MONDAY, AUGUST 4, 2014 - AUGUST 10, 2014
riversideindependent.com
Mandatory water conservation in Riverside now in effect by Vickie Vértiz
Both the state and local cities are applying new rules to water usage, in homes and companies, which means no sprinkler runoff like the kind you see coming from large apartment complexes, no hosing of paved surfaces, and no car washing with hoses that don’t have a shutoff nozzle. The three-year, record drought has worsened while water use in southern Califor-
“Mexico and California have a long and rich history of environmental cooperation, and recognize each other as strategic partners in coping with climate change challenges and protecting and preserving our natural resources. The agreement signed today will take Please see page 4
Please see page 4
nia actually increased. But on Tuesday, July 22, 2014, the Riverside City Council announced the following restrictions on water usage for all water customers in the Riverside Public Utility (RPU) system effective immediately: •All outdoor watering is reduced to no more than four (4) times per week. Please see page 2
Governor Brown signs agreement with Mexico to reduce dangerous greenhouse gases On the first full day of California’s Trade and Investment Mission to Mexico, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. and Mexican environment officials signed an agreement to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change. “California can’t do it alone and with this new partnership with Mexico we can make
real progress on reducing dangerous greenhouse gases,” said Governor Brown. July 28th’s agreement was signed by Governor Brown, Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary Rodolfo Lacy and Mexican National Forestry Commission Director General Jorge Rescala Pérez.
Father of Columbine High School shooting victim to bring “Rachel’s Challenge” to Riverside The father of a Columbine High School shooting victim will bring “Rachel’s Challenge,” a program that inspires individuals to replace violence, bullying and negativity with respect, kindness and compassion, to Riverside in a special presentation Wednesday, August 13, at the Riverside County Office of Education Conference Center. The free program for educators, child welfare officials, law enforcement and community members will be held from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at 3958 12th Street, Riverside. Parking is also free. Rachel Joy Scott was the first person killed in the Columbine High School tragedy on April 20, 1999. Immediately after the tragedy, her father, Darrell, began to speak and used writings and drawings from Rachel’s diaries to illustrate the need for a kinder, more compassionate nation. Today, Darrell and more than thirty presenters honor Rachel’s life by reaching the nation with Rachel’s simple but profound message aimed at starting a chain reaction of kindness and compassion that positively affects the climate in schools and communities. Darrell Scott has shared
A very dry Eaton Canyon illustrates how dry it is in most parts of California -Photo by Terry Miller
Watering plants and lawns in a time of drought endangers our entire water supply. Outdoor irrigation accounts for about 70 percent of water use in the home, according to the Press Enterprise. Even though Riverside gets its water from local groundwater, with no snow or rain to fill those underground aquifers, the drought has seriously diminished the water source.
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City of Riverside creates “Ask Finance” website The City of Riverside, which recently created a new transparency portal designed to help residents learn more about their government, is adding another option for residents specifically interested in financial information. The City Council’s Finance Committee, at a special committee meeting Tuesday (7/29) evening, reviewed an online “Ask Finance” portal that they requested be created at their June meeting in order for citizens to have their questions about City finances answered directly by Finance Department staff. Answers to questions submitted at the website -- http://riversideca.gov/finance/ask-finance/ -- will be posted by the Finance Department staff as soon as they can be researched and addressed. Visitors to the site also will be able to submit documents along with their questions. Finance staff will be able to provide supporting information when answering questions.
“This new ‘Ask Finance’ portal will be a great way for residents with questions about City finances to get answers in a timely and efficient manner,” said City Councilman Jim Perry, chairman of the Council’s Finance Committee. “It also will provide our staff with a centralized location to receive and respond to requests for information from the public.” The City Council’s Finance Committee will review all questions and answers quarterly at their regular meeting, beginning in September 2014. Citizens can attend those meetings to ask follow-up questions as well. The Finance Department also already provides cuttingedge access to financial information, including monthly financial reports, investor relations information, and, most recently, the City’s online checkbook and budget tool powered by OpenGov. All of these user-friendly tools are available at http://riversideca.gov/finance/.
