Category: Inland Empire

A few words in writing struck the owner of Riverside’s independent bookstore like a body blow. Not a line in a powerful novel or a searing nonfiction tome, but an email from the landlord. Subject line: “Notice of lease termination.” Cellar Door Books had until Feb. 28 to vacate the premises of Canyon Crest Towne Centre, its home for 10 years. Say it ain’t so, Canyon Crest! Owner Linda Sherman-Nurick was at home Tuesday night when she read the email in horror. (Never open work email at night. No good can come of it.) Word began spreading Wednesday — Cati Porter of the literary nonprofit Inlandia messaged me that night — and became amplified on Thursday when Cellar Door posted the news to social media. The books community is up in arms. Some questioned whether the store’s liberal politics, quarterly Drag Queen Storytime and masking policies led to the decision. Rep. Mark Takano, D-Riverside, visited Friday to show his support. I’m disheartened to learn of the eviction notice for Cellar Door Books and its potential connection to the hosting of Drag Queen Story hour. Linda

Two February events in Redlands will commemorate the birthday of President Abraham Lincoln. They are the Lincoln Memorial Shrine’s 50th open house, to be held Feb. 4 in conjunction with the Lincoln Pilgrimage, and the 91st Watchorn Lincoln Dinner, planned for Feb. 11 at the University of Redlands’ Orton Center. The Lincoln Memorial Shrine open house runs 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 4 at the shrine and on the grounds in Smiley Park. The day’s festivities begin at 10 a.m. with the Lincoln Pilgrimage parade led by re-enactors from the Sons of Union Veterans, Brooklyn Naval Yard, and 7th Michigan Volunteer Cavalry. The Lincoln Pilgrimage begins at Redlands High School and moves down Citrus Avenue to Eureka Street and concludes at the Lincoln Shrine, where a brief program and flag-raising ceremony will take place. Hosted by the Gray Arrow District of the Boy Scouts of America, the Lincoln Pilgrimage has taken place in Redlands since 1940. At the open house, there will be live music, family activities, a display by the Inland Empire LEGO User Group and dozens of Civil War re-enactors. There will also be

Concession workers gathered on the steps of Ontario International Airport‘s administrative offices Thursday, Jan. 19, chanting “we will be back” after the airport authority delayed action on a new food and beverage contract. The workers rallied at the Ontario International Airport Authority meeting to demand the airport implement a workers retention policy, which will ensure that workers keep their jobs and maintain their seniority, before ONT considers signing a new vendor contract. The airport’s current contract with Delaware North is coming to an end and ONT is considering a new 20-year contract with SSP America. Delaware North is currently responsible for the food, beverage and retail concessions at the airport. Those who work concessions at ONT were hired under Delaware North, leaving many wondering what will happen to their jobs when the airport signs on a new vendor. “Well, apparently our contract was up for Delaware North so we don’t know if we are going to have a job,” Yvonne Sosa, a 20-year airport employee, said before the meeting. Sosa and several of her colleagues had gathered at the meeting for the chance to speak to

Year of the rabbit The Lunar New Year begins Sunday, Jan. 22, ushering in the year of the water rabbit. The lunar calendar, used in both Chinese and Vietnamese cultures, is divided into 12 segments, with each assigned an animal sign. The Chinese New Year celebration starts with the new moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. You can learn more here. According to myths, the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac were selected through a race. This race is meant to create a time measurement for the people. There could only be 12 winners, and in order to win, the animals had to cross a rapid current river and reach the finish line on the shore. There are many variations of this story. Some say that the Jade Emperor called a race of animals on his birthday to create the Chinese zodiac. Others say that it was the Buddha who did. The stories are essentially the same, excluding some minor details. Traditional practices First day Visit family: The oldest and most senior family

