Tag Archives: Unified City

Riverside Author’s Memoir Inspires, Entertains…and Tops Bestseller Lists

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Consistent with Riverside’s vision to be a caring community that has compassion for all of its inhabitants, and engages with one another for a better life for all (read: Unified City), one Riverside woman turned her (and her dog’s) story about battling cancer and the changes it made in her life into an inspirational book that has risen to the top of several national bestseller lists, including securing the #1 position with the New York Times.

The Dog Lived

One reviewer had the following to say about Teresa Ryhne’s memoir, The Dog Lived (And So Will I):

“Funny, smart, uplifting and fun, [reminding] us that animals are among our best teachers, our most powerful healers, and our most steadfast friends. This unforgettable story of an irrepressible beagle, a tough lawyer and her unlikely boyfriend will make you cry a little and laugh a lot. Whether you’re facing a scary illness or just a blah Monday, this book is good medicine. I loved it!” —Sy Montgomery, author of The Good Good Pig

CBS2 recently aired a news special on Rhyne’s story and her bestselling book; watch it here.

Click here to view the official website for The Dog Lived (and So Will I) or watch the official book trailer below.

Riverside’s Completion Counts Program Increases Student Success

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(Includes excerpts from the article written by Dayna Straehley and published by the Press-Enterprise on June 7, 2013)

With the so-called Two-Year Contract for Alvord and Riverside high school students going to Riverside City College, the Completion Counts initiative has “solved an age-old problem,” the chancellor said.

“This is the biggest problem we have in American education,” Riverside Community College District Chancellor Gregory Gray said. “Students coming to college ill-prepared don’t make it.”

Students at Norte Vista High School gathered in their gymnasium in 2012 to learn about the citywide initiative as high school graduation approaches.

Students at Norte Vista High School gathered in their gymnasium in 2012 to learn about the citywide initiative.

Students coming to RCC on the Two-Year Contract, which began for students who started last fall, are better prepared than their peers from the same school districts, said Ed Bush, RCC’s vice president for student services. He presented the data to the college district’s Board of Trustees on Tuesday, June 4.

Twice as many students on the Two-Year Contract are placed in college-level English their first semester. Almost three times as many are placed in college-level math compared to freshman who started in 2011.

The contract students are also more successful completing coursework overall, Bush’s data shows.

The contract, created through Completion Counts, requires students to attend full-time and guarantees them priority access to the classes they need to earn associate’s degrees within two years.

Most other students start part time and do not take English or math their first three years, Bush said.

To be eligible for the contract, students also must take placement tests and place no lower than one level below college-level English and math.

Funded by a Gates Foundation Grant, Completion Counts has been an initiative with Alvord and Riverside Unified School Districts, RCC, the Riverside County Office of Education, the City of Riverside and Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce. The goal is to raise both high school and college graduation rates in the city.

With the grant funding now in its third and final year, the college and school districts used the grant to change what they are doing so the improvement can continue after the money runs out, RCC President Cynthia Azari said. Shelagh Camak, RCC vice president for workforce and resource development, said those changes are firmly embedded in the way high schools and the college work.

The Two-Year Contract was the defining accomplishment of the Completion Counts effort, Camak said.

English and mathematics faculty from the college and high schools have been meeting to discuss expectations and aligning curriculum to prepare students, sharing statistics and other information that the college had never shared before, she said. Now high school teachers understand what will be expected when their students start college, the curriculum is better aligned and students are better prepared.

Riverside has come together around the need to promote higher education in our community and ensure that our students are able to take full advantage of the opportunities available at any of the institutions of higher education within our city. The two-year guarantee reflects the commitment to lifelong learning and a college-going culture in Riverside by ensuring that students achieve their academic goals through accessible and efficient means. 

To read the full article as written by Straehley, click here.

To learn more about the Completion Counts initiative and the Two-Year Guarantee, visit College311.org, or read more posts on the Completion Counts efforts and successes.

 

Riversider Strengthens Self and Community Through Dance

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Anyone who has witnessed the transformation of the Riverside arts scene as it grew into the richer, broader landscape of culture and creativity that it is today, can tell you it wouldn’t have happened without the collaborative, passionate efforts of the community. Recently Patrick Brien and Brandi Clark, Riverside Arts Council, co-wrote a feature on one woman’s positive impact on Riverside as well as the lives of herself and others through her artistic talent – dance.

April MacLeanSome people look at an empty dance studio and simply see a large, open room. April MacLean, the owner of Room to Dance, sees possibility.

“Many a time, I’ve walked into a studio in a terrible state, and I’ve always left soulfully renewed,” she says.

