Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, CA) articles from August 2003

Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, CA) archives from August 2003

Developer Wins Judgment against San Bernardino County, Calif., Flood Basin.
August 29, 2003... Byline: Lisa C. Berghouse Aug. 29--RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif.--San Bernardino County has no right to a flood control basin at the heart of the Colonies at San Antonio development in north Upland, a judge ruled Thursday. The ruling, by...

California Real Estate Guru Predicts Period of Euphoria Is Waning.
August 29, 2003... Byline: Mike Rappaport Aug. 29--POMONA, Calif. -- Real estate guru Bruce Norris said he had been looking forward to this particular day for a long time. About six years ago, Norris had told a disbelieving audience at the Real Estate...

Ontario, Calif., Auto Dealers Beef Up Security after Ecoterrorist Attacks.
August 28, 2003... Byline: Melissa Pinion-Whitt Aug. 28--ONTARIO, Calif.--Police and two of the city's largest auto dealerships have teamed up to prevent a repeat of last week's ecoterrorist attacks on San Gabriel Valley dealerships. Ontario police...

Fontana, Calif., Endangered-Fly Preserve Plan Requires Rare Dehli Sands.
August 28, 2003... Byline: Naomi Kresge Aug. 28--Should the city of Fontana wish to build an ideal Delhi Sands flower-loving fly preserve on the south end of town, it might have to import as many as 120 truckloads of rare sand. Released this week, a...

Toyota Truck Axle Plant in Ontario, Calif., Is Preparing for Full Operation.
August 28, 2003... Byline: Kevin Smith Aug. 28--ONTARIO, Calif.--A manufacturing plant that will produce axles for Toyota Motor Corp.'s popular Tacoma pickup truck will be fully operational by this time next year, officials said Wednesday. Hino Motors...

California Insurance Commissioner Says Workers' Comp Affects State's Economy.
August 28, 2003... Byline: David M. Drucker Aug. 28--SACRAMENTO, Calif.--Unless lawmakers approve wholesale workers' compensation insurance reform within weeks, employees should prepare to collect unemployment or follow their companies out of state,...

Upland, Calif., Planners Approve Tract Map for Housing Development, Open Space.
August 28, 2003... Byline: Lisa C. Berghouse Aug. 28--UPLAND, Calif.--The Upland Planning Commission approved plans for 102 acres of housing and open space for the Colonies at San Antonio development at its meeting Wednesday night. Development company...

Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Attracts Five New Hotel Projects.
August 28, 2003... Byline: Conor Friedersdorf Aug. 28--RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif.--In a quiet industrial park across the street from Ontario Mills, developers are planning to build five new hotels that will break Ontario's near monopoly on accommodations for...

Chino Hills, Calif., Vote Allows Massage Clinics to Offer Refreshments.
August 27, 2003... Byline: Blanca E. Sanchez Aug. 27--CHINO HILLS, Calif.--The City Council on Tuesday voted to allow massage clinics to provide food and beverages -- including alcohol -- to their clients. After some discussion about excluding alcohol...

Political Commercial from 2002 May Haunt California's Bustamante in Recall.
August 27, 2003... Byline: David M. Drucker Aug. 27--SACRAMENTO, Calif.--Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, the only established Democrat running in the recall, has tried to separate himself from Gov. Gray Davis and makes no secret of his dislike for the embattled...

Montclair, Calif., Shopping Plaza Loses Two Tenants, but Gains Four.
August 27, 2003... Byline: Mike Rappaport Aug. 27--MONTCLAIR, Calif.--Montclair Plaza is losing two tenants, but there won't be any new vacancies in the area's second-largest shopping mall. The Wherehouse, which is going through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy...

Need for New Teachers Declines in Soft Economy as People Accept Pay.
August 27, 2003... Byline: Mira Katz Aug. 27--The teacher shortage that once had school districts in the Inland Valley and throughout the nation scrambling to find enough instructors has temporarily eased significantly as the economy has cooled, according...

California Gasoline Prices Skyrocket; Skeptical Drivers Look for Relief.
August 26, 2003... Byline: Kevin Smith Aug. 26--Highway robbery. That's the phrase Inland Valley motorists are using as they grapple with ever-rising gas prices. And one industry expert figures it'll be another two months before they return to more...

