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Old 11-01-2009, 10:36 AM
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Jeanfromfillmore Jeanfromfillmore is offline
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Default Code enforcement office in Home Gardens fosters fear in some, gratitude in others

Code enforcement office in Home Gardens fosters fear in some, gratitude in others
10:00 PM PDT on Saturday, October 31, 2009
By LESLIE PARRILLA
The Press-Enterprise
Maria Hernandez stood at the edge of a nearly vacant dirt lot in Home Gardens surrounded by scampering dogs and running children near a ramshackle single-bedroom home.
She laughed when describing how code enforcement officers made her move heaps of trash and tires that inadvertently grew.
"Here in Home Gardens there's a lot of trash," Hernandez said in Spanish, saying she had contributed to it. "It's a good thing because they didn't give me a ticket. It's good for the community because if we live among trash, then what?"
Some residents say they're not aware of the county code enforcement office tucked between taquerias and carnicerias on Magnolia Avenue. Day laborers standing on the corner accused officers of forcing people out of rented trailers and leaving them homeless. And other residents praise officers for keeping the area clean.
It's been just over a year since Riverside County Code Enforcement opened an office in Home Gardens -- an unincorporated neighborhood between Riverside and Corona -- to create awareness, conduct outreach and work to clean up the most common violation: trash accumulation and unpermitted construction.
Marcella Villanueva, a senior code enforcement officer, and Angel Olivo, a community improvement specialist, drove through the area last month explaining that outreach has not always been easy.
There was a general fear of government," Olivo said. "When we first started canvassing we got people running into their homes, closing the curtains and making it look like no one was home."
The heavily Latino area is home to many migrant workers and recent immigrants. About 9,500 people live in the densely populated area of about 1.08 square miles.
Piles of trash, mattresses and tires could be seen piled up on the sides of some yards, while other homes were neatly manicured. The sewer system is overtaxed because it's not designed for the number of people tapping into it, Olivo said. Toilets sometimes run directly into the ground and cesspools accumulate.
Officers try to work with people instead of cite them. But if they do not receive cooperation, they can issue a $100 violation and ultimately charge the violator for cleanup costs.
That process, however, can take months.
Officers cannot enter a person's property without permission, unless granted legal authority.
Villanueva said she has seen seven families living in a small sub-divided rental.
"We do sympathize with their situations, but they're not safe living conditions," Villanueva said. "We want to improve the quality of life without creating any hardships."
Several blocks away, Denise Bivalacqua raked leaves in her front yard across the street from a splotch of graffiti on a fence on Somerdale Street.
Although she has lived in the area about 10 years, she was unaware that code enforcement had an office in the area or that they would clean up graffiti.
Had she known, she would have called them.
To continue outreach efforts and let residents know they exist to help clean up the community, code enforcement officers are holding a community awareness cleanup day Nov. 14 in Home Gardens.
The specific location hasn't been determined.
Reach Leslie Parrilla at 951-368-9644 or lparrilla@PE.com
Code enforcement office
Where: 13575 Magnolia Ave.
Contact information: 951-280-4100
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Old 11-11-2009, 02:13 PM
DerailAmnesty.com DerailAmnesty.com is offline
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Translations:

"Here in Home Gardens there's a lot of trash," Hernandez said in Spanish,...

We behave like we're still living in our home countries.


Some residents say they're not aware of the county code enforcement office tucked between taquerias and carnicerias on Magnolia Avenue.

The place is a trash heap and you'd never guess that a govt. office responsible for keeping it respectable is actually nearby.


"When we first started canvassing we got people running into their homes, closing the curtains and making it look like no one was home."

The criminals scattered when we arrived because they figured we were cops or ICE.


The heavily Latino area is home to many migrant workers and recent immigrants. About 9,500 people live in the densely populated area of about 1.08 square miles.

The neighborhood is Riverside's version of Panorama City.


The sewer system is overtaxed because it's not designed for the number of people tapping into it, Olivo said. Toilets sometimes run directly into the ground and cesspools accumulate.

If we're lucky, it'll only be a Typhoid or Cholera outbreak rather than Ebola.


Officers try to work with people instead of cite them.

There are two sets of rules. The one that has penalties and is enforced, is for citizens and legal residents only.


We want to improve the quality of life without creating any hardships.

We will never report obvious immigration violations to federal authorities, no matter how quickly it would resolve the problem we are paid by taxpayers to address.


Denise Bivalacqua raked leaves in her front yard across the street from a splotch of graffiti on a fence on Somerdale Street. Although she has lived in the area about 10 years, she was unaware that code enforcement had an office in the area or that they would clean up graffiti.

Code enforcement and the police don't do squat to illegals so, resultingly, this woman is forced to endure ghetto conditions.

Last edited by DerailAmnesty.com; 11-11-2009 at 02:16 PM.
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