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The Valley News • www.myvalleynews.com • February 3, 2012


Can-Do Monument to be dedicated Feb. 8


TEMECULA – The first phase of


the Can-Do Monument will be un- veiled and dedicated at the Ronald Reagan Sports Park on Wednesday, Feb. 8, starting 3: 30 p.m. Jelly Belly Week is Feb. 1-7 this


year and Friends of Ronald Reagan SP is presenting the monument as a “grand finale” to the week. The non-profit organization tradition- ally distributes thousands of sample packets of President Reagan’s favorite candy, donated by the Jelly Belly Candy Company, to celebrate his birthday, Feb. 6. Chief Master Sergeant Jeffrey “Chip” Dodson (USAF, Ret.) who served with Air Force One during the Reagan Administration, will speak at the dedication of the Can- Do Monument. During Jelly Belly Week, cel-


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ebrated annually by Friends of Ronald Reagan Sports Park to mark Reagan’s birthday, sample packets of jelly bellies are distributed free through a number of different out- lets in and around Temecula. They were Reagan’s favorite candy. The Monument features a statue


of Reagan. It will highlight the value of personal initiative and commemorate the initiative of Temecula area volunteers who built the sports park without government funds. It will be presented as a gift to the city by Friends of Ronald Reagan SP, which raised private funds for the monument. Receiving the monument on


behalf of the city will be Council- member Mike Naggar, who first proposed naming the park after the former President in 2004, soon after


Reagan died. He was Mayor at the time. The name was unanimously approved by the City Council. In addition to the jelly beans,


coffee and sweets will be offered at the dedication. The public is invited and there is no admission fee. Naggar and Councilmember Maryann Edwards served as a li- aison subcommittee working with FRRSP. The city approved the monument design by Chris Pardell, who also designed and sculpted the memorable Veterans Memorial at the Duck Pond and the dramatic fountain at the new Civic Center. Presentation of the Colors will


be provided by the Temecula High School Air Force Junior ROTC, under the direction of Dodson. Assigned to Air Force One during President Reagan’s administration, Dodson will share personal insights of Reagan from that period. Crew members of the USS


Ronald Reagan were invited and a number of them will be present for the ceremony, along with Chief Petty Officer Michael McCracken (USN Retired), who serves on the FRRSP advisory board, as well as the City’s Community Develop- ment Commission. While in the military, his last assignment was on the USS Ronald Reagan. Ground-breaking for the monu-


ment was held on Sept. 11, 2011, and the dedication was scheduled to occur Jan. 10 this year, but the sudden illness of Perry Peters, FRRSP president, forced a post- ponement. Peters has recovered and will serve as emcee for the Feb. 8 dedication.


Bus ridership hits an all-time high


RIVERSIDE – With eight of


the last 12 months smashing rider- ship records, the Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) has announced that its buses carried an unprecedented number of boardings in 2011. A new report shows RTA buses


carried more than 664,000 board- ings in December, an 11 percent increase from December of 2010. Ridership on CommuterLink ex- press routes was up 20 percent and Dial-A-Ride boardings climbed 16 percent. Those results bring RTA’s annual total to 8.4 million boardings, an all-time high for the 35-year-old agency. RTA’s previous record was set


in 2009 when buses handled 8.1 million passenger trips. “This growth reflects the value of


public transportation in the commu- nities we serve,” said RTA Chair- man of the Board Doug McAllister. “We are constantly looking for ways to better serve our custom- ers and the boost in ridership is evidence that we are headed in the right direction. The ridership surge indicates that


RTA continues to be a low-cost transportation solution for more people faced with high gas prices and a troubled economy. Other factors appear to be driv-


ing the ridership skyward. RTA frequently adjusts schedules and routing to enhance on-time perfor- mance and connectivity not only between RTA buses, but between RTA buses and Metrolink trains. The Agency has also expanded its Go-Pass and U-Pass programs to include more schools, giving a


growing number of college students unlimited bus rides. Passengers are also benefitting from the recent opening of transit centers in Corona and Perris, as well as real-time bus arrival information kiosks at a growing number of locations. When it comes to growing rid-


ership, RTA isn’t alone. A recent report from the American Public Transportation Association showed that more Americans rode buses, commuter railroads, and subways during the third quarter of 2011. Nationally, the two percent jump in transit ridership over the same period in 2010 marks the first time in three years that ridership has in- creased for all three quarters. RTA’s 2011 ridership is nearly eight per- cent higher than it was in 2010. “This increase in ridership shows


that Americans want more trans- portation choices and will use pub- lic transportation if it is available in their community,” said APTA President and CEO Michael P. Melaniphy. “Also, transit agency investments are paying off, result- ing in riders experiencing a higher level of quality service.” The Riverside Transit Agency provides public transportation for Western Riverside County, operat- ing 36 fixed routes, 8 commuter routes and Dial-A-Ride service. RTA’s service area spans 2,500 square miles, the second largest in the nation. For bus route and schedule infor-


mation, call RTA at (951) 565-5002 or go to www.RiversideTransit. com.


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