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ArtsWalk/DesignAfterDark at Riverside Art Museum Join us on Thursday, August 7, from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. as we open our doors, free to the public, for Arts Walk. We will also be celebrating our Summer Exhibits, so come see OBSESSION: The Stadium Photography and Soccer Shirt Collection of Jim Dow, Building Imagination: The Art of Garner Holt Productions, Inc., the 2014 Members' Exhibition: Still Life: Remixed, Gary Rainsbarger: Assault on Liberty, and 2013 Members' Exhibition Award
Winner: Terri Stiles Alkayali. The Art Institute - Inland Empire, is back with Design After Dark 2 on our rooftop. The first one in July was a huge hit. Bring your sketchbooks, art supplies, and friends to create under the light of the setting sun. There will also be live painting as well as music. Cost: Free For more info, ask Ai Kelley, or check out https://www.facebook.com/ events/15796940, akelley@riversideartmuseum.org, Phone: 951.684.7111
Mandatory water conservation Continued from page 1
•Outdoor watering can only occur between the hours of 6 p.m. to 10 a.m. •Watering to the point of run off, or applying water to streets and sidewalks is prohibited. •Irrigation and plumbing leaks must be fixed within 72 hours of notice (or face fines). •Washing of autos, etc. must be done with a bucket and a hose with a shut-off valve. •RPU water customers must reduce water use by 15%. •Restaurants should provide water only on request. •Hotels shall provide customers with options of not having towels/linens washed daily. •Construction operations receiving water shall not use water unnecessarily. The Press Enterprise reported that the “goal really is voluntary compliance, the community pulling together and conserving for the benefit of everybody,” said Kevin Milligan, Riverside Public Utilities assistant general manager for water. “I think through education and information, our customers will understand the seriousness of this and will come together.” To help residents meet new water conservation goals,
RPU will still fund water conservation rebate programs for installing water-saving sprinkler nozzles, weather-based sprinkler timers, and high-efficiency toilets and clothes washers, for example. RPU also increased incentives on their lawn removal program to $2.00 per square foot of turf removed or up to 100% of the project’s cost, whichever is lower. All Riverside water customers must also follow the state-mandated restrictions for water conservation, use and water waste, in addition to the local water use resolutions. Water suppliers are now able to charge a $500-per-day fine for water waste violators. The City of Riverside can now give out those fines when violations continue to occur after first being notified. Residents can call 311 or 826-5311, or go online at www. RiversideCA.gov and report wasteful watering or visit the state Department of Water Resources website, saveourh2o. org/report-water-waste, to report waste at state facilities. These new restrictions by the Riverside City Council will last until April 2015.
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Rare lightning strikes all over Southern California kill 20-year old and injure several others By JENNIFER schlueter On the weekend of July 2527, Southern California experienced a rare weather phenomenon for its region: Hundreds of lightning strikes jolted LA and its surrounding counties. In Venice Beach, one strike proved to be fatal for 20-year old Nick Fagnano, who was in the ocean when it hit him, and injured 13 additional beachgoers. On Santa Catalina Island, a 57-year-old golfer was struck, hospitalized, and according to Steve Denning, a law enforcement technician with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, in a stable condition. A National Weather Service map shows 858 lightning bolts in San Bernardino, 228 in Western and Central Riverside County, 248 in inland San Diego County, 75 in San Diego County along the coast, and 28 in LA County. According to the Los Angeles Times, more than a total of 1,400 lightning strikes were reported in Southern California throughout the weekend and the following Monday of July 25-28. James Thomas, a meteorologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration told the LA Times: "It's an unusual amount of lightning strikes... for any time of year for that matter.” The lightning resulted from an unusual high-pressure system pulling hot, moist air up from the Gulf of California and Mexico towards the Southern California coastlines, explained climatologist Bill Patzert of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the LA Times. "Coastal Southern California is virtually lightning proof," he added. "Because it's so unusual, people are not sensitized to the dangers." Because thunderstorms are very rare in Southern California, and even less in July, lifeguards and officials were not as well prepared and did not ask people to clear the beaches, as they would have done in Flori-
da or the Midwest, where these weather conditions are more common, states Patzert. Scott Miller, an inspector with the Los Angeles County Fire Department agrees and told National Geographic that lightning strikes are “hard to predict.” Miller added that in the rare event of thunderstorms, LA lifeguards are trained to get people out of the water within 30 seconds. According to the rule “If you hear thunder, head for cover,” looking for shelter should be the next step; however, LA beaches have no approved rules for this, says Miller. John Jensenius, a light-
ning safety specialist with the National Weather Service in Silver Spring, Maryland, told National Geographic that lightning currents can travel across the ground and items which can channel electricity, and that most people are struck by ground current. Therefore, he advises not to lie on the ground and to avoid metallic objects such as wires, doors, windows, plumbing, etc. Sturdy buildings and hardtop vehicles provide the best protection. Fagnano was the 16th victim nationwide to have died from a lightning strike in 2014, and the first one in California.
