Category: Inland Empire

After a sold-out Halloween season, the historic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa has decided to make tours of its catacombs a permanent feature. The catacombs will be included in the year-round historical tour of the hotel beginning Dec. 9, 2024. “This unique addition provides visitors with a glimpse into the Inn’s rich past, venturing into previously hidden areas that reveal stories and secrets from over a century ago,” hotel officials said in a statement. The catacombs have long been a source of mystery and rumor as tales of the subterranean space have taken on lives of their own. To book a tour or learn more about the hotel, see missioninn.com or call 951-784-0300. Related Articles Local News | Digging up the truth about the Mission Inn’s catacombs Local News | Riverside’s historic Mission Inn opening its catacombs for tours

The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa Festival of Lights is expanding its offerings this year with the addition of a candy shop and toy store. Also, the downtown Riverside hotel is bringing back a New Year’s Eve gala. RELATED: Festival of Lights again starting in Riverside before Thanksgiving The festival’s switch-on ceremony — followed by a fireworks show and concert — is set for Saturday, Nov. 23, at 5 p.m. Once the lever is pulled, the historic Mission Inn will be illuminated by more than10 million lights. Those attending the ceremony are advised to arrive no later than 4:30 p.m. Toys and games are on display Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, at Santa’s Toy Shop at the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in downtown Riverside. Santa will visit the shop Thursdays through Saturdays between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. through the holiday season. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG) Jurupa Valley resident Diane Buterbaugh shops Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, for sweets at the new Mission Inn Candy Lane Store in downtown Riverside. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG) Toys and games are

There’s a new greeter on the promenade in front of the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Arts and Culture. Sculptor and pioneer of Chicano art Ignacio Gomez, was commissioned to create a life-sized bronze statue of the Museum’s namesake, Cheech Marin. At the entrance to the building, with his name above the doors, the statue “Cheech” stands with open arms, offering a warm greeting to each visitor. Unlike some famous flops that have popped up recently in the news, this statue absolutely nails the subject. It looks like Cheech and captures the spirit of the universally known and beloved man. “Meet me at the Cheech” became a rallying cry during the early stages of the Museum’s organization and fundraising. Cheech used the phrase during the first press conference announcing the project. The unveiling of this statue is the culmination of the work started by the late Ofelia Valdez-Yeager. The statue was the last of her projects at the Cheech before her passing. Even in her absence, Ofelia’s love and passion for the Cheech still provide the energy that drives the institution. During their speeches at

The California Attorney General’s Office is asking a judge to order more drastic reforms at Los Angeles County’s juvenile halls in light of the “continued deterioration” of the dangerously understaffed facilities, according to a new court filing. The motion filed jointly by Attorney General Rob Bonta and Los Angeles County — pending court approval — builds on top of a prior judgment from 2021 by requiring additional monitoring, staffing and training at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey and the smaller Barry J. Nidorf Secure Youth Treatment Facility in Sylmar. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, (File photo by Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group) “The County of Los Angeles is responsible for safeguarding the safety and well-being of the children at its juvenile halls — and it has utterly failed in this responsibility to date,” Bonta said in a statement. “These new terms will strengthen oversight and accountability, and lead to necessary and overdue improvement to conditions at these facilities.” Bonta is “hopeful that this new, expanded agreement” will address the persistent problems at the juvenile halls, but he warned he will be watching and “ready

Put down the turkey sandwich and head to Bordwell Park for the first annual Raincross Color Run. The run, part of the Local Vibes Event Series, is a city-sponsored, family-friendly, community event aimed at getting people out of the house and engaged in their neighborhood. Color Run participants will run four-kilometer laps around Bordwell Park, passing through “Color Stations,” where they will be blasted with pigment. What starts as a white T-shirt becomes a technicolor proof of participation. Racers are encouraged to finish as much of the race as they would like and at the pace with which they are most comfortable. When the race is over, participants and observers can hang around the park for holiday-themed activities and food and craft vendors. The Raincross Color Run is a great way to get out of the house, get a little exercise, and meet fellow Riversiders. The race takes place from 9-11 AM at Bordwell Park on 14th Street. More information on the event can be found on the City’s website, and online registration can be found at RunSignup.

Retired professional boxer Darious Harris has traded his gloves for goodwill, transforming his unexpected early retirement into a mission of community impact. As the Founder and CEO of Never Stop Grinding Impact, Harris is leading efforts to bring vital resources to Rialto residents, starting with a massive turkey giveaway just in time for Thanksgiving. On Wednesday, Nov. 20, Harris and his team will host their annual Turkey Drive at the Rialto City Clerk’s Office, distributing 1,000 turkeys—nearly 20,000 pounds—along with full bags of groceries. The event, supported by sponsors including Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County, IEHP, Healthy Rialto, and Supervisor Joe Baca Jr., will operate on a walk-up basis. Harris emphasized the importance of making these resources accessible locally. “Normally, residents have to leave Rialto to find these type of resources,” Harris said. “Our goal is to bring those resources right to our city.” Feeding Families, Building Hope Harris’ work doesn’t end with turkeys. The day after the Turkey Drive, on Nov. 21, Never Stop Grinding Impact will host a food and diaper distribution event at 2474 West Casa Grande Dr. The drive-through

