BEAU YARBROUGH | CONTRIBUTOR

Twenty five years from now, the Inland Empire will be home to more than 5 million people. They will likely be surrounded by mountains that rarely see snow, and clustered more densely into downtowns near shops and mass transit. By 2048, the region will have weathered another pandemic, but nothing so severe as the long-ago coronavirus pandemic of 2020. The logistics industry will likewise have peaked in the Inland Empire decades before, but manufacturing, driven in large part by automation, will likely be part of the jobs landscape once again. And even white collar jobs will look different, as artificial intelligence is as much a part of everyday life as smartphones were 25 years before. That’s the picture that emerges from a year of interviews with experts about what the Inland Empire will look like in 25 years, in the year 2048.

Continuing rapid growth

By 2048, Riverside and San Bernardino counties are expected to have a combined 5,692,922 residents, according to the California Department of Finance, up from 4,723,216 residents in 2023. Southern California’s millennials and Generation Z are expected to flock to the Inland Empire to to raise their families, causing the region to grow about twice as fast as the rest of Southern California as a result. “The Inland Empire will be where the action will be, as the population will be there, the buying power will be there,” said Kome Ajise, executive director of the Southern California Association of Governments. Almost a third of California’s growth over the next 25 years will occur in the Inland Empire alone, according to Department of Finance projections.

More urban, more densely populated

Although the single-family houses that have attracted residents to the Inland Empire for decades will still be around, according to experts, housing in the region will typically be more densely packed together in townhouses, apartments and condominiums. “The lines between multifamily and single family will blur,” said developer Randall Lewis, executive vice president of Upland-based Lewis Management Corp. Planned mixed-use developments in downtown Riverside, San Bernardino, Redlands and elsewhere will have people living and working near restaurants, shops and mass transit hubs. A growing population — and the likely continuing inability of Los Angeles County to meet demand for affordable housing — will be driving this push for density, along with insurance companies raising rates in Inland foothills and desert regions as wildfires and flash floods become more of a problem as the region’s climate heats up.

Climate change

By 2048, the Mediterranean climate of the Inland Empire will have long since been replaced by something more resembling the climate of Phoenix or Las Vegas today. “I think we need to get used to living on a planet that is not the planet we grew up on,” said Char Miller, a professor of environmental analysis and history at Pomona College. Expect at least 30 days a year where temperatures exceed 102 degrees Fahrenheit, up from an average of seven days a year between 1985 and 2005, more heat waves and less relief at night, less snow pack and longer-lasting droughts, experts say. Massive storms that bring blizzards or flash floods will still sometimes happen — hotter air can absorb more moisture — but changing weather patterns will mean they’ll be much less predictable. And agriculture will need to switch to crops that require less water and are more tolerant of higher temperatures, Miller said, as more water alone will not save crops that evolved in cooler, wetter climates than the Inland Empire of 2048.

Automation and artificial intelligence

By 2048, automation and artificial intelligence will have helped to shape the economy, with almost two-thirds of jobs being affected by it, according to a University of Redlands study. The logistics industry, which today makes up about 13% of all jobs in the Inland Empire, will largely be automated, according to University of Redlands professor Johannes Moenius. Artificial intelligence will be coming for white collar jobs, meanwhile, impacting everyone from radiologists to lawyers providing routine legal services to entry level accountants. Data processing jobs and customer service representatives will likely be handled by artificial intelligence.

Future pandemics

A generation will have grown up since the coronavirus pandemic of 2020. Residents of 2048 will likely have weathered at least one more pandemic, experts say, likely caused by humans encroaching into areas once the habitat of animals, but it’s unlikely to have been anywhere near as serious as the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are not alone on this planet and we need to figure out how to share our environment with all the other species,” said Dr. Timothy Brewer, a professor of medicine and epidemiology at UCLA. “The more that we encroach on others’ habitats, the more likely we are to encounter something we haven’t seen before.”

