Category Archives: Living Among Giants

City Of Our Dreams, Environment, Living Among Giants, Social Capital, UCR

Watkins Clean Up Love Riverside It Shows

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Thanks to the University neighbors, Friends of Riverside’s Hills and students who took walk on Watkins Drive, for Love Riverside’s serve day Saturday, Oct. 12th.

Along the way, they picked up 32 large bags of trash, 2-5 gal. cans of  toxic waste, 1 tire tread, assorted construction waste, and several green cans worth of invasive green waste and other nasty junk that makes us glad we have public works to take it the last mile- to the landfill.

Trash Pick up Results 1 Trash Pickup Results 2 Volunteers picking trash along Watkins Dr West Side Watkins Dr clean up curb pin with now dumping storm drain message

This is why the UNA is the neighborhood of our dreams. Thank you neighbors.

 

City Of Our Dreams, Democarcy, Ethics, Living Among Giants, Open Government, Public Policy, Social Capital

NBT Inspector General Ballot Rebuttal Denied

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Neighbors Better Together Group LogoThe united voices of neighborhood groups across the city NBT, Neighbors Better Together wrote a rebuttal to the current ballot language.

The reason this is even on a ballot is because several Charter Review committees have advocated for this over the years. Council adopted the Review Committee’s recommendation, but not as they recommended.

The Charter Review Committee recommended the position be an elected one instead of appointed. The reasons for that are obvious.

Here is what you won’t see on the ballot:

Vote “No” on Measure L.

We Are Just Getting Started Sign

After years of discussing and researching the subject, and at the demands of longtime City watchdogs for greater accountability and transparency, in 2022 Riverside’s appointed Charter Review Committee recommended the creation of an elected (by the public) Inspector General position, with almost exactly the same powers to investigate fraud, waste and abuse as the appointed (by our City Council) position before you today.

Sadly the 2022 City Council, who had made the appointments to the Committee, instead chose to bring before the electorate an appointed position; not unlike Measure E in 2012, which was to create an appointed City Auditor position with once again, almost identical powers.  Measure E was soundly defeated by voters then, like Measure L should be now.

Why?  An appointed Inspector General is not as independent nor directly accountable to the people, rendering their function not just useless, but dangerous in our opinion.  It would provide the illusion of legitimacy, scarcely more effective than the current, and often criticized, practice of having internal auditors that work for our City Manager.  The temptation to whitewash embarrassing, and potentially politically damaging audit findings, would be overwhelming.  Current personalities aside, the fox would be in essence guarding the henhouse.  We deserve better.

Voting “No” on Measure L will allow time for the advocates of an elected Inspector General position to work with the new Council members, installed this year (Falcone, Robillard, Mill), who we think better understand the importance of independent investigation, to bring you a much better ballot measure in early 2026.  We believe they are not afraid of oversight, see the benefits of the public’s ongoing faith in efficient and honest City government, and know that an elected position will ultimately provide a better return on investment for taxpayers.

Please vote “No”.

Arts, Culture, Entertainment, Living Among Giants, UCR

UCR Spring Splash

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UCR Spring Splash Concert crowd and stage

Hello everyone,

I would like to share that on Saturday, May 18th, the Associated Students Program Board is hosting UCR’s annual Spring Splash concert.  We wanted to notify you of potential amplified sound and access that may affect the inner areas of campus.

The event kicks off at 4:30pm and will last until 9:30pm. However, sound checks for the artists will begin at 9:00am until 3:00 pm. Please be advised that the center of campus will be fenced and access to the inner areas of campus will be impacted as a result.  Students, faculty, and staff will be asked to walk around the fenced areas beginning at 12pm until the event ends.  We will provide signage that ensures everyone is able to get to where they need to go. Included is a map outlining the alternative routes once the venue is closed at 12pm on May 18th.

