November was an amazing time for our country and even for little Chino Hills. Economic turmoil, 401K plans being attacked, Prop 8 tensions, electing a new president, the state fumbling their way into more debt and our wildland fire gave this month a special significance. These local and national items have to be balanced with what happens within our own daily lives. Denise and I give thanks that son Brett arrived home safely from his second tour in Iraq. We are truly amazed that men and women continue to answer the call to serve our nation; just check out the Champion to see their young faces. It's privilege for us to help son Kyle and Sarah buy their first house. It's a privilege waiting for son Jarad to launch. I loved sitting with all three boys one evening as they laughed about the past and talked of the future. Did I mention I love this time of year? Finally, for thousands of residents this holiday season became a lot more significant with the wildfire during the middle of November.
1) Here are some brief thoughts about the fire and its aftermath for our community. 13,000 acres burned in CH with no loss of life or a home. Fifty engine companies were staged in Carbon Canyon Saturday night waiting for the flames to reach us. Countless others were waiting in Vellano. Our integration and communication with fire, police, Orange County, outside agencies helping us, can and will get better after we debrief our actions. Our Emergency Operations Center was used for the first time and I can now see its value. Council members traveled around to see our community. I saw our EOC in action, saw the Ayala evacuation site house hundreds of people, saw the police patrolling neighborhoods, saw our visiting firefighters on the line in CC, saw our Citizens On Patrol manning intersections, saw our reserves deputies in action, saw everyone with little or no sleep, saw individuals and businesses donate food to help out. It was amazing... and I, along with the entire city council, thank each and every one of you.
2) The Government Center now open with the Library opening at the end of January. Tours of the Library/Government Center is expected to be scheduled on a Saturday at the end of January.
3) The old Civic Center Community Building will continue to accept registration for recreation classes. The Fire building, Community building, and the Children's section of the Library were added in 1999 and they will remain to be used for recreation classes and programs. Currently an architect is in the design phase of a facility that may include an aquatics complex, gymnasium, and community center at this location.
4) Search Warrant Sweep: About 70 police officers from the region made numerous attempts to serve warrants and netted 30 arrests in Chino Hills and the county region of this area (includes parts of Chino, Montclair and San Antonio Heights). The biggest excitement for the night was a pursuit of a stolen vehicle driven by some gang members in the county, which ended up with the suspects trying to ram the deputies unit. All the suspects were arrested with no officers injured.
5) Ayala HS sponsored a marching band and flag extravaganza with bands throughout the region participating. It was great as Chino Hills High and Ayala High were very impressive and showcased their wonderful routines.
6) Don't forget to do your holiday shopping in Chino Hills. When you shop in Chino Hills 1% of your total sales tax is returned directly to the City's general fund to support City services. For example, if you plan to spend $500 on taxable holiday purchases for items like gifts, wrapping paper, beverages, $5 will be returned to the City. It may not sound like much, but with over 23,000 households in Chino Hills, holiday shopping will pay for one more Deputy to patrol our community. Just as important is this community can keep our businesses afloat and people employed during these difficult times. Shop CH First!
7) If you are like me, you love the sights and sounds of this holiday season. Come celebrate with residents of Chino Hills by lighting the City's tree at the Community Tree Lighting Ceremony at the new civic center on Saturday, December 6, 2008 at 6 PM. There are some great family events held from 3 ' 8 PM that evening: enjoy refreshments, entertainment, arts and crafts projects, and a special visit from Santa Claus. Families can even ice skate on our new synthetic rink. Some great family events during December include: A) Home Decorating Contest B) Breakfast with Santa C) Santa visits your Home (I love the fat guy!) C) Letters to Santa Program. Check out the recreation brochure that was mailed home in November.
8) A true, original tradition... the CHINO HILLS BOAT PARADE. The Kiwanis Club of Chino Hills will host this event on Tuesday, December 23rd. The parade will begin at Eucalyptus Avenue and go north on Peyton Drive and swing around The Shoppes. Bring your chairs and blankets. Watch for more details in the local newspaper.
9) The city has received over 100 applicants for the 2008 Adopt-A-Family program. We need donors to adopt these families for the holiday season. Those interested in adopting a family can complete a form at www.chinohills.org and submit it to the Recreation Division or call Christine Martinez at 364-2702. They will be matched with a family size of their choosing.
10) Got Gray Garbage? Chino Hills residents can order a second gray recycling container to handle the extra recyclables generated by gift-wrapping, holiday parties, and family gatherings during the holiday season. The second recyclable container is FREE and can be used for holiday wrapping paper, boxes, cans, bottles, and other recyclables. Green trash containers can also be ordered for an additional $5.37 per month. To order an additional green or gray container, please call Chino Hills Disposal toll free at (866) 238-2444. Chino Hills Disposal requires customers to keep the extra container for a minimum of six months or pay a service charge.