Political polarization

The political polarization of 2023 will likely continue in 2048, at least among older generations. “I look at the trend lines over the last couple of decades, and I see polarization accelerating along with the forces driving the polarization,” said Kamy Akhavan, the executive director of the University of Southern California’s Dornsife College Center For Political Future. “The idea of some sort of realignment seems less realistic.” But younger generations, currently known as Generation Z and Generation Alpha, are less tribal in their politics, and more focused on issues, rather than party affiliation or individual politicians. “The hope is that democracies can work through these things, even in tough times,” said Kevin Esterling, a professor of public policy and political science at UC Riverside, and the director of the university’s Laboratory for Technology, Communication and Democracy. “Maybe the fever breaks and people realize they don’t want to live like that any more.” We’ll see in 25 years.

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post Looking ahead to the Inland Empire in the year 2048 appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Rusty Strait | Senior Reporter

San Jacinto’s City Council is as angry as a hornet over the conduct of one of their own.

At the meeting Tuesday Night, the regular agenda played second fiddle to not one, but two arrests of Councilman Joel Lopez, charged several serious felonies and a couple of misdemeanors – all within the past month. It is not the first time that San Jacinto’s City Council has been dragged over the road thanks to criminal activities – It is a story hotter than Hades, but first, let’s get take care of the mundane matters.

As always, the Council came to order on time, with roll call (4-0) with the unauthorized absence of Councilman Lopez; several citizens had questions regarding the city. Mara Levy called in during public comments with her usual statements about the drugged-out and homeless situation behind the local Rite Aid Pharmacy, declaring that the city was going about the situation in all the wrong ways. She sat and waited by the phone last week, waiting to be heard, but the meeting lasted only 15 minutes due to the lack of enough council persons in attendance.

That was followed by several community events and anniversaries (all of which can be accessed on the San Jacinto website).

Approved 4-0 to review and approve warrants and disbursements for the period of July 2021 in the amount of $9,080,872.75.

Approved 4-0 Resolution of Intention to Annex Territory into Community Facilities District No. 2003-1 and to Authorize the Levy of Special Taxes Therein.

Approved 4-0 Adoption of a Resolution of Intention to Annex Territory, located on the north-east corner of South Juanita Street and Buena Vista Street, into Community Facilities District No. 2043-` and Authorize the Levy of Special Taxes therein.

Approved 4-0 Adopt Resolution of Intention to adopt Resolution No. 3878, Declaring the Intention to Annex Territory, located on the north-east corner of Juanita Street and Oakwood Street, into Community Facilities District No. 2020-1 and Authorize the Levy of Special Taxes therein.

Passed 4-0 Approved a third and final 1-yr Professional Services Agreement extension with Dave’s Hauling. The scope of work includes Parks and Bus Stops trash and debris removal for 14 LLPD-1 and 25::{D-2 locations, the Police Station, 4 City maintained Bus Stops, 3 Park restroom cleaning, and the Estudillo Mansion Restrooms.

Having covered all that, the meat and potatoes came up for discussion. Mayor Pro-tem Ruiz fired the shot that reached across town to Hemet when she introduced a Resolution to Censure Councilman Joel Lopez. Much discussion and dissing the absent Councilman prior to any vote.

Led by Councilperson Ruiz, the Council to a man took turns defiling Lopez, claiming that he was not the kind of person who should be representing the city in any way. The Mayor said he had urged him to resign but Lopez wasn’t about to just slide into the darkness and be forever just a memory of a bad incident. No, he not only refused to resign but swore to run for re-election next time, but it likely happens if he gets any jail time out of the charges against him.

The truth is, the San Jacinto City Council was run out of office, with one exception, a few years back and the bitter taste continues. To refresh your memory, four Council members, including the Mayor and several prominent business members were involved, in allegations that included circumventing a state election financing and bribery. By the court stopped counting charges faced 155 charges that included 56 felonies, involving “hundreds of thousands of dollars.” Only Councilman Steve DiMemmo (a former Federal Customs Agent) escaped the scandal. Heads rolled, fines were stupendous, the Mayor went to Jail and the scandal was hot news from Los Angeles to Manhattan.

Then we have Lopez, the current culprit. Lopez and his cohort, Edward Padilla, Jr. of Santa Ana were arrested on June 13th, indicted on four counts involving the operation of an illegal pot dispensary in San Jacinto. Both face two felony and two misdemeanor charges. Each has been charged with a felony count of conspiracy to commit misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance for sale, one felony count of maintaining a place for the of unlawfully selling or giving away a controlled substance without a permit plus a misdemeanor count of failure to file a sales and use tax return. Lopez was placed on a 5 million dollar bond bailed out.

