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Senator Connie Leyva Visits Jehue Middle School

26 Feb 2017 Leave a comment

A Senatorial Visit to Jehue Middle School….. 20th District Senator (D) Connie Leyva, visited Jehue Middle School students, staff and parent volunteers this morning to a roaring audience of engaged students. The Senator, who has roots in the Cities of Colton and Rialto (her husband coached in the RUSD District in the late 1980s) spoke to Jehue students in the MPR about the importance of history, education and work ethics “My first job at the union that I was employed for, I took out the trash. I dedicated myself to that task,” explained Senator Leyva. “They noticed. I worked from the ground up, and later, I became the first female President of that Union.” After some loud applause from students, she added, “Never stop working hard, at any level.” The Senator also recognized Jehue Middle School Principal, Mr. Armando Urteaga, much to his surprise, with a “Principal of the Year,” certificate. Mr. Urteaga was one of two RUSD administrators selected by ACSA, Region 12. The other RUSD employee was a former Principal of Jehue Middle School, now RUSD Coordinator of Child Welfare and Attendance, Mr. Leonard Buckner. Enjoy the highlights and GO JAGUARS!!

It takes a village of Jaugars to add success. State Senator Connie Leyva walked into Jehue Middle School with a team of smiling and welcoming District officials, students, staff and parent volunteers. The Senator came to speak to the school’s social studies students about history, work ethics and importance of earning a solid education.

Parent Volunteers add strength to any schools… Jehue Principal Armando Urteaga introduced the Jehue Parent Leaders, sitting front and center, and thanked them for support.

Listening to Jehue Middle School students on stage, RUSD Lead Innovative Agent, Dr. Jinane Annous (far right)and RUSD Superintendent, Dr. Cuauhtemoc Avila (middle) joined Senator Connie Leyva, (far left, in a white blazer) as she was the guest speaker, addressing Jehue Middle School social studies students.

Jehue Middle School student/ASB President, Christian Flores, Left) along with ASB Vice President, Lorely Ramirez, did an awesome job in introducing District 20, State Senator, Connie Levya, as their guest speaker. Jehue Middle School Principal, Mr. Armando Urteaga, was recognized by 20th District State Senator, Connie Leyva at Jehue Middle School, when she came to speak to the social studies class. “I found out that he was receiving an honor from ACSA ‘Principal of Year,’ so I also wanted to show my support. Our principals work tirelessly,” said Senator Leyva. A surprised Jehue Middle School Principal, Mr. Armando Urteaga was recognized by 20th District State Senator, Connie Leyva at Jehue Middle School, when she came to speak to the social studies class. “I found out that he was receiving an honor from ACSA ‘Principal of Year,’ so I also wanted to show my support. Our principals work tirelessly,” said Senator Leyva.

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Officers Fired from Rialto Police Department

19 Feb 2017 32 Comments

Thursday February 16th Rialto Police Department and Chief Deanda took actions against some of Rialto’s most dedicated and popular senior officers the department has. Multiple officers have been reported by those close to the department to have lost their job or are on the verge of losing their jobs. One of those confirmed to have lost their job is longtime K9 Officer Glenn Anderson who was fired from the Rialto Police Department late Thursday.

Officer Glenn Anderson an expert in the realm of canine policing and SWAT work has been on paid leave for almost a year pending the results of an IA investigation into claims that he misused canine resources as well as failed to obtain proper authorization when securing resources for the Rialto Police Department K-9 program.