11) Updated list of Shoppes stores coming soon: Bedol What's Next, Dolcissimo, Farm Boy, Final Score Apparel, Harveys, Jody Maroni's Sausage Kingdom, Le Creuset, Modo Mio Cucina Rustica Ristorante, and Forever XXI.
12) Update list for Commons stores coming soon: Corner Bakery, Pei Wei, Wahoo's, Ruby Tuesday, Wine Down, The Broiler, Ichikawa, Arby's, and Diamond and Designs.
13) A developer has submitted plans for a retail/office development located on the east side of Butterfield Ranch Road, west of the SR-71 Freeway and the Richland Park site, and south of the Sterling Downs Apartments. The development is to consist of 13 office/retail buildings on a 16.53-acre site.
14) A new Marriott TownePlace Suites hotel is proposed at the Golden Triangle at Chino Hills, located at the northeast corner of Soquel Canyon Parkway and east of Pomona Rincon Road. The hotel is proposed to be a 57K square feet, four-story, 118-room hotel.
15) Here is my two cents about the proposed elementary school closures that worried our Glenmead and Los Serranos parents. Of course, no one is in favor of closing any school. In fact, at the school forums before the election, all 7 candidates said they are in favor of neighborhood schools. Closures hurt the local areas and affect the heart and soul of any community. That being said, the school board has a difficult task ahead in determining where they make cuts if needed. Any decision will require great 'political will' and they must balance that with all the competing interests of the entire district. That's why we have local government, to make those tough decisions here and not in Sacramento.
16) We were recently awarded a grant of $856k to use for improvements in Los Serranos for curbs, sidewalks, and gutters.
17) In the design phase is a Community Building that will be located next to the McCoy Equestrian and Recreation Center on Peyton Drive across the street from Ayala High School. The building would provide additional meeting room and programming space and include a room large enough for 250-300 people to dine.
18) Curt Hagman has left the city council and become the State Assemblyman for the 60th District. He will live here and commute each Monday through Thursday to Sacramento. Thanks for your years of service and bring home the 'bacon'. I believe I speak for all of us in wishing him 'Good Luck'. The state budget awaits your input!
19) Here are some interesting factoids: A) the OC toll roads in July had 7.6 million transactions and revenue of $16M for the month. B) I attended the Boys Republic Awards Ceremony where $105K was handed out to deserving students. C) Copper wire thieves were foiled at Grand Ave. Park. They ran off without taking anything. D) To ship a container from China now costs about $9K, which is triple what it was in 2003. This adds 10% duty to the cost of the item. 'Made in America' doesn't sound as expensive now.
20) California Men's Prison was selected by the state for placement of a medical/mental health facility and is now going through an EIR process. The news was a crushing disappointment to elected officials in Chino along with our council. We have been community partners who have been fighting the placement of this type of facility for years. Even our proposal of revamping the entire prison to include an updated prison and resources for job training along with a smaller medical facility fell on deaf ears. The state prison system needs innovative thinking, but it appears that is not possible at the moment.
21) Call Code Enforcement at (909) 364-2757 to report property maintenance issues.
22) CH is still in Stage 2 of a water alert. The City's new Water Conservation Ordinance has gone into effect and many residents are doing their part to prevent water waste. Calls reporting bad watering habits have increased in the past month. On a more positive note, you can request a home water audit. The water audits not only help residents become aware of water waste, but also aid the City in complying with the Best Management Practices of the California Urban Water Conservation Council. The water audit consists of a two-person team making a personal visit to your home. A survey of the number of gallons used for all faucets, toilets, and a check for any leaks is made on the interior of the home. The exterior survey consists of measuring the turf area, examining the timing of the irrigation system and checking the irrigation for water waste. In most instances, a minimum 30% reduction in water use can be made while still achieving a beautiful yard. A personal follow-up is scheduled with the resident to discuss the findings and recommendations.
23) The California Attorney General filed a lawsuit against artificial turf companies regarding alleged violations of Prop 65. His lawsuit has nothing to do with the safety of artificial turf. Prop 65 is a consumer labeling issue. The state wants any product that has any traces of chemicals must be labeled as such, even if the traces are 1000x below any state or federal allowable levels. This is the same issue for children's toys, kitchen tile, house and car carpeting, etc. Both the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Center for Disease Control have concluded that children are "not at risk from exposure to lead" from playing on artificial surfaces. For a direct link to the CPSC report, visit www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml08/08348.html
As always, please feel free to call or email.
Council Member Ed
