Local

By Tess Eyrich

In 2010, during the last decennial population count, nearly one in four Inland Empire households didn’t mail back their census questionnaire. What’s more, another 40,000 people throughout the region didn’t receive a questionnaire by mail at all.

Why does this matter? Because undercounted regions miss out on vital federal and state funding, hindering potential growth in those regions for years to come. In a place like the Inland Empire, which has seen significant growth over the past decade, missing out on funding could be especially damaging. 

This fall, staffers and students at the University of California, Riverside, are mobilizing in a variety of ways to ensure a more accurate regional population count in 2020. 

Leading the charge is the Center for Social Innovation, which two weeks ago spearheaded the formation of UCR Counts, the university’s official Complete Count Committee. An initiative of the U.S. Census Bureau, the Complete Count Committees program is key to creating census awareness in communities nationwide through targeted outreach efforts.

UCR Counts brings together representatives from the center, which is housed within the School of Public Policy; Student Life; Governmental & Community Relations; the Associated Students of UC Riverside, or ASUCR; and Undocumented Student Programs.

Complementing the committee’s efforts, on Oct. 16, ASUCR passed its first Senate Resolution of the fall 2019 quarter, encouraging  student leaders, student organizations, and administrators to participate in census efforts.

The resolution was co-authored by Eric Calderon and Luis Huerta, two members of ASUCR’s Executive Cabinet who also serve as student representatives on UCR Counts. It emphasizes UCR’s responsibility to host informational sessions about the census and promote census education and resources on campus. 

Perhaps more importantly, however, it underscores the university’s role in driving outreach to so-called “hard-to-count” communities, including undocumented immigrants, non-English speakers and/or households, and racial and ethnic minorities, among other groups. 

“One key statement in the resolution that will drive our work is, ‘Students are often important advocates, translators, guides, and trusted messengers for their family, friends, and community,’” said Marlenee Blas, associate director of the Center for Social Innovation, who is leading the on-campus census efforts. “We’re really relying on our students as trusted messengers for their communities.” 

During a visit with members of UCR Counts on Oct. 24, Ditas Katague, director of California Complete Count, the office coordinating census efforts statewide, discussed the importance of UCR’s work and shared outreach strategies. 

“Our hard-to-count populations in California are full of fear,” she said. The current political climate, Katague noted, has increased wariness among many people in hard-to-count communities, which also include low-income groups, people experiencing homelessness, and those living in rural or geographically isolated areas.  

“People keep asking, ‘What’s different this year?’” she added. “But what they should be asking is, ‘How can we make the difference?’ Because everyone knows the political environment this year is different. But for me, what’s going to make the difference is the youth — period.”

Katague said the Census Bureau’s pivot to a digital format in lieu of traditional paper questionnaires puts young people on the forefront of outreach and education efforts. 

For the first time, the bureau is asking most people to answer the census online. Katague believes this opens up a realm of opportunities to promote the census through social media, for example, as well as for young people to help their older relatives and friends with completing it.

Katague was joined in the visit to UCR by Mignonne Pollard, education outreach manager for California Complete Count, and Quintilia Ávila, regional program manager for California Complete Count’s efforts throughout Southern California. 

Pollard said California Complete Count will work over the next year to partner with the University of California, individual UC campuses, and UC’s various Basic Needs programs to ensure harder-to-count populations are reached in 2020. 

The statewide team will also use the recently passed ASUCR resolution as an example when visiting other universities to promote census efforts, they said.

On campus, UCR Counts has plans to collaborate with several departments and groups, such as Residential Life, the ethnic and gender programs based in Costo Hall, and the Academic Senate.

A major aspect of the Oct. 24 meeting involved figuring out how UCR Counts might better connect with undocumented students, in particular, and those with ties to other hard-to-count populations both in the region and statewide.