California Existing-Home Prices Climb; Analysts Disagree on What Future Holds.
August 26, 2003... Byline: Mike Rappaport Aug. 26--The median price of an existing home, both locally and statewide, continued to climb rapidly in July, and local analysts disagree on whether this is the storm before the calm -- or just more of the same....

Developer Threatens to Sue San Bernardino County, Calif., over Land Rights.
August 26, 2003... Byline: Lisa C. Berghouse Aug. 26--A developer of the Colonies at San Antonio in Upland says his company will sue San Bernardino County for $200 million unless the county agrees to settle a land-rights lawsuit before a judge rules on the...

Developer Tackles New Project in La Verne, Calif.
August 22, 2003... Byline: Mike Rappaport Aug. 22--LA VERNE, Calif.--Bill Fox built one company from the ground up -- and now he's looking for another challenge. Some years back, Fox used some extra student loan money to build a house and sell it, a...

Developer, Agencies Settle Lawsuits over Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Project.
August 21, 2003... Byline: Lisa C. Berghouse Aug. 21--RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif.--There was a huge sigh of relief Wednesday when five groups came together at West Valley Superior Court and settled three lawsuits concerning the Colonies at San Antonio...

Statewide Poll Shows Wide Support for Recall in California.
August 21, 2003... Byline: David M. Drucker Aug. 21--SACRAMENTO, Calif.--A right-wing cabal won't be to blame if Democratic Gov. Gray Davis is recalled Oct. 7, and most likely voters don't believe dumping him prematurely is bad for the state, according to...

Southwest Airlines Flight Attendants Demonstrate at Ontario, Calif., Airport.
August 21, 2003... Byline: Mike Rappaport Aug. 21--ONTARIO, Calif.--The line of flight attendants carrying signs snaked in and out of Terminal 4 at Ontario International Airport on Wednesday. "We love you, please love us, tell Southwest to stop the...

Fontana, Calif., Looks to Create Wedding District Out of Struggling Downtown.
August 21, 2003... Byline: Naomi Kresge Aug. 21--Drive the streets of downtown Fontana, and you find three florists, a tailor, two bridal-wear stores and a cake shop. Then there's a tux shop, a printer and a children's formalwear store. In those...

Adult Establishments May Need Approval from Norco, Calif., Business Owners.
August 20, 2003... Byline: Sara A. Carter Aug. 20--NORCO, Calif. -- Adult entertainment businesses may soon have to get approval from a majority of owners of nearby businesses before opening their doors in Norco. The Planning Commission last week...

Passenger Volume up Sharply at Ontario, Calif., Airport.
August 20, 2003... Byline: Mike Rappaport Aug. 20--ONTARIO, Calif.--Passenger traffic at Ontario International Airport jumped significantly in July, and air cargo numbers also climbed in a solid month for the airport. A total of 617,637 passengers used...

San Bernardino County, Calif., Official Offers Habitat Proposal.
August 20, 2003... Byline: Naomi Kresge Aug. 20--As it determines how to protect rare species and habitat when development spreads across its north end, Fontana should consider linking to a county wildlife preserve already established in the north Etiwanda...

California Lt. Gov. Bustamante Unveils 'Tough Love' Economic Recovery Plan.
August 20, 2003... Byline: David M. Drucker Aug. 20--ELK GROVE, Calif.--Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante on Tuesday said pulling California out of the fiscal doldrums requires tough love, and his fix for doing so if elected governor on Oct. 7 could hit small...

California Representative Named Schwarzenegger's Campaign Co-Chair.
August 20, 2003... Byline: David M. Drucker Aug. 20--SACRAMENTO, Calif.--Rep. David Dreier this week was named co-chairman and lead debate negotiator for Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign, and he'd like the three other GOP candidates running for...

Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Gasoline, Diesel Prices Rise Dramatically.
August 19, 2003... Byline: Kevin Smith Aug. 19--RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif.--Inland Valley gasoline and diesel prices have risen dramatically over the past few weeks, and no one is more aware of it than John Vlasic. As the owner of Best Delivery LLC in...