But wait, there’s more. Lopez was arrested again on August 5th as a suspect in a domestic case charged with three felonies, including committing a felony while out on bail.

Now to the censure; the censure denies him appointments to any city, county or state committees as a representative of the City of San Jacinto. The quite long wording of the censure will be available on the city’s website. Other than that, not an unkind word was spoken throughout the evening. Speaking of being shunned. Just sayin’

rustystrait@gmail.com

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post SAN JACINTO CITY COUNCIL MAD AS HELL CENSURES COUNCILMAN LOPEZ appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

This week, CVS Health heeded my calls to bring more vaccines to our district. After I wrote a letter to their CEO, the retail pharmacy announced that local pharmacies will now administer the COVID-19 vaccine in our communities. Find out more https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=532724217713188

Increased vaccine supply in our district is critical to defeating this virus. That’s why I’m also advocating to bring a FEMA supported vaccination clinic, vaccines, mobile clinics, and additional health care personnel to our region and am advocating for more funds for our local health centers.

It is unacceptable that seniors, essential workers, and high-risk CA-36 residents have faced barriers to receiving the vaccine. I will continue fighting on your behalf to eliminate these obstacles, and bring more vaccines and resources to our district.

Read my letter calling for more vaccines for CA-36 below.

Dear Mr. Merlo,

As a public health expert, I was disappointed to learn that the list of CVS vaccination sites in Southern California released this week did not include a single location in Riverside County. As you consider future vaccination sites, I urge you to choose locations in the hardest hit, highest-risk underserved communities in California’s 36th district in eastern Riverside County.

Riverside County has the 7thhighest percentage of new cases in the entire state of California, and its ICU capacity is at 94%.1 Moreover, twelve communities in Riverside County are defined by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as Medically Underserved Areas, including Blythe, Hemet, San Jacinto, Coachella, Indio, Idyllwild/Pine Cove, Banning, Beaumont, Chiriaco Summit/ Desert Center, which are all in my district.2

Many of those same communities have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic, compounding the problem, including Hemet, Indio, and Coachella which have all had approximately 10-15% of their populations test positive for COVID-19, compared to 8.4% in California.3,4,5,6

Despite these significant areas of infections and the lack of medical access in those communities, CVS has not included my district in Riverside County in the CVS vaccination location plan. This pandemic has highlighted the acuteness of health disparities in our system.We are seeing disparities in rates of infection, hospitalizations, and deaths, as well as who has access to care. We certainly saw it play out in access to testing, when nurses treating COVID-19 positive patients struggled to access testing, but professional baseball players were able to get tested multiple times a week. I sounded the alarm that vaccine access would head down that same path if there weren’t a coordinated, strategic plan that prioritizes groups according to risk and then ensures those high-risk groups actually received the vaccines expeditiously. Prioritizing based on risk isn’t enough if people who qualify for a vaccine can’t actually access them.

Unfortunately, we are experiencing disparities in vaccination rates. Underserved communities with higher rates of infections have disproportionately low inoculation rates, as do individuals of color, despite the fact that they are more likely to contract COVID-19 and die from the disease.A recent Kaiser Family Foundation analysis found that in Mississippi, Black people account for 15% of vaccinations, while accounting for 38% of cases and 42% of deaths.In Nebraska, 4% of vaccinations have gone to Hispanic individuals, even though they make up 23% of cases and 13% of deaths.While we don’t have data broken down by race and ethnicity from all of 50 states, including California, most states who did submit their numbers are showing similar disparities in race.

Fortunately, retail pharmacies have an opportunity to address this troublesome trend. Because retail pharmacies are located in every community, they can play a pivotal role in getting the vaccine into the arms of the individuals in communities that have been disproportionately overburdened with infections and death by COVID-19. They can also help disseminate important vaccine information and help patients overcome vaccine hesitancy–in doing so they can significantly contribute to saving lives and ending the pandemic.

We must do better. We have a moral responsibility to make sure that we do not leave people behind simply because they lack resources or live in certain zip codes. As you expand the number of CVS vaccination sites in Southern California in the coming weeks, I urge you to prioritize high-risk, underserved communities like those in California’s 36thdistrict.Not doing so will lead to further disparities and prolong the pandemic.

