By Press Release
Eagle Scout’s dream comes alive as Ontario Airport, Bob Hope USO reopen renovated center for visiting troops

The newly renovated Bob Hope USO at Ontario International Airport was formally unveiled Friday and the Center re-opened after its temporary closure due to COVID-19.
The newly renovated Bob Hope USO at Ontario International Airport was formally unveiled Friday and the Center re-opened after its temporary closure due to COVID-19, offering guests, dignitaries and servicemembers a first look at the Southern California airport’s beautiful new home away from home for our troops.
A cornerstone of the USO center is the new Patriot Patio – a labor of love for Eagle Scout and USO supporter Christian Thorpe, who in 2019 envisioned an enhanced outdoor patio area for traveling military personnel. Christian, the son of ONT Chief Executive Officer Mark Thorpe, raised a total of $7,500 in donations, and with the support of USO Inland Empire Manager DJ Stanhope, San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman, the City of Ontario and the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA), was able to put his plan into action.
Marines and airmen from March Air Reserve Base pitched in to repaint the center itself, move furniture and install floorboards.
“We owe our servicemen and women such a debt of gratitude for their sacrifice and courage, and hope that this new center will provide a warm and welcoming experience during their travels,” said Wapner, who serves as president of the OIAA Board of Commissioners. “We’re extremely grateful for our partnership with the Bob Hope USO, the support we’ve received from all of our volunteers and donors, and, of course, to Christian, whose dream has now come alive.”
“Our USO Airport centers are one of the many ways the USO is committed to supporting America’s service members and their families by keeping them connected to the people, places and values they cherish,” said Paul Estrada, Bob Hope USO Board Chair and US Army Veteran. “We’re thankful to our partners at Ontario International Airport, for helping the USO provide the over 25,000 men and women who put their lives on the line for us with a warm welcome when they come home or pass through.”
The Patriot Patio replaces the old outdoor seating area, consisting of concrete benches dating back many years, with new patio tables and umbrellas. Christian held a community BBQ, raising the initial $7,500. Hagman, the City of Ontario and OIAA each contributed $5,000.
“Especially now, during the pandemic, having a safe, comfortable outdoor space for our visiting servicemembers is so very important. We are thrilled to be able to dedicate this beautifully refurbished center, and to let our military heroes know how much we appreciate them,” said Hagman, who serves on the OIAA Board of Commissioners.
“The Patriot Patio is a great example of the strong community in Ontario,” said DJ Stanhope, USO Inland Empire Manager. “What started with one Eagle Scout hoping to make a small, but important difference by adding tables for our military to enjoy inspired a community of others and led to the creation of an entire new patio area and the possibility for us to serve many more troops even during this global pandemic.”
By Press Release
Newmark Negotiates 864,000-Square-Foot Industrial Lease Renewal in Perris, California

Newmark announces the 864,000-square-foot industrial lease renewal with NFI Industries, a supply chain solutions provider, at Perris Distribution Center in Perris, California.
Newmark Executive Managing Directors Mark Kegans, SIOR and Ron Washle, SIOR and Managing Director Dean Washle represented the landlord, Ares Management, formerly known as Black Creek Group.
“Our team was pleased to represent Ares Management in such this substantial lease renewal,” said Kegans. “Perris Distribution Center is in a prime location for logistics and distribution, as evidenced by the location’s top-tier tenant roster.”
Located at 657 Nance Street in Perris, Perris Distribution Center is a two-story cross-dock facility expandable to ±1,137,000 square feet. Building features include approximately 7,000 square feet of office space, minimum 36’ warehouse clearance height, ESFR sprinkler system, LED warehouse lighting, 112 dock-high loading doors and concrete truck courts. The ±43-acre parcel offers 298 auto parking spaces and 224 trailer parking spaces, including an auxiliary parcel to accommodate up to 154 trailer parking spaces or approximately 530 auto parking spaces.
Perris Distribution Center is proximate to Freeway 215, with on and off-ramps at Harley Knox Boulevard to the north and Ramona Expressway to the south. Neighboring industrial tenants include The Home Depot, General Mills, Ross, iHerb, Amazon and Wayfair, to name a few.
The national industrial market has remained resilient despite recent economic and geopolitical headwinds, according to Newmark Research. For the fifth consecutive quarter, national industrial absorption topped 100 million square feet. The persistent imbalance between demand and new deliveries has pushed vacancy down to 3.7%, likely a cyclical low. Demand remains strong for industrial space with absorption continuing to outpace deliveries.
By Press Release
County prepares for the storms ahead

