Pecom Redlands California News Podcasts on Line Dancing

Redlands helps food back with relocation expenses -

Fri September 05 2008

REDLANDS - Joseph's Storehouse, a decade-old food pantry and clothing bank on New York Street, will move to make way for a campus expansion by soft... read more

REDLANDS - Joseph's Storehouse, a decade-old food pantry and clothing bank on New York Street, will move to make way for a campus expansion by software maker ESRI. The Redlands Redevelopment Agency will dole out $100,000 to help Joseph's Storehouse make the move to 760 E. Stuart Ave. from its location at 457 New York St. The move is seen as beneficial to Redlands' economic development because the privately held ESRI boasts $660 million in annual sales, employs more than 2,000 workers and has seen steady growth. "In the interest of helping (ESRI) expand, we are contributing by picking up the relocation expenses of the tenant," said Dan Hobbs, director of Redlands Redevelopment Agency. "This will facilitate the future expansion of ESRI on its campus," he said. The move makes sense to the board of directors and supporters of Joseph's Storehouse, which sits across from Jennie Davis Park and the New York Street post office. The food and clothing bank, which serves as a homeless shelter during cold weather, will have more room to eventually offer a medical and dental clinic in a much larger building that was once home to a 10,000-square-foot Smart and Final store. The Redlands City Council on Wednesday approved an agreement between its redevelopment agency and Property One LLC, an ESRI affiliate. The agreement calls for Property One to exchange its newly acquired building on Stuart Avenue with the Joseph's Storehouse building on New York Street. Councilman Jerry Bean said ESRI is making a substantial contribution as part of its expansion plan. "I understand that (ESRI) is buying a $1.65 million building and exchanging it with the owner of the present Joseph's Storehouse building," Bean said. "That's substantially more than that building is worth. I'm told by leaders of Joseph's Storehouse that they will end up with 45 percent equity in that building." Redlands officials want to ensure Joseph's Storehouse continues providing services to the needy, said City Manager N. Enrique Martinez. Some 200 families access all-volunteer Joseph's Storehouse during a typical week. City officials also wanted to cut the number of police calls near ESRI's campus and Jennie Davis Park, so Police Chief Jim Bueermann took part in negotiations. Joseph's Storehouse's new location will be in a more industrial area, further from liquor stores, city officials said. Reach Michael Perrault at 909-806-3053 or mperrault@PE.com read less

University of Redlands music teacher not ready for retirement -

Fri September 05 2008

Pianist Louanne Long began her teaching career at the University of Redlands at age 22 in 1962, and she's never seen a reason to go anywhere else. ... read more

Pianist Louanne Long began her teaching career at the University of Redlands at age 22 in 1962, and she's never seen a reason to go anywhere else. "I think (the University of Redlands) is a fabulous place, obviously," the professor of piano and assistant dean of the university's School of Music said in a telephone interview. "I could have retired several times already and I don't because I love this job. I love working with the kids here. ... I'm just happy to be doing what I'm doing. I get a kick out of it," she said. She teaches piano to advanced students and music pedagogy, which means teaching music teachers how to teach, she explained. Over the years she has reaped many awards. In 1989, she received a special commendation from then-Gov. George Deukmejian for outstanding accomplishment in music. Her colleagues at the university have honored her twice with the Teacher of the Year Award and she has been listed repeatedly in Who's Who Among American Teachers. In nominating her for a Classical Profile, Andrew Glendening, dean of the university's School of Music, wrote in an e-mail, "She is really a gem in the musician scene ... a true hero of the arts." Long also enjoys a performance career. With her younger brother, violinist Richard Fuchs, she has traveled widely as half of the Fuchs Duo since 1980. Before that, she had a solo career. She said a concert she gave with her brother in September 1990 at the National Concert Hall in Taipei, Taiwan, was the most fun she's had as a performer. "It was an amazing building. The concert hall was just phenomenal and the acoustics were so great. ... And then, the most outstanding thing for me, and this is the first time it has ever happened, I had a choice of five grand pianos to choose which one I wanted to play. And I found the most awesome Hamburg Steinway there. And so I just always have held that concert as being a dream concert," she said. She started two special programs for the university. One is the solo/concerto competition, which earns each year's winner a solo performance with the Redlands Symphony. "We've had many wonderful kids play with the symphony," Long said. The second one is a weeklong summer piano camp for youths ages 11 to 18, which was inaugurated in July. "This is our first year and we've been delighted at the turnout," she said. There were 44 youngsters enrolled "and the level of talent is quite amazing." She says several of her students have gone on to successful musical careers, including concert artists and professors leading music schools. One that she cited is Lara Uruttia, 24, who has performed repeatedly with the Redlands Symphony and is also on the University of Redlands faculty. "She has concertized all around the world, especially in South America and some in Europe. She's a phenomenal pianist," Long said. As for the current state of classical music, Long said she thinks it's going strong. "I think so many wonderful things are happening in our area. We have the three symphonies around. I think the interest is high." She said she was particularly delighted to hear at a recent convention in Riverside of the Music Teachers Association of California that the association has 300,000 students studying piano in the state, mainly in private lessons. "That thrilled me," Long said. "You hear all these things about music being dead, but in the private music lessons and so on I was pleased to see that there's a lot of interest." To nominate local classical music performers, including award-winning student musicians and educators, for this weekly feature, please contact Mark Benoit at mbenoit@PE.com read less