Thank you for your consideration, and we look forward to working with you to ensure that these communities are prioritized as you develop your plans for future vaccination sites.

1.https://covidactnow.org/us/california-ca/?s=1580520

2.https://data.hrsa.gov/tools/shortage-area/mua-find

3.https://www.rivcoph.org/Portals/0/Documents/CoronaVirus/Feb2021/Dashboard/1/WEEKLY_BOS_REPORT_DISTRICT%203_1.25-1.31.pdf?ver=2021-02-02-101228-620&timestamp=1612289577656

4.https://www.rivcoph.org/Portals/0/Documents/CoronaVirus/Feb2021/Dashboard/1/WEEKLY_BOS_REPORT_DISTRICT%204_1.25-1.31.pdf?ver=2021-02-02-101228-633&timestamp=1612289574457

5. https://www.rivcoph.org/Portals/0/Documents/CoronaVirus/Feb2021/Dashboard/1/COVID-19%20Tests%20Jan18 Jan%2024%20byCDP_RiversideCounty%20Feb12021_Merged.pdf?ver=2021-02-02-101227-807&timestamp=1612289694248

6. https://covid19.ca.gov/state-dashboard/

RAUL RUIZ, M.D.Member of Congress 36th District of California Washington, D.C. Office: 2342 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 • Phone:202-225-5330

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post Vaccine Distribution Solutions appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

There was a roll call, followed by invocation, pledge of allegiance and into the meat of the session. The following items were all approved as presented.

1. Consent calendar.

2. Approval of previous minutes dated 01/21/2021.

3. City Council received and filed the Treasurer’s Report for the month ending December 31, 2020.

4. City Council accepted the Local Road Safety Plan submitted by the Engineering Department.

5. City Council approved the plans and specifications for the Ramona Expressway Median Art Project, Phase 1; Awarded the construction contract to Universal Construction and Engineering for $298,694.23; allocated 10% of the bid amount for soft costs and 10% of the bid amount for construction contingencies; rejected all other bids; authorized the City Manager to execute the construction contract. The Engineering Department submitted it.

All in all, there was no dissension. Now, if the Hemet City Council Meetings were so easy, I could handle a second job without a problem. Oh well, just sayin’.

rustystrait@gmail.com

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post SAN JACINTO CITY COUNCIL CONTINUES TO PURR LIKE A KITTEN appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

The employees have worked without a raise for years. Brett Long and TK Delgado, along with one other employee, expressed their thanks and hope that employees would be extended a livable wage. I’ve yet to meet a city employee that doesn’t love their job, that hates working for the city. These employees are truly dedicated (for the most part). Just as important as the meeting itself was the invocation and pledge of allegiance.

The invocation was given by two participants, Bob Beckett, the senior past of DP (formally Dwelling Place) Church and Mary Rysdale, Hemet-San Jacinto Interfaith Council. The Pledge of Allegiance was particularly stirring when the council and audience recited “one nation under God.” We haven’t forgotten yet. There were relatively few items on this agenda. There was a verbal restatement (house cleaning of sorts) on the Community Development Block Grant (known as CDBG). All items with regard to this grant have been budgeted and the council was happy with the way the money will be used.

Finance Department Grant Administrator Veronica Allen gave a short presentation to confirm details associated with this item. No vote was required. Considerable attention was given to an exhaustive policy manual, the first-ever, devoted to the Finance Department. City Manager Chris Lopez explained the need for such a document and the improved format of policy. Finance Director Lorena Rocha commented on the review and formation of best practices in the manual.

That document took about a year to create. An explanation provided by new City Clerk Daryl Betancur explaining why the city needed to make some changes to resolution numbers took place. Most resolutions are identified by four numbers. For some reason, when COVID interrupted the normal routine, someone began using seven numbers. In terms of governmental reporting, that might be a problem and would definitely cause confusion on the other end.

The primary concern on the part of some citizens was that by changing the numbers, citizens doing research on the city website might have difficulty in finding particular resolutions they wanted background on. By the way, let me introduce you to Hemet’s new city clerk, Daryl Betancur. A native of Puerto Rico, Betancur comes to Hemet with an abundance of municipal experience and charm to match. For those residents having questions, he is very approachable.

