://youtu.be/PYBW0mkWWxg he was speak out to the lawsuit Mr Ron Pharris served a woman with outside council during the meeting, forcing her to leave for fear for her life.
Donald Lee stated that American Water is a German owned company.
Robert Tinker a resident since 1958 said he has seen a lot of council members and mayors in his day and if they vote for this he will see some more go real soon.

American Water CEO Jeffry Sterba – who was appointed to the job in August 2010 – has made clear that he wants to expand the company’s “contract operations business” only if it generates more profits for American Water than in the past. In a recent interview with a trade journal, Sterba stated:

“The contract operations model as it’s generally deployed seems to be geared around trying to shift risks to the service provider in ways which I don’t think are necessarily taken into account appropriately in the pricing. . . . To the extent that we can create a different model that better aligns with what we think we bring to the table, and allows us to be compensated for that, then we will be interested in expanding in that sector.”

According to the magazine interview, Sterba’s strategy for new municipal contract operations involves long-term contracts with a provision for “price re-determination” over the lifetime of the agreement. In the March 2011 interview, Sterba also described a contract deal the company had in the works with an unnamed “medium-sized” city:

Below are the slides RUA (Rialto Utilities Association) presented:

To get out of the contract now if the property owners vote to reject the councils vote it costs ua 1 million, If the property owners fail to act then we will be stuck with a 177 million dollar mortgage at a high interest rate. If we cancel in the first year were on the hook for the whole 177 Million plus an additional 2 million, the early termination penalty decreases by 3% every year.

We as property owners must act and renters must contact their land lords and tell them that higher water and waste water rates will force you to look for a cheaper living situation.

Below is the article the sun ran.

RIALTO – City Council voted 4 to 1 in favor of a controversial 30-year contract with New Jersey-based American Water Works Co. Inc., which would mean a 114.8 percent increase in water and wastewater rates by 2016.About 400 residents crammed into City Hall and three overflow sites – the library, the public access television station and the main fire station.The resident turnout was larger than when the issue came before the council last June, which was defeated on 2 to 2 vote.Mayor Pro Tem Ed Scott said prior to his vote, “We have been at this for three years now. We have to do something to bring this city forward,” Scott said.Joe Baca Jr. opposed the American Water contract in June and did again Tuesday nigh for the same reason – that city residents should not pay for a company’s profits and that the rate increases are too steep.

“We need to take charge of our destiny,” said Deborah Robertson, who voted against the measure last summer.

Robertson said that the support of the labor unions for the agreement were a big part in her “yes” vote Tueday night.

Mayor Grace Vargas was out on medical leave starting just before last summer’s water rate vote and has recently returned to her post.

“You people in Rialto elected me for reason,” Vargas said before the vote. She predicted that eventually residents would thank the council for its decision to sign the 30-year contract. The council’s decision can be overturned if the majority of Rialto property owners file a written protest to the decision.In his motion to approve the contract and related rate increases, Council member Ed Palmer said he wanted to take the decision to the property owners and let them have the final say.

“It would be wrong for us to vote this down,” he said.

While most of those at the meeting Tuesday appeared to oppose the measure this time around, several spoke in favor of the agreement, which would lead to financing to pay for $41 million in water infrastructure projects and provide funding to move ahead with develop;ment projects at the municipal airport, a super Wal-Mart south of downtown and retaurants north of downtown.

Upland developer Randall Lewis, whose company is a partner in a planned mixed use development on land now occupied by the municipal airport, said the debate taking place here is occurring across the state and the nation.

“It is a tough decision,” Lewis said, adding that the city staff recommendation to go with a long-term agreement with American Water is the correct one to modernize Rialto’s infrastructure system.

June Hayes, a 16-year member of the city’s Utility Commission, said initially she was against a contract with America Water, but after much research , feels a contract with them is the correct path.

“I speak for the little guy,” she said. With a doctorate degree, Hayes said she lives close to the poverty level, but still is in favor of the rate increases to pay for what needs to be done for the water system.

The agreement also drew strong support from organized labor because it will create some 450 jobs for the building trades.

