W e e k l y COLTON COURIER Features, Lifestyle & News You Can Use!
Vol 143, NO. 42
THIS WEEK Resident believes she was victim of “lawn services” scam Gloria’s Corner
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Honoring Mexican Independence Day!! A7-8
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Maria Benitez (who refused to show her face) holding up what she says is mulch from her lawn. She alleges she is a victim of a scam that is affecting other residents in the region. By Anthony Victoria
n incident between a resident and gardener is being construed as fraud by the former. Despite the claim, the Colton Police Department,
Drought-tolerant gardens at Redlands Fire Stations
PHOTO/ANTHONY VICTORIA
after a complete investigation, explained the incident is a civil matter, not a criminal issue. Resident Maria Benitez--who lives in the 1800 block of N. Watwood Avenue--purchased Fertilizer and Seed/Topping ser-
vices from gardener Eduardo Lopez on August 12. According to Benitez, Lopez informed her that the fertilizer was organic and drought resistant. Scam cont. on next page
Luis Fuerte to speak about career experiences at Public Library
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INSIDE ONE SECTION, 16 PAGES
Calendar Classifieds Legal Notices Opinion Service Dir. Sports
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HOW TO REACH US Inland Empire Community Newspapers Office: (909) 381-9898 Fax: (909) 384-0406 Editorial: iecn1@mac.com Advertising: sales@iecn.com
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Cameraman Luis Fuerte in the 1980s.
By Anthony Victoria
ameraman Luis Fuerte will be this month’s guest speaker at the Colton Public Library’s Community
PHOTO/LUIS FUERTE
Room. The event is a part of the 2 p.m. Admission is free. Colton Area Museum and Fuerte served as an editor, lightHistorical Society’s (CAM) speak- ing director, sound engineer, on air er series. The recent installment of operations person, and cameraman the series is scheduled to take Fuerte cont. on next page place on Saturday September 12 at
IECN
.com
September 10, 2015
California Assessment of Student Performance Progress Released
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oday the California Department of Education released the first year’s results of new online tests designed to gauge students’ progress in learning new, more rigorous standards, setting a baseline to mark future strides toward preparing them for careers and college. The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) results measure student skills in English language arts and mathematics, based on new tests that shift focus away from traditional, multiple choice exams and toward a greater emphasis on problemsolving skills, performance tasks and critical thinking. “Education is undergoing a huge transformation,” CJUSD Superintendent Jerry Almendarez said. “Our Board of Education and district administration are extremely proud of the work of our teachers and students to adapt to such a monumental change.” Because both the academic standards being tested and the exams themselves are dramatically different from the previous Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) system, this year’s results represent a starting point and should not be compared to predecessors. Also, in many cases, new textbooks and materials reflecting the standards are still being developed. The Colton Joint Unified School District began last year to leverage funds through its Local Control and Accountability Plan toward increasing student performance and preparing them for the new exams.