You can find his contact information at the city website. Hemet has many committees handling a variety of tasks. Dana Hill had just been appointed to one such committee when he asked to be moved to another one. This is a committee member Hemet doesn’t want to lose. He is a terrific asset. Replacing Hill on the Infrastructure committee is Wraymond Sawyer. The vote to bring Sawyer in was unanimous. Yes, that is the correct spelling of Sawyer. Hill went to the Planning Commission, a great match for that commission. Let’s talk software. The city is a huge operation and they need comprehensive software to integrate various departmental functions.

City Council unanimously voted to annually purchase Eden ERP Financial Software Support and Maintenance at the cost of $65,788.16. That may sound like an exorbitant amount on an annual basis, but when you consider the thousands of transactions and inter-departmental activities that take place, one can’t imagine operating a municipality without software such as this. Councilmember Lilienthal pointed out that he felt it was important to have a way of document previously discussed discrepancies (such as Measure U). I’m not the city’s cheerleader, but I do want to point out the good as well as the bad and the ugly. I hate having to say “whoops, sorry.” Lest I forget, the new city attorney was present and did comment briefly on some items.

A unanimous vote was reached approving an appropriation (transfer of budgeted funds) to Parcel Map 37636; that’s the corner of State Street and Menlo Avenue. Councilwoman Linda Krupa wanted to be sure about the placement of the current bus stop. That issue is being addressed by the engineering folks. City Manager Chris Lopez restated the current COVID updates, the reopening of Simpson Park along with other city parks. He emphasized the fact that all the equipment in the park is operational and safe.

Closing out the abbreviated meeting were the multiple committee reports. For the most part, many of the committees went dark due to COVID. Many of the committees are meeting via Zoom. Each council member is assigned various groups. Along with routine council matters is the often-time-consuming external meetings that keep all council members up to date in terms of how other jurisdictions are functioning, dealing with their particular problems, dealing with state legislation (in its incredibly massive form).

To give you an idea of how much work is involved here, Councilmember Russ Brown has twelve committees! One of the big commitments comes with the League of California Cities. They have a website you can visit for information on who they are and their primary functions. Councilwoman Krupa has long been active in multiple committees and also is responsible for 12 committees. May Pro Tem Males serves on six committees and Councilman Lilienthal holds 7 committees. Mayor Meyer is currently active on 4 committees.

That is a lot of work. Regardless of any personal opinions, you have to respect the enormous amount of time that these council members devote to their community. Just when they think they’ve solved a problem, a new one pops up. Often, when you have a council turnover, it seems that the same old problems reappear. That isn’t always the case. You have new council members that are in a learning curve, that are required to get training and other vitally important information, become knowledgeable about laws they never heard of.

None of these people are getting rich off the city of Hemet. The writer’s hope is that you acquire enough information about the infrastructure of our municipality so that you know what kinds of questions to ask. City government can be a challenge. Knowing where to go for answers can sometimes be daunting. If you talk to enough people, you learn what to ask, who to ask and ultimately, you learn enough to know how you can participate in the solution. Are you one of those that is participating in the solutions? Drop the paper a line to let them know what you are doing to make Hemet the kind of city you want it to be!

Ann Smith • Contributor

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post Business As Usual! appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

1. Appointment of Dana Hill to the Hemet Planning Commission for a Partial Term set to expire on June 1, 2021. Vacancy resulted due to the Resignation of Commissioner Tiffany Leaverton.

2. Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Lease Agreement with Congressman Raul Ruiz for one office.

3. Adoption of Ordinance Repealing Residential Rental Registration and Crime-Free Rental Housing Ordinance and Chronic Nuisance Abatement Ordinance.

4. ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT (ZOA) NO. 20-002 (Height and FAR Exceptions in the Commercial Zones) An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Hemet Amending Section 90-45.3 of the Hemet Municipal Code to Clarify the Approval Authority for Administrative Adjustment Applications and Section 90-895(d) to Establish Parameters, Procedures and Findings for the Granting of Exceptions to Maximum Height, and Floor Area Ratio Standards for Hotel, Medical Facility, and Unique Projects located in Commercial Zones. (Second Reading)

5. A resolution of the City Council of the City of Hemet, California rescinding Resolution 3707, and authorizing investment of City of Hemet monies in the Local Agency Investment Fund.

