Menifee launches first grant for unique eateries in SW RivCo
MENIFEE – Menifee is accepting pre-applications for the Menifee M.E.N.U. – Mom and Pop, Entertainment, New Concept and Unique – Grant, which will assist with up-front business expenses ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 to bring in unique eateries into the city.
Special to the Valley News
On Thursday, Jan. 5, a law enforcement group representing Riverside County’s sheriff, district attorney and 19 chiefs of police called on Superior Court judges to end the mass dismissal of criminal cases to solve a backlog, saying the practice is escalating dangers to public safety.
The continuing progress of the indigenous American Indian and their Nations could be seen in
of the most spectacular Pow Wows ever presented in the Valley at the Pechanga Casino Resort in Temecula the weekend of Jan. 6-8. Participating were dancers, Bird Singers, and Drum groups from
events they may have ever seen, all taking place inside and under the spotlights from a large surrounding impromptu stage inside
see POW WOW, page A-6
A 54-year-old Wildomar pastor accused of sexually assaulting two girls numerous times pleaded not guilty Friday, Jan. 6 to nearly two dozen felony charges.
Fredy Romeo Gonzalez Lopez was arrested in November following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation.
Lopez is charged with eight counts of aggravated rape of a child, seven counts of lewd acts on a minor, five counts of sodomy of a child and multiple sentence-enhancing allegations
of targeting two or more victims in a sex crime.
The defendant was arraigned before Superior Court Judge Elaine Kiefer, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Feb. 22 at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.
Lopez is being held on $1 million bail at the nearby Byrd Detention Center.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Joshua Parker, Gonzalez presides at a Wildomar church, but the house of worship wasn’t identified.
Parker said that detectives initiated an investigation during the first week of November, follow-
ing reports of an alleged sexual assault on a child at a property in the 32000 block of Blue Terrace Street, near Palomar Street.
According to the criminal complaint, the two victims, identified in court documents only as “A.A.” and “A.L.A.,” were allegedly assaulted at various times from September 2020 to November 2022.
Court papers described instances where the defendant allegedly fondled their breasts, digitally penetrated them and raped them, when the victims were between 10 and 12 years old.
“It is a dream come true,” an expression heard many times but for Heather Valenzuela, with tears in her eyes it truly was as she, her husband Jonathan and five young children stood in their soon to be three bedroom home at 245 Peck Street in Lake Elsinore Saturday January 7.
While their home is not completely given, it is of the latest Habitat for Humanity homes being built in the Inland Empire. It means the world for the Valenzuela family who has been crowded in a small two-bedroom Hemet townhome for some time and their first ever real to be owned home.
Their children, Karmani, 12; Averi, 11; Jolonni, 5, Eneavi, 4 and Sevoni, 3 who suffers from Cerebral Palsy, all looked
TEMECULA – Over $1.1 million in city of Temecula grant funding is budgeted to be disbursed in 2023 to support charitable programs that exclusively benefit Temecula residents through the city’s fiscal year 2022-2023 grant program, Community Service Funding-Reinvestment in Temecula.
The city council awarded 49 different programs Tuesday, Nov. 15, to receive grants ranging in amounts from $5,000 to $50,000
each and totaling $1,105,500.
“This is the highest sum ever awarded in a year through a grant program to nonprofit organizations in Temecula’s history,” Mayor Zak Schwank said. “These funds will be infused directly into the local community, and l am proud to facilitate an ecosystem that supports volunteerism and civic engagement while helping individuals and families living in Temecula.”
In addition to the rising costs of goods and services, many
nonprofit organizations struggled to fundraise during COVID-19, and this funding will assist local nonprofit organizations in their recovery from such an unprecedented time.
“Nonprofits will begin receiving checks to supplement an array of helpful services to Temecula residents including individuals with special needs, seniors, veterans, homeless, at-risk youth and many more,” Schwank said.
The program is being adminis-
tered by the city manager’s office, which said nonprofits should find out if they will receive funding soon.
“Whether it’s to feed, shelter, educate, or provide support to those with cancer or other ailments, charitable nonprofits serve as a bridge during challenging times for Temecula families,” Mayor Pro Tem James “Stew” Stewart said. “If we can enhance the quality of life in Temecula through funding programs that
help citizens in need get back on their feet, we are likewise helping to sustain some of the more fragile areas of our local economy.”
