Volume 63 | April 9 - April 13, 2018
Hyundai of Moreno Valley Opens its Doors
The City of Moreno Valley is pleased to welcome its newest car dealership, Hyundai of Moreno Valley, which opened its doors this week.

Hyundai of Moreno Valley is located at 27500 Eucalyptus Avenue. 

Owner Mike Brown has worked closely with the City through the entire process from project conception to opening his doors for business.

Brown also took advantage of the City's award-winning Hire MoVal program which provides incentives to businesses in exchange for hiring Moreno Valley residents. Hire MoVal also provides businesses with free hiring assistance, including a location for businesses to connect with local job seekers through job fairs, recruitment events, and job announcements.

"The City has been extremely helpful," Brown said. "I cannot say enough about how valuable the City's Hire MoVal program along with Moreno Valley's workforce development was to helping me hire my employees."

With the City's help, Brown held four job fairs to hire everything from sales and service workers to administrative positions. He held interviews and recruitment events at the City's Employment Resource Center while his 23,000 square foot dealership was under construction.

He estimates that 80 percent of his employees are Moreno Valley residents.

For more information about the City’s small business programs or to learn more about developing a commercial or retail location in Moreno Valley, please visit www.morenovalleybusiness.com and contact the Economic Development Department at EDTeam@moval.org or at 951.413.3460.
A Child's Place After School Program Makes Difference in Lives
Entrusting your child with someone else is never an easy task. But it is a necessary one for working parents.

The City's "A Child's Place" after school program received a wonderful handwritten letter from a single mother who explained just what the program has meant for her family.

"I am writing to you to let you know how thankful I am to have this program available for my children and I. I have no idea what I would do without it," wrote Irma Velardez, who has two children who attend the program at Armada Elementary. Her youngest child will soon be joining them next year and her oldest attended the program before aging out of the program.

"Not only does it provide my children with a safe place to be after school, helps keep them out of trouble, assistance with their homework, a positive environment, it also benefits me financially as a working parent."

"'A Child's Place' has tremendously made a difference and a great impact in my children's lives," she wrote.

"The Staff? Well, they are amazing! I'd like to call them my children's heroes," she continued. "Ms. Lily and Ms. Rosie play a major role in my children's lives. They are very kind and always have a pleasant attitude. I know they truly care and I can honestly say they enjoy helping the kids learn and grow."

A Child’s Place Licensed After School Program provides children in kindergarten through 12 years old with daily homework assistance, arts and crafts, nutritious snacks, and recreation activities for children after school and during school breaks.

The program runs Monday through Friday after school until 6 p.m. and from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. during school vacations. Fees are based on income.

For more information about A Child's Place please contact Georgina Lundberg at 951.413.3286.

U.S. Small Business Administration Honors City of Moreno Valley
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has named the City of Moreno Valley the recipient of the 2018 Community Excellence Award, recognizing the City’s Economic Development Department's passion for helping small businesses succeed at every stage of development, from start-up to expansion.

This is the first time the Small Business Administration has presented the Community Excellence Award.

“Small business owners have the creativity, the resourcefulness, and the courage to transform an idea into a livelihood. That entrepreneurial spirit is a crucial part of our economic success,” said Mayor Yxstian Gutierrez. “But it takes so much more than an idea and persistence for small businesses to make it.”

“We recognized that we as a City could help small businesses succeed by ensuring owners had convenient access to vital resources and ongoing support,” Mayor Gutierrez said. “Our creative and comprehensive approach is working. From barber shops to inventive food concepts - small businesses are thriving here in Moreno Valley.”

The City of Moreno Valley was selected by an independent board of small business leaders for efforts to increase jobs, innovation and the quality of life in Moreno Valley through business attraction, business retention and local workforce development.
Moreno Valley Police Officer Receives Lifesaving Medal
Moreno Valley Police Officer Mark Skoglund was presented with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department Lifesaving Medal this week for saving the life of a one-year-old girl who had stopped breathing.

On January 31, Skoglund performed CPR on the girl after finding her with just a faint pulse and glazed eyes.

He continued CPR until he was relieved by paramedics, who took her to the hospital for further treatment. The girl survived thanks to Officer Skoglund's heroic actions.

Officer Skoglund has remained in contact with the girl's family to monitor her progress. The family thanked Officer Skoglund for his determination in saving their child and for his continued compassion.

Congratulations Officer Skoglund!

New Monument Sign Welcomes Visitors to Moreno Valley
The City of Moreno Valley is pleased to announce the completion of a new monument sign located in the center median of Cactus Avenue east of Elsworth Street.

City staff worked diligently to expedite the installation of the monument sign, completing it in time to welcome the thousands of attendees to the recent March Field Air & Space Expo on April 7 and 8.

The monument sign was designed and built by City personnel. It features stacked stone, custom lettering, and solar lights to illuminate it during nighttime hours.

The monument sign is part of the City’s ongoing beautification efforts and will welcome residents and visitors to the City for years to come.
Vendors, Sponsors Being Sought for Fourth of July Family FunFest
The City of Moreno Valley is seeking food and beverage vendors for its Fourth of July Family FunFest celebration on Wednesday, July 4 from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Mountain View Middle School and Morrison Park. More than 12,000 people are expected to attend.

FunFest vendor applications are available at the Moreno Valley Conference & Recreation Center, 14075 Frederick Street, or online at www.moval.org/fourth .

The application deadline is April 27 at 4:30 p.m. Vendors will be selected through a lottery drawing.

Vendor Lottery Information:

  • Vendors are required to submit a completed vendor application to the Parks and Community Services Department by Friday, April 27 between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

  • The vendor lottery will be held on Tuesday, May 1 at 12 p.m. Vendors are welcome to attend, but attendance is not required to be selected.

  • Selected vendors will be notified on May 2 and provided an appointment on May 8 to review and complete vendor paperwork.
 
This year’s Family FunFest will include live band performances from “The Trinity Tour: Styx, Foreigner & Journey Tribute,” “The Band Fresh,” and “The Replicas.” The Fourth of July festivities will conclude with a spectacular fireworks display at 9 p.m., which will be simulcast on radio station KOLA 99.9 FM.
 
The City of Moreno Valley's Fourth of July Parade and Family FunFest are sponsored by Skechers, Waste Management, The Sares-Regis Group and other local organizations.
 
For more information about the vendor application process or becoming an event sponsor, please contact the Moreno Valley Parks & Community Services Department at 951.413.3280.
Moreno Valley Animal Shelter Pet of the Week
Each week the Moreno Valley Animal Shelter highlights a pet available for adoption in the hopes of finding them a forever home.

This week's Pet is Ollie.

Ollie (#A481925) is an adorable fourteen-month-old Miniature Poodle. His favorite activities include playing, tail wagging, and getting a scratch.


Please visit the Moreno Valley Animal Shelter located at 14041 Elsworth Street to inquire about adopting Ollie or other pets in search of lifelong companions.

Call the Moreno Valley Animal Shelter at 951.413.3790 or visit the City’s website for more information about adopting.
Upon request, this news release will be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with disabilities, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Any person with a disability who requires a modification or accommodation in order to participate in this meeting should direct such requests to Guy Pegan, ADA Coordinator, at 951.413.3120 at least 72 hours before the meeting. The 72-hour notification will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting.