Category: Inland Empire

The post Pasadena Independent_4/15/2024 appeared first on Hey SoCal. Change is our intention..

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California is suing Huntington Beach over its voter identification measure, recently passed by voters, hoping to stop the city from asking residents to present proof of identification when voting at in-person polling locations. “It is violative of California state election law, undermines that process and threatens the constitutionally protected right to vote,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta at a news conference in Los Angeles on Monday, April 15. Secretary of State Shirley Weber, who oversees elections across California, said the voter ID requirement would disenfranchise voters and called it a solution in search of a problem. “This voter ID measure conflicts with state law,” Weber said at the same press conference. “Not only is it a solution in search of a problem, laws like these are harmful to California voters, especially low-income, the elderly, people of color, those with disabilities, and young voters.” Attorney General Rob Bonta announces with Secretary of State Shirley Weber that they filed a lawsuit to challenge Huntington Beach’s voter identification law to protect voter rights in the Orange County city in Los Angeles on Monday, April 15, 2024. (Photo

Jim Goddard was once the key figure in a legal fight that led to a state law declared unconstitutional. But really all he cared about was getting sprung from jail. Goddard in early 1902 pleaded guilty in Needles court of being a vagrant, earning him a free ride to the county jail in San Bernardino. But there, a young lawyer, Henry M. Willis was contacted to find a way for the well-known drifter to avoid 90 days behind bars. Willis, son of a former San Bernardino County district attorney, failed twice to liberate Goddard, arguing Needles Judge L.V. Root made a variety of questionable actions in his ruling. His third try, though, was certainly novel, and remarkably simple. Willis realized that Judge Root convicted Goddard of being a “vagrant,” not of vagrancy. He argued the state’s definition was improper. “The complaint charges Goddard with being ‘a person who roams around from place to place without any lawful business,’” reported the Sun newspaper, Jan. 31, 1902. Such was the description of a vagrant in Subdivision 3 of Section 616 of the state Penal Code. Willis insisted

Renovations at the Baldy View Dog Park are set to begin this month to increase the space for large and small dogs, add shade and improve sidewalks. The final plans for the park include a 20% increase in the size of the play areas for large and small dogs and include new amenities, ramps and tunnels as well as additional shade and seating, new entrances to both dog park areas and new sod and LED lighting. Luca, the white-haired Shepherd mix, catches a tennis ball at Baldy View Dog Park in Upland on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Construction on new additions to the park is set to commence on Monday, April 22, 2024. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) Dogs play together at Baldy View Dog Park in Upland on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Construction on new additions to the park is set to commence on Monday, April 22, 2024. (Photo by Anjali Sharif-Paul, The Sun/SCNG) A sign at Baldy View Dog Park in Upland, seen on Thursday, April 11, 2024, indicates the date when the Upland City Council voted for reconstruction to commence. On

To say that Zacatecas Cafe has a loyal following in Riverside only begins to tell the story. At a recent event centered on its history, more than 100 people showed up. That would be a respectable weekend crowd at the restaurant. But this was at the Main Library, on a weeknight, where the community room was packing ’em in. People kept coming. More chairs were set out, then still more. The Inlandia Institute organized the panel discussion, as it does each month on Art Walk night, and according to executive director Cati Porter,  this was the biggest audience they’d ever had. The April 4 event was the debut of “Cafe Stories: Riverside’s Zacatecas,” a novel — not a true history — set at the restaurant. This wasn’t a typical literary event. For one thing, lots of people showed up. And author Bill Medina didn’t read from his book. More than 100 people turn out April 4 for the debut of “Cafe Stories,” a novel about Zacatecas Cafe, at the Riverside Main Library. (Photo by David Allen, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG) Instead, Medina, 66, spoke about

The 49th annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach has nearly arrived. That means a couple of things: On the one hand, downtown Long Beach will essentially be one giant party from Friday to Sunday, April 19-21. But on the other, navigating the area in your car will be a challenge. And not just during the three-day event — but for a few days before and the day after. Staggered street closures, in fact, will begin on Wednesday, April 17, with some remaining closed until Monday, April 22. Here are the streets to avoid over the next week. Wednesday, April 17 All side streets leading into the Grand Prix’s circuit off Shoreline Drive and Seaside Way will close at 4 a.m. A few hours later, at 7 a.m., the northbound Queensway Bridge off-ramp and southbound Queensway Bridge on-ramp for Shoreline Drive will also shut down, along with Aquarium Way south of Shoreline Drive and westbound Shoreline Drive generally. At 3 p.m., Shoreline Drive eastbound from Broadway to Ocean Boulevard will also close. Pine Avenue, according to a recent city news release, will stay open to