The campus committee builds on the Center for Social Innovation’s ongoing work in coordinating census outreach efforts across Riverside and San Bernardino counties, said Karthick Ramakrishnan, a professor of public policy and political science who serves as director of both the center and the Inland Empire Complete Count Committee.

“Efforts like UCR Counts will give students a once-in-a-decade opportunity to deepen their applied research skills and serve their communities, either through paid census job opportunities or through service-learning opportunities that draw on their talents and passions,” Ramakrishnan said.

Likewise, Blas emphasized that UCR students — many of whom are Pell Grant recipients and first-generation college students — have the potential to make big impacts in their communities.

Students can assist with the committee’s efforts by talking to their families and friends about why it’s important to participate in the census. The census will take place on April 1, in the middle of the first week of the spring 2020 quarter, making spring break a prime time for initiating conversations with loved ones about how to participate.

“Concentrate your efforts on the hardest of the hard to count,” Katague said. “And please document everything you’re doing,” she added, so that in another 10 years, the campus might be able to follow the blueprint established by UCR Counts. 

FONTANA, CA—- The Fontana Pastors United is having their first community block party on Saturday, November 16, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Fontana.  Father Stephen Casmus has agreed to co-host the event and he is excited to bring the community into his church and being to help those in need. The Loveland Church, under the direction of Dr. Chuck Singleton, will host the event.

They are expecting hundreds to be in attendance, so come early. At the event, there will be free food, free groceries,  free gifts and prizes for the kids, free clothes and free health checks, job resources. The host church will be Loveland Church located at 17977 W Merrill Avenue, Fontana, CA 92335. Pastor Kevin Moore is an associate minister of Loveland and CEO for Fontana Pastors United organized the event.

You are invited to come and have a great time, churches from around Fontana will be in unity and one accord. We are the body of Christ and members of one another. For more information call Pastor Kevin Moore at 909-829-0171 or Loveland Church at 909-356-LOVE or contact Father Stephen Casmus at 909-822-9917. You can preregister at sbpastorsunited.org. Thank you. “Providing hope to a Generation”.  The Fontana Pastors United is praying for You.

LOS ANGELES, CA—-  2,390 participants came together at the LA Zoo November 2 to walk for friends, family and loved ones affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Amongst the crowd were caregivers, those living with Alzheimer’s, civic leaders, celebrities and members of the community who want to play a part in fighting a disease that affects 5.8 million Americans.  Friday the Association announced the event has surpassed its fundraising goal of $750,000.

Funds raised at the event provide free, local care, support and advocacy, as well as research initiatives. Monies raised also fund the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline (800.272.3900), which offers services in 200 languages.

During the walk’s opening ceremony FOXLA Good Day LA Host Rita Garcia and FOXLA Anchor Bob DeCastro brought the crowd to tears as they shared their personal journeys with Alzheimer’s disease.

“My grandma passed away after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2012. I can’t tell you how difficult of a journey it was to watch the disease  progress so fast and so deliberate in such a strong and independent woman,” Garcia said. “It was heartbreaking to constantly remind her of who she was, who we were, how much she had taught all her granddaughters and how we would continue with her legacy of traditions, customs and, my favorite, her special dishes.  I walk in honor of by dear grandma.”

Nikki DeLoach, actress and Alzheimer’s Association Celebrity Champion, shared her personal commitment to the cause in honor of her dad, who is living with Pick’s disease, a rare form of dementia.

“The road with dementia is a long, winding, emotional battle,” said DeLoach. “But today, we were reminded that by coming together at Walk to End Alzheimer’s we are paving the way to finding a cure for this devastating disease, and supporting one another on this journey.”

This year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s Los Angeles welcomed a new partnership with Tandem Careplanning, a public benefit corporation that helps clients and caregivers obtain and manage in-home care relationships.

“As a company that strives to be a partner throughout the caregiving journey, Tandem Careplanning is proud to support the Alzheimer’s Association and work together to ensure continued improvement in care and research for a disease that affects many of our clients,” said Joshua Greer, CEO and co-founder of Tandem Careplanning.