Latinos, Labor Groups Back Lt. Gov. Bustamante in California Recall Race.
August 19, 2003... Byline: Harrison Sheppard Aug. 19--Labor and Latino groups threw their support Monday behind Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante, who planned to offer his own economic plan today to tackle the state budget deficit. On Monday, the California...

GOP Candidate Simon Fighting Two-Front War against Davis, Schwarzenegger.
August 19, 2003... Byline: David M. Drucker Aug. 19--SACRAMENTO, Calif.--Back when Bill Simon was still an unknown, he engineered a surprising upset victory over popular GOP moderate Richard Riordan in the 2002 Republican primary by running a textbook...

Vacant 60-Acre Parcel's Development Potential Worries Chino, Calif., Residents.
August 18, 2003... Byline: Joe Florkowski Aug. 18--CHINO, Calif.--A community meeting to inform residents about the development potential for nearly 60 acres has riled up residents who oppose the construction of apartments on the site. Nearly 200 Chino...

La Verne, Calif., Panel to Consider Proposal for Cyber Cafe.
August 13, 2003... Byline: Jason Newell Aug. 13--LA VERNE, Calif.--La Verne may soon join the ranks of nearby Inland Valley cities that have opened cyber cafes, if Luis Molina has his way. The La Verne resident says the community will benefit from one...

Former Dean of Pomona, Calif., University Alleges Unfair Termination.
August 13, 2003... Byline: Will Matthews Aug. 13--POMONA, Calif.--A former Western University of Health Sciences dean sued the university Tuesday for unfair termination, the second such lawsuit to be filed against Western this year. Craig Lenz, former...

Pomona, Calif., University's Veterinary Center Opens.
August 13, 2003... Byline: Monica Rodriguez Aug. 13--POMONA, Calif.--Tai, an Asian female elephant, lumbered across East Second Street midday Tuesday and turned over a giant pair of scissors she held in her trunk to the the dean of California's newest...

Fontana, Calif., Water Company's Bookkeeping Draws State Scrutiny.
August 13, 2003... Byline: Naomi Kresge Aug. 13--An agency of the Public Utilities Commission has said a complete audit of a utility that delivers water in Fontana is warranted. In a report issued earlier this month, the state Office of Ratepayer...

West Nile Virus Is on Its Way to San Bernardino County, Calif., Area.
August 13, 2003... Byline: L.C. Greene Aug. 13--West Nile virus is expected any day in the Inland Valley as the disease's westward expansion reached neighboring Arizona and the nation's human infection tally rocketed upward. With mosquito-borne...

GE Shrinks Ontario, Calif., Jet Engine Facility, Returns Land to Airport.
August 13, 2003... Byline: Kevin Smith Aug. 13--ONTARIO, Calif.--In a move that reflects a struggling industry, General Electric Engine Services Inc. is giving up a portion of the property it leases at Ontario International Airport for jet engine repairs,...

Los Angeles County Fair to Hire 43 Percent Fewer Workers this Year.
August 12, 2003... Byline: Kevin Smith Aug. 12--POMONA, Calif.--The L.A. County Fair is fast approaching but 43 percent fewer workers are expected to be hired this year, a state employment official said Monday. Pam Scott, who manages the Pomona Job...

California's Proposition 13 Won't Halt Property Tax Hikes.
August 12, 2003... Byline: Conor Friedersdorf Aug. 12--David Stark thought Proposition 13 protected Californians from a sharp increase in property taxes. Now he's discovered that the Upland home he has lived in for 10 years will cost him $800 more this...

Costs for California Recall Election Could Reach $66 Million.
August 12, 2003... Byline: Lisa C. Berghouse Aug. 12--One of the major issues fueling the recall of Gov. Gray Davis is the state's $38 billion deficit, yet the election could cost Californians $66 million. San Bernardino County taxpayers will pay about...

Claremont, Calif.-Area Colleges Are on SARS Alert.
August 11, 2003... Byline: Jason Newell Aug. 11--Although the deadly outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome appears to have been contained worldwide since early July, some in the Inland Valley are concerned it may return again. No new cases have...

Fontana, Calif., Officials Create Habitat Conservation Plan.
August 11, 2003... Byline: Naomi Kresge Aug. 11--Scrubland stretches up into the foothills on the far north end of Fontana. The land is owned by developers in 100-acre swaths and earmarked for houses, office buildings, stores and roads. But the land...