Joe Whitcher, a business representative for Sheet Metal Workers Local 105.

Whitcher said that the way the contract is structured, labor union rates will be paid and there will be no loopholes allowing some workers to be paid at non-union rates.

But most of the more than 50-residents to address city council on this issue over several hours Tuesday night were opposed to the 30-year contract and its related rate increases, Anne Lopez, said she is putting three children through college, and with the increase won’t be able to live in Rialto anymore.

“I would love to live in Rialto…it is charming, quaint and not to large. But many people will not be able to afford to live here if the rates go trhough.””

Said Frank Gonzalez, “These rates are “unreasonable and unwarranted.” As for the 30-year contract, “it is totally out of the realm.What about a `Plan B’? There isn’t one. Why?”

Hattie Inge, who said she has lived in Riatlo for 39.5 years, asked why is the city of Rialto “trying so hard” to bring American Water to town. And regarding the 450 union jobs, “Those won’t be going to people who live in Rialto.”

Inge said that several of her children live in cities where America Water provides service and that “they never do what they say they will.”

Michele Heal said that it appears that the city council wants to work for America Water more than it wants to work for the citizens of Rialto.

The improvements resulting from the agreement will benefit the existing ratepayers. New large projects, such as the Lytle Creek residential development. and projects planned at the municipal development, said Robb Steel, assistant to the city administrator and director of development services.

There has been criticism by some residents who allege that a portion of the rate increase will subsidize future developments.

Water Rates

16 Mar 2012 1 Comment

by rialto-now in Budget, Ca, City of Rialto, Coffee Nutz, Currupt, davidsMarketing, Family, Flores Park, In & Out, Layoffs, Nieghborhood Watch, Protest, Public Safety, RDA, Rialto Fire, Rialto Police Department, SWAT, The Circle Vision Quest, youth

So by now you have probably heard in one fashion or another that the City of Rialto has mismanaged our water services for years.

The city has been trying to outsource water services to American Water. American Water says that Rialto residents can expect to see 100% increase in their water rates by 2016.

The city wants us to believe that American Water is going to come in and give over the 30 Million Dollar payment due to the general fund by the water utility, fix the dilapidated water system, hold on to the employees for 36 months rather than 18 months at similar pay and benefits and ONLY raise the rates by 100%. What? Really, only 100%?

Oh and by the way they say they will sweeten the pot by removing the perchlorate surcharge which in their estimation is $18. Once again they are wrong mine was $19.43. This was money we were told would be reimbursed but I guess they forgot about that and just are going to appease us by not making us pay for Jet fuel we didn’t even dump in the first place.

Lets not forget another piece of your utility bills the Utility Tax that was SOLD as a Fire and Police tax, would you be surprised that it never REALLY went for public safety? Just another lie and ploy to dig deeper into the communities pockets.

My favorite part of the article in the sun paper on march 13th was that mike story who gets his water from Fontana Water Co. pays more now that Rialto residents. Dont care sorry you let your utility do that to you.

One of the people who posted a comment on the Sun’s online article said the following:

Felipe M. Antillon

Rialto Residents… make sure you voice your opinion on this matter. Fontana is a private water district similar to what Rialto is proposing. My water bill was over $100 during the winter and my neighbors were close to $300. I have since poured cement in the back and artificial grass in the front. My yard is not very large and I have minimal things to water. My bill is still $75/month. $48/month just in a usage fee to have my water on….

So how many of you want to see your yards turned into skate parks? This poor man had to take his life to the extreme just to make it manageable, but ask someone you know how expensive cement is now, plus artificial turf even done right is ugly expensive and must be replaced eventually.

Below is the Video Mr Mike Story did on this issue:

http://youtu.be/UH9Leb8shDc

I’m not in love with the idea that were going to dump 30 MILLION $$ into a Target project that the developer is shaky at best on. What ever happened to the In & Out? San Bernardino built a new one and its the highest sales location, Highland is building on near LA Fitness. I don’t spend much money in this city beyond Fresh & Easy and Home Depot when I need something quick. I refuse to send my family anywhere in this city alone its just not safe & investment is always done halfway.

