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Happening in Upland is your weekly rundown of what’s going on around town—local news, community events, public safety updates, new restaurants, development, weather, schools, and the stuff Upland residents actually talk about.
Delivered with humor, honesty, and a very local point of view, this isn’t stiff broadcast news. It’s real, relevant information with personality. If you live in Upland or anywhere nearby in the Inland Empire, this is your weekly shortcut to staying in the loop.
MARK: Welcome to another glorious Monday, June 22nd, 2026, here in the so-called City of Gracious Living. I'm Mark, and I'm joined as always by the only person in Upland who finds more to complain about than I do, Joleen.
JOLEEN: I'm not complaining, Mark, I'm simply observing that this city is a dumpster fire with very nice trees. It's fantastic to be back for another episode of Happening in Upland, where we pretend we aren't all just waiting for the next earthquake to swallow our mortgage debt. If you've got questions or just want to tell us we're assholes, hit us up at upland at the happening network dot com. We love the hate mail, really.
MARK: It's what keeps the lights on, Joleen. That and our sheer spite. Anyway, we've got a lot to get through today. We're talking about sneaky local politics, why the cops are finally tracking your car again, and a restaurant that thinks Persian and Italian food belong on the same plate. It's a lot. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and comment, because apparently, the algorithm doesn't care if we're miserable as long as people click the button.
JOLEEN: The algorithm is a bitch, Mark. Much like our city council when they're trying to pass something without us noticing. Speaking of which, let's jump into the headlines. Our first bit of local drama involves Mayor Bill Velto and the rest of the council. It turns out they've been sitting on a little secret about mobile home rent control for about ten months now.
MARK: Oh, it wasn't just a secret, it was a 'self-consciously sneaky' arrangement, according to some very unhappy residents. About two thousand people living in Upland's six mobile home parks just found out their rent is about to go up by as much as twenty-five percent. This all stems from a move the council made back in June 2025, where they quietly buried the removal of rent control in a massive legislative bundle.
JOLEEN: It's the classic move. Hide the shitty news in a pile of boring paperwork and hope everyone is too busy arguing about bike lanes to notice. Well, people noticed. The outrage is hitting a boiling point right now because the temporal gap they built in to delay the hike has finally expired. It's like a political time bomb they set a year ago, and it just went off in the faces of the city's most economically vulnerable residents.
MARK: It's cold-blooded, really. Velto and his colleagues haven't even denied that it was a bit of a backroom deal with the landowners. They basically traded the protections of about three percent of the population for whatever favors landowners provide these days. I'm guessing it's not just a nice Christmas card. The residents are absolutely livid, and honestly, can you blame them? Imagine living on a fixed income and waking up to a twenty-five percent spike in your biggest bill.
JOLEEN: I'd be looking for a pitchfork, Mark. But hey, that's Gracious Living for you. If you can't afford the grace, you get the boot. And while Upland is busy screwing over seniors, the broader region is looking at some serious charter reforms. There's been a lot of talk this week about police accountability and expanding the city council in L.A., which usually sets the tone for the rest of us in the Inland Empire.
MARK: Exactly. There's a big push right now to ensure police departments actually honor the ordinances passed by city councils. It's a crazy concept, I know. Cops following the law? What's next, cats and dogs living together? But seriously, the Chief Legislative Analyst just released a report that might axe some of these key reforms. It's the same old story: bureaucracy versus democracy, and bureaucracy usually has the bigger guns.
JOLEEN: Literally. Speaking of guns and the people who carry them, let's look at the Upland crime reports. It's been a big week for tech support over at the Upland Police Department. Apparently, they've finally resolved an issue that was preventing license plate returns. So, if you were hoping to go on a high-speed crime spree and stay anonymous, you're out of luck. The systems are back online.
MARK: They've also fixed the electrical issues on the police vehicle laptops. Apparently, the fleet team and the IT guys had to hold hands and pray to the gods of Windows 11 to get everything working. But the real news is the drone deployment. The city's State of the City report mentioned they're leaning hard into drones for rapid response. Because nothing says 'I'm being protected' like a robotic bee buzzing over your backyard while someone steals your Amazon package.