You will start to see the set-up of staging on Wednesday, May 15th;  and set-up of fencing on Friday, May 17th.  Access to buildings will not be impacted before Saturday, May 18th. We appreciate your patience and support of activities for our students that assist them in making a deeper connection to UCR. If you would like more information about the event, please visit our website

Students must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate program at UCR (we verify) and pre-registration is required for the event for access. UCR undergraduate students must present a physical R’Card and entry wristband to enter the event. We will not offer student verification at the event; students must have a wristband and their R’Card to enter (no exceptions).

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Jazmin Alvarez Barragan

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Associated Students Program Board (ASPB) | University of California, Riverside

111 Highlander Union Building Riverside CA, 92521

Office: (951) 827-3615 | jazmin.alvarezbarragan@ucr.edu

 

City Of Our Dreams, Living Among Giants, Social Capital

October 2018 UNA Meeting Agenda

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Meet Your Neighbors

Map and Directions To Crest Community Church
3431 Mt Vernon Ave, Riverside, CA 92507

6:30 pm – 8:30 pm Every Second Thursday (Except August)

1. Welcome – Introductions                                               5 min.

2.  Love Riverside Day Sat Oct 13, 2018

Greenscaping the Metrolink Fencing on Mt. Vernon

                                                                                                  10 min.

3.  Special Guest City Manager Al Zelinka Visit to UNA

4.  UCR Update                                                                       15 min.

5.  UNET Update                                                                    15 min.

Updated “Who Do I Call” List

Next Meeting: Nov 8, 2018

Education, Living Among Giants, UCR

RUSD UCR Hold Meeting For New STEM High School Project

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Save The Date! Tuesday September 25, 2018

It’s time to get informed and organized. It’s critical to show up and bring your questions.

This project will alter the fabric of the neighborhood. It will bring traffic that cannot be mitigated.
So it’s up to us to drive the conversation about mitigation.

Riverside Unified School District and UCR will be holding the first of two community meetings to discuss the proposed RUSD STEM High School on Tuesday, September 25.

 The meeting will be held at 6:00 pm in room J-102 of the Bannockburn Village, located at 3637 Canyon Crest Dr, Riverside, CA 92507

The Regents of the University of California, on behalf of UC Riverside are partnering with the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) to propose a ground lease of University-owned Glen Mor Intramural Fields on East Campus for the purpose of constructing a new RUSD STEM High School serving grades 9 through 12.

UCR STEM High School Site Proposal

The RUSD STEM High School will be a magnet school for 800 students (half full-time and half part-time) who are pursuing their interests and aptitudes in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The High School would consist of classrooms, administrative office space, a multi-use discovery center, fabrication lab, food service, lecture facilities, a fitness center, outdoor learning areas and associated parking and circulation.

There will be a follow up meeting on November 1st.

For more information on the project, visit: http://ae.ucr.edu/rusd_stem_high_school_958802-community_meeting_flyer_9-7-18_b.pdf

For more information, please contact: Ana Gonzalez Director II, Planning Development Riverside Unified School District (951) 788‐7496 x84003

Raoul Amescua, ExecuƟve Director Real Estate Services University of California, Riverside (951) 827‐2433

Jerrod Walters, Senior Planner Auxiliary Services / Capital Asset Strategies University of California, Riverside (951) 827‐6955

or Jeff Kraus UCR Office of Government and Community Relations (951) 827-7073

City Of Our Dreams, Living Among Giants, Parks, Social Capital

Love Riverside UNA Valencia Hills Dr Median Make Over

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 We’re planning to add a few cactus and some drought tolerant plants to this forgotten focal point.

A morning make-over. Looking for a few volunteers.

We can use a few with shovels, and a pick up would make quick work of transporting  plant starts.

Start the day at Sherman Indian School, have some coffee and rolls.

Photos and off to an morning make-over.

Contact Gurumantra 951-640-3868

Here’s the project page link for more details:

https://loveriverside.vnexttech.com/communityservice/projectdetails/59d3fe8876a4a2a91cb5aa3a

 

City Of Our Dreams, Living Among Giants, Social Capital

Neighborhood Project Brainstorming Update

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We’re starting to collect lots of ideas of self help actions we can take to enhance the quality of life in the neighborhood. Feel free to share yours.