Cheech Marin is an occasional visitor to his namesake museum in Riverside. Visitors have bumped into him in The Cheech’s galleries and gotten autographs and photos. Now a statue of the actor and comic at the museum will allow visitors and passersby to interact with his likeness 24/7. “Meet Me at The Cheech,” a life-sized bronze figure, was unveiled Tuesday morning to cheers from more than 200 invited guests. The figure stands at the entry to The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture, 3581 Mission Inn Ave. Clad in a T-shirt and slightly baggy slacks, the motionless version of the antic Marin stands with a broad smile, arms stretched wide in welcome. Cheech Marin 1.0, the flesh and blood version, was on hand to see it. We chatted before the ceremony. “I love the pose. It’s welcoming,” Marin told me. “It’s not like a heroic pose. It’s like a grandfatherly pose, welcoming you to the house.” (Speaking of grandfatherly, on this chilly morning Marin wore a cardigan over his T-shirt. Disappointingly, he did not hand out hard candy.) Cheech Marin and artist Ignacio

By David Downey | Contributing Writer  Joseph Furtek didn’t hesitate when asked why he believes he survived an Oct. 18 rockslide that pounded his van with boulders on a highway in the San Bernardino Mountains. “There’s no question this was divine intervention,” the 58-year-old Lake Arrowhead resident said Friday, Nov. 15. “I mean, I should have died.” Joseph Furtek sits in his hospital bed Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 at Loma Linda University Medical Center. Furtek was seriously injured when his van was hammered by a rockslide on Highway 18 near Crestline on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Joseph Furtek is seen in his hospital bed Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 at Loma Linda University Medical Center. His van was hit by a rockslide on Highway 18 near Crestline on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Joseph Furtek looks out the window from his hospital bed Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, at the Loma Linda University Medical Center. Furtek was injured when his van was struck by a rockslide on Highway 18 near Crestline on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024.

The new home of the Mission Inn Foundation and Museum had been welcoming visitors and serving as the headquarters for docents for a few weeks. The Sunday ceremony in front of their new Market Street home marked the official business start for the new foundation storefront. City and community officials gathered with the faithful fans of the Inn to celebrate the beginning of the new chapter in the new building just in time for the Festival of Lights crowds beginning this weekend. Councilman Philip Falcone, a longtime friend of the Foundation, was there for Museum president Jennifer Gamble’s ribbon cutting and official opening of the new space. The new store and museum replace the traditional home of the Foundation at the corner of Mission Inn and Main, inside the Hotel. The Mission Inn Foundation and Museum retains most of the collection and the right to sell Mission Inn merchandise from their new storefront. While hotel employees will execute the tours of the Inn, the Foundation docents have a new slate of tours that showcase the external perimeter of the hotel and other points of interest and historical

Beginning in 1997, the Mission Inn Foundation has given the Frank Miller Civic Achievement Award to a Riversider who embodies the Inn founder’s commitment to service the community with a big-picture vision and a willingness to put in the work to make Riverside the best city possible. This year’s awardee, Kathy Allavie, has four decades of volunteer commitment to the service of the city. Her bona fides are uncontroversial. Her work spans the Junior League and PTA, her advocacy for public art projects and civic events like the Art Float of 2018, and her role in creating the Ghostwalk. Kathy stayed impossibly busy in her service to our community, even finding time to volunteer as a docent and sit on the board of the Mission Inn Foundation. She may be best known for her 17-year tenure on the RUSD Board of Education. Her commitment to the arts and STEAM education led to the development of model programs at the district level in those areas. Ramona High School Arts Magnet and the STEM Academy are widely recognized for their excellence. Kathy graduated from Poly High School

The Morongo tribe’s charity machine kept rolling Monday, Nov. 18, with its 38th turkey giveaway. Nonprofit groups, churches and charities from the Inland Empire and beyond again showed up at the Morongo Indian Reservation near Cabazon to pick up the birds, which they’ll distribute to those in need this Thanksgiving season. The annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program has handed out more than 4.1 million holiday meals over the years, a news release states. Crates of frozen turkeys are organized Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, for the 38th Annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program in which the Morongo Band of Mission Indians near Cabazon distributes 15,000 free turkeys to organizations across the Inland Empire. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Volunteer Lester Alloway drives a forklift Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, to help move thousands of turkeys at the 38th Annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program near Cabazon. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Frozen turkeys are ready for distribution Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, at the 38th Annual Morongo Thanksgiving Outreach Program near Cabazon. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) An assembly lines of volunteers and members of the Morongo

