Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, CA) articles from March 2004

Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, CA) archives from March 2004

Ontario, Calif., Airport Screeners Still Find Lethal Weapons in Carry-On Bags.
March 30, 2004... Byline: Brenda Gazzar Mar. 30--ONTARIO, Calif. -- Barbara and George Schrader of Beaumont hadn't given a thought to the wine opener or the money clip with a pocketknife in their carry-on baggage. That is, until a screener at Ontario...

Chipotle Opens Chain's 321st Mexican Grill in Norco, Calif.
March 30, 2004... Byline: Sara A. Carter Mar. 30--NORCO, Calif. -- Where in the world of "quick-casual" dining can corporate employees take their dogs to work and feel satisfied at the end of the day that their company churns out some of the country's...

Auditor-Controller's Office to Study Chino, Calif., School Finances.
March 30, 2004... Byline: Will Matthews Mar. 30--CHINO, Calif. -- County auditors will review an investigative report on building contracts commissioned by the Chino Valley Unified School District to evaluate the performance of Superintendent George...

Housing Prices Continue to Soar in California.
March 26, 2004... Byline: Michael Rappaport Mar. 26--The beat goes on for California housing prices. The median price of an existing home in February was $394,300, a 20.7 percent increase from February 2003, but maybe a bigger shock was the $315,770...

Glen Avon, Calif., Parks District Approves Deal with Private Firm.
March 26, 2004... Byline: L.C. Greene Mar. 26--GLEN AVON, Calif. -- The Jurupa parks district will be gaining two new parks through an unusual arrangement with a private developer approved by the district board Thursday. The developer, K. Hovnanian...

Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Imposes Rules on Strip Mall Next to Historic Winery.
March 26, 2004... Byline: Conor Friedersdorf Mar. 26--RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. -- Mike Rue finally has reason to think that his shopping center is back on track. The Orange County-based developer, who hopes to build a Henry's Market and other shops on...

Apartment Complex Development Plan in Upland, Calif., Gains Momentum.
March 25, 2004... Byline: Lisa B. McPheron Mar. 25--UPLAND, Calif. -- Plans are moving forward to build a 240-unit apartment complex in west Upland near the Claremont border. The Planning Commission approved preliminary plans Wednesday night for the...

Federal Officials Approve Permit for Fontana, Calif., Business Park.
March 25, 2004... Byline: Naomi Kresge Mar. 25--FONTANA, Calif. -- Years of conflict over the environmental ramifications of building the Empire Center ended this week when federal officials issued a permit allowing development on the land. The U.S....

Claremont, Calif., Home Tour Features Three Extensively Remodeled Houses.
March 25, 2004... Byline: Debbie Council Mar. 25--Complete makeovers is the theme that ties together the three homes featured in the Claremont/West End Auxiliary of Children's Fund home and garden tour this weekend. On Valentine's Day 2003, Annette...

Pasadena, Calif.-Based Pipe Manufacturer Reports $2.75 Million Loss.
March 25, 2004... Byline: Andrew Moyle Mar. 25--RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. -- The handful of striking workers outside Pasadena-based Ameron International Corp.'s Concrete and Pipe plant at 12549 Arrow Rte. waved Wednesday at passing motorists who honked...

Riverside, Calif.-Based Corporation Group to Pay for Cleanup of Dumping Ground.
March 25, 2004... Byline: Will Matthews Mar. 25--Ending close to two decades of litigation, the Pyrite Canyon Group has agreed to pay the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency $1.65 million for past costs associated with the cleanup of the Stringfellow...

Upland, Calif.-Area Water Company Shareholders' Meeting Grows Contentious.
March 25, 2004... Byline: Lisa B. McPheron Mar. 25--UPLAND, Calif. -- The San Antonio Water Co. had its annual shareholders meeting Tuesday night, and to no one's surprise, discord reigned among some of the minority shareholders, members of the board of...

Tuberculosis Cases in Inland Counties Surpass California's Total.
March 24, 2004... Byline: L.C. Greene Mar. 24--The number of tuberculosis cases rose last year in California with Riverside and San Bernardino counties experiencing a higher increase than the state as a whole, according to a report scheduled for release...

