San Jacinto names New Police Chief

The city of San Jacinto has a new police chief this week as Lt. Sue Trevino takes over.

The former chief, Lt. Bill Tyler, is transferring to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department's Moreno Valley station. The city's law enforcement is provided under contract with the county.

Sheriff's Capt. John Pingel of the Hemet station introduced Trevino to the San Jacinto City Council on Thursday.
Trevino joined the department in 1987. As a deputy, she worked in patrol, narcotics and special investigations. As a sergeant, she worked in patrol and the jail before being promoted to lieutenant four years ago.

She worked in the Coachella Valley before being assigned about 1½ years ago to oversee the western county forensics bureau out of the Perris station.

"She is a great people person," Pingel said.

Trevino described herself as very personable, but also told the council, "I do say it how it is."
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San Jacinto native recognized for accomplishments

When gasoline was 20 cents a gallon and a postage stamp cost 3 cents, Robert "Bud" Roberds was graduating from San Jacinto High School with the Class of 1938. While FDR ran the White House, Roberds focused his attention on music and prepared for a career as an educator.

On May 6 he was honored as the 2010 distinguished alumni by the San Jacinto Education Foundation during its annual recognition reception.

Roberds joined his family's orchestra at age 9, and the group was well-known throughout the San Jacinto Valley playing for various lodges' installation dances and other events. His parents and siblings formed The Roberds Family Orchestra, and Bud's brothers also became music teachers.
"I was in a little band in high school, too," said Roberds. "We had noon dances -- I think they were monthly -- and I can still see Beryl Andrews out there dancing."

Calling themselves "School Kids," Roberds' younger brother came over from the grammar school to play drums for the band.

"In those days I played the trumpet, guitar and accompanied others on piano," said Roberds.

Roberds met his wife, Jewell Tripp, when they were eighth-graders at San Jacinto Elementary, and they started "going together" during their junior year of high school. Both have historic ties to the valley.

Roberds is the great-grandson of Jose Maria de Necochea, who settled in the area with the Estudillo family in the 1860s. Jewell is the granddaughter of Judge S.V. Tripp, who was part of another prominent pioneer family. The couple married in 1941 and had two children, Bill and Lorraine.

Jewell was valedictorian of their class of 24 graduates and because both of them were firm believers in the value of education, they continued on to college; Bud attended Long Beach Junior College and then transferred to UCLA.

They became the second couple to wed in San Jacinto's new St. Anthony's Catholic Church. Roberds continued his education until he was drafted for a three-year tour of duty with the U.S. Army. Even though he had earned his teaching credential before he was drafted, he started his career at San Jacinto Unified School District as a school bus driver.

Soon he was teaching music at his alma mater and stayed there for nine years before he was offered a position in Fallbrook. Roberds retired in 1979.

Jewell finally kept the promise the couple made to themselves and returned to San Diego State to finish her education. She graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree and then earned her teaching credential in 1966.

The San Jacinto Education Foundation was founded in 2001 to enhance the educational experiences of students through funding and programs.

Information, 951-929-7700 ext. 4530.

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Contest to reward people with water-wise landscaping

Less is more when it comes to water in the garden, and those who do it most efficiently could win up to $1,000 in this year's Western Water-Wise Landscape Contest.

The competition aims to raise awareness of just how beautiful drought-resistant landscapes can be, organizers said.

"With lingering dry times and the continuing water crisis, if we can recognize folks that have embraced water-efficient landscaping, then it helps us not only to save water for the region but ... shows other residents what you can do and still have a beautiful yard," said Michele McKinney Underwood, spokeswoman for Western Municipal Water District in Riverside.

The contest covers 1,000 square miles served by Western Municipal; Eastern Municipal Water District in Perris, which covers an area from Moreno Valley south to Temecula and east to Hemet and San Jacinto; and Inland Empire Utilities Agency in Chino.

The contest also is open to customers of Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, Rancho California Water District in Temecula, Corona Department of Water and Power, Riverside Public Utilities and the city of Upland.

The contest, which started in 2008, has grown in popularity as the drought persisted and conservation became a priority. There were a dozen entries the first year and 97 last year when it was extended beyond Western's retail service area.
Winners are judged on the curb appeal of their front yards and the efficiency of irrigation systems; use of mulch and low-water, California-friendly plants; and limited, functional grass areas.

The top three winners are eligible for prizes of $1,000, $750 and $500, plus there is a $500 prize in each of the districts.

David and Leanne Austin, of Riverside, won a $500 local award last year from Western. They installed their own landscaping after they bought a new two-story Wood Road home in 2002.

The yard is packed with salvia, rosemary, dramatic red grevillea and South African natives. But there are also roses and a small area of grass -- all of which are watered two times a week with drip irrigation, or three days a week when it's over 100 degrees.

"It's a deep, long watering so it promotes deep root growth," Leanne Austin said. "I've also minimized turf areas. They are designed more as a place for the eye to rest. It's not all cacti and rocks."

landscape contest

For more information, rules and entry forms, go to www.westernlandscapecontest.com or call 951-789-5036.

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Discard old Prescription Drugs at Valley Wide Tuesday

Pill Drop-Off Day will take place Tuesday at four locations in Riverside County, allowing people to drop off prescription drugs.

An announcement of the event states the drugs can be turned in "with no questions asked."

The event is being organized by school resource officers at various locations, along with youth accountability teams, local school districts and the Riverside County Office of Education.

There has been a "considerable increase" in overdoses among students just since January, according to Raquel Marquez, senior deputy district attorney.

Marquez said in the announcement that one drug singled out by authorities is oxycodone, a prescription narcotic pain reliever best known by the trade name OxyContin. "This prescription drug is substantially similar to heroin and yet we wouldn't leave heroin in a family's medicine cabinet," she wrote.

Riverside County sheriff's Lt. Charles Wilhite said law enforcement is seeing a rising number of young people in Riverside County who began using narcotics by popping pills from the family medicine cabinet -- and who have now become heroin addicts.

Prescription medication should not be thrown away, rinsed down a drain or flushed away because they create substantial environmental contamination.

Drop-off points from 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday:

Lake Elsinore -- Lake Elsinore Unified School District, 565 Chaney St.

Hemet-San Jacinto -- Valley-Wide Regional Park, 901 W. Esplanade Ave., San Jacinto.

Murrieta -- Murrieta Police Department, 24701 Jefferson Ave.

Temecula -- Ronald Reagan Sports Park, 42659 Margarita Road.

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