Roman Warren lived almost 100 years, and obviously he never slowed down much. At one time or another, Warren was a cowboy, barnstorming pilot, Riverside County supervisor, a sheriff’s deputy, and trainer of American pilots in World War II. He played a role in expanding airmail and airplane passenger service locally, stopped a bank robbery by shooting the robber, operated his own airport, transported Babe Ruth as a passenger, served as a Red Cross leader and once even flew for the Ku Klux Klan. But even with that resume, if you look up any mention of him on the internet or books, there’s always two words about Warren that always show up – the bridge. That’s because more than 98 years ago, Warren decided to generate some publicity for himself by announcing he would fly his Thomas-Moore Scout plane beneath the newly completed South Riverside Bridge over the Santa Ana River just below Mount Rubidoux. The arch of the bridge, which has since been replaced by a more modern structure, afforded only 16 feet in height to fly through. Warren said he got the idea

Dec. 4 is the deadline to apply to participate in Pomona’s Vintage Holiday Christmas Parade, to be held Dec. 14. The parade will start at 6 p.m. near Centennial Park at Gibbs and Second streets, then cruise down Second Street and Park Avenue and end at Pomona City Hall, according to the event website. After the parade, there will be food and entertainment at Shaun Diamond Plaza until 9 p.m. The parade, hosted by the Downtown Pomona Owners Association, is open to floats, vehicles, bands, drill teams, equestrians, dance teams and more. For information and to enter, go to downtownpomona.org/holidayparade.

Mira Nadon, a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, will return to her Inland Pacific Ballet roots to dance the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in two of Inland Pacific Ballet’s performances of “The Nutcracker.” The company will present the holiday ballet in Claremont and Riverside in December. Performances at Bridges Auditorium on the Pomona College campus, 450 N. College Way, Claremont, are at 2 p.m. Dec. 7, 8, 21 and 22. Performances at the Fox Performing Arts Center, 3801 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside, are 2 p.m. Dec. 14 and 15. Nadon, who began her training at the Inland Pacific Ballet Academy in Montclair, will dance the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Dec. 21 and 22 performances at Bridges Auditorium, with fellow New York City Ballet principal dancer Peter Walker dancing the role of the Cavalier, according to a news release. In the Dec. 7 and 8 performances at Bridges Auditorium and the Dec. 14 and 15 performances in Riverside, Lori Hernández, a guest principal artist who has more than 1.2 million followers on TikTok, will dance in the

Welcome to our weekly digest on public meetings and agenda items worthy of your attention in the next week. This guide is part of our mission to provide everyday Riversiders like you with the information to speak up on the issues you care about. City Council City Council will meet in closed and open sessions on Tuesday, November 19, in afternoon sessions at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. and an evening session at 6:15 p.m. (agenda). The agenda includes: The annual review of an assessment for the downtown business improvement area, a 100% match of the business tax that downtown business owners pay to fund security, events, and beautification projects led by the Riverside Downtown Partnership. Considering authorizing $15 million in tax-exempt bonds to help finance a new 23-unit affordable housing development at 11049 Bogart Avenue in La Sierra. Approving the $4 million grant application to build a 24-station electric vehicle charging hub at the Riverside Airport. Considering a $2.4 million purchase of electric trucks from Voltu Motor Inc., which is establishing its U.S. headquarters in Riverside, to help meet state zero-emission vehicle requirements. Commission on Aging The Commission

Western Municipal Water District Update Two Western Water Board of Directors seats were on the ballot this month. Although the election has not yet been certified, it is clear that Director Laura Roughton, representing Division 4, which includes the Cities of Eastvale, Jurupa Valley, and Norco, and Director Fauzia Rizvi, representing Division 5, which includes Corona, Home Gardens, El Cerrito and a part of Temescal Canyon has been re-elected to four-year terms. Congratulations to both Directors, and thank you to the candidates who showed an interest in serving on Western Water’s board. Western Water will elect officers at the first meeting in January. I have completed two consecutive terms as President, which is all that is permitted by Western’s regulations, so expect we will be electing a new President, Vice President, and Treasurer to serve for 2025. It has been an honor to help lead Western Water these past two years, and I am confident our new officers will serve Western and our constituents well. State Water Infrastructure Updates Governor Newsom has come out strongly in favor of both the Delta Conveyance Project and the

San Bernardino County’s Pacific Village homeless services campus has received almost $12 million in state help. The county announced Nov. 6 that it has been awarded $11.82 million in the fifth round of Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) funding from the state Department of Housing and Community Development. The money will go to help create both temporary and permanent housing at the county’s 6.82-acre Pacific Village campus near Highland in San Bernardino. “Receiving this funding is an extraordinary step toward addressing the homelessness crisis in our region and making a meaningful impact in providing supportive services to those experiencing homelessness,” Board of Supervisors Chairperson and Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe said, according to a county news release. Pacific Village’s first phase was funded with coronavirus pandemic-era grant funding. It currently consists of 28 interim units, including 20 travel trailers and eight units that include a mix of three-bedroom single-family homes and two- and three-bedroom duplexes. The complex, which first opened in 2021, is a former church and school, and offers support services in addition to places to live. About $5.7 million of the new