Water Rates to Go Up 24 Percent in Fontana, Calif.
March 24, 2004... Byline: Naomi Kresge Mar. 24--FONTANA, Calif. -- Water rates in Fontana could increase nearly 24 percent this summer if a state hearing officer's ruling on the long-disputed rate increase stands. Administrative Law Judge Bertram...

BAE's Ontario, Calif., Facility to Build Additional Army Refueling Components.
March 23, 2004... Byline: Andrew Moyle Mar. 23--ONTARIO, Calif. -- BAE Systems engineer Craig Iwamoto was in England a year ago, watching cable news coverage of Operation Iraqi Freedom, when he saw a familiar sight: His company's second-generation...

Chino, Calif.-Area Landscaping Project Targets Conservation.
March 23, 2004... Byline: Joe Florkowski Mar. 23--CHINO, Calif. -- The sanitation district for much of the Inland Valley is teaming with a group of compost producers to develop a project to demonstrate how builders and homeowners can better conserve water...

Wrightwood, Calif.-Area Teachers Vote for New Union President.
March 23, 2004... Byline: L.C. Greene Mar. 23--John Hill, an Indian Hills Elementary School third-grade teacher, edged longtime union president Francine Rice-Laabs last week in a vote by Jurupa Unified School District teachers. Hill, scheduled to take...

Jobless Figures Often Belie Reality; Surveys Tend to Miss Many in Job Market.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Andrew Moyle Mar. 22--Whether it was Mark Twain or Benjamin Disraeli who said it, there are lies, damn lies and statistics. In an attempt to separate the former two from the latter, each month statisticians descend on...

Campaign for Ontario, Calif., Airport Aims to Lure LAX Travelers.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Conor Friedersdorf Mar. 22--Robert Armstrong might as well star in commercials for Ontario International Airport. The Massachusetts resident, an occasional air traveler, says it's his destination of choice when he visits...

Pomona, Calif., Developer's Concept Adds 123 Single-Family Homes.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Monica Rodriguez Mar. 22--POMONA, Calif. -- Planning Commissioners have approved the concept for a development firm's proposal to build 123 single-family homes on nearly 20 acres of land along Bonita Avenue. The Orange County...

Fire Inspections Aim to Create Safer Canyon in Chino Hills, Calif.
March 21, 2004... Byline: Joe Florkowski Mar. 21--CHINO HILLS, Calif. -- While trudging up a steep road within Carbon Canyon, fire Inspector David Jensen stopped to point out a dead, charred tree stump. "This is what we're trying to avoid here,"...

Pioneer Citrus Rancher in California's Inland Valley Dies at 82.
March 20, 2004... Byline: Jason Newell Mar. 20--Walter Eugene Stewart, who made a lasting impression on the Inland Valley as a member of one of the region's pioneering citrus ranching families, and then as a longtime leader in local politics, died...

Southern California Shoppers Prove Apathetic to Supermarket Closures.
March 19, 2004... Byline: Michael Rappaport Mar. 19--From Upland to Chino Hills to Corona, shoppers didn't seem particularly surprised -- or distressed -- that local stores were among the 15 Southern California supermarkets marked for closing within the...

Ralphs Supermarkets to Close 15 Stores.
March 18, 2004... Byline: Michael Rappaport Mar. 18--Ralphs supermarkets in Upland, Chino Hills and Corona are among 15 scheduled to be closed within the next 60 days, according to a company announcement Wednesday. Ralphs Grocery Co. said the closures...

New Lodging Plans Threaten Ontario, Calif., Hotel Management Association.
March 18, 2004... Byline: Andrew Moyle Mar. 18--ONTARIO, Calif. -- Ontario hotels have had a lock on the local business hotel industry, but time is running out on the city's reign. Five hotels are in the works for the intersection of Milliken Avenue...

Spill Sends Pomona, Calif., Thrift Store Workers to Hospital.
March 18, 2004... Byline: Jannise Johnson Mar. 18--POMONA, Calif. -- Workers from a Pomona thrift store were sent to the hospital for observation after a bottle filled with a foul-smelling liquid broke Wednesday morning, fire officials said. Employees...

Upland, Calif., Neighborhood Embraces Albertsons Supermarket's Return.
March 17, 2004... Byline: Michael Rappaport Mar. 17--UPLAND, Calif. -- Analysts have said the major grocery chains will have to work to win their customers back after a long, acrimonious supermarket strike. That was hardly the case when Albertsons...