Two musical talents join University of Redlands faculty and perform Sunday -

Thu September 04 2008

The University of Redlands School of Music will introduce two new faculty members Sunday in a free concert at Memorial Chapel on campus. Jean-Se... read more

The University of Redlands School of Music will introduce two new faculty members Sunday in a free concert at Memorial Chapel on campus. Jean-Sebastien Vallee, the new faculty choral conductor, will conduct Pergolesi's "Stabat Mater" and Schreker's Chamber Symphony. Anthony Suter is the new faculty composer and two of his works will receive their West Coast premieres at Sunday's concert. Vallee, 29, has conducted more than 15 ensembles in the United States and his native Canada. He said he chose the "Stabat Mater" because "I really love the way the text is treated. ... And since the concert was going to be done in the chapel here, I wanted to do at least one piece which would be sacred music." The Chamber Symphony was included because its origin closely mirrors what will happen Sunday, Vallee said in a telephone interview. "The piece was written for 23 solos and that's pretty much what we've got here. ... Then we go back to what was done at the premiere of that piece, a faculty showcase in Vienna in 1916. Then we're going to do the same thing on Sunday here," he said. Suter's new works on the program are the first movement from his first string quartet and "a hymn for forgotten moons," a lyrical piece for cello and piano inspired by the British rock band Radiohead. The string quartet is built around the idea of each movement being a showcase for the different instruments. The first movement features the violins and later movements showcase the viola and cello. "The piece just starts with the two violins sort of making beautiful music together and then the other guys sneak in so that they all end up together," said Suter, who is also 29, by phone. The quartet has never been performed in its entirety. The first movement had its first performance in Vermont in summer 2007, Suter said. As for "hymn," he said, "Radiohead has a way of filling up the sonic space with this sort of very lush sound that sort of is in the background. And for me that's what the piano does. These are very thick chords, but at the same time they allow a space for the cello to really sing. ... So it's that kind of clarity in the midst of complexity that I was kind of interested in." Suter said "a hymn for forgotten moons" had its premiere in Austin, Texas, two years ago. Reach Mark Benoit at 951-368-9418 or mbenoit@PE.com read less

Redlands art gallery to showcase artist trading cards -

Thu September 04 2008

Artist trading cards, which cross a work of art with a playing card, offer a miniature version of an artist's creative vision. The Redlands Art ... read more

Artist trading cards, which cross a work of art with a playing card, offer a miniature version of an artist's creative vision. The Redlands Art Association is planning an October show of the collectible cards, which represent a relatively new art form. Entries will be accepted from around the world, said Sandy Davies, who is coordinating the show with Cindy Lantier. "These cards began in 1997 with a Swiss artist who was protesting the high price of art," said Lantier, a Redlands mixed media artist who led a recent art association workshop on making artist trading cards. They showcase a multitude of art forms, from collage to photography to rubber stamping. The only requirement is that they measure 2½ by 3½ inches, the same size as a playing card. Sometimes playing cards are used as the base, Lantier said. The cards are intended for exchange among artists, not necessarily for sale. "Unique ATCs are called originals, while sets of identical cards are called editions," Lantier said at the workshop. When a set of cards is based on a single theme, it is called a series, with appropriate numbers indicating each card's position in the grouping. "Some people put as much effort into decorating the back as they do producing the front," Lantier said. At the very least, the back includes the artist's name or signature; the date the card was produced; its original, edition or series number; and the artist's contact information. Some artists gather for card swaps. There is one at 3:30 p.m. the third Saturday of each month at the Stamp Your Heart Out store, 141-C Harvard Ave. in Claremont. Others trade online through dedicated Web sites. For the art association show, each card must be in a plastic sleeve for protection, said Davies. Entries will require a registration form with a $10 fee for as many as 10 cards. Davies will advertise the show on international Web sites. Cards must be brought or mailed to the Redlands Art Association by Oct. 11. Entries will be hung from the ceiling in the East Gallery from Oct. 11 to 18, with a swap planned on the final day of the show. "Local artists who participate can come in and choose the cards they want, after which we will send off trades to the artists who live farther away," Davies said. The gallery will keep a 20 percent commission on cards that are sold. A group of six artists spent a recent Saturday morning creating their own show entries at a workshop led by Lantier. Most were discovering the medium. "It was fun to come with no preconceived notions about the cards," said Redlands artist Sandra Meichsner, who teaches many of the association's classes for children. "I love the challenge and creativity of choosing from a plethora of materials to create little pieces of art." Redlands artist Laura Bowden said the medium suits her. "I love little things and love that I can use all kinds of scraps for this project, which doesn't take up a lot of space," she said. "Our mission at the gallery is education so we are excited to be introducing this new art form to Redlands," said Davies. read less

Longest sentence given in assault, robbery of Redlands paraplegic -

Thu September 04 2008

SAN BERNARDINO - An 18-year-old Riverside man was sentenced to six years in prison Thursday morning for his role in the robbery and assault on a Re... read more