Officer Glen with one of his former K9’s Picture taken from Rialto Police Department1684 × 1360Search by image

When you put it like that it sounds worse than it was. K9 officer Anderson worked with a local boy scout troop and the Union Pacific Railroad K9 police organization to create a yard where K9 officers could train and work with their dogs. This area also was a place where the officers K9 partners could freely stretch their legs in a nice grass area that was fully fenced off. Many times, our officer’s breaks are eating a quick bite in their unit has they go from call to call that is unhealthy for the human officer as well as their canine partner as well. Per city and Rialto Police Officials Officer Anderson failed to obtain the proper permits for fence installation and pulling power for outdoor lights to the K9 yard. Officer Anderson is also being attacked for dog food donations from a private pet store to the 501c3 nonprofit The Fiends of the Rialto K9 Association. These donations saved the city thousands every year because instead of using the food vouchers at Pet Smart K9 officers were using donated food to feed Rialto Police Dogs.

There is a mountain of lawsuits and complaints that have been filed against the Rialto Police Department over the last year-and-a-half. Dozens of officers are suing the department for racial age and disability discrimination.

For the last year, the word out is that morale at Rialto Police Department is at an all-time low. One must question the amount of money these actions will cost the city in future litigation.

None of the officers in question made themselves available for questions. Reports of these actions came from officials within the City.

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Appointments Open for West Valley Water District

17 Feb 2017 Leave a comment

So what happens when a local governing body is so fractured that no more than two people can agree with each other? Another governing body has to do your work for you.

There are few governing, publicly elected bodies like West Valley Water District that cover Rialto, Colton, Fontana, Bloomington and other unincorporated areas of San Bernardino County, and a portion of Jurupa Valley in Riverside County. West Valley Water fly’s under the radar of rate payers because until recently who cared about your water board right? Until the hyper controlling measures that state and local water agencies laid out on ratepayers nobody really took the time to watch what their water board is doing.

West Valley Water Board members Clifford Young, Linda Gonzles and Greg Young worked hard over the last two years to kick certain board members off the board, bring in new blood that wont question bad spending habits and fight to keep certain people from ever sitting on the board EVER…..

Well with twice appointed never elected board member Rafael Trujillo moving over to Rialto City Council there is once again a vacant seat. Normally the board has a politically charged person waiting in the wings but partisan politics coupled with a lack of ability to collectively agree on a person now has taken this choice out of their hands. The names that were floated around being considered were former Rilato Councilman Ed Palmer, Former Fontana Planning Commissioner Phil Cothran and Activist Irma Flores were just a few of the names that were talked about.

The community was ready to charge the doors of West Valley Water district if Phil Cothran was appointed to the water board. He is coming off a fresh election where he has been accused of trying to takeover the Fontana Woman’s Club, stories of failing to report campaign donations that Phil Cothran took from Young Homes prior to voting yes on their projects and running a local PAC that derailed some very good peoples chances of winning an elected seat. Apparently Ed Palmer who was supported by Clifford Young was not what Greg Young was looking for in a fellow board member. Greg Young didn’t want Ed Palmer’s drama from the recent election where he challenged current Mayor Deborah Robertson for her Mayor seat.

So since West Valley Water is punting this decision it is now up to the San Bernardino County Supervisors to make the appointment. The Board of Supervisors created a special advisory committee consisting of Second District Supervisor Janice Rutherford and Fifth District Supervisor Josie Gonzales to interview the applicants and recommend an appointment to the full Board of Supervisors.

What is funny is that West Valley may have a Board member that they fought long and hard against two years ago wasting thousands of dollars and wasting rate payer time advocating for their choice in the election.

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District College Night at Eisenhower High School

17 Feb 2017 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in #CA31st, Ca, City of Rialto, Inland Empire, Rialto, rialto unified school district, youth

The District College Night at Eisenhower High School brought out hundreds of engaged and interested students and parents. Various principals also attended to support their children and our students, as information was delivered by RUSD education leaders as well as regional college/universities educators

Ms. Kenyatta Price, from the College Board, spoke to students at Eisenhower High School MPR during the District’s College Night.

Among the audience members, Mrs. Nancy O’Kelley, former Eisenhower High School administrator and RUSD Board Member attended the College Night for RUSD students and parents.

An engaged and interested audience member of students and parents listened to various speakers at the District’s “College Night” held at Eisenhower High School.

