Riverside Celebrates Being a Blue Zones Project Approved Worksite
Community News
The City of Riverside on Wednesday (3/4) celebrated being named Riverside’s first Blue Zone Project Approved Worksite by unveiling a new “downshift space” where employees can take their breaks in an aesthetically pleasing and relaxing environment that helps reduce stress and boost productivity.
The worksite designation recognizes the City for investing in the health and well-being of its employees through a variety of measures that make it easier for employees to make healthy choices. Research shows that employers that make such changes have healthier employees, less absenteeism and higher morale, which leads to less turnover.
“Well-being should be accessi-
ble to everybody,” said Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson, who noted that the City has embraced Blue Zones principles for nearly a year.
The most recent change at City Hall includes the creation of the “downshift space” on the walkway between the second floor of City Hall and the parking garage. The space, which previously was vacant, has been spruced up with comfortable furniture, plants and healthy snacks on the tables as a refuge from what otherwise can be a stressful environment.
“Focusing on employee wellbeing actually improves worksite outcomes,” City Manager Mike Futrell said. “Healthy employees are excited to come to work. Excitement fuels more creativity and collaboration. We live in stressful times so there is no better time to unveil this.”
Previous worksite changes inspired by Blue Zones included sprucing up stairwells at City Hall with new paint and inspirational slogans to encourage walking instead of taking the elevator; and installing screen savers on all City computers that promote “box breathing” -- inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding again – to reduce stress and increase focus.
Rikki Hubbard, Lead of Organization and Wellbeing for Blue Zones Project Riverside, thanked the City’s Human Resources Director, Rene Goldman, for embracing the Blue Zones effort to reduce stress and improve the health and wellbeing of City employees.
“It has been a true honor to walk this approval journey with you,” Hubbard said.
Beds to Address
The cities of Chino, Fontana, Montclair, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Rialto and Upland will contribute to startup costs and annual operating expenses, and the county will leverage federal and state funding to reimburse the cost of services.
The site will operate as a low-barrier shelter and serve individuals on a referral-only basis through the county’s coordinated entry system. In addition to temporary shelter, the navigation center will offer behavioral health services, medical care, case management, transportation assistance and housing placement.
The project originated from discussions that occurred during the San Bernardino County Homeless Ad Hoc Committee meetings, which were co-chaired by Baca, Jr. and Hagman, where leaders identified the need for a shared strategy to reduce unsheltered homelessness. As discussions continued, leaders determined that the most effective approach was for all municipalities to work together to create a regional navigation center. Through this partnership, the county and cities will reduce costs, leverage existing resources and strengthen regional collaboration.
The county is in the final stages of selecting an operator to manage and staff the facility. Once an operator is on board, the next phase will focus on completing the necessary tenant improvements. The regional navigation center, located at 11109 Jasmine St. in Fontana, is anticipated to begin serving the community in early 2027.
San Bernardino Named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation
Community News
The City of San Bernardino has been recognized as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for its ongoing efforts to maintain and nurture its urban forest. This marks the third consecutive year the City has achieved this recognition.
“Trees play an important role in the health and beauty of our city,” said Mayor Helen Tran. “Being recognized as a Tree City USA for the third consecutive year reflects San Bernardino’s commitment to investing in green spaces, improving air quality, and creating a healthier environment for our residents.”
In the six years since San Bernardino created its Urban Forestry Team, the City has taken significant steps to maintain and grow its forestry program.
The team includes certified arborists, groundworkers, and a beautification team. They manage the planting, trimming, nurturing, and caring for more than
42,000 trees throughout San Bernardino. City trees can be found in local parks, along streets and medians, and other public spaces.
“San Bernardino’s investment into the creation of an Urban Forestry program is yielding us tremendous results,” said City Arborist Matt McDonald.
In recent years, a tree and plant nursery was established by the city to reduce costs and expedite the replacement and planting of new trees.
The team also identifies sick or dying trees and oversees their removal. As a result, the number of claims against the City for damage caused by fallen branches or downed trees has dropped dramatically.
In the past year, San Bernardino planted more than 200 trees and removed almost 700 diseased or dead trees. The Urban Forestry Division is currently working to plant new trees in the locations of recently removed trees as well as identify locations of potential new tree planting sites.
PHOTO CITY OF RIVERSIDE
Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson, councilmembers, and city staff cutting the ribbon March 4th, 2026.
San Bernardino County’s First Diverging Diamond Interchange Opens Near Cal State University
San Bernardino
Community News
Students and staff commuting to California State University San Bernardino today drove through the newly completed Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) that opened to drivers late Sunday, March 1. The new DDI interchange also improves the driving experience for local businesses, residents, employees, and community members.
The former interchange at Interstate 215 and University Parkway in San Bernardino was reconfigured into a DDI to improve traffic flow and create a safer interchange. The DDI allows more cars to pass through the interchange during a green light cycle and creates a safer center median sidewalk with concrete barriers between vehicles and pedestrians. Driver safety is increased because the risk for severe traffic collisions is reduced. Vehicles turning or merging left onto I-215 briefly transition to the left side of the
road, eliminating the need to cross oncoming traffic, which reduces the risk of collisions.
SBCTA partnered with Caltrans District 8 and the city of San Bernardino to construct the interchange, which is a first in San Bernardino County. Construction began in November 2024 and while the interchange is now open, minor construction activities are expected to continue over the coming weeks.