Dance has served as an escape, according to MacLean. It is something she very nearly did not get to pursue, however. At the age of 14, she fell in love with dance. The week that she auditioned for and made her first competitive team, she was placed into foster care.

“Once in care, dance wasn’t an option,” she explains. “Extras weren’t paid for.”

The next three years saw MacLean move more than 22 times, attending over 13 high schools.

“School was definitely not my favorite time,” she says. “There was no prom and there were no permanent friends. It was mostly just a flurry of faces. The same is true of homes. I truly lived out of trash bags for a few years because I never stayed anywhere long enough to make it a home.”

This is where MacLean’s story was just beginning, however. She wound up attending Riverside City College and graduating from UC Riverside with a BA in Dance.

After several years of being a professional dancer for another company, MacLean decided to open her own dance studio in Downtown Riverside three years ago.

MacLean is stunned by the success of Room to Dance. “It’s thriving,” she says. “I am honestly in shock that we opened mid-recession and continue to soar. It’s very affirming. Adults did need a haven. I often tell people that the dance studio is merely a front for what we really provide: therapy in its purest form. People’s lives are constantly changed here. That kind of empowerment is contagious and recession-proof.”

Having already expanded into a second location and taking on a business partner that complements her creativity, MacLean has demonstrated a strong commitment to the Riverside community and has volunteered her talents for events such as Riverside’s Long Night of Arts & Innovation and the Janet Goeske Foundation fundraiser, “Dancing with the Stars”.

“Riverside is on the threshold of some amazing things,” she says. “I feel it sometimes through my involvement in various projects. There is this sort of anxious humming underneath the surface of it all. I am so excited to be a part of that.”

To read the full story as published by the Press-Enterprise on May 30, 2013, click here. For more information on April MacLean or her studio, Room to Dance, visit her website at www.RoomtoDanceStudio.com.

Students Connect Core Values of Cesar Chavez to the ‘Real World’

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(As reported by Carrie Meng, Press-Enterprise Correspondent; June 1, 2013)

In April, sixth-graders at Riverside’s Madison Elementary School got an assignment unlike any other.

They were told to incorporate the 10 core values of Cesar Chavez, an American farm worker and civil rights leader, into original poems and photographs.

The project was part of a history lesson for the sixth-grade curriculum.

A youth arts exhibit featuring poems and photography from sixth-graders at Madison Elementary School is set for the Cesar Chavez Community Center on Monday, June 3, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Students incorporated Cesar Chavez’s 10 core values into their work. (Photo by Carrie Meng; source: PE.com)

“They were able to connect the 10 core values with real world things,” said James Luna, a writing teacher who spearheaded the project. All sixth graders students could submit photos and poetry on the theme.

This was the first time students participated such an event, Luna said.

“They really tuned into his values and I’m really impressed,” he said.

The students also got a lesson in photography fundamentals from Carlos Puma, a Riverside photographer. They learned about topics such as positioning, lighting and story-telling moments.

“They were great, real sharp,” Puma said. “They asked a lot of questions and you could see they were picking up on what I was saying.”

The students used iPod touches issued by the elementary school to take the photos.

One sixth-grader, Giovanni Mejia, wrote a poem connecting the value of knowledge to libraries.

“I learned that you can never stop learning,” Giovanni said.

Another student, Grace Jung, said,

“trying new things are challenging, but they aren’t as hard as you think.”

The finished projects were part of a Youth Arts Exhibit at the Cesar Chavez Community Center on Monday, June 3 as part of Cesar Chavez Memorial Week, which leads to the unveiling of a Chavez monument in downtown Riverside on Saturday, June 8.

“It was a long time ago for students in elementary school today, but they need to be connected to and understand that period,” said Ley Yeager, a committee member who coordinated the exhibit.

Connecting the history and values of Cesar Chavez not only teaches students the heritage and diversity within this Unified City, but also fosters an appreciation for the adversity, determination and hard work that created the world they live in today through artistic expression.

To read the full article as published on PE.com, click here. To read a summary of the 10 Core Values of Cesar Chavez, click here.

Riverside’s Fallen Heroes Remembered

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In the spirit of a ‘Unified City’, the sixty law officers who have died in the line of duty throughout Riverside County since 1895 were remembered and honored on Monday, May 20, 2013 at an annual ceremony by their families, friends and hundreds of active duty officers and retirees.

Police officers representing officers killed in the line of duty salute the family members of fallen officers attending the Riverside County Peace Officers’ Memorial Ceremony on Monday, May 20, 2013. Photo by David Bauman; source: PE.com

“We take a day (each year) to say … each and every one of their names. And we do our best to show the surviving family members that we’re thinking about them,” explained 72-year-old Riverside Police Department retiree Ivan Henery in the May 21, 2013 Press-Enterprise.

