Hesperia Horizon

HESPERIA HORIZON 1www.cityofhesperia.us

Hesperia HorizonVolume 14 Issue 2Summer 2014

Ranchero Interchange Project Moves ForwardMonday, May 5, 2014, started out as an average spring morning in Hesperia. The air was fresh and crisp, and a cool breeze was blowing across the desert. That ordinary morning turned into a fiery afternoon when the Ranchero Interchange Bridge became engulfed in flames. Despite the tireless efforts of fire personnel from San Bernardino County Fire, the fire damaged the bridge so extensively that the remain-ing structure had to be torn down. It was determined that the fire resulted from a spark from the cutting of rebar, which ignited the falsework. The damage to the structure is estimated to be between $5 - $6 million; the contractor’s insurance is covering this cost. Despite the loss, por-tions of the project have been completed, including the on and off ramps; grading; drainage and frontage roads. Also, testing on the steel has shown that damage was not as extensive as initially feared.

Mere months away from completion, construction on the bridge had steadily outpaced projected timelines, thanks in part to favorable weather conditions since the project broke ground in January 2013. Looking forward, San Bernardino Associ-ated Governments, the project manager, and the project contractor, are expediting the construction process by working two shifts per day. It is estimated that the proj-ect will be completed by the end of the calendar year.

Over the coming months, updated infor-mation about this project will be provided on the City website, social media outlets and through upcoming Hesperia Horizon newsletters.

© 2014 West Coast Aerial Photography

HESPERIA HORIZON 2 www.cityofhesperia.us

Hesperia is pleased to have been selected as the venue for the 2nd Annual Desert Rocks Film and Music Festival. Mark your cal-endars for September 6, 2014 for a full day of independent film and music video screenings in two of Cinema West’s Civic Plaza 12 theaters. The festival, sponsored by Cinema West, the City of Hesperia, El Dorado Broadcasting and the Hesperia Recreation and Park District, is an international film and music event cre-ated to cultivate industry-related careers and provide broader exposure to filmmakers and up-and-coming musicians.

“Having a film festival in Hesperia aligns perfectly with the the-ater in Civic Plaza Park and the desires of our residents for more entertainment options,” said Hesperia City Manager Mike Podegracz. “We are honored to be the festival’s host city.”

More than a dozen awards are offered, including $1,000 to the Best of Festival Film and $500 for the Best of Festival Band/Music Video. Plan to have a rockin’ Saturday afternoon watching live performances of nominated bands in Civic Plaza Park. One band will be chosen to receive a $500 Audience Choice Award.

At Desert Rocks’ inaugural film festival, 72 film submissions were received. Phyllis Overall, founder and executive director of the event said, “If we keep up at the same rate we are currently receiving submis-sions, we’ll have more for this year. Our call for submissions went out in mid-April and in the first month we’ve already received films from Canada, Spain, France and Australia.”

Feature and short films, documentaries, student films, animated films and more will screen between 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Tickets to see the films being shown in the theater are $10.00 for the entire day; the music events in Civic Plaza Park are free. For more information, visit www.desertrocksfame.org.

Hesperia Hosts International Film Festival

Recognizing and Preventing Heat-Related IllnessAs the high temperatures of the desert gradually begin to return, the risk of heat exhaustion and other heat related illnesses becomes more severe, not only for people but for pets as well. Heat exhaus-tion is the body’s response

to extreme loss of water and salt, which are con-tained in sweat. People with high blood pressure, infants, the elderly, and those working or exercising outside in high temperatures are at an increased risk of experiencing heat exhaustion.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion include:

• Heavy sweating or paleness;

• Muscle cramps, tiredness or weakness;

• Dizziness or fainting;

• Headache, nausea or vomiting.

• Nausea or vomiting.

It is also important to avoid drinking an excess of al-coholic beverages or drinks with high sugar or caf-feine content as these can cause you to lose more fluids. Additionally, don’t leave animals in vehicles, and make sure to regularly refill their water sources.

To decrease you and your pet’s chances of devel-oping a heat related illness, be sure to bring along plenty of water when outdoors. The best option is to limit your outdoor exposure to the mornings and evenings when temperatures are lowest.

By limiting your exposure during the hottest portions of the day and making sure you and your pets are properly hydrated, summer can still be the best part of the year for both you and your four legged friends.

HESPERIA HORIZON 3www.cityofhesperia.us

Are You Prepared for Fire Season?