Ontario, Calif.-Based Medical Management Firm Focuses On Big Job.
August 11, 2003... Byline: Mike Rappaport Aug. 11--ONTARIO, Calif.--Rene Moret isn't trying to "solve world hunger," although he probably would if he could. That's what the president and chief executive officer of Ontario-based NAMM California calls...

Republican Disarray May Seal California Governor's Fate in Recall Election.
August 11, 2003... Byline: David M. Drucker Aug. 11--SACRAMENTO, Calif.--The same Republican disunity that sunk GOP hopes of defeating Gov. Gray Davis last year when most Californians disapproved of him could spell his doom on Oct. 7. It's all because...

Home Affordability Drops in San Bernardino County, Calif., Area.
August 8, 2003... Byline: Kevin Smith Aug. 8--Rising prices and an ever-tightening inventory of available homes have conspired to make the Inland Empire a less-affordable place to live. In June, only 38 percent of households in the two-county area...

Storage Company Plans Facility in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
August 5, 2003... Byline: Kevin Smith Aug. 5--RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif.--A Riverside company is planning to build a 190,000-square-foot storage facility in north Rancho Cucamonga. Aim-All Storage bought the property at Haven Avenue and the 210 Freeway...

Higher Fee May Spur Last-Minute California Car Sales.
August 5, 2003... Byline: Mira Katz Aug. 5--ONTARIO, Calif.--If you are thinking about buying or registering a car, do it before Oct. 1 and you will save quite a bit of money on your vehicle license fee. Hundreds of thousands of California drivers...

First American's Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Complex Takes Shape.
August 5, 2003... Byline: Mike Rappaport Aug. 5--RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif.--The walls went up on the 54,000-square-foot building in about five hours. There's no truth, though, to the rumors that the desks will be installed and the building occupied by...

Protection of Endangered Fly Bugs Developers in California's Inland Valley.
August 4, 2003... Byline: Naomi Kresge Aug. 4--Between the rolling yellow Delhi sand dunes and the hot afternoon sun, beside a sign that proclaims "The King is Coming" on the back of a storefront church, a self-contained world buzzes. Harvester ants...

California Car Fees to Go Up in October.
August 1, 2003... Byline: David M. Drucker Aug. 1--SACRAMENTO, Calif.--Thousands of California motorists have just begun opening their mailboxes to find vehicle registration renewal notices that will cost them triple what they paid last year. Notices...

Many Express Surprise at Refusal of Norco, Calif., City Manager to Resign.
August 1, 2003... Byline: Sara A. Carter Aug. 1--NORCO, Calif.--City Manager Ed Hatzenbuhler's refusal to resign after a 3-2 vote by the City Council to terminate his employment caught many at Tuesday night's council meeting by surprise. Nearly 200...

California Legislature Calls for $500 Million in Cuts to Higher Education.
August 1, 2003... Byline: Jennifer Cho Aug. 1--The state Legislature's passage of the budget calls for nearly $500 million in cuts to higher education -- forcing community colleges to increase fees, threatening accessibility for the state's most needy...

La Verne, Calif., Pep Boys Store to Close as Part of Firm's Restructuring Plan.
August 1, 2003... Byline: Kevin Smith Aug. 1--LA VERNE, Calif.--A Pep Boys in La Verne was one of 33 company stores that closed Thursday as part of a restructuring that will eliminate 860 jobs and save Pep Boys $11 million a year. About 700 store...

Realtors Discuss Ethics at Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Workshop.
August 1, 2003... Byline: Mike Rappaport Aug. 1--RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif.--There was only one problem with Thursday's ethics workshop for Realtors at the Sycamore Inn. The people who need it the most weren't there. "It's definitely a problem,"...

Rialto, Calif., Loses Retail Sales Tax Revenue to Neighboring Communities.
August 1, 2003... Byline: Naomi Kresge Aug. 1--Lisa Carter doesn't like to take her children into the neighborhoods of central Rialto, so they drive to Rancho Cucamonga to buy clothes and pet food, to grocery shop and go out to dinner. For some...