According to the PE, the remembrance project began 30 years ago after the Riverside Police Department lost two officers – Dennis Doty and Phillip Trust – in one day.

‘“We can’t promise them they will be safe,” Riverside Police Chief Sergio Diaz told the crowd Monday, May 20. But the solemn pledge to every officer, he emphasized, is that if they die in the line of duty, their colleagues will bring their killer to justice, give the fallen officer a good send-off, take care of their families – and always, always, always honor their memory.’

To watch the video of the Riverside County Peace Officers’ Memorial Ceremony, click here. To read the full article as published on PE.com, click here.

Riverside Loses a Community Hero

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Ameal Moore, longtime community leader and advocate for Riverside to be a truly ‘Unified City’ passed away early on Monday, April 29, at home after a long battle with cancer.

Ameal Moore, 1934-2013

In a statement issued yesterday by Riverside Mayor Rusty Bailey, he described the three-term City Councilman as having “exhibited a quiet strength – a leadership style dependent upon sound decision making, thoughtful reason and building relationships – friendships,” and added, “Riverside is a better place because of his leadership.”

“He was a very dignified, quiet man who did a lot of good things in the background, especially when he was on the City Council, to help the community to be the community that it could be and should be,” said Rose Mayes, executive director of the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County in an article written by Alicia Robinson and published on PE.com.

According to the Mayor’s statement, Moore’s contributions to Riverside range from leadership in Riverside’s sustainability efforts, working tirelessly to improve Riverside’s quality of life, and bringing community services for the underserved. Just less than two weeks ago, Ameal was recognized by a unanimous vote of the City Council authorizing the naming of Sycamore Canyon Nature Center at Sycamore Canyon Park in his name.

Moore had been “president of Riverside’s NAACP chapter, helped form a Toastmasters International club, taught Sunday school at his church, and served on the city’s parking and traffic and planning commissions. He was elected in 1994 to represent Ward 2, including the Eastside, parts of the University area, Sycamore Canyon and Canyon Crest.

Friends and former council colleagues credit Mr. Moore with getting amenities added at the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park and starting the push to improve University Avenue, which was a source of complaints and frequent police visits,” notes Robinson in the PE.com article.

To Riverside, Moore personified the community vision that everyone should enjoy a high quality of life and be unified in pursuing the common good.

“I wanted to be a decision maker rather than someone always complaining about things.”

To read the full article published on April 29, 2013 on PE.com, click here.

To read the statement issued by Mayor Rusty Bailey, click here.

Arlanza Garden Proves to Be Fertile Ground for Riverside

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In an effort to build a Unified City  from the roots up, Riverside-based Child Leader Project (CLP) hosted their second annual MLK Day at the Arlanza Community Garden this past January. The ‘Grow Arlanza’ event invited community members to participate in contributing design plans and planting seeds to raise awareness for the garden. With the support of student organizations from UCR, Growcology, and the community, the event was a powerful way to commemorate MLK and bring together excited individuals from all of Riverside.

Arlanza Community Garden

(photo source: http://www.ChildLeaderProject.org)

The successful event included 80 plus leaders in the garden assisting with irrigation, gate design, weeding and clean-up. Other activities included Norte Vista High School’s Padres Unidos (United Parents) organization selling pupusas, CLP youth raising funds for the 2013 Confronteras trip and Operation SafeHouse representatives sharing information about their work.

The Arlanza Garden project is facilitated by young adult mentors and youth that have committed themselves towards creating a space where the entire community can both nourish and flourish.

Check out all the photos at: Second Annual MLK Day of Service.

If you missed out on the event, make sure to Save the Date for Earth Day 2013 (Saturday, April 20th) when CLP will be hosting a work party in celebration of Earth Day. More details can be found on the Arlanza Garden Facebook page.

Building a Legacy: Henry W. Coil Jr. is Recognized as a Riverside Treasure

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(The following includes excerpts from the April-May 2013 issue of Riverside Magazine written by Carla Sanders.)

There is an adage that recommends, “Do something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” For more than half a century, Henry W. Coil Jr. has taken that to heart.

“I have always enjoyed what I do,” said Coil, past president of Tilden-Coil Constructors Inc. of Riverside. “I still do.”

Photo credit: Riverside Magazine by Gabriel Luis Acosta

Photo credit: Riverside Magazine by Gabriel Luis Acosta

This last phrase helps explain Coil’s continuing affection for the company he has helped guide since the early 1970s. Even though he turned over most of Tilden-Coil’s day-to-day operations to others in 1998, Coil, now 80, still comes to the office seven days a week year-round, and stays 10 to 12 hours.