JOLEEN: I'm sure the drones are great for taking high-resolution photos of the thieves who will never be caught. They've also installed new surveillance cameras downtown to 'reduce crime'. It's basically Upland's version of Big Brother, but with more palm trees and fewer people actually watching the screens. They've even got cameras monitoring the drone system now. We've officially reached the 'watching the watchers' stage of local government.
MARK: It's all very high-tech for a city that still has a fifty-six out of one hundred pavement condition score. We can see you perfectly in 4K while your axle snaps in a pothole on 15th Street. It's about priorities, Joleen. And speaking of priorities, the Upland Unified School District is shifting gears into summer. Graduation is over, the tears have dried, and now it's time for the real nightmare: summer assignments.
JOLEEN: God, I don't miss that. Upland High has already posted the AP and Honors assignments for the 2026-2027 school year. So, if you're a high schooler who thought you were going to spend the summer at the mall or playing video games, joke's on you. You've got five hundred pages of history to summarize by August. It's a special kind of cruelty to give homework for a class that hasn't even started yet.
MARK: It's prep for the real world, Joleen. You know, where you have to do work for a boss you haven't met yet for a paycheck that won't cover your rent. Chaffey College had their Pride Fest earlier this month, which was a huge hit, but now the campus is quiet as they prep for the next round of summer sessions. If you're looking for something for the younger kids, i9 Sports is starting a youth volleyball league at the Upland High gym this Sunday, June 28th.
JOLEEN: Finally, a way to get the kids out of the house so they don't see their parents crying over the mobile home rent hikes. But let's talk about food, because I need a distraction. We checked out Giuseppe's Restaurant recently. It's on Foothill, and it's this bizarre mashup of Persian and Italian food. They've been around since the late nineties, but they're still one of those places people suggest when they want to feel fancy in Upland.
MARK: Persian and Italian. It sounds like a culinary identity crisis. I'm imagining lasagna topped with saffron or kabobs wrapped in fettuccine. But apparently, it works. People on the local forums rave about it for graduation lunches. It's got that 'we have a dress code but don't really enforce it unless you look like a total dick' vibe.
JOLEEN: It's a step up from the drive-thru, for sure. The atmosphere is elegant, but let's be real, you're paying Upland prices for the privilege of sitting near a busy street. The homemade pasta is decent, and the kabobs are actually pretty good, but the whole concept of having both on one menu is just confusing. It's like the restaurant couldn't decide if it wanted to be The Godfather or Aladdin, so it just said 'fuck it' and did both.
MARK: I'll take the 'fuck it' approach over another generic burger joint any day. Though, if you do want a burger, The Hitch Burger Grill on Arrow Route is still expanding their footprint. But Giuseppe's is where you go if you want to pretend you're not in the Inland Empire for an hour. Just don't look out the window at the traffic. It ruins the illusion.
JOLEEN: Speaking of traffic and illusions, let's talk sports. The Upland Highlanders football team is officially in the 'waiting room'. The June and July calendars are out, and the first game isn't until August 22nd against La Habra. Right now, it's all about summer camp and weightlifting in the heat. It's basically just teenage boys getting sweaty and screaming at each other until school starts.
MARK: It's a tradition as old as time. There's also some youth soccer happening with BEST Sports at the local parks. They started on June 13th and it runs through mid-July. If you enjoy watching thirty five-year-olds chase a ball in a giant cluster while their parents scream from the sidelines like it's the World Cup, that's your Saturday morning sorted. It's pure, unadulterated chaos.
JOLEEN: It sounds like a nightmare, Mark. I'd rather be at the true crime book club. The Grim Readers meet this Saturday, June 28th, at the library. It's the last Saturday of the month, and they're gathering in the Brodie Teen Room at 3:00 PM. It's for people who want to talk about murder while sitting in a room named after a teenager. The irony is delicious.
MARK: Upland Pride is also happening this Sunday, June 28th, at Memorial Park. Rough and Tumbled Gems will be there. It's a big deal for the city, and honestly, a nice change of pace from the usual stuffy community events. If you want something a bit more 'Upland Heritage', there's a tour of the Getty Villa on Saturday morning. You have to leave Upland for that one, which is probably the best part of the tour.