The Ontario Chaffey Community Show Band will present “An Evening of Country Music,” featuring a selection of country music hits, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23. The free concert will be in Gardiner W. Spring Auditorium on the campus of Chaffey High School, 1250 N. Euclid Ave.. Ontario. Beginning at 7 p.m. the Woodwind Celebration ensemble will entertain in the lobby, where complimentary coffee and cookies will be available. Guest artist at the concert will be Jim Curry, who specializes in performing John Denver’s music. Curry, who has performed his John Denver tribute throughout the United States, Canada and Australia, will sing “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” “Annie’s Song,” “Sunshine on My Shoulders,” “Rocky Mountain High” and “This Old Guitar,” according to a news release. The concert also features soloists from the Show Band including Francisco Mowatt, who will perform a fiddle solo in Alan Jackson’s “Chattahoochee”; Tom “Elvis” Hill in the Kenny Rogers song “Lucille” and “The Ballad of Harley Joe”; and Pat Arnold, the band’s assistant director, who will play Boots Randolph’s version of “Night Train,” and sing Willie Nelson’s “Always on My Mind.”

U.S. Postal Service inspectors on Friday announced the arrest of a Riverside man suspected of robbing several letter carriers and stealing personal mail. On Jan. 4, Nicholas Green of Riverside County was arrested after an investigation found he allegedly was involved in two robberies of USPS letter carriers, in Moreno Valley and Riverside, between March and November of last year. In each incident, the suspect approached the letter carriers and demanded the carrier’s postal keys, sometimes at gunpoint. The suspect also allegedly used threatening notes to demand USPS keys from other letter carriers. Postal inspectors executed a search warrant at Green’s residence and found several USPS postal keys and stolen mail, including personal checks made out to other people. The investigation is ongoing. Emily Holshouser | Reporter Emily Holshouser is a Los Angeles-based reporter who came to California from North Carolina in 2018. Emily began her career at the Cal State Northridge Daily Sundial, where she covered cops, protests, and utilities. She previously worked at ABC7 as an assignment desk editor and video journalist. In her time as a reporter, Emily has covered the George

The law firm of former state Attorney General William Lockyer will pay $350,000 to the City of Industry to settle allegations that Lockyer breached his contract while serving as the city’s reform adviser during a period in which a developer who had donated heavily to Lockyer’s political campaigns in the past allegedly stole millions from a city-backed solar project. The settlement is the equivalent of paying back roughly two-thirds of the $533,418 paid to Lockyer for his 20-month tenure as watchdog. Neither Lockyer nor City Attorney Jamie Casso would comment on the settlement. A clause in the agreement prevents either side from discussing it with the media. The city declined to release a November 2021 letter outlining its allegations against Lockyer, but a staff report states the dispute between the city and Lockyer’s firm, Brown Rudnick LLP, was “particularly with respect to the Tres Hermanos solar project” that is now the subject of a civil lawsuit by Industry against the developers and an ongoing criminal case. The settlement agreement indicates the city alleged Lockyer and Brown Rudnick are liable for “alleged breaches” of their professional

Restaurants and other food vendors ordered to close and allowed to reopen by San Bernardino County health inspectors from Jan. 12 to Jan. 19. Venezia Pizza, 1790 E. Lugonia Ave., Redlands Closed: Jan. 12 Reason: Sewage overflow Juan Pollo, 1256 W. Fifth St., San Bernardino Closed: Jan. 11 Reason: Insufficient refrigeration Reopened: Jan. 12 Mimi’s Cafe, 395 E. Hospitality Lane, San Bernardino Closed: Jan. 17 Reason: Sewage overflow Reopened: Jan. 17 Updates since last week’s list: Kona Tea & Grill at 1611 E. Main St., Barstow, which was closed Jan. 5 because of a rodent infestation, was allowed to reopen Jan. 6. This list is published weekly with closures since the previous week’s list. Status updates are published in the following week’s list. Source: San Bernardino County Department of Public Health Ian Wheeler | Reporter Ian Wheeler has been reporter for The Orange County Register since 2013. He covers Buena Park and Yorba Linda, and is involved in research projects for the Southern California News Group. Ian graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. In his spare time, Ian