8. Amendment No. 1 to Master Services Agreement for Paymentus Electronic Bill Payment Services.

9. Resolution Ratifying the Director of Emergency Services Order No. 4 Implementing Tolling Deadlines Prescribed in the Hemet Municipal Codes and Adopting an Amended Order of the Director of Emergency Services Order No. 4

10. A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Hemet, California awarding Hardy & Harper, Inc., the 2017/18 Pavement Rehabilitation Project, CIP 5686, in the amount of $1,786,000 and waive any minor bid irregularities and authorize the City Manager to execute all contract documents and approve additional construction expenditures not to exceed 10% of the contract amount of $176,000 and authorize the finance director to re-appropriate $676, 245.09 of Measure ‘A’ Funds from the 2018/19 Slurry Seal Project and authorize the City Clerk to record the Notice of Completion upon acceptance of the by the City Engineer.

11. A Resolution Awarding a Five-year Agreement for Body-Worn Camera and TASER Services to Axon International, Inc. In an amount not to exceed $495,839.97 and Authorizing the City Manager to Execute the Agreement and Purchase Orders in Support of the Agreement.

12. COVID 19 Emergency Declaration Update.

13. Reinstate the CDBG Ad Hoc committee with the appointment of two Council members for the 2021-2022 CDBG application and funding recommendations.

14. Committee and ad hoc committees were appointed within the council members which is a pro forma action at the beginning of the new year.

Otherwise, most actions on the open agenda were unanimous except in one instance when Councilwoman Linda Krupa recused herself. The new council appears to be dedicated to getting on with the city’s business without a lot of fuss and feathers which is a blessing to the city if past performances are any example.

rustystrait@gmail.com

Rusty Strait • Senior Reporter

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post HEMET CITY COUNCIL TERMINATES LONG TIME CITY ATTORNEY appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Not only has it brought an influx of visitors and other issues, it has also brought more people into town coming into contact with residents who haven’t had any type of outbreaks or exposures. There have been a few exposures but for the most part, the town stays on lockdown. Businesses are reporting that visitors haven’t made an impact on their revenue which is weird.

The County has taken down trash cans and there are no public restrooms open so if you can imagine the type of stuff left behind.

I myself don’t have any issues with the visitors, but I also don’t live in the heart of Idyllwild where all of this happens. I do see the people pulled off the side of Highway 74 for miles though, and I know they are just seeking some well-justified outside time but totally at the expense of the people who own that private property. The trash is terrible that they are leaving behind. I am wholeheartedly hoping the visitors can be educated as to how to pack it up and leave no trace behind. The locals have formulated a community trash pickup where they walk along the road and collect litter, but it does such a disservice to them and the animals as well as this mountain environment.

We were hoping to get some light shed on this issue, ask people to educate themselves, possibly consider staying home during a stay at home order, find a way to increase law enforcement presence as there is only 1 CHP and 1 Sheriff to cover from Anza to Idyllwild and also to teach people the etiquette when visiting as the community will never be able to keep people from coming up even being in a pandemic.

I hope I am not chatting your ear/eyes off but really wanting some sort of news outlet to cover this and hoping you can help!

-Amber Jordan

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post Small town, visitors in the midst of a pandemic appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) has received a $25 million authorization to support its desalination program through the recently passed Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) that was signed into law in late December 2020. The recent WRDA passage increases Federal funding support for EMWD’s South Perris Desalination Program from $25 million to $50 million.

The grant authorization is part of the Fiscal Year 2021 Consolidated Appropriations Act and the funding will be distributed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers to further increase water supply reliability as part of EMWD’s Desalination Program.

The funding will be authorized over several years to fund additional water supply wells, pipelines, and a new brine minimization technology that will increase local water supply availability and further reduce EMWD’s dependence on imported water supplies.

The current desalination process produces 75 gallons of fresh drinking water out of every 100 gallons of salty groundwater. The funding supports new technology that will bring that recovery rate to more than 90 percent.

EMWD received support for the funding authorization from Congressmembers Ken Calvert, Raul Ruiz, and Mark Takano; and Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris. Over last two years, EMWD’s Congressional delegation strongly advocated to increase the federal funding level for the EMWD’s desalination program. The specific actions they undertook to advance this provision in the legislative process were instrumental to ensuring its inclusion in the bill.

