The coronavirus pandemic, protests over the police killing of George Floyd, the Blue Ridge fire, lockdowns, and the closing of schools rocked the Chino Valley and the rest of the nation during this extraordinary year.
The devastation was matched by the goodness of residents who helped school children cope with social isolation, collected food and items for those hit hardest by the pandemic, and rallied around frontline healthcare workers.
Barely had the year begun when the coronavirus pandemic originating in Wuhan, China spread across the globe resulting in 334,000 deaths in the United States by the end of the year.
There were 11 deaths in Chino Hills and 70 in Chino, with 26 of those at the California Institution for Men in Chino and one at the California Institution for Women.
Thirty-six hours after the City of Chino Hills installed caution tape and signs on playgrounds announcing their closure because of the governorâs new orders last week, crews returned to take everything down when the orders were revised. City officials said they didnât need to take down most of the caution tape because residents had already done so.Â
The Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce joined 80 chambers and business organizations in the state telling Gov. Newsom and legislators that the new regional stay-at-home orders are jeopardizing the survival of even the most resilient small businesses and that debilitating policies to close restaurants, breweries, wineries, and retail boutiques are direct attacks on the quality of life of communities