News Archive: March 2008

2008

Mar 31

A good turnout in North Shore on Saturday, March 29, for the KaBoom/CV Parks and Recreation District playground building event. The local playground construction was part of a statewide effort to construct many playgrounds in honor of the late Cesar Chavez. The local construction was made possible, in part, by a donation of land by the Coachella Valley Housing Coalition and funding from the Riverside County Economic Development Agency requested by Fourth District Supervisor Roy Wilson. The County Facilities Management Department in the permitting process. Of course, it couldn't have happened without the help of a couple hundred community-minded people, some of whom turned out to be talented artists. For more about KaBOOM, click here: www.kaboom.org. California's First Lady, Maria Shriver, also has a news release on last weekend's events, right here: http://www.firstlady.ca.gov/index.php/news/430/

Mar 28

Next Thousand Palms Clean-up Scheduled

Fourth District Supervisor Roy Wilson, the Riverside County Code Enforcement Department, and Burrtec Waste Industries are working together to put on the next Thousand Palms Community Cleanup Day, Saturday May 31. (This is in addition to a special event being held on Saturday, April 5 for Shenandoah Estates (Tri-Palm) residents only, which is a curbside, bulky item disposal event.)

Mar 27

"TOM," the official mascot for the Southern Coachella Valley Community Services District, "invades" the County seat.

"TOM" Goes to Riverside, Gets High Fives from the Board of Supervisors

Actually, it was pretty much TOM who was dishing out the high fives, but the Southern Coachella Valley Community Services District mascot certainly made a splash in the big city.

Mar 27

"Most Wanted" Program Targets Pair Wanted for Murder

The crime occurred almost seven years ago, but local law enforcement authorities are still on the lookout for a pair of suspects in the shooting death of a man who identified one of his assailants before he died.

Mar 26

Stamping Out Animal Cruelty: It's a Walk in the Park

Saturday, April 5. That's the day you can join your friends and neighbors in demonstrating support for stamping out animal cruelty.

Mar 26

Junking a Clunker: Indio Code Enforcement Makes it Easy

It used to be that getting rid of a junked car was an expensive proposition. That is no longer the case in Riverside County.

Mar 25

Supervisors Advance Blythe Animal Shelter, Indio Hills Center

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors today advanced two Fourth District projects and additional funding for the Salton Sea local restoration efforts.

Mar 25

County Board Raises Bar on Drought-Tolerant Landscaping

With an eye on the ever-worsening water crisis in Southern California, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors moved the deadline for residential developments to incorporate drought tolerant landscaping.

Mar 24

"Reverse 911" a Safety Net for Riverside County Residents

Technically, it’s called the "Riverside County Early Warning Notification System," but some people call it "Reverse 911."

Mar 24

Mecca Landfill Open for One Day Only, April 12

It’s only open two days per year, and the next opportunity for East Valley residents to get rid of bulky items at the Mecca Landfill is Saturday, April 12, from 8 a.m. till 4:30 p.m.

Mar 21

Pardon Me, Boy, is this the Coachella Choo Choo?

Well, no. But close. It's actually the Coachella Express, and it is ready to chug into the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival just in time for the 2008 event.

Mar 21

UCR Desert Lyceum to Explore 'Eco-Economy'

A one-day public summit under the umbrella of the UCR Desert Lyceum will bring together experts and community leaders to explore energy conservation and efficiency; they'll also be exploring ways to build a new 'eco-economy' on the home front.

Mar 21

Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet (left photo) speaks to crowd during ribbon-cutting ceremonies for the new Palm Springs Family Health Clinic. Fourth District Supervisor Roy Wilson (right photo) reads proclamation to John Brown, former executive director of the Desert AIDS Project. The proclamation acknowledges Brown's "...original vision and leadership that lead to the development of this state of the art public health center..." Flanking the pair are Mayor Pougnet, and (closest to Supervisor Wilson), County Assistant CEO/Economic Development Agency Robin Zimpfer and County Public Health Director Susan Harrington. The festivities took place this morning (March 21) at the new facility on Sunrise Way and Vista Chino.

Mayor Pougnet, Supervisor Wilson Christen Health Facility

It's a brand new day for health care in the City of Palm Springs and nearby communities, thanks to the completion of a $9 million state-of-the-art health clinic at the corner of Sunrise and Vista Chino.

Mar 20

Community Recognition Awards Still Seeking Nominees

The Blythe Chamber of Commerce’s annual Community Recognition Day and Installation of Chamber officers for 2008-09 is set for April 23, but the list of honorees is far from being set in concrete.

Mar 19

'Play Space' Event in North Shore Needs 400 Volunteers

An ambitious playground-building program, launched by California First Lady Maria Shriver in memory of Cesar Chavez, will visit the community of North Shore on Saturday, March 29.