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Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández The sensational production Ballet Folklórico de México de Amalia Hernández makes its Riverside premiere for one show only on Sunday, August 10 at 8 p.m.(doors at 7 p.m.) at The Fox Performing Arts Center. Tickets are available at The Fox Performing Arts Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets,Ticketmaster.com, FoxRiversideLive.com, or by calling 800-745-3000. Dance, the form of expression of human sensitivity involving the confluence of rhythm, bodily movement and music, is both ancient and deeply engrained in Mexico and its history. Since it first appeared in these lands, dance has been associated to religious tradition, social and art movements largely relevant in Mexican history. Throughout time, the evolution of dance brought about the appearance of different popular forms, establishing the roots of tradition and folklore. The cast of the most relevant dance creators of the last century includes Amalia Hernandez. Inspired by the essence of Mexican folklore, she used different techniques from modern and classical dance and then transformed her creations into a show for the stage, with amazing results.
The artistic creativity and effort of Amalia Hernandez was materialized in the establishment of the Folkloric Ballet of Mexico and its dance school for the training of professional dancers. Established over six decades ago, this Ballet has represented Mexico on renowned stages reaching broad audiences with a wide repertoire and aesthetic manifestations profoundly rooted in folklore, allowing emotional and intellectual sensitivity. The Ballet is comprised of a large team of specialists from different fields: dancers, composers, singers, costume and set designers, and musicians. The quality and effort of this team has earned the Ballet a number of awards in Mexico and overseas. In its capacity as artistic ambassador of Mexico, the Folkloric Ballet of Mexico has expressed the Mexican ‘feel’ around the world. Since the Ballet was awarded in 1961 with the first prize of the Festival of Nations in the category of dance groups, it is difficult to determine precisely how many performances have taken place, both during tours and in the home theatre (the Palace of Fine Arts) and how many awards have been received.
Agreement against greenhouse gases Continued from page 1
our joint work to a whole new level of cooperation, which will reflect in tangible and concrete results that will inure to our mutual benefit,” said Mexico’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary Rodolfo Lacy. The pact seeks to enhance cooperation through a range of activities, including: Aligning greenhouse gas reduction programs and strategies; Collaborating on fire emergency response along the border and other climate change adaption strategies; Improving air quality, including reducing pollution and expanding markets for clean energy technologies; and Strengthening fuel and truck efficiency standards and supporting green freight initiatives. “In line with the priorities of the Mexican Government for the forestry sector, the Memorandum of Understanding signed today with the State of California lays down the conditions and excellent opportunities for mutual cooperation to strengthen our capacity to prevent and respond to forest fires, a key issue in our common border,” said Mexican National Forestry Commission Director General Jorge Rescala Pérez. The agreement with Mexico comes on the heels of similar agreements signed in 2013 with the governments of British Columbia and the states of Oregon and Washington and China’s National Development and Reform Commission – the first
agreement of its kind on climate change between the commission and a subnational entity. For the past several years, the California Air Resources Board and Quebec have worked together to fully harmonize their cap-and-trade programs. The Governor first announced the Trade and Investment Mission to Mexico in his 2014 State of the State address and met with Mexican Consuls General from cities across California in March. Last week, ahead of the trip, Governor Brown met with Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affairs José Antonio Meade Kuribreña in Sacramento and invited Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto to meet later this year in California. The Governor is joined on the Trade and Investment Mission to Mexico by a delegation of state legislators and senior administration officials. A delegation organized by the California Chamber of Commerce with the help of the California Foundation for Commerce and Education that includes approximately 90 business, economic development, investment and policy leaders from throughout California is also participating in the trade mission. For social media updates and other announcements throughout the trade mission, please follow these twitter handles: @CAMexicoTrade; @ JerryBrownGov; @GovPressOffice; @CAGoBiz; @CalChamber and @VisitCA
“Rachel's Challenge” Continued from page 1
Rachel’s story on Oprah, Larry King Live, CNN and The Today Show. He has spoken to more than five million people worldwide in live settings in addition to thousands more in school settings, county and state offices of education, professional associations and
public agencies. More than 2.5 million students annually experience Rachel’s Challenge and have the opportunity to accept the challenges modeled after Rachel’s life and writings. Darrell Scott is also the author of three books, including the bestseller, Rachel’s Tears.