Fontana, Calif., Council Approves Fiber Optic Network Study.
March 17, 2004... Byline: Naomi Kresge Mar. 17--FONTANA -- In a unanimous Tuesday night vote, the City Council approved paying a group of technology firms $675,000 to create a business plan for a fiber optic network that could bring super-fast...

Agency Works to Protect San Bernardino, Calif., Mountains.
March 17, 2004... Mar. 17--Old Fire is receding in memory, but vast stands of dead trees topping the San Bernardino Mountains are a stark reminder of a race against time to avert another catastrophe. Dotting the thick forests are 12 million burnt-orange...

Chino, Calif., Officials Ready to Enforce Rules at Skate Park.
March 17, 2004... Byline: Joe Florkowski Mar. 17--CHINO, Calif. -- City officials say they plan to start kicking out and ticketing people who do not comply with the rules of its newly constructed skate park. The enforcement, which started Monday,...

Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Steel Plant Blast Injures Four.
March 17, 2004... Byline: Conor Friedersdorf Mar. 17--RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. -- An explosion Tuesday at the TAMCO Steel plant on Arrow Route hospitalized four workers, blew large holes in two sides of the plant's metal walls, and rattled windows several...

Chapman, Western Universities in California End Merger Discussions.
March 17, 2004... Byline: Will Matthews Mar. 17--POMONA, Calif. -- Western University of Health Sciences and Chapman University have dropped plans for a possible merger, officials said Tuesday. Plans were abandoned after a year of discussions when the...

Study Finds Noise Excessive along 210 Freeway in La Verne, Calif.
March 16, 2004... Byline: Jason Newell Mar. 16--LA VERNE, Calif. -- Noise at two locations along La Verne's stretch of the 210 Freeway exceeds federal noise thresholds --both on a street where residents are suing to move away from the freeway, a city...

California Gasoline Prices Likely to Plateau; Experts Blame Air-Quality Rules.
March 16, 2004... Byline: Andrew Moyle Mar. 16--UPLAND, Calif. -- Putting a price tag on cleaner air may seem like a tall order, but Edith Victoria found out firsthand on Monday just how much it costs. That price: $2.079 per gallon for regular...

Pomona, Calif., Mental Health Executive Can't Leave Bankrupt Agency Yet.
March 16, 2004... Byline: Mira Katz Mar. 16--POMONA, Calif. -- Tri-City Mental Health Center's executive director, who submitted her letter of resignation last week, will continue to helm the agency through its Chapter 9 bankruptcy until early April. ...

Pomona, Calif., Businesses Split Over Business Improvement District.
March 15, 2004... Byline: Monica Rodriguez Mar. 15--POMONA, Calif. -- Wendy Maier has heard of a proposal to create a property-based business improvement district downtown, but she hasn't decided yet whether to support it. Maier, owner of New York...

Classic Upland, Calif., Doughnut Shop Enters Its Last Week in Business.
March 15, 2004... Byline: Lisa B. McPheron Mar. 15--UPLAND, Calif. -- A 98-cent coffee and a cake doughnut with chocolate icing. That's what Upland resident William Gray orders at Winchell's Donut House on Foothill Boulevard. On average, he has eaten...

Norco, Calif., to Hold Developers Accountable for Obliterating Ridgeline.
March 12, 2004... Byline: Sara A. Carter Mar. 12--NORCO, Calif. -- Kevin Bash remembers a time when he could look out his windows and see the beautiful vista of the southeastern hills in Norco. He should, because he has lived and worked in the city...

Upland, Calif., Paramedic Program Is on Life Support.
March 11, 2004... Byline: Lisa B. McPheron Mar. 11--UPLAND, Calif. -- More than half of the original paramedics hired or re-assigned to the Fire Department's 15-month-old paramedic program have quit for more money or better benefits elsewhere. As a...

Chinese Tastes Create Demand for Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. Winery.
March 11, 2004... Byline: Andrew Moyle Mar. 11--RANCHO CUCAMONGA -- Deep in the hold of a cargo ship, protected inside a temperature-controlled container, 2,068 gallons of Joseph Filippi Winery California red laced with Wisconsin ginseng are on their way...

Management Company Takes Over Ontario, Calif., Airport Hotel.
March 9, 2004... Byline: Michael Rappaport Mar. 9--ONTARIO, Calif. -- Interstate Hotels & Resorts, the largest independent hotel management company in the country, has signed a long-term contract to manage the Ontario Airport Hilton at 700 N. Haven Ave....

Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Deli Stands Test of Time.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Conor Friedersdorf Mar. 8--RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. -- The sign simply says Guido's Pizza, but longtime customers know there's much more. Usually they ask for a sandwich or a few pounds of sausage at the small Italian deli...

California Transit Agency, San Bernardino, Share Garbage-Disposal Burden.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Teresa Rochester Mar. 8--SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- The 2200 block of Washington Avenue came to an abrupt end at a stop sign and a "no trespassing, no dumping" sign that was ignored. Garbage, not houses, lined the long block....

Fontana, Calif., Sets Density Rules for Developers.
March 5, 2004... Byline: Naomi Kresge Mar. 5--FONTANA, Calif. -- The City Council unanimously approved regulations Tuesday to let developers trade density in exchange for building amenities like pools, fountains and public art in their complexes. ...

Rain, Flooding Causes Some Dairies to Release Water in Chino, Calif., Area.
March 4, 2004... Byline: Joe Florkowski Mar. 4--CHINO, Calif. -- About 10 dairies experienced problems with flooding and released water from their properties because of the past week's storms, said state officials. Because dairies are not allowed to...

California Gov. Schwarzenegger Gains Clout with Win on Fiscal Recovery Plan.
March 4, 2004... Byline: David M. Drucker Mar. 4--SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- With broad voter support for his fiscal recovery plan and a thumbs up from Wall Street, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger seized the moment Wednesday to push his agenda for workers'...

Newly Approved Restylane Has Advantages over Collagen in Filling Wrinkles.
March 4, 2004... Byline: La Rue Novick Mar. 4--Most people have what they consider "problem areas" on their bodies. For some it's the nose. For others it's love handles. For Judy Kroeger, Vielka Abad and Sharon Griffin, it's wrinkles. Instead of...

Slow-Loading Software Snarls San Bernardino County, Calif., Election Returns.
March 3, 2004... Mar. 3--San Bernardino County election officials were unable to count votes cast during Tuesday's presidential primary election Tuesday night because of technical difficulties with the new electronic voting system. The computer software...

La Verne, Calif., Students Eye Stocks as Hedge to Social Security, Retirement.
March 3, 2004... Byline: Andrew Moyle Mar. 3--LA VERNE, Calif. -- It's common knowledge that unless the Social Security system undergoes a serious overhaul, those preparing to enter the work force will likely never see a dime of what they put in. ...

Pomona, Calif., Fairplex Ends Food Contract with C&C Concessions.
March 2, 2004... Byline: Andrew Moyle Mar. 2--POMONA, Calif. -- In a move to increase control over the $18 million in concessions sold on its grounds, Fairplex will not renew its contract with C&C Concessions, the company that has operated Anthony's at...

Records Detail Claremont, Calif.-Area Mental-Health Agency's Debt.
March 2, 2004... Byline: Mira Katz Mar. 2--CLAREMONT, Calif. -- Court documents filed by the Tri-City Mental Health Agency in connection with its bankruptcy show more than $24 million owed to 23 creditors, ranging from the state of California to small...

San Bernardino County, Calif.-Area School Nurses Work with Scarce Resources.
March 2, 2004... Byline: Edward Barrera Mar. 2--Burgeoning childhood diseases, budget cuts and increasing reliance on health-care workers without credentials are forcing school nurses to work more with less resources, say Inland Valley nurse advocates....

Rise in Childhood Cancer Rate Causes Concern in Upland, Calif.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Edward Barrera Mar. 1--UPLAND, Calif. -- In a tight-knit neighborhood in Upland, parents fear that childhood cancers are being misunderstood by state health officials who say the incidence of cancer in the area is within the...

California 'Consumer-Generators' Use Solar Power, Give Back to Grid.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Andrew Moyle Mar. 1--CLAREMONT, Calif. -- Steve and Bonnie Chase feel strongly about the environment, so much so that they've invested $24,000 into a home solar power array over the past five years. The array, set on the...

California Workers' Comp Reform Deadline Passes Today with No Action Taken.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Harrison Sheppard Mar. 1--SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- So much for the Terminator's deadlines. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's target for the Legislature to reform the workers' compensation system is expected to pass Monday without...