With more rain on the way this weekend and even more next week, County Public Works crews have been busy in the mountains and elsewhere in the county cleaning up from this morning’s rain and preparing flood control facilities for the storms ahead both in the mountains and in recently burned areas.
After having cleared a path through all 500-plus miles of County roads in a little over a week, crews this week have widened nearly every one of those roads to two lanes while also ensuring 150 high-priority culverts were clear. That was not an easy task considering many were hidden by massive snow berms. Crews relied on GIS technology and old photos to find many of the culverts. Public Works teams also cleared out debris basins and made sure channels and other waterways were clear.
County Public Works coordinated with the Rim of the World School District to improve access to bus stops and clear bus routes so mountain schools can return to normal operations. Crews also plowed Rim of the World High School parking lots for students and staff when they return.
Public Works upgraded its GIS map to a Snow Road Widened Status Dashboard so the public can get daily updates on which County and non-County maintained roads have been widened. Also included in the dashboard are resources to find food and supply distribution centers, shelter, and more.
See all of today’s highlights in our daily storm recovery video.
Residents are urged to be prepared and make sure they are signed up for emergency notifications and also download the SB Ready app. Residents can do both on the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District website.
Mountain residents urged to report property damage
Damage estimates are the strongest tool local communities have in convincing state and federal agencies to provide relief. That’s why the County is encouraging mountain property owners to use an online property damage reporting tool developed by the County Fire District to report moderate to major damage to residential and commercial buildings caused by the winter storms.
The information reported by property owners will be part of the total damage estimate provided to the state, which will then decide whether to seek aid from federal agencies such as FEMA.
Property owners seeking to repair or rebuild their storm-damaged structures are eligible for to have up to $500 in County planning and building fees waived thanks to action taken yesterday by the Board of Supervisors. Those looking to rebuild should consult the County’s new Mountain Region Snowstorm Rebuild Questions & Answers document.
Funding approved by the Board is also making is possible for the County to reimburse residents up to $500 toward the cost of removing snow from their property.
A complete list of resources and links is available on the County Snow Information website.
Teamwork frees snowbound mountain residents
Twin Peaks resident Michelle Munoz expresses her gratitude to the members of the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program who worked diligently to remove the snow that had piled up around her home.
Wrightwood residents reach out to recognize unsung heroes
As the community of Wrightwood recovers from the recent blizzard, it’s important to recognize all of the unsung heroes who went above and beyond to help their neighbors in need.
Laurey Aydelotte, a Wrightwood resident since 2004, reached out to the office of their First District County Supervisor, Col. Paul Cook (Ret.), to praise these community members.
“Friends with snow removal equipment quickly stepped up to help some of our trapped residents,” said Aydelotte. “This included Sadie Albers, John Kearn and Jeremy Norman of Hesperia. Residents were helping each other get food, pick up medicine from various pharmacies, and other essentials.”
Renee Olson, a lifelong Wrightwood resident, echoed Aydelotte’s comments. She and friends Dionne Burns and Julie LaFever enlisted the help of local teens to assist seniors who were unable to clear the large amounts of snow. “There were so many great kids who helped shovel seniors’ driveways throughout the neighborhood: Cade LaFever, Alexia and Sienna Burns, Cameron Coombs, Cash Littlefield, Ethan Olson, and Devun Moore,” said Olson. “I’d also like to recognize Owen Todhunter and the Serrano High School Explorers, who dug out several driveways. It was definitely a group effort!”
Wendi Swanson, another longtime Wrightwood resident, agreed. “Everyone worked together to help seniors on our street, clearing their berm or at least a foot path in case of emergency,” she said. “I know neighbors helped me and I helped them. It was true Wrightwood cohesion.”
By Press Release
Rebuilt Second Street Bridge Opens in Downtown San Bernardino

The City of San Bernardino celebrated the reopening of Second Street between Arrowhead Avenue and Mountain View Avenue on Tuesday, March 14, restoring vehicle and pedestrian traffic to a key downtown corridor. The road had been closed for three years for the demolition and reconstruction of the Second Street Bridge, which passes over Warm Creek and was found to have structural issues in 2020.
At a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the bridge, Mayor Helen Tran stated, “I share in the excitement of our residents and businesses in the reopening of Second Street. It is a small bridge, but a big connection point.”
When Caltrans found structural issues with the bridge in March of 2020 and ordered it closed to vehicles and pedestrians, plans were already underway to replace it. In February of 2021, the City awarded a contract to Ortiz Construction to construct a new bridge. Construction began in June of 2021.
“I would often get asked by constituents when Second Street would re-open,” said Council Member Damon Alexander. “We are pleased that today is that day.”
Completion of the project was delayed by over a year due to supply chain issues experienced by both the contractor and Southern California Edison, who needed to construct new electricity connections through the new bridge to downtown San Bernardino.
“This project was the poster child for the supply chain issues experienced at the height of the pandemic,” said San Bernardino Public Works Director Daniel Hernandez. “I’d like to thank our contractors and utility partners for their flexibility and patience with each other.”
The project was further delayed last summer to ensure the existing electricity connection remained in place to meet peak load demand downtown.
The cost to replace the four-lane bridge was just over $3.2 million. Approximately $2.6 million was funded by the City, and $600,000 was funded for project design, inspections, and contingencies by Caltrans.
Note: The individuals in the attached ribbon cutting photo from left to right are Public Works Director Daniel Hernandez, Council Member Damon Alexander, Mayor Helen Tran, Council Member Ben Reynoso, and Assistant City Manager Edelia Eveland.
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