JOLEEN: Leaving Upland is always the highlight of my week. But if you're staying local, the Farmers Market is still going strong every Saturday from 9 to 2 downtown. It's a great place to buy a three-dollar organic apple and watch people try to park their oversized SUVs in tiny spots. It's the best free entertainment in the city, hands down.
MARK: You'll need a cold drink if you're heading out there, because the weather is finally deciding to be a dickhead. Today, Monday, it's a manageable eighty-five degrees and sunny. Southwest winds around ten miles per hour, so it's actually almost pleasant. But don't get used to it. Tomorrow, Tuesday, the high is hitting ninety. And Wednesday? Ninety again. It's that dry, blistering heat that makes you want to crawl into your fridge and never come out.
JOLEEN: And don't forget the Air Quality Alert. It was issued yesterday and it's still hanging around. So, not only is it hot as shit, but the air is also actively trying to kill you. Mostly sunny skies mean the sun will be beating down on all that beautiful Foothill Boulevard construction, which I'm sure the workers are just loving. The lows are staying around sixty, so at least you can cool off at night if your A/C doesn't die.
MARK: The weekend looks a little better, thankfully. Friday hits eighty-three, Saturday is eighty, and by Sunday, we're looking at a high of seventy-seven. It's a weirdly steep drop-off. It's like the weather realized it was being too mean and decided to dial it back just in time for Upland Pride. Or maybe the atmosphere is just as confused as Giuseppe's menu.
JOLEEN: Let's hope the cooler weather helps with the road construction. That $14 million Foothill Boulevard project between Benson and Euclid is still chewing up tires. They say it'll be done by August 2026, but I'll believe that when I see it. The city just admitted in the State of the City report that they have a $210 million backlog in street and alley repairs. That's a lot of zeros, Mark. They're trying to move our pavement score from a fifty-six to a seventy-two, but at the rate they're going, I'll be dead before I can drive down Mountain Avenue without needing a spinal adjustment.
MARK: It's a joke. They've secured $12 million in one-time funds for infrastructure, but when you're $200 million in the hole, that's like putting a Barbie Band-Aid on a gunshot wound. They're adding two new police officers and more drones, but maybe they should hire someone whose only job is to fill holes in the ground. I'm tired of feeling like I'm off-roading every time I go to the grocery store.
JOLEEN: But Mark, if they fixed the roads, the real estate market might actually make sense. And we can't have that. Speaking of which, the Upland housing market is currently a shitshow. Zillow says the average home value is around $827,000, up about point-three percent over the last year. But then you look at Movoto, and they're listing a median price of $743,500 for May. It's almost like nobody has any idea what a house is actually worth.
MARK: The variance is wild. If you're a seller, you're looking at the $827,000 number and dreaming of retirement. If you're a buyer, you're looking at the $743,000 number and realizing you still can't afford it. The one thing that's consistent is the speed. Homes are going to pending in about twenty-one days. That's three weeks. You barely have time to get a home inspection before someone else swoops in with an all-cash offer and a kidney.
JOLEEN: It's a seller's market, and it's aggressive. There are only about seventy-two single-family homes for sale in the whole city right now. That's less than two months of inventory. If you want to live in Upland, you have to be ready to fight for it. Or just wait until the mobile home residents start moving out because they can't afford the rent anymore. It's a dark circle of life, isn't it?
MARK: It's the Gracious Living circle of life, Joleen. Very dark and very expensive. Well, that's about all the time we have before our own rent goes up. If you enjoyed our cynical ramblings, make sure you hit those buttons. Like, subscribe, leave a comment about how much you hate my voice. We see it all. And remember, we're always available at upland at the happening network dot com.
JOLEEN: Stay hydrated, Upland. Avoid the 90-degree heat, try not to get hit by a drone, and if you see Mayor Velto, ask him why he's so sneaky. We'll be back next time to tell you more things you probably didn't want to know about our lovely little city. Until then, try to keep your wheels on the road and your sanity in check. Goodbye, you beautiful disasters.