The project cost $25.8 million to build. Funding is provided by federal, state, and local resources, including $16.4 million in Measure I funds. Measure I is the half-cent sales tax collected throughout San Bernardino County for transportation improvements. Voters first approved the measure in 1989, and overwhelmingly its extension in 2004, with more than 80 percent voting to extend the measure through 2040. SBCTA administers Measure I revenue and determines which projects receive Measure I funding.
Gov. Candidate Betty Yee: Public Health Emergency Declaration Needed in Inland Empire
By Cal Matters
Identifying a growing health concern in the Inland Empire, Democratic candidate for California governor Betty Yee said that the state should declare a public health emergency to combat the environmental issues brought on by the expansion of the logistics industry in the region.
Yee took a tour offered by the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice (CCAEJ), a Jurupa Valley nonprofit, that included several warehouses in the area and met with IE residents that say that the expansion of warehouses and industry built around it have negatively impacted their health.
south is a demolished neighborhood, cleared to pave the way for another warehouse. The school itself was slated to be removed and relocated to a new location as part of a legal settlement: developers agreed to pay $44.5 million to build new school facilities. That plan is now scuttled, said Joaquin Castillejo of the CCAEJ, after that developer left the project and a new one took its place.
The construction of the warehouse south of the school is still tied up in a separate lawsuit brought by CCAEJ and three other environmental non-profits.
Yee spoke little, mostly asking questions, as CCAEJ staff and residents talked about the warehouses' impact on Bloomington's electrical grids and air quality
There, Yee met Blanca Olivares, a resident of the area who is fighting cancer she attributes to the truck fumes. She said her neighborhood has had a high rate of diseases, including cancer and Parkinson's Disease.
Medical professionals identified environmental factors, not genetic, as the cause of her cancer. She would like to live in an area with cleaner air, but she hasn't been able to work due to her cancer, and couldn't afford a move.
"The air, the traffic, the noise, we experience it every night," she said.
Yee said it's a basic right to breathe clean air.
"You just see the pervasiveness of this logistics industry, and you really start to wonder how it impacts everything, it all being shouldered by these communities. I actually do feel like we need to declare a public health emergency, just to bring all the resources to bear about what we need to do to fully understand and unpack all the warehouse impacts, everything from the young people, in schools, to the families," Yee said.
Xochitl Pedraza, a Bloomington resident invited out for the tour, said she was never notified that the area was rezoned.
"It's not just a public health emergency. It's the fault of the government here. If they fail in that, the state can move in," Yee said.
"We're just seeing how the whole area is getting decimated. We're being targeted," Pedraza said.
The CCAEJ brought Yee to the Zimmerman Elementary School in Bloomington. To the school's east is an empty lot, in which a man trotted his horse. To the south east is the Bloomington Commerce Center, a warehouse. To the
Yee was curious if there were any investor's standards that could be controlled to mitigate the growth of warehouses.
"How do we empower communities to take on these kinds of challenges?" she asked.
The tour continued to Nuñez Park in San Bernardino, north of the BNSF Railway's yard.
In the crowded governor's race, Yee polled at eighth place out of 16 candidates in last week's survey by the Public Policy Institute of California. She has 5% of the polled votes. Republican Steve Hilton polled the highest at 14%.
"I hope other candidates in this race step up to say something about this. Because, we can fix this," Yee said.
PHOTO AIDAN MCGLOIN/CAL MATTERS
Gov. candidate and former CA Controller Betty Yee talks with Bloomington resident Xochitl Pedraza in front of the demolished Stallion Lane neighborhood, Zimmerman Elementary School, Bloomington Commerce Center, and horse riding lot in Bloomington on Feb. 26, 2026.
(a/an): CORPORATION Reg strant commenced to
Petitioner or Attorney: MAYRA ALEJANDRA MORENO
Super or Court of California, County of San Bernardino, 351 N Arrowhead Ave San Bernardino CA 92415 San Bernardino County Superior Court – Fami y Law Division PETITION OF: MAYRA ALEJANDRA MORENO FOR CHANGE OF NAME ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME
Case Number: CIV SB 2602832 TO ALL INTERESTED
PERSONS: Petit oner: MAYRA ALEJANDRA MORENO filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: RAYMOND ALEXANDER SOLIS-HERNANDEZ to Proposed name: RAYMOND ALEXANDER MORENO THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, f any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted If no written objection is timely filed the court may grant the petition without a hearing NOTICE OF HEARING Date: 3/25/2026, Time: 8:30 AM Dept: S25 The address of the court is: same as noted above A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the fo lowing newspaper of general circulat on printed in this county: COLTON COURIER Dated: FEB 11 2026
GILBERT G OCHOA Judge of the Superior Court Published Colton Courier 2 / 2 6 / 2 6 3 / 5 / 2 6 3 / 1 2 / 2 6 3/19/26 C-785
Petitioner or Attorney: Michael David Pina Super or Court of California County of San Bernardino 247 W Third St San Bernardino CA 92401 Civil PETITION OF: MICHAEL DAVID PINA FOR CHANGE OF NAME ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE - CHANGE OF NAME Case Number: CIV SB 2603628 TO ALL INTERESTED
PERSONS: Petit oner:
MICHAEL DAVID PINA filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Present name: MICHAEL DAVID PINA to Proposed name: MICHAEL DAVID TORRES THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the object on at least two court days before the matter
Dated: FEB 23 2026
GILBERT G OCHOA
