Volume 9| February 27- March 3, 2017
Kindergarteners Learn About Fire Safety at Station 65 Tour

On February 28, firefighters at Moreno Valley's Kennedy Park Fire Station 65 gave nearly 100  kindergarteners and their teachers from Chaparral Elementary the opportunity to tour the fire station and learn how firefighters work to keep residents safe.

The kindergarteners learned about fire safety, including how to call 911, “stop, drop and roll,” and why drivers need to pull over to the right side of the road when a fire engine drives by with its lights flashing and siren blaring.

Firefighters explained how smoke detectors save lives and how the children can develop their own plan to escape a fire at their house.

The children asked firefighters questions and took pictures with firefighters and their equipment.

Interested in taking a tour of one of the City’s 7 fire stations?

Email your request to mvfd@moval.org or call Fire Administration at 951.486.6780

City of Moreno Valley Wins Turning Red Tape into Red Carpet Award

The City of Moreno Valley is proud to announce its Employment Resource Center Relaunch took home a first place finish at the Inland Empire Economic Partnership’s (IEEP) Fourth Annual "Turning Red Tape to Red Carpet" Awards.

The Cooperation Among Cities, Counties or Agencies award was given to the City of Moreno Valley for its success in modernizing the Employment Resource Center (ERC) to better serve employers, workforce and economic development professionals and job seekers.

The City was also named IEEP’s runner-up for its Sustainability and Green Development award for ALDI’s Sustainable LEED Gold Certified Moreno Valley Headquarters and Distribution Center, and a finalist for the Business Retention & Expansion award for its Momentum MoVal Business Visitation Program.

The IEEP’s award honors agencies that have developed innovative ways to avoid bureaucratic red tape to improve local economies and communities.

"The City of Moreno Valley is committed to making it easy for companies to do business in our City and for job seekers to find the right opportunities to get back to work," said Moreno Valley Mayor Yxstian Gutierrez. "Innovating through the red tape and rolling out the red carpet strengthens the regional economy and puts people back to work."

The City of Moreno Valley used a $53,000 grant from the Western Regional Council of Governments to give the ERC a complete facelift.

Since opening its doors in 2009, the ERC has helped boost local employment rates, create jobs and raise the quality of life for residents of Moreno Valley and the region.

In 2016, staff embarked on the ERC Relaunch program that included an upgraded computer lab, new paint, carpet and window treatments, a faster internet connection and new computer operating system and software.

For job seekers, the ERC is a welcoming space where friendly and knowledgeable staff members help residents access vital services such as:

  • A Hot Jobs Posting Board
  • Monthly Workshops (such as Resume Building)
  • Interview Preparation / Mock Interviews
  • Job Fairs
  • One-on-one Assistance
  • Computer, copier, fax, and internet access (for job purposes only).
  • Resource Library
  • Veterans Career Services

For employers, ERC staff members help with candidate screenings, job fairs, job recruitment postings, and much more. The ERC is located at 12625 Frederick Street, Suite K-3, in the TownGate Center and is open Monday-Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For more information, residents and employers are encouraged to call 951.413.3920 or email erc@moval.org.

In the market for a new job?  Join the Hire MoVal Job Seekers' List today!

Police, Fire Explorers Pitch in at Community Day of Service

Moreno Valley Police Explorers pitched in at the first Community Day of Service by helping clear away brush, repair trails that had been washed away during the recent rainstorms, and clean up trash at Hidden Springs Park.

Members of the Moreno Valley Police Explorers joined dozens of other volunteers in helping to beautify Hidden Springs while the Moreno Valley Fire Department Explorers helped volunteers paint the Community Center, baseball dugouts and the scorekeeper’s both at March Field Park.

Paint was generously donated by Dunn Edwards. Many residents also took the opportunity to get rid of unwanted appliances, furniture and other bulky items as part of the event’s Bulky Waste Clean Up courtesy of Waste Management and the City’s Public Works Department.

The Community Day of Service was made possible by a grant provided by the Western Regional Council of Governments and generous donations and partnerships with Waste Management, Eastern Municipal Water District, and Dunn Edwards.

K-9 Handler Thanks Community for Support After Ivan's Passing

Deputy Kevin Brooks wrote the following note to thank community members for their support after his K-9 partner Ivan passed away last week.

Ivan and Deputy Brooks spent the last 5 1/2 years making sure the residents of Moreno Valley were safe. 

"I wanted to say 'Thank you' to everyone for their comments, thoughts and prayers.

Until something like this happens, you never realize how many people out there understand that our four-legged partners are truly more to us than just tools. They are our friends and family members.

While I am grieving, I have been strengthened by your posts, flowers, cards and phone calls. I have received an immeasurable amount of support from my team members/family and the Riverside Sheriff’s Department in my time of grief.

These actions truly show me, my family, and hopefully everyone who reads the many posts about Ivan, how much he touched me, my family and many other people’s lives in his short time here.

I truly want to thank each and every person who has taken the time out of their busy lives to communicate their condolences to my family and me.

We thank you all again and may God bless you."

Sincerely,

Deputy Kevin Brooks

Moreno Valley Utility Releases Annual Report Showcasing Achievements

The City recently released its first annual Moreno Valley Utility Annual Report, which provides a summary of key financial information, along with operational facts and statistics.

Established in 2004, Moreno Valley Utility (MVU) is a growing utility which already serves more than 5,900 customers. MVU was created to enhance economic development in the City.

As a “greenfield” utility, MVU provides electric service to new housing and business development, primarily located in undeveloped areas of the City.

Moreno Valley Utility is extremely proud of its reliability record. Moreno Valley Utility’s customers experienced an average outage of less than 2 minutes in 2015, far shorter than the 53 minute averages posted by the top performing 25% of utilities across the nation.

MVU was recognized for its reliability record by receiving a Certificate of Excellence in Reliability in 2015 from the American Public Power Association.

Between 2015 and 2016 MVU reduced more than 6,300 tons of greenhouse gas, provided more than $1 million in customer incentives, paid customers more than $130,000 for installing energy efficient equipment, and saved approximately 1.5 million kWh.

Go here to read the entire Moreno Valley Utility Annual Report.

Dickey's Barbecue Pit to Open Soon

Dickey's Barbecue Pit is putting the finishing touches on their restaurant and is scheduled to open soon.

The eatery was given the green light to open its doors after being reviewed and approved by the City's Community Development Department and other development services.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is located at 12620 Day Street, Suite, E next to Aldi's Market and Costco. 

Clean Up Event Collects 360 Cubic Yards of Bulky Waste

There’s nothing like a good garage cleaning.

Dozens of residents took the opportunity to get rid of unwanted appliances, furniture and other bulky items at the City's Bulky Waste Clean Up on February 25 courtesy of Waste Management and staff from the City’s Public Works Department.

A total of 360 cubic yards of unwanted waste was collected at the event. The event encourages residents to properly dispose of these unwanted items instead of dumping them illegally.

The City is proud to offer this service annually to our residents as part of the City’s green initiatives and the Keep Moreno Valley Beautiful Program.

For more information about upcoming Moreno Valley Clean-up and or recycling events, call 951.413.3109 or visit the City’s website at www.moval.org.