There are 2 public forums on this issue we posted the flyers on this blog and we will repost tomorrow, be there and voice your opinion.

City Council and Mayor Vargas have mismanaged this city long enough, this is where the community owns this mess and can fix it. VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!!!!!!!

Everyone came out to vote for Obama but no one educated themselves on anything else. Educate yourself on the candidates and what they really stand for.

Click the Follow button because we will be reaching out to the various candidates this election and getting what their plans are for the city and how their words balance out what their actions have been. By following the blog you get it sent right to your email in full and can read it more easily.

We need real People with real solutions like: http://www.facebook.com/#!/coffeenutzz – Andy Carrizales

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1095984277 – Judy Roberts

http://www.facebook.com/#!/wilmer.carter – Wilmer Amina Carter

People with real solutions and not afraid to get their hands dirty

Carter March 2012 E-Newsletter

14 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in Budget, Ca, Cancer, City of Rialto, Coffee Nutz, davidsMarketing, Family, Flores Park, In & Out, Public Safety, RDA, rialto unified school district, RUSD, The Circle Vision Quest, youth

Carter March 2012 E-Newsletter

In 2011, Assembly Member Wilmer Amina Carter served as a panelist at the Fifth Annual State of Women’s Conference in Rialto held during March, which is National Women’s History Month. The conference highlighted the contributions of four women who were currently serving as elected officials representing the Inland Empire and three younger women. From left, Rialto Unified School District Board Member Joanne Gilbert, Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren, Josie Gonzales, Chair and Fifth District Supervisor, San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors and Assembly Member Carter.

Dear Friends,

In honor of National Women’s History Month, I am devoting my monthly E-Newsletter to the recognition of women in the 62nd Assembly District who are making a difference in our community. The groundbreaking leaders I am highlighting have achieved great success as professionals and as volunteers.

I am proud of their commitment, proud of their collaborative efforts and all they have done to improve the quality of life in our cities and neighborhoods.
In this edition, I am also giving special accolades to remarkable young women who are now breaking into their leadership roles. They will pave the way for new ideas and new community partnerships that will build a better future for the next generation.

All these women serve as examples and role models. They inspire younger women to do great things in their community. I applaud them for the leadership and perseverance it takes to tirelessly serve others and make our world a better place.

Sincerely,
Signature Wilmer Amina Carter Assembly Member – District 62

Carolyn Tillman
Carolyn Tillman is a special assistant to Dr. Gary Thomas, superintendent of San Bernardino County Schools. She represents the County Superintendent in both public and private forums. She leads a life of community service, and various state and local agencies have awarded and recognized her for her contributions. She currently serves as a trustee on the San Bernardino County Library Board and a board member of the San Bernardino Community Scholarship Association and the San Bernardino Police Activities League. Carolyn completed training in the San Bernardino City Leadership Program and has served as a board member for the American Cancer Society, San Bernardino Chapter. She is a past president of the National Council of Negro Women, Inland Empire Section. She is also the former director of a mentoring program for the San Bernardino County Women’s Network. Carolyn is a Sunday school teacher at New Hope Missionary Baptist Church and co-chair of the Scholarship Ministry.

Eloise Reyes

Eloise Reyes, a Colton lawyer, is known for her support and active involvement in the community. As a leader, she is motivated by the biblical passage that when someone is given much, much will be required in return. She believes it is her responsibility to assist in any way possible. One of the main ways she supports the community is through her family’s Valor Youth Foundation. It provides cultural enrichment programs, educational technology and after-school tutoring to families in need. Her other avenue for service is the Inland Empire Latino Lawyers Legal Aid, which provides free legal services to the indigent.