EMWD is one California’s most successful agencies in securing state and federal funding for projects. In the past decade, EMWD has received more than $500 million in direct project funds, grants or low-interest loans to expand its water, wastewater and recycled water programs. This funding helps keep costs low for EMWD’s customers.

“EMWD is incredibly appreciative of our federal elected officials and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for their partnership and support of our expanding desalination program,” EMWD Board Vice President Phil Paule said. “This funding is another example of EMWD’s continued commitment to work with our federal partners to bring local taxpayer money back into our service area to support projects that benefit our customers and the region.”

EMWD • Contributed

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post EMWD Receives $25M Federal Authorization for South Perris Desalination Program appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

CalRTA selects $100 grant winners

Christmas came early this year for three local teachers, bringing tidings of great joy in the form of $100 teacher grants, courtesy of the California Retired Teachers Association (CalRTA) Division 33, which serves Hemet, San Jacinto and surrounding communities. Vice President Sue Breyer says, “This year has been such a tremendous challenge for educators, our hope is that these $100 grants will help bring a little holiday cheer to these teachers and their students.”

Laura Anderson, Jenna Spinali and Natalee Boggs each completed an easy online application form in November with hopes of winning one of three grants. CalRTA Division 33 holds drawings four times a year, in October, December, February and April, randomly selecting three winners from the list of applicants. During their December virtual holiday gathering, the names of three recipients were drawn from a pool of 50 applicants.

Laura Anderson is a veteran third grade teacher at Hemet Elementary school and is prepping her library for when students return to in-person instruction, adding books that have diverse characters and are more inclusive of the demographics of her campus. Anderson has been conscientiously working on this project over the past year. “The $100 gift will accelerate the process,” Anderson says.

Fruitvale Elementary School teacher Jenna Spinali works with struggling readers in the primary grades at her Hemet school. She plans to use the $100 grant to purchase a book titled “Bridging the Gap” by Brenda D. Smith, which she’s had on her wish list for a long time. “Many of my students have gaps in their phonemic awareness skills, so I hope the book will help me help them improve,” Spinali says.

With her $100 Teacher Grant, Natalee plans to buy science goodies for her students at Murrieta Mesa High School! The funds will allow her to purchase lab supplies for them, such as Borax, plastic bags, paper bags, balloons, straws, droppers, baking soda, new slides for the microscopes, markers, dish soap and paper. Boggs was surprised she was selected and says, “My students and I are very excited!”

For more information about CalRTA Division 33’s next teacher grant drawing in February, visit https://div33.calrta.org/scholarships-and-grants/ or access their Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/calrtadivision33 and watch for announcements.

Sue Breyer • CalRTA Division 33 Vice President

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post Early Christmas for Three Educators appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

“The son of Mexican immigrants — a cook and house cleaner — Alex Padilla worked his way from humble beginnings to the halls of MIT, the Los Angeles City Council and the State Senate, and has become a national defender of voting rights as California’s Secretary of State. Now, he will serve in the halls of our nation’s Capitol as California’s next United States Senator, the first Latino to hold this office,” said Governor Newsom. “Through his tenacity, integrity, smarts and grit, California is gaining a tested fighter in their corner who will be a fierce ally in D.C., lifting up our state’s values and making sure we secure the critical resources to emerge stronger from this pandemic. He will be a Senator for all Californians.”

Secretary of State Padilla was sworn in as California’s first Latino Secretary of State on January 5, 2015 and pledged to bring more Californians into the democratic process as the state’s top elections official. With President Trump attacking immigrants and democracy over the past four years, Padilla has been a warrior for voting rights and the American Dream. He was re-elected in 2018 and received the most votes of any Latino elected official in the United States.

“I am honored and humbled by the trust placed in me by Governor Newsom, and I intend to work each and every day to honor that trust and deliver for all Californians,” said Secretary of State Padilla. “From those struggling to make ends meet to the small businesses fighting to keep their doors open to the health care workers looking for relief, please know that I am going to the Senate to fight for you. We will get through this pandemic together and rebuild our economy in a way that doesn’t leave working families behind.”

Since taking office, Secretary of State Padilla has worked to make California’s elections more accessible and inclusive, while fighting to protect the integrity of our voting systems. He:

• Registered over 22 million voters: Under Padilla’s leadership, voter registration is at an all-time high – over 22 million Californians are registered to vote (an increase of more than four million from the day he took office) and the highest rate in nearly seven decades.