HESPERIA HORIZON 4 www.cityofhesperia.usHESPERIA HORIZON 4

Contact InformationAdopt-a-Street ..............................760-947-1589Advance Disposal .........................760-244-9773Animal Control ..............................760-947-1700Business Licenses ...........................760-947-1315Chamber of Commerce ..............760-244-2135City Hall ..........................................760-947-1000Code Enforcement .......................760-947-1343Economic Development ..............760-947-1900Graffiti Hotline ................................760-947-1600Job Line ..........................................760-947-1100Public Works ...................................760-947-1400 (after hours) ................................760-947-1400Water Billing ...................................760-947-1840We-TIP ........................................... 800-78-CRIMEPolice (non-emergency) ..............760-947-1553Fire (non-emergency) ...................760-947-8023Emergency ..................................................9-1-1

Staff Box:VOLUME 14, NUMBER 2The Hesperia Horizon is published by the City of Hesperia.CITY COUNCIL MEMBERSThurston “Smitty” Smith, MayorEric Schmidt, Mayor Pro TemRuss Blewett, Council MemberBill Holland, Council MemberMike Leonard, Council MemberCITY MANAGERMike PodegraczEDITORRachel Molina, Public Information OfficerCONTRIBUTORSLisa LaMere, Management AnalystJulie Ryan, Environmental Programs CoordinatorDan Sousa, Administrative Intern

9700 Seventh Avenue Hesperia, California 92345 (760) 947-1000www.cityofhesperia.usPrinted on Recycled Paper

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Protecting Against FiresAnd Environmental HazardsDo you remember when life wasn’t so depen-dent on technology? Think about the procession of computers, televisions, cell phones, radios, consoles and music players that have passed through your hands over the years. What about the endless stream of products such as vacuum cleaners, microwaves, hair dryers, alarm clocks, lamps, lawn mowers and smoke detectors that have come in and out of your life?

These are just a few examples of devices that are part of the growing phenomenon known as e-waste. E-waste is the term used to describe discarded electronics and electrical products that have reached their end-of-usage condition. In the past few decades, the world’s demand for gadgetry has gone through the roof and, in-evitably, more waste has started to accumulate. So what happens to all that e-waste? E-waste contains an abundance of toxic and hazardous components such as lead, mercury and cad-mium, that, if not disposed of properly, can cause environmental hazards such as fires and water contamination. So where should the e-waste go for proper recycling?

The City of Hesperia is proud to offer free e-waste drop-off events periodically throughout the year for our citizens and businesses, with the next event occurring June 28-29, 2014. This is the perfect op-portunity to properly dispose of electronic items that have been collecting in store rooms, closets and garages. The event will be held behind Ea-gle Plaza located at 15776 Main Street between 9am and 4pm each day. Items accepted at the event include most electronic and electric appliances with a cord or circuit board such as computer monitors, TVs, PC Systems, Printers, cel-lular phones and small portable devices. Refrig-erators, washer and dryers, fluorescent light bulbs and household batteries will not be accepted.

By disposing of and properly recycling e-waste you can help recover important natural resources for reuse as well. For more information about the e-waste event or other programs the City has to offer, call (760) 947-1589 to speak to the Environ-mental Programs Coordinator.

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A Message from the City Manager

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On May 5, our community experienced shock and disappointment when the Ranchero Interchange became engulfed in flames. As the damaged portions of the structure are cleared away and the project moves forward, I am thankful that the fire didn’t cause any serious injuries and that crews have been able to restart the project so quickly. With project completion slated for the end of the calendar year, residents will soon enjoy the increased east-west mobility that the interchange will provide.

In the coming months, the City will be hosting the fourth annual Citizen’s Academy, which invites Hesperia residents, business owners and employees to take part in a 7-session series designed to provide insight into the day-to-day operations of the City. The Academy begins on Saturday, August 2, with a comprehensive bus tour of the City. The tour itinerary includes stops at a Hesperia fire station and water well site, as well as the new Advance Disposal Material Recovery Facility. Thursday evening presentations are scheduled through August and September with topics that include Public Safety and Emergency Prepared-ness; Public Works, Streets and Water; and Code Compliance and Animal Control. The Hesperia Citizen’s Academy offers a wonderful opportunity for participants to ask questions of the staff mem-bers directly responsible for providing services to the community. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, visit www.cityofhesperia.us/academy.