Pauline Tidler

Pauline Tidler, a longtime Rialto volunteer and civic leader, has a strong sense of community pride. She has been secretary of the Kiwanis Club of East Rialto and stays involved in leadership awards programs. She also started Kiwanis Key Clubs in three Rialto high schools. She serves on the Rialto City PlanningCommission and has been instrumental in the development of programs that enhance and maintain the image and aesthetics of the city and neighborhoods. She helped found the Los Colinas Adopt-a-Neighborhood program, and takes part in the group’s community service projects. Pauline’s devotion to improving the health and well-being of seniors can also be seen at the Rialto Senior Center, where she has volunteered as a scrapbooking teacher.

Veatrice Jews

Veatrice Jews is a retired hospital administrator who devotes her time to non-profit and faith-based organizational management. She is currently the mental health commissioner for the Fifth Supervisory District of San Bernardino County. She has helped form an agency coalition to focus on African American mental health. She serves as acting chairwoman of Option House, which provides 24-hour crisis intervention and transitional housing, community outreach and legal services for families in need. As an advocate, she is committed to raising awareness and educating the community about family violence. She is past health chairwoman of the Inland Empire Concerned African American Churches IECAAC. She takes a leadership role in organizing IECAAC’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast.

Anna Ulibarri

Anna Ulibarri directs facilities planning for the Rialto Unified School District (RUSD). She is credited with the successful construction and opening of RUSD’s state-of-the-art Wilmer Amina Carter High School, and other educational facilities. Committed to community involvement, Anna has served on several advisory committees for the City of Rialto. She and her husband, Willie C. Ulibarri, Jr., run the non-profit Project Life Impact, Inc., After School Impact and Back-2-Basics Family Services. The organizations provide after-school tutoring and programs to hundreds of students and families. She is currently a venue pastor for Water of Life Community Church in Upland. She has also served on the nominating committee for Assembly Member Carter’s 30 Under 30 Latino Native American Recognition Breakfast.

Joanne T. Gilbert

Joanne Gilbert is committed to education. Her passion is helping children succeed. She spent 37 years teaching high school, working in school districts in Long Beach and Moreno Valley. She was elected to the Rialto School Board in 2001 and is now serving her third, four-year term. She serves on the board of the San Bernardino County Community Action Partnership, which provides resources for families in need. She also mentors at-risk middle school girls.

A 13-year breast cancer survivor, Joanne is a member and witness role model for the Southern California Witness Project, breast cancer awareness and support organization. She volunteers for the City of Rialto Relay-for-Life for the American Cancer Society. She is also past president of the Original Rialto Democratic Club, past commissioner (Beautification Commission) for the City of Rialto and past president of the Inland Empire Section, National Council of Negro Women (NCNW).

Lynn Boshart

Lynn Boshart is committed to the health of our community and the environment. The retired Garden Grove High School English teacher believes that what we treasure we should keep in perpetuity. Her environmental volunteerism was stimulated by her appointment to the municipal advisory council for the San Bernardino County Fifth District. She then became an advocate for the El Rancho Verde neighborhood in Rialto. She also started the organization Save Lytle Creek Wash to help preserve the wilderness area.

Dr. Margaret Hill Margaret Hill is assistant superintendent of Administrative Services for the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Office. She does whatever she can to make a difference for children, young people, adults or senior citizens in the community. It is her work with education that most distinguishes her community service. She was recently elected to the San Bernardino City Unified School Board, where she taught for many years and headed an alternative high school. She started a food service for children and authored the book “It’s All About the Children.” She is CEO and founder of Maggie’s Kids Foundation, a non-profit organization. Her current community involvement includes board and regular membership in the following: Kiwanis of Greater San Bernardino, Inland Center Kiwanis Club, Highland Family YMCA (charter member), East Valley Corporate YMCA, San Bernardino Black Culture Foundation, Community Hospital of San Bernardino (current board chair), National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc., Delta Rho Chapter (former national officer), Highland’s Woman’s Club, Time for Change Foundation, Sheriff Hoop’s Citizen Advisory Council, and the San Bernardino Police Advisory Committee.