Among the highlights have been freeway improvements, seismic retrofitting of the Riverside County Courthouse – “We took the whole thing apart, even the statues, and came in $2.5 million under budget,” he says, beaming – and a massive printing plant project in Seattle for $411 million, at 1988 prices.

Despite his long hours, the years haven’t been all work for Coil. He has spent thousands of hours in public service. He was a Riverside councilman in the 1960s and has served on a large cross-section of boards and committees for institutions including Riverside Community College District Foundation, La Sierra University, University of Redlands, Riverside Arts Foundation, the American Red Cross, Mission Inn Foundation, and UCR Foundation. In 2011, he was honored with the Roy Hord Volunteer of the Year Award by the Riverside Downtown Partnership.

Coil said his civic-mindedness was modeled by his parents, both of whom were prominent professionals and active in the community. His father served on the planning commission for more than two decades, as well as being involved with the Bar Association and the library board.

It is that legacy, in part, that prompted Coil to honor them in the form of a $5 million gift to the Riverside Community College District. The money, donated in 2010, will be used to fund programs at the eventual Henry W. Coil Sr. and Alice Edna Coil School for the Arts in downtown.

“Henry is like a father figure to many of us, and especially me,” said Brian Jaramillo, Tilden-Coil president – the fourth in the company’s 75-year history. “He has been a great example of the enduring values of our organization. He is the ultimate leader who wants the very best for us and our community, and yet he does not have to be in charge to add influence and value to our lives. Riverside is a better place because he continues to channel his energy and efforts through Tilden-Coil for the greater good of the community.”

Click here to read the full article as published in Riverside Magazine.

Riversiders Pledge Over 9,600 Volunteer Hours for 2013

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The Pick Group, Young Professionals of Riverside, ran a successful social media volunteer drive in January in which young professionals and others in the Riverside area were called upon to promote volunteerism.

The Pick and Pledge Challenge provided a media forum to publicly post hours that participants will volunteer in 2013 to local organizations and non profits.

The Pick Group is a local organization that offers young professionals social, professional, and civic opportunities, sponsors the event annually.

Together, Pick Group members, board members, friends and community members pledged over 9,600 volunteer hours to the community on the group’s Facebook page.

2013 Pick and Pledge Campaign

2013 Pick and Pledge Campaign
(source: The Pick Group Facebook Page)

“According to the Independent Sector, the monetary value of a volunteer hour is $21.79. The economic impact of those 9,600 hours pledged is over $200,000,” said Brent Lee, president of the Pick Group.

“We may have added up a numerical value, but the service that our community members dedicate each year is invaluable,” said Jesse Limon, chair of the Civic Involvement Committee, which hosts Pick and Pledge and the Board Development Training Program every year.

The Board Development Training Program is another component of involvement in the Pick and Pledge Challenge. Since 2009, the Pick Group has hosted a Board Development Training Program to teach young professionals about various aspects of being a board member.

Graduates of this program actively seek and obtain positions as board members on several nonprofit boards throughout Riverside. The annual Pick and Pledge event seeks to pair eager young professionals with local nonprofit boards. The graduates contributed by posting their projected board volunteer hours.

“I’m very excited to volunteer my time with a nonprofit by serving on a board,” said Khevin Curry, a current Board Development training participant. “I feel as if this program has prepared me to be a successful board candidate.”

The Pick and Pledge Campaign showcases Riverside’s passion and commitment for a better quality of life for all residents. The Pick Group is a 501(c)6 organization that provides opportunities for career-minded young professionals to connect socially, develop professionally, and engage civically for the betterment of Riverside. For more information, visit the website www.PickRiverside.org or Facebook page www.facebook.com/pickgroup, or contact them at email thepickgroup@gmail.com.

UC Riverside Student Saves Life of Iowa Man

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A KABC reporter, Leticia Juarez, reported on March 27, 2013 that a UC Riverside student, Alex Fishburn, saved the life of an Iowa basketball coach when he signed up to be a bone marrow donor in 2008 during a LifeStream Blood Drive.

According to Juarez, “Vietor, a 46-year-old Iowa high school basketball coach, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010. It was a battle he almost lost, had it not been for Fishburn’s life-saving bone marrow donation. As it turned out, the 22-year-old University of California at Riverside student was a perfect match.”

“’You sign up for it, might as well. When it actually happens, it’s surreal,’ the student said.”

Although modest about his reasons, the selflessness shown of Alex Fishburn by registering to be a donor and going through the bone marrow transplant procedure, demonstrates the care and compassion that Riversiders have for others in and outside of their community.

Click here to read the article as posted on KABC.