DeCastro summarized the energy that brought everyone together to raise awareness and funds for those fighting this disease now and in the future.

“From the people living with Alzheimer’s to their caregivers, it takes an incredible amount of compassion and courage to cope with this devastating disease.  With the same love, strength and faith we will someday find a cure,” he said.

Of the Americans living with Alzheimer’s in the United States,  more than  670,000 in California. Additionally, more than 16 million family members and friends provide care and support to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Every 65 seconds someone in the U.S. develops the disease.

The final walk of the 2019 Walk to End Alzheimer’s California Southland 14-city series will take place November 9 in Palm Desert. For more information, visit alz.org/walk.

By Holly Ober

“It shouldn’t be about country club California. This should be a California everyone can live in,” said Christopher Thornberg, director of the UC Riverside School of Business Center for Economic Forecasting and Development, neatly summarizing the theme of the center’s 2019 annual conference. 

“The House That Wasn’t Built. Housing Scarcity: The Inland Empire’s Natural Barrier to Economic Growth” was held Nov. 6 at the Riverside Convention Center. It coincided with the release of a new economic forecast for the U.S., California, and Inland Empire economies.

Thornberg said that contrary to the bleak vision of inland California embedded in some statewide economic development agendas, the Inland Empire, which consists of Riverside and San Bernardino counties, has a robust economy and the 14th largest labor force in the nation. Over the past five years the Inland Empire joined the Bay Area in fastest job growth in the state. The region’s unemployment rate of 4% is the lowest it has ever been, equaling that of Los Angeles, and it has the same income per level of educational attainment as Los Angeles and Orange counties. 

However, while coastal areas boast large, highly paid professional and technical sectors, healthcare, government, and logistics dominate the Inland Empire’s economy. These jobs often require less education and fewer skills, and generally pay less than jobs in technology, finance, and educated professions that lead the coast. 

Rather than regard this as an impediment to developing the kind of economy found in coastal California, Thornberg suggested the Inland Empire’s labor force and housing supply have been necessary supports to California’s growth all along and comparison to coastal areas is both methodologically unsound and unfair. 

“Comparing local economies to San Jose is like comparing your health to an Olympic athlete,” Thornberg said. “The only place that looks like San Jose is San Jose.”

The housing supply, however, has not kept pace with the population, which over the past 25 years has grown three times faster than that of the coast. Apartment vacancies, for example, are at less than 4%. The region is not building enough housing, and neither are Los Angeles and Orange counties. This situation will increase regional competition for housing that is already pushing out the Inland Empire’s workforce as housing grows scarcer and rents rise. While some worry the rich are leaving California in droves, far more people at the other end of the spectrum are abandoning the state for places like Nevada and Arizona, where housing is available and affordable. 

The Center for Economic Forecasting’s analysis indicates a crisis of housing supply, not affordability. California has the second lowest vacancy rate in the nation and the highest percentage of adults living with parents. Thornberg said California needs to be issuing 200,000-250,000 building permits per year to sustain a 2% job growth rate but is only doing 130,000.

“Lower-skilled workers moved inland because coastal areas put the kibosh on housing 20 years ago,” Thornberg said. “It’s like we’re saying, ‘We already kicked you out of the coastal areas; now we want to kick you out of the inland, too.’”

The center’s analysis finds the housing problem is a land use issue that needs to be solved at the local level. Thornberg said a poorly thought-out tax model exacerbates the housing crisis. Most city revenue comes from business taxes, which encourages local governments to invest in business development, not housing. If cities have to build housing, they want it to be high-end and often enact restrictive laws to prevent high-density alternatives that attract lower-income occupants, like apartment complexes. 