Brain Strom Sticky Notes

  1. To Do Clean up fee assessed to UCR students or perhaps property owners for move out cleanup. Trash, debris, furniture on curbs…
  2. To Do Neighborhood program for dealing with UCR students issues.  Realistically these are non-police issues (parties, noise, parking, etc) for which UCR may have leverage. We need to solve this ourselves rather than allowing the city to pace our solution.
  3. To Do Reduce street width on Blaine between Watkins and Valencia Hill.  Traffic calming, boulevard, etc…  Maybe even convert to angled or 90 deg parking on one side only…the wall of cars that line every street in UNA and elsewhere in Riverside is horrible.
  4. To Do School traffic at STEM and Highland is really inappropriate for the neighborhood. I imagine all the other schools in UNA have similar issues.
  5. To Do Reseed Mt. Vernon Park with native plants.  This will displace Russian Thistle.  There must be some grant money someplace to do this!
  6. To Do Watkins landscape along railroad between Spruce and Valencia Hill needs to be finished.
  7. To Do We need to find a use for the field at Spruce and Watkins before we get a warehouse there.
  8. To Do UCR backlot (corporate yard) fencing.  Green construction fence installed on a permanent basis. 
  9. To Do Gage canal bikeway needs upkeep and improvements.  Also should be extended through UCR and into the Canyon Crest area.
  10. To Do Need a vision for the neighborhood.  Something like the Springbrook Heritage Parklands citizen’s proposal. We need to get off defense.
  11. To Do Need re-zoning and development added to the vision for UNA.   To me this means allowances for small neighborhood markets like the Olive Ave  Market in Redlands.  It also means allowing for greater housing density that still fits with the neighborhood; things like granny flats where lot size permits or duplex conversions, inventive solutions.  We need density WITH CONTROL to raise the value of UNA housing.
  12. To Do Buy up vacant lots, get easements, or knock down “tear down” houses to convert to neighborhood vest pocket parks.  This reserves the property for future good uses.  Every block should have a small public space.  Not a playground; there aren’t many children in UNA anymore…
  13. To Do Our interface with Box Springs could use work.  Likewise the C.  Box Springs is a huge UNA resource; we are the gateway to that mountain.  Why hide it?
  14. To Do UNA should be able to capture new UCR faculty as neighbors much more effectively than any other area of town.  Do we need a name: “University Park”?  Like “the Wood Streets?” How do we make this happen?  Amenities, markets, etc..???
City Of Our Dreams, Economic Development, Education, Green Building, Living Among Giants, Public Policy, Resoration Economy, UCR

UCR Physical Master Plan Study Is Complete

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UCR CampusAfter receiving feedback from approx. 450 individuals, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members, a final report has been compiles to provide guidance regarding UC Riverside’s space needs, transportation, sustainability, safety, and aesthetics.

Below you will find a link to UCR Today’s feature article on the Physical Master Plan Study, as well as a link to the study’s website on UCR’s Capital Asset Strategies page and a link to the study itself.

UCR Today: Look Online for UCR’s Future Design<http://atu.cr/1NPX993>

Capital Asset Strategies – Physical Master Plan Study<http://cpp.ucr.edu/masterplan_study/>

Physical Master Plan Study – Full Report PDF<http://cpp.ucr.edu/masterplan_study/ucriverside_pms_full_report_05242016.pdf>

Also attached is a PDF of the Physical Master Plan Study presentation made at the Steering Committee meeting on May 18th.

Please note that we also have posted summaries of each chapter of the Physical Master Plan Study to the study website, at the URL below.

http://cpp.ucr.edu/masterplan_study/report.html

A PDF of these combined summaries also is attached for your ease of future reference.

A list of frequently asked questions and responses also is posted to the study website, at the URL below.

http://cpp.ucr.edu/masterplan_study/faq2.html

A PDF of these FAQs also is attached for your ease of future reference.

UCR Family Student Housing Complex to Be Closed in Summer 2017