• Expanded access to the ballot: He implemented innovations like same-day registration, online pre-registration for 16- and 17-year olds and automatic voter registration, also known as “California Motor Voter.”

• Protected our elections: He oversaw the upgrades and replacement of voting systems in all 58 counties in the state to systems that meet California’s newer, higher security standards.

Padilla also served as Chairman of the California Complete Count Committee, where he led efforts to reach hard to count communities and worked with community based organizations to secure a safe and fair Census count.

Growing up, Padilla’s mom and dad relentlessly emphasized hard work and a good education as key to a better future. With just an elementary school education, Santos worked as a short order cook for forty years before retirement. He liked to boast that his kitchen “never failed an inspection.” For the same forty years, Lupe worked tirelessly as a housekeeper for a group of families in the affluent communities of Studio City and Sherman Oaks.

Santos and Lupe raised their three children, Julie, Alex and Ackley, in a modest home in Pacoima. In the 1980s, the neighborhood became one of the more violent areas of Los Angeles and gang activity, prostitution and open-air drug dealing were rampant. Going to sleep to the sound of police helicopters was not uncommon.

Padilla attended local public schools, keeping his focus on books and baseball. He worked his way into the starting rotation at San Fernando High as a senior. The same year, his countless hours of study paid off and he won admission to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. He worked his way through college doing a variety of janitorial and administrative jobs while mentoring younger students back home to follow the same path.

It was the conditions in his neighborhood growing up and the feeling that the Northeast San Fernando Valley wasn’t adequately served by government that awakened his interest in political activism. As a teenager, Padilla’s family helped organize neighbors to take back the streets from crime. He and his mother would periodically join community leaders to protest environmental injustice and demand the closure of the Lopez Canyon Landfill. In 1994, after California voters passed Proposition 187, the sweeping anti-immigrant measure, his parents finally applied for citizenship and Padilla, now a recent MIT graduate, resolved to put an engineering career aside and dedicate his life to public service.

Demanding a fair share of opportunity and resources for the people of the Northeast San Fernando Valley, Padilla was elected to the Los Angeles City Council as a political outsider at the age of 26. As a member of the City Council, he worked to expand after-school programs to serve 16 schools in his district, worked to reduce class sizes and built state-of-the-art libraries and a children’s museum. He worked to retain and create more local job opportunities through industrial, commercial and residential development and community reinvestment. And he championed citywide measures to improve air and water quality while directing the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to dramatically increase procurement of renewable energy sources.

In 2001, Padilla’s colleagues elected him the youngest Council President in Los Angeles history. As President, he provided citywide leadership at critical times. He was Acting Mayor during the tragedy of September 11, 2001. He assisted in the interview and selection of William Bratton as Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department and helped negotiate the approval of LA Live and the modernization of Los Angeles International Airport. In 2005, his colleagues throughout the state elected him President of the California League of Cities.

In 2006, Padilla was elected to the State Senate to represent the more than 1 million people in the San Fernando Valley. As a State Senator, he would go on to author more than 70 bills signed into law by both Republican and Democratic governors.

Over two terms, Padilla passed major legislation:

• Fighting climate change: He passed landmark legislation increasing renewable energy standards, expanding green manufacturing and solar power, developing clean fuels and modernizing the electrical grid.

• Expanding educational opportunity: He passed bills bridging the digital divide and expanding college access, helping English language learners and protecting student athletes.

• Fostering healthier communities: He fought for universal health care, stopping tobacco sales to minors, fighting diabetes and obesity, expanding patient protections and improving food safety

• Increasing gun safety: He passed common-sense gun safety measures like tracking stolen guns and stopping felons from possessing body armor.

• Harnessing innovation: As an engineer, he fought for the ethical advancement of science and technology. He authored legislation protecting Californians from discrimination based on genetic information and wrote the bill creating a statewide Earthquake Early Warning System.

Padilla lives with his wife Angela, a mental health advocate, and their three sons in the San Fernando Valley.

-Office of Governor California

Find your latest news here at the Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle

The post Governor Gavin Newsom Selects Secretary of State Alex Padilla as California’s Next United States Senator appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.