“Baby Boomers are often the primary opponents of housing because they’ve got theirs already,” said speaker Steve PonTell, chief executive officer and president of National Community Renaissance, or National CORE, a nonprofit affordable housing developer with a focus on community revitalization. He said high-density housing does reduce home value, but self-interest shouldn’t influence a city’s housing decisions.

PonTell said the Inland Empire’s key to continued economic development is to build more housing, but the region has overzoned and overbuilt for business and underzoned and underbuilt for housing. 

“Housing should be considered a necessary infrastructure,” he said. “Cities can make this happen. Inland Empire cities should lead when it comes to how cities solve these problems. We need to be more aggressive about how we come together to do that.”

Paavo Monkkonen, an associate professor of urban planning and public policy at UCLA, said in his presentation that cities could add more housing by building to zoning capacity. One example would be to build up, not out — think high-rise apartments in urban centers instead of single-family homes in sprawling subdivisions. He also said building more housing in high-rent areas will spur economic development. 

“The decisions that need to be made to continue amazing growth in the Inland Empire are local,” said Thornberg. “We need to start having these land use conversations and making decisions.”

In addition, the Center for Economic Forecasting also released its new economic forecast with current outlooks for the U.S., California, and Inland Empire economies. A copy of the forecast and conference book can be downloaded in its entirety here.

Select key findings:

• Of all the industrial and business development in the Inland Empire, rapid expansion occurring at the Ontario International Airport is a standout. Year-over-year growth in passenger traffic at the airport has jumped 9.6% compared to 0.3% growth at Los Angeles International Airport and a 3.4% drop at John Wayne Airport in Orange County.
• Due to the multiple ways employment is measured by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the California Employment Development Department, and due to a lag in some of the data, the new forecast finds current monthly figures may be underestimating the Inland Empire’s true jobs growth trends. There is a good chance growth levels will be revised upward when the annual benchmarking occurs in March 2020. 
• Despite the trade war that has been underway since March 2018 with some of California’s most vital trading partners, the Inland Empire’s logistics sector has continued to grow at a robust pace, with 3% job expansion from August 2018 to August 2019. 
• As of the second quarter of 2019, average rent in the Inland Empire reached $1,390/month, a 3.8% year-over-year increase. Notably, rents are most expensive in submarkets closest to L.A. County where vacancy rates are also the lowest, indicating higher demand, likely from commuters who drive to the coast for work.
• Sales of existing single-family homes in the Inland Empire were down 6.4% in the first half of 2019 while they fell 7.2% statewide. The pullback can partially be traced to last year’s sharp rise in interest rates and limits on mortgage deductibility that resulted from the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The good news is 2018’s surge in interest rates has largely been erased, and today’s lower rates should stimulate the market.
• Yield curve, schmield curve: The strong correlation in this data to the onset of a recession is traditionally driven by the Federal Reserve raising short-term interest rates to cool an overheating economy. The inverted yield curve is like the skid marks left behind after trying to avoid going over a cliff. But in this case, the U.S. is not facing a cliff. The national economy is stable and the expansion will continue.

RIVERSIDE, CA— The planet Mercury will pass in front of the sun on Monday, November 11, and telescopes at the University of California, Riverside, will be ready to observe the latter part of the transit.

Reporters and the public are invited to the free event from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., with free parking in Lot 26. No RSVP needed. (The transit will commence at 4:35 a.m., Pacific Time, and end at 10:04 a.m., Pacific Time.)

The telescopes will be positioned in the softball field on campus, in the UCR Baseball Complex.

After November 11, the next Mercury transit will be in 2032.

YUCAIPA, CA— Austin Olive hopes to make the Paralympic swimming team in 2024.

The 18-year-old Yucaipa resident is working hard to improve his time in the water and build his muscles. But along the way, Olive will have to qualify for a chance to make the team during events like the recent California Classic at Crafton Hills College.

Held October 26 and 27 in CHC’s Aquatics Center, the Classic – hosted by US Paralympic Swimming – put a spotlight on para-athletes looking to showcase their abilities as they compete against their peers in several events.