This is exciting this year as Eisenhower ASB Director Crystal Pulido has been sending out text alerts to congratulate the students on the Eisenhower Campus that have been receiving various letters of acceptance to colleges all over the state and country. Also having Lamario Howard represent Eisenhower at Azuza Pacific University with a full ride football scholarship.

Poll Question on Warehouses?

08 Feb 2017 1 Comment

by rialto-now in #CA31st, Ana Gonzales, and the unincorporated communities of Bloomington and Muscoy, Andy Carrizales, Aquenetta warren, Bad Commerce, Budget, Ca, City of Rialto, Colton, Currupt, Deborah Robertson, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Inland Empire, jobs, Rialto, Rialto, San Bernardino, warehouse, youth

Rialto High Cheer Squad Hold 1st Place As State Champions Two Years In A Row

07 Feb 2017 Leave a comment

Photo provided by Rialto High ASB

Varsity cheer placed first at the CheerPros State Championships on January 29th at Citizen’s Bank Arena. Back to back titles. Their next stop will be USA Nationals on March 25th to defend their national title.

What do you get when your student is a Cheerleader from Rialto? Back to Back State Champions that’s what!!!!!!! Both Junior Varsity and Varsity cheer squads will be moving on to the National Championship.

Congratulations to both our varsity and junior varsity competition teams. They will both be heading to nationals in March!

Once again the dedicated cheer team at Rialto High School took the California State Championship and came out on top earning a 1st place finish.

Now our powerful girls head off to Nationals to defend their National Championship in March.

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Betsy DeVos Confirmed As Education Secretary

07 Feb 2017 Leave a comment

by rialto-now in Ca, Colton, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Inland Empire, Rialto, San Bernardino, youth

For years Christian kids from households that are identify with more conservative principals have had to fight through the muck and mire that is public education. From evolution to alternative sexual lifestyles conservative parents have had to make sure they counter balance the imoral and left wing education that is fed to their young children. As one of these kids I was singled out by many of my teachers as a problem not worthy of their help simply because my parents wanted the sex ed and alternative creation theories to be left up to them to teach or not teach. It got so bad that my parents pulled me and my two brothers from public school and home schooled us for three years.

The left wing wants us to believe that Betsy Devos is an evil person here to destroy public education, ask a conservative parent of young children and they will tell you she is the chance at some fresh air in public education. Most people if they could afford it would put their kids in a private school the reasons vary but almost always the case is they want their kids to get a quality education. So wait the Billions we spend on public education isn’t enough? Your telling me that we can’t provide an excellent education with the weight of the taxpayer footing the bill?

So what is so scary about Betsy Devos?

No Experience in Public Education – Albert Einstein said “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Finding more people that all march to the same mantra in public education and expecting that they will break free from the ties that have bound them to the leaders of public education is insane. Sometimes it takes someone not afraid of tomorrow to make the hard choices a career politician wont. The fact that she has never placed her kids into a public school means she will have some high expectations that public educators will finally be forced to meet.
Vouchers – The mantra being pushed is that vouchers only help religious schools that block students from attending their schools which couldn’t be farther from the truth. From preschool to college public schools are given a blanket advantage of having whatever resources are needed to care for students with special needs. The laws that govern private preschools (public schools are allowed to follow a different set of rules) makes it almost impossible to afford to offer preschool students with potential learning disabilities the opportunity to have a private education. As a former Director of a preschool I hired a Special Ed Teacher to help me identify students that we could fit into the program while still providing a clear standard for learning. Also Christian students have been under attack for centuries because of their beliefs and sexual orientation, now Liberals are upset because their kids may not fit into a christian school? Stay in Liberal land and let the Christian kids go somewhere else.
Lack of knowledge and preparation – Betsy Devos or any other leader is only as good as the people below her. She just like any other leader will lean on her staff to make the right choices for public education. The Unions and Education Lobby are afraid of loosing control. These people are not there for the kids or education they are there for the $$$$$$ just like Dianne Barrow a high ranking employee with a major textbook manufacture. In the video below by Project Veritas she is recorded saying she hates kids. Were sure these people would sound very knowledgeable when questioned about education practices but would you want them as Education Secretary?
A dangerous precedent for pay-for-play in politics – If were throwing this around then line up every Democrat and even some republicans that have made themselves beyond wealthy by bending over for the Education Lobby. The Unions and other Education Lobby groups have the power they do because it was bought and paid for. Even many of your local leaders have taken thousands of $$$$ of money from these lobby’s. So saying that Betsy Devos is unqualified to be Education Secretary just because she gave to causes and people that shared her vision is the pot calling the kettle black.