You may have noticed that this issue of the Hesperia Horizon has a bit of a fire theme. From the Ran-chero Interchange bridge fire, to the basics of creating defensible space, the goal of the Hesperia Horizon is to provide readers with relevant and useful information about City projects and programs as well as share tips that will help to enrich the lives of Hesperia’s residents. For your convenience, this newsletter is also available electronically at www.cityofhesperia.us/horizon.

Keep up with Hesperia happenings by following the City of Hesperia on Twitter and Facebook at /CityofHesperia for information about City programs and projects, as well as important emergency alerts.

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Hesperia ProgressEconomic Development

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Hesperia ProgressEconomic Development

Often you will read about a city’s demographics. Typically, when Hesperia’s Economic Development Department refers to the demographics of the City, they are speaking about the population and other aspects such as age, gender, income, marital status and educational attainment. Demographic infor-mation is the foundation upon which many companies begin their search for new locations. For example, retailers want a population with the income levels needed to sustain sales while manufacturers want an abundant and educated workforce to fill the jobs they will create.

These statistics are utilized for business attraction efforts and many of these defining characteristics make their way into proposals, marketing materials and advertisements. The City’s Economic Development Department uses demographics from Claritas Nielsen that encompass both the City limits and its sphere of influence - Oak Hills, Tapestry (formerly Rancho Las Flores) and Summit Valley.

However, the California Department of Finance (DOF) is the source for the “official” City boundary popu-lation figures issued in May. The 2014 population estimate from DOF is 91,506. Claritas Nielsen estimates the population of Hesperia’s city limits at 95,415.

The demographics used in developing the infographic below include Hesperia’s sphere of influence. We’ve also included a few facts to put our demographics in perspective for you. For example, did you know that the population of Hesperia and its sphere of influence is comparable to Green Bay, Wisconsin? For more information, please e-mail econdev@cityofhesperia.us.

How Does Hesperia Measure Up?

HESPERIA HORIZON 7

Hesperia ProgressEconomic Development

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Shelter animals make amazing pets and the Hesperia Animal Shelter wants to help you find the perfect pet for your family. To help accom-plish this, the shelter is hosting an Open House on Saturday, July 12, between 10am - 2pm. The event will feature:

• Special adoption pricing;

• Reduced vaccination pricing;

• Information about pet health & safety;

• Vendor booths.

Pet adoption fees includes the first set of shots, one veterinarian check, and spay/neuter of the animal. In addition, adopted dogs receive mi-crochip and microchip registration, rabies vac-cination, one professional dog grooming and a three month Hesperia dog license.

To view animals currently available for adoption, please visit the Animal Shelter webpage at www.cityof-hesperia.us/shelter or visit the shelter at 11011 Santa Fe Avenue.

HORIZON 7

Hesperia ProgressEconomic Development

Important Election Dates and Information

Hesperia Animal Shelter Hosts Open House

• July 14- August 8 Open Filing Period for City Council

• October 15 Last day to register to vote before November election.

• November 4 Election Day.

If you haven’t registered to vote, Hesperia City Hall has Voter Registration and Permanent Vote-by-Mail applications available and will serve as a drop-off location for the November election.

A voter must re-register to vote if his or her address has changed; he or she moved to San Bernardino County from another county; changed his or her name; or changed political party affiliation.

Because polling places change periodically, voters are encouraged to verify polling location before election day.

For more information, contact the Hesperia City Clerk’s Office at 760-947-1007 or visit www. cityofhesperia.us/election.

Are you looking to get a better perspective on how your local government works? Interested in the finer details of what goes into providing community services and programs? Signup for the Hesperia Citizen’s Academy, offered free of charge to Hesperia residents and Hesperia business owners or employees, 18 years of age and older. For more information about this program, visit www.cityofhesperia.us/academy or call 760.947.1018.

Join the Hesperia Citizen’s Academy!

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City of Hesperia9700 Seventh Avenue

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Hesperia Happenings

June28-29 E-Waste Collection

15776 Main Street (Behind Eagle Plaza)9am - 4pm

July4CityOfficesclosedforIndependenceDay12 Animal Shelter Open House

11011 Santa Fe Avenue 10am - 2pm

14Citizen’sAcademyApplicationsDue

August 5 National Night Out

Regular Meetings -Meeting agendas are available for review on the City’s website at www.cityofhesperia.us.

City Council 6:30 pmCity Hall1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month

Planning Commission 6:30 pmCity Hall2nd Thursday of each month

CityCouncilAdvisory6:00pmCity Hall2nd Wednesday of January, April, July and October

PublicSafetyAdvisoryCommittee6:00pmCity Hall2nd Tuesday of January, April, July and October