Restaurants and other food vendors ordered to close and allowed to reopen by Riverside County health inspectors from Jan. 12 to Jan. 19. Highgrove Village Meat Market, 1091 Center St., Riverside Closed: Jan. 18 Reason: Failed probationary inspection Palm Greens Cafe, 611 Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 6, Palm Springs Closed: Jan. 13 Reason: Cockroach infestation Updates since last week’s list: El Rey Taco Grill at 33950 Angeles Lane, Suite C-D, Wildomar, which was ordered closed Jan. 12 because of inadequate ventilation, was allowed to reopen Jan. 13. China Star at 81022 Highway 111, Suite B, Indio, which was ordered closed Jan. 11 because of a failed probationary inspection, was allowed to reopen Jan. 13. Dickey’s Barbecue Pit at 12620 Day St., Suite D, Moreno Valley, which was ordered closed Jan. 12 because of improperly cleaned food contact surfaces, was allowed to reopen Jan. 13. Wendy’s/Cinnabon at 11053 Riverside Drive, Jurupa Valley, which was ordered closed Jan. 12 because of insufficient hot water, was allowed to reopen Jan. 13. The Plaza Restaurant at 91280 Second St., Mecca, which was ordered closed Jan. 9 because plumbing was in disrepair, was

In the dark of night, two boats were loaded with safety gear, film crews and the world’s best big-wave surfers, the expedition setting out on a super secret strike mission to find a mysterious “ghost wave.” Forecasts were showing a small break in the back-to-back bomb cyclones on Jan. 13, when the relentless rains should halt temporarily, the wild winds disappear and, most importantly, a massive swell could send 70-foot-plus waves to the middle of the ocean about 100 miles off the California coast. Newport Beach big-wave guru Bill Sharp had been patiently waiting for this day to show up on the radar. “There it was. This could be it,” he recalled thinking as he looked at the models for Cortes Bank, a shallow submerged island that brews up some of the world’s biggest waves. “Most of the time, these dream forecasts fall apart. That moment of arousal just dissipates. “This one didn’t.” Big waves, big obsession Sharp is a well-known fixture in the big-wave world. He created the prestigious XXL Big Wave Awards, which have handed out big bucks for years to the small-yet-elite

A San Bernardino nonprofit group equips individuals affected by the justice system with the support they need to rejoin their communities and succeed. Owen Duckworth, who was formerly incarcerated, was able to get his life on track, secure a job and become a positive role model. Through this experience, he realized that others struggled with reentry because they did not have resources and support. Duckworth received help from friends and family, allowing him to change his negative behaviors, but others found themselves slipping back into their old lives. When San Bernardino County launched a peer model program for prisoners preparing for reentry, Duckworth was asked to participate. He worked with the program for 18 months and saw its potential for increasing success. Recidivism in his group was reduced from 27% to 8%. “I wanted to come back and create a positive impact, helping those who needed the tools,” Duckworth said. “Once the program ended with the county, I started my own organization in 2015.” San Bernardino County Public Defender Thomas Sone, far left, and staff members of Inland Empire Rebound are seen at the group’s

Snow Valley Mountain Resort in Running Springs has been purchased by the Colorado-based owner of sister ski resorts Bear Mountain and Snow Summit in Big Bear Lake. In a news release Friday, Jan. 20, Jared Smith, president and CEO of Alterra Mountain Co., called the acquisition “a continuation of our ongoing mission to build a premier portfolio of great mountains in robust markets.” Smith continued: “As we do with all our destinations, we are excited to invest essential capital to enhance the on-site employee and guest experience to further strengthen our offerings to skiers and riders in Southern California.” A snowboarder gets some air on the slopes on opening day of the 2020-2021 winter season at Snow Valley Mountain Resort in Southern California’s San Bernardino Mountains on Monday, Nov. 16, 2020. (File photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Snowboarder Jesus Delgado, 24, of Nuevo enjoys the slopes on opening day of the 2020-2021 Winter season at Snow Valley Mountain Resort in Southern California’s San Bernardino Mountains on Monday, Nov. 16, 2020. (File photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG) Snow Valley Rim Youth Program snowboarders follow