The long and short of it is a large portion of the community has been under attack from the Public Education lobby for decades. The left wing religion of climate change and alternative lifestyles has been pushed on kids for decades and now the left wing is afraid of two things:

They will have to suffer the same way Conservatives have had to suffer.
They will loose control and this scares them more than anything.

Fontana Mayor Warren finds herself under a recall effort.

07 Feb 2017 Leave a comment

The Inland Empire First PAC has filed papers seeking to recall Acquanetta Warren. On Tuesday at a small meeting Cathie Ritchie Served Mayor Aquenetta Warren with Recall papers on Tuesday afternoon before the City Council meeting. As you will see below she simply tosses the paperwork aside.

The members of the political action committee, Inland Empire First are the ones who began this recall effort. The reasons for the recall were spelled out on their recall signature paperwork:

Mayor Acquanetta Warren has not performed her duties as Mayor of Fontana with the best interests of her constituents in mind and continues to waste Taxpayers money to try and further her own political interest and ambitions. During her time on the Council, the following issues have become prominent in the City:

1. Mayor Acquanetta Warren has received political contributions totaling $100,000’s to insure that the desires of special interest groups and land developers come before the needs of Fontana Residents.

2. Mayor Acquanetta Warren has supported reckless residential and warehouse development which has downgraded the quality of life, decreased neighbor safety, overcrowded our schools, increased traffic, and increased air pollution for Fontana’s residents.

3. Both violent and property crimes including arson, mailbox theft, gang related murders have increased in our city and neighborhoods – Mayor Acquanetta Warren has supported Subsiding nearby Cities (Rialto, Colton, and Redlands) with Fontana public safety Programs on the backs of Fontana taxpayers, putting Fontana Residents in danger.

4. Government accountability and waste are out-of-control – Mayor Acquanetta Warren regularly takes expensive trips at taxpayers’ expense, costing Fontana residents $10,000’s annually, with no reporting for how it benefits Fontana.

One of our favorite moments with Fontana Mayor Warren was when she was celebrating the drug filled rave that was taking place in her city where two young lives were lost.

It has long been the case for the city of San Bernardino to look at tax revenue over public safety or general health of events. Lives have been lost property has been damaged and all for a few easy tax dollars. Mayor Warren has taken this idea to Fontana now with using the speedway as a way to host these events.

To make matters worse the media sources like the SB Sun, Fontana Herald and The IE Voice have turned this into a racial issue. Bringing up the fact that Mayor Warren is a Black Female.

“A group called the Inland Empire First PAC has filed papers seeking to recall Acquanetta Warren, Fontana’s first female and first African-American mayor.” – SB Sun Jim Stienberg

“While Mayor Warren was giving this good news, Sierra Club members marched outside in costumes like “Smoggy the Bear” which reminded me of the way the Klan would go marching down the streets of Fontana not that long ago in their white sheets with hoods over their faces so know one will know who they are. To the Black community the reputation of the Sierra Club has been one of elitism with a racial history of not being inclusive when it comes to our issues or having us as members.” – The IE Voice Hardy Brown

So it looks like were using the old standby when the facts are not in our favor pull out the ole race card. Well Mr. Brown normally the old Klan reference is used to cut at white people but now they are using a race blanket to hurt other minorities.