The meet was open to swimmers from all over the United States with any physical, visual or intellectual impairment. Several will move on to the Paralympics next year in Tokyo, while others like Olive are focused on future Games.

Olive – or Auggie as he’s known – found swimming after he found it difficult to keep up with his peers on the baseball field. Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, swimming opened several doors for Yucaipa High School alumnus, particularly when it came to addressing his competitive spirit, said a family member at the event.

“Swimming makes me feel weightless,” said the current CHC student. “When I’m in the water, I don’t feel anything weighing me down both emotionally and physically. My stress and anxiety go down when I’m in the pool.”

Several athletes at the Classic have similar stories, some of which are known while others are still being discovered. Event organizers invited the community to the event with the intent of introducing competitors to local residents.

Several took US Paralympic Swimming up on its offer.

“One of the greatest things about this day in age is the Games are becoming more and more visible,” said Erin Popovich, associate director of the organization. “And when we can involve communities who do not get to see the Paralympics in person or on TV, once they see something like this, they understand it.”

The next stop for Augie and the other 44 Classic athletes is the National Championships in Dallas, Texas, in December. Popovich said the championships will lead to the Paralympic Games in Tokyo next summer. And then the fun starts all over again in anticipation of the 2024 Games in Paris, France, she added with a chuckle.

Twenty-twenty-four sounds like it is a lifetime away, but Augie has no plans on slowing down just yet.

“It’s pretty cool how fast I can swim even though I’m getting older and my muscles are growing,” said Olive. “Just because someone has a disability doesn’t mean they should be counted out. Do not ever give up.”

You can follow the progress leading to the Paralympics online atwww.paralympic.org/paralympic-games.

RIVERSIDE, CA—- A new television series for FX billed as “The Old Man,” starring Jeff Bridges, filmed in Idyllwild on Oct. 30.

The show is based on the Thomas Perry novel about a former CIA agent who has been living off-the-grid, until an assassin enters the picture.

“The Old Man” marks the first starring role on TV for the Academy Award winning actor Bridges.

The Film Commission was able to meet the needs of the film production in downtown Idyllwild, while taking into account the impact to the local businesses.

“The Film Commission attracts productions to our unincorporated communities, such as Idyllwild, where they create a strong, positive economic impact to local businesses,” explained Riverside County Film Commissioner Bettina Breckenfeld. “It leaves us with interesting movie stars and productions to tout for future projects.”

The Film Commission works with county partners to coordinate traffic and pedestrian flow around the production to ensure safety and minimize delays.

“The Old Man” wrapped up filming in downtown Idyllwild on the eve of the community’s annual Halloween Parade and Carnival on Oct. 31.

“Come on up to Idyllwild for a good ol’ fashion, down-home Halloween,” said event organizer Chris Singer. “We’ll even have a costume contest for humans and dogs.”

Idyllwild’s Halloween Parade kicks-off at 4:15 p.m. on Oct. 31 at the top of North Circle Drive, followed by a carnival at 7 p.m.

There will be trick-or-treating at local businesses, a dunk tank, face painting and cake walk. With a $5 wristband, carnival goers can also enjoy other games and jump houses.

The Riverside County Film Commission assists with easy online permits, incentives and locations for films, TV shows, commercials and music videos in Riverside County. The office provides professional, expedited concierge services from start to finish. Go to www.FilmRiversideCounty.com  for more information.

Family members and advocates to hold vigil for Vickie Lee Hammonds, who died in custody at the California Institution for Women (CIW) 

CORONA, CA—- The family of Vickie Lee Hammonds and California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP) will hold a vigil and peaceful demonstration on November 9th, 3pm PST at the California Institution for Women (CIW) state prison in protest of her preventable death while incarcerated. 