The Arcadia Police Department released an annual report Tuesday on the costs and usage of the department’s military equipment such as a mobile command post, SWAT reconnaissance robot and firearm ammunition. The APD also seeks City Council approval in the 2024-25 budget to purchase an unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone. The report to the council contained this chart detailing the department’s military equipment use this past year: | Image courtesy of the city of Arcadia Arcadia didn’t add any additional military equipment in 2023 but police seek approval to purchase a drone, according to the report. “Drones are instrumental in enhancing response times to calls, aiding in the investigation of criminal activities, and providing aerial perspectives that can assist in protecting life and property,” the report states. “Additionally, drones enable personnel to assess and address issues effectively by determining suitable tools, tactics, and resources even before officers reach the scene.” The City Council will review the report and hear public comment on it at the council’s May 7 meeting. The APD’s policy on using military equipment is available on the city’s website, and the department

The developer once contracted to overhaul San Bernardino’s long-troubled Carousel Mall is suing the city for breach of contract. “After (San Bernardino Development Co.) spent years and millions of dollars for services and intellectual property contributions upholding its end of the bargain, the city unilaterally terminated the (agreement) on May 3, 2023, without warning and in breach of the (contract),” the lawsuit, filed March 28 in San Bernardino Superior Court, reads in part. “As a result of the city’s and its staff’s misconduct, SBDC has suffered millions of dollars in damages.” The suit was filed on behalf of Renaissance Downtowns USA and ICO Real Estate Group, working together as the San Bernardino Development Co. In an email Friday, city spokesperson Jeff Kraus said redevelopment of the mall remains one of the city’s highest priorities. “Redevelopment of such a complex site is challenging. Cities like San Bernardino enter into exclusive negotiating agreements to do just that — negotiate,” Kraus wrote, noting that the agreement was “specific and clear” that the city never promised or guaranteed SBDC that it would enter into a final development agreement. “In fact

It was another stellar year for snowfall — but now with spring in full swing and temperatures warming, local mountain resorts are gearing up to close the slopes. This winter season marked the second snowiest season since Big Bear Mountain Resort started recording statistics 25 years ago –  surpassed only by last year’s mega storms – with the dumping fueled mostly by later cold storms like the one expected to roll through this weekend. Skiers and snowboarders will be taking their last runs at Bear Mountain and Snow Valley on Sunday, April 14, while Snow Summit and Mountain High will be running lifts a bit longer, officials said, through at least April 21, to take advantage of late-season storms that have kept the slopes covered. Mt. Baldy is expected to stay open through April 28, though slopes are closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. “It’s starting to warm up,” Big Bear Mountain Resort spokesman Justin Kanton said. “When we get to this point in the season, it starts to go pretty quick.” It’s not just the melting, slushy spring snow that goes into the decision to

Restaurants and other food establishments ordered to close and allowed to reopen by San Bernardino County health inspectors from April 4 to April 11. Birrieria Guadalajara, 765 W. Holt Blvd., Ontario Closed: April 5 Reason: Insufficient hot water Jimmie’s Market & Liquor, 2928 Duffy St., San Bernardino Closed: April 4 Reason: Sewage overflow Reopened: April 5 Tempe House, 24984 Third St., San Bernardino Closed: April 4 Reason: Cockroach infestation This list is published weekly with closures since the previous week’s list. Status updates are published the following week. Source: San Bernardino County Department of Public Health — Ian Wheeler Related Articles Local News | San Bernardino County restaurants shut down by health inspectors, March 28-April 4 Local News | San Bernardino County restaurants shut down by health inspectors, March 20-28 Local News | San Bernardino County restaurants shut down by health inspectors, March 14-21 Local News | In-N-Out Burger’s restaurant closure, called the chain’s first, looms this weekend Local News | San Bernardino County restaurants shut down by health inspectors, March 7-14

The Ontario Chaffey Community Show Band will present “An Evening at the Pops,” a concert of music from the concert hall and world of popular music, 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 15, at the Merton E. Hill Auditorium on the campus of Chaffey High School, 1245 N. Euclid Ave., Ontario. Admission is free, and before the concert, the Woodwind Celebration Ensemble will perform at 7 p.m. in the lobby, where coffee and cookies will be available. Featured soloists from the band will be Gary Simpson, Trisha Molina, Francisco Mowatt, Natasha Le and John Holguin. Gary Simpson, a trumpeter in the band, has made an arrangement of the first movement of Franz Joseph Haydn’s 1796 Concerto per il Clarino (Trumpet Concerto in E-flat major), and he will solo in the band’s performance of that piece, according to a news release. Flutist Trisha Molina will be featured in her original composition “Libertango,” a piece for flute and alto flute that breaks away from the traditional tango. Francisco Mowatt will play an alto saxophone solo in “Never Let Me Go,” a ballad from the 1950s popularized by Nancy Wilson

