Recent Newsletter Posts

Corona has a diverse population, with citizens who do many good things for the community. One thing that is often overlooked is the Boy Scouts. Cody Rusicigno of Troop 107 exemplifies all the good things a Boy Scout could be. Cody is amongst the few who attain the honor of being an Eagle Scout. Only one boy in every 172 or 0.6% are disciplined and committed enough to achieve this badge.

Rusicigno, of Corona, has achieved an Eagle Scout ranking while also earning two additional "palms" on top of the award. Palms are earned for being active in the troop for at least three months after you earn your Eagle, and earning at least five additional merit badges. Rusicigno has earned two palms, bronze and gold.

Cody recently went to the National Boy Scout Jamboree, where his district Troop 809 had a Hansen's Monster energy drink gateway to their campsite. Rusicigno said that each troop was supposed to decorate their gateways with something "important from their state or hometown." (Monster energy drinks are produced in Corona.) Their Troop also had patches with the Fender logo on them to trade with other Troops.

As part of earning the rank of Eagle Scouts, all scouts must complete something called the Eagle project, in which they organize a project to improve their community. Through some help from the City of Corona, Rusicigno was allowed to paint the Lincoln park monument sign as well as some other areas of the park. "The paintings at the park looked awful," he said.

"I've been able to help by being available and being a resource in my troop," Rusicigno said.

As Corona looks for things to do, they should look no farther than Rusicigno and Troop 107--shining examples of community service in our area.

The Riverside County Waste Management Department is putting on the Household Hazardous Waste Event on Friday and Saturday November 12-13 from 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. to help all Riverside County residents get rid of their waste.

Instead of wrongly throwing away these items in your own trashcans come to the event at Corona City Corporate Yard(map) to properly dispose them. Acceptable items to bring include:

• Used oil and filter
• Latex/oil base paint
• Fluorescent tubes/bulbs
• Pesticides
• Cleaners
• BBQ and camp size propane
• Aerosol cans
• Antifreeze
• Auto batteries
• Garden chemicals
• Pool chlorine
• TVs and Computers
• Electronic Waste
• Sharps

Do not bring items like:
• Government, business, non-profit or out of county hazardous waste
• Explosives or ammunition
• Medical/infectious waste
• Asbestos
• 55 gallon drums
• Appliances

The event may be canceled due to inclement weather. For more information call (800) 304-2226 or visit www.rivcowm.org.

The National Cooperstown Tournament of Champions (NCTC) in Cooperstown, New York is an annual baseball tournament which attracts teams from around the United States and Canada. The once in a lifetime tournament was created to allow 12 year old players to travel to the home of the Baseball Hall of Fame and compete against some of the best teams in North America. During the week of July 3 – 9, 2010, the Corona Angels travel team competed against 21 other teams from North America and went 6 – 0, outscoring their opponents 110 – 10 in the six game pool play, earning the #1 seed for the single elimination playoffs. The Angels successfully defeated their opponents during the playoffs to arrive at the championship game against the #2 seed, the Utah Irish. Despite tough competition, the Angels prevailed, winning the championship game 6 - 4. The Angels ended the tournament 10 – 0, outscoring their opponents 149-19!

The Corona Angels 12 and under travel team is a locally based team that is made up of outstanding players, but more importantly, outstanding young men who showed not only their baseball skills but the true meaning of sportsmanship throughout the tournament. In recognition of their achievements, the Corona Angels were honored by the City of Corona City Council on July 21st, 2010. Congratulations to the players, coaches, and parents for this outstanding achievement and for their hard work and commitment to excellence on and off the field.

Did you know that the Corona-Norco YMCA is helping families and children weather the economic storm? The YMCA now operates eight program sites with a continuum of care for children in the Corona Norco Unified School District from 2 years old to high school.

The YMCA invites you to attend their 15th Annual Ira D. "Cal" Calvert Distinguished Service Awards Dinner being held on September 11, 2010 at 4:00 p.m. at the home of Congressman Ken Calvert. It promises to be fun, and they will honor some special distinguished community volunteers that are worthy of our praise and thanks. Being honored are Dr. Brenda Davis, Kathy Azevedo, Eugene Montanez, Grace Bosquez, Woody Harpole, Riverside Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Hope Through Housing Foundation, Luann Miller and Louis Davis. All the funds raised will be used to help sponsor high school youth in the YMCA Community Teen Center, the Youth and Government Program, and to help the YMCA with badly needed renovation and repair work. Please remember that the YMCA also awards scholarships and sponsors many children who otherwise could not participate in our programs. At least 60% of the families serviced by the YMCA are from low and very low income levels.

The YMCA has had a difficult year trying to meet these rising levels of need, and they are hoping that the community will pitch in by supporting The Calvert Dinner, which will be the key fundraiser for the year.If you would like to help the YMCA to keep their programs running during these hard times please click here for a sponsorship application.

For more information regarding the Calvert Dinner please contact Yolanda Carrillo at 951-739-1201 or carrillo@ymcacornor.org.

“Everyday is earthquake season in California”, and every citizen has experienced the quakes’ effects in one way or another. Being educated and prepared can help every citizen react appropriately in case of emergency. That’s why the Corona City Council is proclaiming September as National Preparedness Month.

The recent July 7th earthquake shook the Southland in a 5.4 magnitude causing damages and injuries near the epicenter of Borrego Springs. Like many other earthquakes of this magnitude, it was followed by several minor aftershocks. The larger 7.2 magnitude April 4th earthquake centered in Mexicali caused 100 million dollars in damages and killed two people in Mexico. It was the biggest quake to hit the region in decades! While we cannot predict the next major earthquake event, we can say that, “it’s not if we have one, but when we have one and that we need to be prepared”.