Vickie Lee Hammonds’ death on June 5th was one in a long series of avoidable injuries, suicides and preventable deaths caused by a culture of negligence that persists throughout the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and at CIW in particular, despite years of public scrutiny. In the weeks leading up to her death, Vickie––diagnosed with COPD and diabetes––had repeatedly informed CIW staff that it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to breathe. Multiple witnesses report that her repeated requests for emergency care were sidelined or ignored. 

“Our sister Vickie was not just an inmate with a CDCR number, she was a daughter, sister, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother,” said Alma Hammonds, sister of the victim, from a statement on behalf of Vickie’s family. “We all want to know why she was so neglected and allowed to die.” 

Advocates for prisoners held in CIW, which was once identified as having a suicide rate 8x the national average, report a wide range of troubling issues plaguing the facility: refusal to provide emergency medical care by custody and medical staff; incredibly long wait times to have medical needs met; botched surgeries; and extreme medical indifference to people suffering with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes. 

“The State of California, the CDCR and CIW have to take responsibility for in-custody deaths, the neglect that allows them to continue, and the callousness of their collective response when they occur,” said CCWP organizer Eva Nagao.  “We’re here to support Vickie’s family in their demand for justice, and to make sure others in the prisons know we are watching––that we’re fighting alongside them for their survival.”

TIME: 3pm PST 

DATE: Saturday, Nov 9th, 2019 

LOCATION:  In front of CIW Prison (16756 Chino Corona Rd, Corona, CA 92880) 

This Veteran’s Day, Black Angus Steakhouse is taking some time to stop and salute the brave men and women who have served in the United States armed forces.

To honor our veterans and active-duty military this year, on November 11, Black Angus will be offering an “All American Steak Plate” for only $9.99.

The All American Steak plate includes an 8 oz. Certified Angus Beef® Top Sirloin steak with mashed potatoes, fresh broccoli with garlic butter, and a non-alcoholic beverage for only $9.99. 

OFFER DETAILS:

• Valid on November 11, 2019 only for all veterans and active-duty military
• No coupon necessary
• Offer valid one per veteran or active duty military personnel
• Military Guest must display valid Military ID or other proof of service
• Spouse and other military dependents are not eligible
• Offer is valid with coupons other party members would like to use
• Offer includes non-alcoholic beverages only (coffee, milk, tea and soda)
• Offer good throughout the entire restaurant, including BullsEye Bar
• Dine-in Only not valid for takeout or delivery
• No Substitutions
• $15 Be Our Guest may not be used for this promotion

YUCAIPA, CA – Nominations for the 2020 Outstanding Alumni Award from Crafton Hills College are being accepted through November 25. This prestigious award recognizes and honors the exceptional individuals whose attendance at Crafton helped them achieve their educational and professional goals, enabling great service to their communities. Each year, the Crafton Hills College Foundation recognizes a former student who exemplifies the dynamic and positive qualities the Crafton experience strives to produce. The Crafton Hills College Foundation Gala Committee reviews nominations and makes a final selection.  Nominees are judged on their accomplishments in their chosen fields and for their community service. The selected recipient is presented with the award as an honored guest at the Annual Foundation Gala, Dinner and Auction each spring.

Nominees can self-nominate or be nominated by someone else. Nomination forms can be found online at www.craftonhills.edu/alumni. For more information, contact the CHC Foundation at 909-389-3245.

Criteria for Nomination:

• Candidate attended Crafton Hills College and completed credit courses.
• The candidate demonstrates achievement of an exceptional nature and shows professional growth within their chosen field.
• Through leadership or active volunteering, the candidate has made a positive impact on their respective community.
• If selected, the candidate agrees to be present at the Foundation Gala on April 18, 2020, to accept the award.

Past recipients:

• 2019 – David Avila
• 2018 – Steve Leverette
• 2017 – Troy Mondragon
• 2016 – Lea Deesing
• 2015 – Scott McNaul Hernandez
• 2014 – Michael J. Smith
• 2013 – Raquel Prieto