Grammy Award-winning jazz musician and band leader Gordon Goodwin, a 1973 graduate of Bonita High School, returned to the Bonita Unified School District with his Big Phat Band for a March 16 concert that showcased All-District Jazz Ensemble musicians and served as a tribute to longtime Bonita High School music teacher Robin Snyder. At the event at the Bonita Center for the Arts in San Dimas, Goodwin performed with All-District players during their opening set, then led a nearly two-hour performance with his 19-member group. In between pieces, Goodwin reminisced about his years at Bonita High School and how the late Robin Snyder helped develop his career. “This is a true honor for me to come back and play with a new generation of jazz players,” Goodwin said at the event, according to a news release. “When I walked into the Bonita band room after 50 years, it just seemed so familiar, like I had never been gone. It’s surreal to be able to look back at your life and see how it all fell into place.” Goodwin’s appearance was spurred by a chance meeting

Pasadena residents can safely get rid of broken or unwanted electronics at a free e-waste event, the city announced. Paper shredding to help curb identity theft will also be available at the event, which is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Parking Lot I outside the Rose Bowl Stadium near Brookside Park, 360 N. Arroyo Blvd. According to the city, electronic waste items include computers, keyboards, printers, monitors, laptops, docking stations, scanners, shredders, fax machines, computer mice, telephones, televisions, flat screens, VCRs, DVD players, PDAs, cassette players, tape drives and stereos. Residents can also bring household batteries, fluorescent light bulbs and LED light bulbs for safe disposal. “These items should never be disposed of in your trash or recycling containers,” city officials said in a statement. The event, organized by the Pasadena Public Works Department also aims to help help prevent identity theft with free paper shredding, officials said. City residents can bring as many as three legal-size boxes for shredding. Items acceptable for shredding include sensitive documents such as receipts, checks, pre-approved credit applications, credit card statements, outdated tax returns, pre-printed envelopes, return

By Greg Archer | Contributing Columnist Hazel’s Hands, a nonprofit in Eastvale, which offers resources, services, and leadership for at-risk youth and their families, is expanding its reach. President and CEO Dr. Tyrone Spears and a team of executives, board members, and volunteers hope to achieve the 2024 fundraising goal of $30,000. “We’re 100% donor funded, so everything we operate is through donations and/or grants,” Spears said. “Our target population is youth in foster care, kinship, and aged-out foster youth. We work directly with foster family agencies, group homes, or, as they are now called, short-term therapeutic residential living.” We provide resources “in the form of the residential needs, and for the transitional age foster youth, we help them with their daily needs.” In addition to focusing on housing needs of youths, the organization also offers assistance with food and education resources. “If there’s food insecurity, we provide gift cards for food,” Spears said. “We’ve provided laptops for those that are in college who don’t receive a laptop from the institution. And for foster youth, we have two main programs.” One of them is called

Los Angeles County’s two largest juvenile detention facilities, at risk of closure for failing to meet minimum standards of safety and care, won a last-minute reprieve Thursday, April 11, when state regulators allowed them to remain open. The Board of State and Community Corrections, the regulatory board overseeing California’s prisons and juvenile halls, voted to lift its “unsuitable” designation for both Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey and the Barry J. Nidorf Secure Youth Treatment Facility in Sylmar. Both facilities could have been forced to shut down April 16 because of failed inspections over the past year, though no backup plan existed to relocate the hundreds of youths housed there. “No way should this be considered by anybody in our virtual audience, or in this room, as ‘Mission Accomplished’ by L.A.,” said BSCC chair Linda Penner, the former chief probation officer for Fresno County. “Your mission now is sustainability and durability. We need continued compliance.” The vote passed by a much more narrow margin than is typical for the board, with only six of the 13 board members offering support. Three voted against it, saying

Los Angeles County’s two largest juvenile detention facilities, at risk of closure for failing to meet minimum standards of safety and care, won a last-minute reprieve Thursday, April 11, when state regulators allowed them to remain open. The Board of State and Community Corrections, the regulatory board overseeing California’s prisons and juvenile halls, voted to lift its “unsuitable” designation for both Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey and the Barry J. Nidorf Secure Youth Treatment Facility in Sylmar. Both facilities could have been forced to shut down April 16 because of failed inspections over the past year, though no backup plan existed to relocate the hundreds of youths housed there. “No way should this be considered by anybody in our virtual audience, or in this room, as ‘Mission Accomplished’ by L.A.,” said BSCC chair Linda Penner, the former chief probation officer for Fresno County. “Your mission now is sustainability and durability. We need continued compliance.” The vote passed by a much more narrow margin than is typical for the board, with only six of the 13 board members offering support. Three voted against it, saying

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