Since the looming danger of another big quake remains a concern, the Corona community is coming together to be prepared for when disaster strikes. The Corona Fire Department offers complimentary disaster preparedness training to all interested Corona residents. Visit DiscoverCorona.com/CERT to find out how to become part of the Fire Departments’ Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).

CERT will attend the Corona Host Lions Pancake Breakfast at the Corona Library on September 11th from 7-11 a.m. to inform residents about ways they can better prepare their community.

There is a wealth of information on earthquake safety from lists of practical precautions to insurance policies. Visit Ready.gov to get a kit and stay informed, DropCoverHold.org for the physical steps to safety, EarthQuakeCountry.info to learn great tips for stabilizing your home against the force of a quake and EarthquakeAuthority.com to get earthquake insurance.

The Corona Host Lions are sponsoring their 54th Annual Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, September 11th, 2010 from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Corona Public Library(map). The cost for the pancake breakfast is $5.00 with all proceeds going to the Lions charity. On hand at the Pancake Breakfast will be the Corona Fire Department and other disaster related volunteer organizations who will be displaying their disaster preparedness tools and skills for National Preparedness Month.

Corona Host Lions was founded in 1923 and supports several charities, most of which are involved with the conservation of sight and the blind. Other causes that Lions clubs provide assistance to, are, diabetes research, drug abuse, education and disaster relief.

As one of the premier community service organizations, the Lions Club fosters service to the community through camaraderie and individual growth. There are about 1.4 million members, in over 46,000 Lions clubs, in 197 countries and geographic areas, all with a focus on the concept of 'We Serve.'

For more information on the Corona Host Lions please visit CoronaHostLions.org. For more information on the Pancake breakfast please call Dave Crisp at 951-273-1917. For more information on National Preparedness Month and the Corona Fire Department Emergency Services Display please contact Lynn Mata at 951-736-2458 or visit our Inner Circle article.

With the city’s water conservation effort, Corona residents need to be more conscientious about their carbon footprint. Recycling also plays a large role in the process of making our city greener and more efficient as a whole. If conserving and recycling could be integrated into every residents’ lifestyle, we could reduce the harm we humans cause the planet and look forward to a greener future.

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The Fender Museum of Music & the Arts of Corona(map), opened in 1998, has always had a goal to provide free or little cost music to their students, but now they are going even further.

Campaign 800 is a fundrasing and marketing platform designed to address the needs of the 800 kids currently on a waiting list to participate in the Fender Center's "Kids Rock Free" music education programs.

"Kids Rock Free" is a program that allows students from age seven to 17 to receive lessons in the arts of guitar, piano, drums, vocal performance, and combo band. The students receive lessons for free for 6 months in exchange for their parents volunteering time at the center. After that period of time, parents are asked to pay a minimal fee. If they cannot afford it, however, the center offers scholarships allowing students to keep rocking. 70% of enrolled students receive scholarships.

"Our primary mission is to provide free and low cost music lessons to kids. So far, we have served more than 12,000 kids from 110 different cities," said Mike Kerr, of the board of trustees for the FenderMuseum of Music & the Arts.

The Steve Miller Band, known for songs such as "Jungle Love," "Take the Money and Run," and "Fly like an Eagle," will be performing on Friday, September 17 to launch the program. Grandstand tickets are available for $35, and VIP tickets which include dinner will be available for $250. Sponsorship opportunities are also available, of which all money donated will go to the Campaign 800 program. Act fast, few tickets remain!

"We all are very proud of the tremendous support from the community, and hope they will enjoy this resource," Kerr said.

The center’s premiere concerts provide a place to rock out and make a difference in the lives of children for years to come. For more information go to FenderMuseum.com or call 951-735-2440 and dial extension 207 for tickets.

Over the last few weeks, Corona-Norco Unified School District high schools have held awards nights, recognition ceremonies, and graduation ceremonies. While always successful, this year's graduating class from the Corona-Norco Unified School District has been truly outstanding.  Graduates have received acceptance into some of the most prestigious universities around the country, including Harvard, MIT, Berkeley, UCLA, and Dartmouth. Equally as impressive is the total of academic scholarships, athletic scholarships, and other grants and financial aid received by students: over $23 million thus far!  In addition to students attending four-year colleges and universities, many will also be attending community colleges, trade/technical schools, or entering the world of work. In all of their endeavors, the graduating class of 2010 has been truly exceptional!

With the close of another school year this past month, the Corona-Norco Unified School District held award nights, recognition ceremonies, and graduation ceremonies for the exceptional class of 2010. Each year’s graduating class is successful, but this year’s was truly outstanding with students earning a grand total of approximately $23 million in scholarships, grants and financial aid.

A whooping $800,000 was awarded to motivated Santiago student Jessica Ramadin by the Bill Gates Foundation; with the money, Jessica can now pay off her entire educational career at Cornell University.

The heartwarming Michael C. Murphy scholarship awards $500 to writing driven students in honor of the late Murphy-Corwin son. This year the scholarship was awarded to Santiago students Julian Burrell and Katie Clark. Being that this is the last year the parents will commemorate their son through the scholarship, the recipients were even more grateful. “To receive a scholarship in itself is an honor; to receive one with such a great and genuine history is amazing. Being one of the last recipients is the cherry on top,” said Clark who plans to use the money for her educational career at San Diego Sate University as a Literature Major.

In all of their athletic and scholastic undertakings, the graduating class of 2010 has been truly outstanding with students gaining acceptance into some of the most prestigious universities around the country including Harvard, Dartmouth, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Pennsylvania, University of California Berkeley, University of California Los Angeles, and the University of Southern California. Other students will continue their educational careers at community colleges and trade or technical schools; while others jump head first into the world of work. No matter where their endeavors lead them, the class of 2010 is headed toward a bright future. Congratulations to all graduates and scholarship recipients!