Syeda Jafri

Syeda Jafri was inspired by her parents’ commitment to community service. She is communications director for Rialto Unified School District (RUSD) and an award-winning journalist and radio personality. A 12- year veteran of the Public Broadcasting System (PBS), Syeda hosted a regional Emmy-nominated environmental show, Green Works with Syeda Jafri from 2007-2009, which can still be viewed on KVCR PBS Television. As the chairperson for the RUSD’s annual Puttin’ on the Ritz Fine Arts Gala, Syeda has assisted in raising more than a quarter of a million dollars for RUSD classroom teachers and students.

Deborah Robertson

Deborah Robertson has played a pioneering and integral role as a woman in the public transportation field. Recently retired, she worked as the deputy district director, external affairs, at the California Department of Transportation. Representing the diversity in her community, Deborah is the first African American woman to sit on the Rialto City Council. She hosts an annual women’s conference in Rialto for National Women’s History Month. In the past four years, she has helped to establish an annual football camp for 11- to 18-year-olds at Cal State San Bernardino that focuses on athletics and academics. She also co-chairs the Los Colinas Adopt-a-Neighborhood Program.

Glenda Bates Glenda Bates, the breastfeeding coordinator for the County of San Bernardino, is committed to promoting breastfeeding education for mothers and ensuring the availability and quality of health care services for breastfeeding mothers. She is also a board member of the Inland Empire Breastfeeding Coalition. She has advocated for a bill that Assembly Member Carter has supported which would require all maternity hospitals in California to have an infant feeding policy that is clearly posted and routinely communicated to perinatal staff. She is also working with San Bernardino area schools and at Cal State San Bernardino, promoting breastfeeding and improving lactating accommodation for student mothers. As a youth survivor of the Jonestown Massacre, she teaches Christianity and independent thinking when it comes to faith.

Karla Morales

Karla Morales works for the San Bernardino School Employees Federal Credit Union in human resources, business development and marketing. Her job has given her access as a volunteer to schools and other organizations to help people in need. Her most rewarding experience has been founding and chairing the Arrowhead United Way Young Leadership Council and Women’s Leadership Council. With these groups, she has focused on early grade literacy, philanthropy and mentoring future community leaders. Karla volunteers for the homeless and helps organize staffing assistance for Mary’s Mercy Center for food, clothing and toy drives. She speaks publicly on young women’s issues and financial literacy. She also serves as a mentor through ASTERISK, a career and employment program for students in San Bernardino schools.

Linda Burton

Linda Burton is the coordinator for the Fontana Community Assistance Program. She helped build a coalition of nonprofits, churches, schools and other agencies to connect residents to everything from marriage counseling and computer classes to child care and food banks. She says she is committed to people, to loving them, caring about them and supporting them. Linda has also taught parenting classes for the City of Rancho Cucamonga.

Beverly Jones-Wright

Beverly Jones-Wright is project coordinator for the Tobacco Use Reduction Now (TURN) program at the San Bernardino County Public Health Department. As a community service volunteer, she is committed to going the distance and perseveres in the face of obstacles. She is the first female trustee of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in San Bernardino. She stays active with regional health-care issues through the Inland Empire Black Health Consortium, which she founded. She is also a leader with the California Black Health Network and the African American Tobacco Education Network. She has served as committee chairperson for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast.

Midge Zupanic

Midge Zupanic has devoted her life to volunteering for non-profits and helping municipalities. She served three terms on the Rialto City Council and was the first woman to complete a whole term. Her work on the Council made the Rialto Senior Center and the skate board park at Margaret Todd Park a reality. She is also vice chair of the Rialto Transportation Commission, and is now seeing the extension of Pepper Avenue, a longtime project of hers, come to fruition. She serves as Treasurer of the Rialto Chamber of Commerce, and is also the interim executive director. She has headed up the Chamber Golf Tournament for several years and originated the idea for Taste of Rialto. Midge is also a member of the Kiwanis Club of East Rialto.

Gwendolyn Heard Nelson

Gwendolyn Heard Nelson is semi-retired and works part-time as the volunteer coordinator for Children and Family Services for the County of San Bernardino. She has been a longtime volunteer for the annual Blood of the Martyrs Blood Drive on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. She is the current president of the Kiwanis Club of San Bernardino. A breast cancer survivor, she has been a longtime volunteer for the Relay for Life, the Komen Race for a Cure, the American Heart Association and the Arthritis Foundation. She is also a member of the National Council of Negro Women and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Eta Nu Omega Chapter, and a steward and chairman of the Visitors/Announcements Ministry for St. Paul AME Church.