The 30th Black Rose Award Winners areDr. Juanita H. Scott, San Bernardino Valley College Foundation, Humanitarian of the Year; Linda Wright, Moreno Valley Black Chamber of Commerce; Gloria Macias Harrison, President Emeritus, Crafton Hills College, San Bernardino Community College Board of Trustees; Deborah Robertson, Mayor of Rialto, Founder of The Women’s Conference; and three honorees for the Black Rose Founder’s Award from San Bernardino Community Hospital: June Collison President, Roz Nolan, Chief Nurse Executive Officer, and Dr. Ruby Skinner. The awards ceremony will also make three posthumous tributes to Black Rose Senior Kings Don Griggs, Jimmy Jews, and Jesse Nichols. The San Bernardino Black Culture Foundation’s 30th Black Rose Award Winners will be recognized at the annual banquet on Saturday, February 4, 2023, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the California State University, San Bernardino, Santos Manuel Student Union 5500 University Parkway. In remembrance of Dr. Margaret Hill, the Black Culture Foundation has renamed its Margaret Hill Community Support Award to the Dr. Margaret Hill Black Rose Young Adults Inspiration Award. This award will present scholarships to two inspirational and outstanding San Bernardino Black young adults graduating grade 12 or in college, said Black Rose Committee Co-Chair Kristine

Regal is preparing to close 39 more U.S. theaters, including four in Southern California and seven in the Bay Area, after parent company Cineworld announced it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September. The latest list comes on the heels of dozens of other theaters that have already been shuttered, including Anaheim Hills 14, Calabasas Stadium 6 and the Westpark 8 theater in Irvine. The newest announced Southern California closures: Metro Point Costa Mesa Hemet Cinema 12, Hemet Sherman Oaks Galleria 16, Los Angeles Yorda Linda and Imax theater, Yorba Linda Additional theaters are set to close in Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington and Washington, D.C. Parent company Cineworld announced it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in September. (Photo courtesy of Cineworld Group) Cineworld detailed the plan to reject the 39 leases starting February 15 in a new bankruptcy filing on Tuesday. Regal is the second-largest cinema chain in the US, behind AMC, with more than 500 theaters. Cineworld said the lease rejections will help the

The sixth annual Women’s March will once again see thousands of people gather for multiple rallies across the nation this weekend, this time on Roe v. Wade’s diamond anniversary – though in Southern California, the events seem as if they could be muted compared to past events. The marches for women’s rights is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 22, 50 years to the day that the U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling that women have a constitutional right to abortion. But the events will also come seven months after the Supreme Court’s current iteration reversed course, returning abortion rights to the states. This year’s National Women’s March will take place in Madison, Wisconsin, with the move from Washington, D.C., meant to signify the added importance of advocating on a state level, organizers said. Nearly 800 people had so far signed up to attend that march. In the past, though, the national march – which began in 2017 – has drawn thousands. Across Southern California, meanwhile, there are only a smattering of events scheduled for this weekend, with some not even including marches. A couple in

By Clare Duffy | CNN Netflix announced Thursday that its founder Reed Hastings is stepping down as co-CEO at the company and will serve as executive chairman. Hastings will be replaced by co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters. “Our board has been discussing succession planning for many years (even founders need to evolve!),” Hastings wrote in a blog post on Thursday. “As part of that process, we promoted Ted to co-CEO alongside me in July 2020, and Greg to Chief Operating Officer — and in the last 2½ years I’ve increasingly delegated the management of Netflix to them.” Hastings founded Netflix in 1997 and changed the way countless households watched movies and shows, first with its DVD-by-mail business and later with its streaming video service. Under Hastings’ leadership, Netflix disrupted legacy movie rental companies like Blockbuster and helped shake up Hollywood by kicking off an arms race investing in original content. It also survived a notable misstep in 2011 when the company briefly planned to spin off its streaming service from its DVD business, with the latter to be re-branded as Qwikster. Last year, however