Mar 18

Major Projects Move Forward in Thousand Palms

Anyone who says nothing ever happens in Thousand Palms doesn't know Thousand Palms very well. In the next several months, several projects will come to the unincorporated community which will add to the substantial infrastructure already in place.

Mar 17

Vista Santa Rosa Standpipe

Vista Santa Rosa Standpipes Getting a Facelift

After literally years of trying to get it just right, the color scheme and Vista Santa Rosa logo is ready for the already-existing Coachella Valley Water District "standpipes" that are a familiar sight in the rural community.

Mar 17

Assemblyman Benoit Joins Supervisor Wilson in Emergency Forum

Assemblyman John J. Benoit (R-Bermuda Dunes) will be hosting an emergency preparedness forum with Fourth District Supervisor Roy Wilson this Thursday, March 20, from 10 a.m. till noon at the Palm Desert City Council Chambers. Also participating in this valuable forum will be the California Department of Homeland Security, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, the Governor's Office of Emergency Services and the Riverside County Fire Department.

Mar 15

4th District Cities Slow to Respond to Cigarette Ban

While western Riverside County cities are almost unanimously supporting the county’s ban on sales of tobacco products to minors... Fourth District cities are apparently not as eager to get on board.

Mar 14

Dr. Richard Merkin

Dr. Merkin to Receive 'Champion of Youth Award'

Dr. Richard Merkin, a philanthropist and leader in the health care field, will be honored this Saturday, March 15, by the Coachella Valley Boys and Girls Club with "The Champion of Youth Award."

Mar 13

Rancho Dos Palmas up for Review by Supervisors

The Rancho Dos Palmas Headquarters Compound has been recommended as a Riverside County Historical Landmark by the Director of the Count's Parks Department.

Mar 12

4th District Students to Participate to Youth Summit

Five hundred students from across Riverside County-more than 100 of them from the Fourth District--will gather Thursday, March 20 at the Eighth Annual Youth Summit to explore the problems that affect their lives and to look for solutions.

Mar 11

Career and Job Search Fair Coming Up at COD

A major Job Fair is coming up Wednesday, Mar. 26 at College of the Desert’s Hilb Student Center from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Mar 11

Lt. General Herbert Temple

Lt. General Temple Appointed to Veterans Committee

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors this morning endorsed Chairman Roy Wilson’s nominee for filling a Veterans Advisory Committee vacancy.

Mar 10

Highway 111 Open . . . Sort of

The woes on Highway 111 east of Mecca continue after the train derailment of last week.

Mar 10

Supervisor's Office in Mecca Staffed on Thursdays

Fourth District Supervisor Roy Wilson's East Valley community liaison Elizabeth Romero-Toledo is now holding office hours every Thursday in Mecca.

Mar 07

Update on Highway 111 Closure in South Valley

Officials now say that the dangers caused by heavy equipment moving contaminated soil from the area of Monday night's train derailment will prevent Highway 111 from re-opening for at least another 24 hours.

Mar 07

Good News and Bad News on Highway 111 Closure

First the good news: officials on the scene of Monday night's train derailment tell us that residents who can prove they live in North Shore will be allowed to use Highway 111 to get home this afternoon, beginning at 3 p.m..

Mar 06

Many dignitaries were on hand in the Fourth District unincorporated community of Ripley on Wednesday as the ribbon was cut on the new $3 million Ripley Fire Station. In this photo, Riverside County CEO Larry Parrish, Assistant CEO/EDA Robin Zimpfer, Supervisor Roy Wilson, and Fire Chief John Hawkins do the honors. The station that the new facility is replacing was built in 1953.

Mar 05

Firefighters' Golf Tourney Benefits Burn Victims

The Riverside County Fire Department's Tenth Annual Burn Foundation Golf Tournament is set for Thursday, April 24 at the Desert Willow Golf Resort's Firecliff Course.

Mar 04

North Shore Community to Host Pet Clinic this Saturday

The Riverside County Department of Animal Services is bringing a pet spay/neuter and vaccination clinic to the community of North Shore Saturday, March 8.

Mar 04

Train derailment last night closes Highway 111; investigators on the scene to determine cause. Firefighters say there have been no injuries thus far.

Rivco Firefighters tend To Derailment Near Mecca

Riverside County firefighters are on the scene of last night's train derailment south east of Mecca, and they expect to be there mopping up for about two more days. In the meantime, Highway 111 is completely closed.

Mar 04

Bermuda Dunes Overlay Program Gets Hearing

Residents of the unincorporated community of Bermuda Dunes are invited-encouraged, actually-to participate in the upcoming "Bermuda Dunes Overlay Program" community meeting, set for Thursday, March 13 at James Monroe Elementary School.

Mar 01

Ben Laflin Retirement Recognized with Vector District 80th Anniversary Event

How long has the Coachella Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District been around? Well, when they were first formed, they only had fly swatters.