Young Women Leaders

Marlysa Thomas

Marlysa Thomas is a graduate of Cajon High School in San Bernardino, and will graduate this year from University of California, Berkeley with a degree in pre-law and African American studies emphasizing race and politics. She plans to pursue graduate degrees in law and public policy and devote her career to education and prison reform. She has interned in Assembly Member Carter’s District and Capitol offices. On campus, she started the Black Transitional Committee, an organization dedicated to raising GPAs for black students by providing writing, math and science support. She directs a sign language ministry at Berkeley and serves on the editorial staff of a publication that creates dialogue between blacks and other communities. She visited Ghana for research on child trafficking that was later published in an international journal. She has participated in numerous fellowships and has been a campus campaign coordinator for Teach for America. She anticipates teaching high school English in an inner city school in Baltimore next year.

Carly Chavez

Carly Chavez has been a teacher at Fontana High School for more than eight years. She received her Bachelor’s in biology and Master’s degree in education with a concentration in curriculum and instruction from California State University, San Bernardino. At Fontana High School, she leads instructor committees in SLC (Smaller Learning Communities) and AVID (Advancement via Individualistic Determination). She also devotes time to student organizations on campus, such as M.E.Ch.A (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/a de Aztlan) and a freshman mentoring program, Link Crew. She was recognized by Assembly Member Wilmer Amina Carter in 2007 for the “30 under 30 Latino/Native American Recognition Award.” She has also been recognized as SLC Teacher of the Year in 2008. She is continuing her education in an educational leadership doctoral program.

Amber Eileen Shattler

Amber Shattler has been the Office Manager for Assembly Member Wilmer Amina Carter for over five years. She has acted as liaison, photographer and office mom for Assembly Member Carter and the constituents of Assembly District 62. She is very active in raising Autism awareness in the Inland Empire working through her son Wyatt’s Elementary School. Prior to working for Assembly Member Carter Amber operated a photography studio in San Bernardino. She has been married to her husband, Joseph Huston for over eleven years.

Monica Stockhausen

Monica Stockhausen, a Cal State, San Bernardino student and graduate of Wilmer Amina Carter High School, is site leader for Youth Action Project at Arroyo High School. She helped repaint a pre-school in Los Angeles through Enrichment Through Action, a program of New Beginning Outreach Christian Church, for which she has served as president. She also participates in holiday programs, soup kitchens and Christmas toy distributions. She mentors a group of girls at Milor High School, a continuation school in San Bernardino.

Iwona-Maria Luczkiewicz Contreras
Iwona Contreras has had the opportunity to grow, develop and contribute to Cal State, San Bernardino (CSUSB) and the community. She works at the university’s John M. Pfau Library as an administrative analyst specialist. She graduated from CSUSB with a Bachelor’s degree in health science and plans to move up the ladder in higher education. She is currently chair of the Young Leaders Council for Arrowhead United Way. The group’s focus is early grade literacy, philanthropy and mentoring young leaders. She is president of Alumni Pan-Hellenic and vice chair of the alumni group for the Educational Opportunity Program, of which she is a graduate. She was also a student of the Provisional Accelerated Learning(PAL) Academy and the Bethune Center. She believes in giving back to the community because the community has given to her.

Phung Nguyen

Phung Nguyen is a positive role model to youth and is bringing about change in the community. She is a career manager for the City of San Bernardino Employment and Training Agency. At Cal State, San Bernardino, she received a Bachelor’s degree in communications studies. As an Alpha Delta Pi Sorority member, she learned the importance of giving back and has become involved with Arrowhead United Way Women’s Leadership Council. She conducts the Council’s Interview for Success one-day workshops and volunteers as an interviewer for the San Bernardino City Unified School District’s ASTERISK Summer Internship program.