The issues with Mayor Warren and her failed roll as Fontana’s leader has done something that no other issue has done brought people from all walks of life and political affiliations together under one common cause. Republicans, Democrats, White, Black, Latino and a wide range of income levels have come together on this issue. Mayor Warren has to go now.

The Digital 1st Media group Editorial Board wants you to believe that this recall lacks merit. In the editorial piece they published they said:

“Our view has long been that recalls are for getting rid of officeholders who have been guilty of malfeasance in office. Political differences should be settled in the next election, not with a recall attempt.” “This editorial board has endorsed Warren in all four of her runs for council or mayor in Fontana, as the city has grown more dynamic under her leadership.” – PE & SB Sun Editorial Board

Mayor Warren has broken the law and trust of the people but Mike Ramos our County District Attorney routinely turns a blind eye to local elected officials breaking and bending the law for their own personal gain. Mayor Warren has been tied to many cases where she used her position in Fontana to get campaign donors out of tight legal spots and has her own best interest in mind when making decisions not the community.

It is time for the media to get out of the way and let the people use the system the way they see fit. Let this blog be the first media type source to tell you this recall is well overdue.

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Community Members Say Now is the Time for a Recall

05 Feb 2017 Leave a comment

Written by Carlos Bravo

Some people call Karen Larson Coleman “Brave.” Not me. I call anybody, that speaks truth to power, “Fontana.” Because this is exactly what being a part of THIS community is all about!!
“Fontana’s mayor needs to be recalled

Re “Attempted recall of Fontana mayor a waste of effort” (Editorial, Jan. 19):

Written by Karen Coleman
You called the recall effort of Fontana Mayor Acquanneta Warren a waste of time and silly. Do any of you live in Fontana and if so have you traveled our streets?
Have you attended a mayor’s round table meeting to supposedly discuss plans for future downtown renovations and not been allowed to speak.
The audience sat at round tables and were not allowed to speak or if they did speak they would be removed by police officers standing at the exits.
The abuse of power this mayor has forced upon the citizens of Fontana is not silly. Have you heard or listened to her declare war on her enemies? She is a bully!
I could fill a page of your newspaper with stories of abuse but whenever I have contacted your offices no one was interested in covering those stories.
Can Fontana take another 22 months of Warren and her cronies turning our city into a warehouse slum? Huge trucks and dirty air for our children to breathe. Can we take 22 more months of her traveling all over the country with no accountability?
She has broken the camel’s back and we cannot waste another day watching our city go down the drain. Why would any reputable newspaper support this kind of behavior?
– Karen Coleman, Fontana”

#RecalLMayorWarren #WarehouseWarren #Fontana #MyFontana #IntegrityMatters #CharacterCounts #VocalMajority

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Eisenhower High School Celebrates Athlete Full Ride Scholorship

03 Feb 2017 Leave a comment

This Football Season didn’t go as well as some would have hoped but the one thing that proved constant were the leaders of the team were not going to give up until the last game was finished. Lamario Howard not only was key to that leadership on the sidelines of each game but he put it all out on the field playing on offense, defense and special teams. One of my first games this season I watched Lamario Howard and Nick Freeman torch Rialto High School for a combined six touchdowns. The head coach of Azuza Pacific University had this to say about Lamario at the signing day press conference.

Eisenhower High School Principal Scott Sparks and Athletic Director Gilbert Pulido held a signing day event at Eisenhower on Wednesday where the education and sports community gathered to congratulate Lamario on this great day. The school is happy to see the leadership of new coach Al Brown producing talented young men that have the skills to attract the attention of Universities like APU. In our interview with Coach Brown he spoke to the importance of reminding student athletes the importance of hard work and dedication in the classroom and field. It is this old school approach that will continue to produce awesome young men coming out of Eisenhower High School.