The Claremont Young Musicians Intermezzo Orchestra, conducted by Greg Samuel, will present its first concert of the 2023 season 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22. The performance will be in Bridges Hall of Music on the Pomona College campus, 150 E. Fourth St., Claremont. The 70-member Intermezzo Orchestra, for musicians ages 9 to 17, was formed in 1992 as a preparatory group for the Claremont Young Musicians Orchestra. The Sunday program will include Overture to “Orpheus in the Underworld” by Jacques Offenbach, Mazurka from “Coppelia” by Leo Delibes and “Carmen” Suite No. 1 by George Bizet, according to a news release. Also on the program are “Funeral March of a Marionette” by Charles Gounod, “The Syncopated Clock” by Leroy Anderson and “Americana Rhapsody” by Lennie Niehaus. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and admission is free. The Claremont Young Musicians Intermezzo Orchestra is open by audition to young musicians who play string, woodwind, brass or percussion instruments. The group rehearses 3:30-5:30 p.m. Sundays at Claremont High School. For audition or concert information, go to cymo.org, call 909-624-3614 or email rjscymo@aol.com.

The Biden administration’s announcement Thursday, Jan. 19, that $930 million would be allocated to 10 Western states to reduce wildfire dangers was welcome news to U.S. Forest Service officials in Southern California. Nathan Judy, spokesman for the Cleveland National Forest — the southernmost national forest in California, consisting of 460,000 acres — said it has yet to be determined how much of that $930 million will be directed to the U.S. Forest Service’s Southern Region, which includes Cleveland as well as the San Bernardino, Angeles and Los Padres national forests. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in an announcement that the funding, made possible through President Joe Biden’s landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, will directly protect at-risk communities and critical infrastructure across 11 additional landscapes in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington. “It is no longer a matter of if a wildfire will threaten many Western communities in these landscapes, it is a matter of when,” Vilsack said in a statement. “The need to invest more and to move quickly is apparent.” The injection of federal funding to be

The recent storms that brought rain to the valleys and snow to the mountains have also left their mark on Inland Empire hillsides. Thanks to the wet weather, followed by sunny days, normally brown landscapes have become lush and green, verdant vistas. Buzz Riebschager works with his horse in a grassy field near the Hidden Valley Nature Center and Wildlife Area in Riverside on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Veronique Reaver and Buzz Riebschager let their horses enjoy a blooming Riverside field on a sunny Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) A man walks a trail through a green hillside in Riverside on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Sunny skies after heavy rains equal rolling green hills near Corona on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) The hills near Pumpkin Rock in Norco are green Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2023, after recent rains. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Inland Empire hills near Little Mountain in San Bernardino are green Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, after heavy rains earlier

I shook Helen Tran‘s hand moments before Wednesday’s San Bernardino City Council meeting was due to start, telling her that I felt it was important for me to attend her first meeting. There had been two special meetings, Tran noted, but yes, this was her first full-fledged public meeting. “Do you know what you’re doing yet?” I asked slyly. “You will see,” she replied with a grin. After an invocation by a group of pastors who prayed for the city, Tran called her 12-year-old daughter, Holly, to the lectern to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. There was a long pause as the youngster mustered her courage to speak. I thought she was going to bail. But she managed to say with a quavering voice, “Place your right hand over your heart,” and begin the pledge. Council members were all standing in profile, facing the flag. Tran turned briefly to give her daughter an encouraging smile. Tran, you’ll recall, won a primary in June over scandal-plagued John Valdivia and won the election in November. Sworn in last month, she’s the third woman to be mayor of

Some could say Temecula’s new school board is off to a rocky start. But trustees couldn’t even start Wednesday night, Jan. 18. A special meeting that drew more than 200 people in what shaped up to be a night of impassioned comments from fired-up parents ended abruptly when the Temecula Valley Unified School District board failed to agree on an agenda for the session. A jubilant standing ovation erupted after the board voted 3-2 against a motion to approve the agenda, which called for discussing the hiring of additional lawyers — the district already has long-standing legal counsel — and an unspecified personnel matter that many spectators feared was the firing of the superintendent. “We pulled everybody out of their homes. We disrupted everybody’s lives. We’ve caused this chaotic storm over the last 24 hours with everybody sure that we’re coming in here to fire the superintendent without any cause,” said board member Danny Gonzalez, who along with board members Allison Barclay and Steven Schwartz voted against approving the agenda. Supporters of Temecula Valley Unified School District Superintendent Jodi McClay hold up signs following the