Grant applications for the next annual fiscal year 2023-2024 grant program will be available in July 2023. Visit http://TemeculaCA. gov/Grants where more information can be found including a list of fiscal year 2022-2023 grant recipients. For questions, email CSFGrants@TemeculaCA.gov Submitted by city of Temecula.
TEMECULA – The Temecula Valley Historical Society invites the public to a presentation Monday, Jan. 23, at 6 p.m. at the Little Temecula History Center, which is the red barn at the corner of Redhawk Parkway and Wolf Store Road in Temecula.
Laura Zayats, president of the Temecula Valley Prospectors,
Details
will speak about and demonstrate techniques used by miners in this area during the heyday of mining in the late 1800s. She will tell about the many types of metals and gemstones found in this area and the legalities for modern-day prospecting.
The doors open at 5:30 p.m. for the free event. The presentation
sexual abuse were not disclosed.
The defendant was interviewed at the sheriff’s Lake Elsinore station on Nov. 9, after which he was taken into custody without
will also be live-streamed on the Temecula Valley Historical Society’s Facebook page.
For more information, contact Rebecca Marshall Farnbach at info@temeculahistory.org
Submitted by Temecula Valley Historical Society.
incident.
He has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.
Dr. Richard Shuldiner helps macular degeneration sufferers with reading, driving, TV, and maintaining independence.
Pete T., an 83 year-old retired engineer from Palm Springs thought that his driving days were over. “I could not read the street signs soon enough and it made me nervous.”
Helen T. retired teacher, 74, from San Diego wanted to be able to read and write more easily. She wanted to see her grandchildren singing in the church choir. But she thought those days were over when she was diagnosed with macular degeneration. Neither of these patients knew that a low vision optometrist could help with some of those issues.
“Bioptic telescopic glasses can be used to see signs further down the road,” said Dr. Richard Shuldiner, Low Vision Optometrist and Founder of the International Academy of Low Vision Specialists (IALVS).
“This can allow some people with conditions like macular degeneration to continue driving.”
“Amazing!” said Pete. “I can read the street signs and even see the television better!”
Lee K, 71, of Anaheim called on the advice of a friend. “I wanted to be able to keep driving and do the fun things in life. One of those fun things is baseball. I can see those close plays again,” said the patient.
Bioptic telescopic glasses were prescribed to read signs and see traffic lights farther away. As one patient put it, ‘’These telescopic glasses not only allow me to read signs from a farther distance, but make driving much easier. I’ve also used them to watch television so I don’t have to sit so close; definitely worth the cost. I don’t know why I waited two years to do this.”
Macular degeneration is the most common
eye disease amongst the senior population. As many as 25% of those over 65 have some degree of degeneration. The macula is one small part of the entire retina, but it is the most sensitive and gives us sharp images. “Our job is to figure out everything and anything possible to keep a person functioning visually,” said Dr. Shuldiner. “Whether it’s driving, reading, watching television, or seeing faces, we work with whatever is on the persons ‘wish list.”’
Low Vision glasses start at around $600. It is a small price to pay for the hours of enjoyment you can have with better vision and more independence.
For more information and a FREE telephone consultation to determine if you are a candidate for our services, call: TOLL FREE: 888-610-2020
City News Service Special to the Valley News
Fuel overflowed from a vehicle and spilled in a Wildomar gas station parking lot Thursday, Jan. 5, prompting a cleanup operation.
The spill was reported shortly before noon at the 76 Station in the 33900 block of Mission Trail, near Bundy Canyon Road, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
Responding crews encountered a pool of petrol that had been diffused by rainfall, according to the agency.
It was unclear how the fuel had flowed out of the vehicle, and whether it was diesel or unleaded gasoline. The specific number of gallons that leaked also wasn’t immediately known.
A hazardous materials unit was initially summoned, but engine crews were able to mop up and contain the mess without the hazmat team, according to reports from the scene.
Inspectors from the county Department of Environmental Health were requested to determine whether the fuel spill posed any further public safety hazard.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the most influential Americans of the twentieth century. A scholar and minister who played a leading role in the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s, King was tragically assassinated on April 4, 1968, less than three months after he turned 39.
Though King’s life was far too short, he left behind a host of notable works. These works can provide significant insight into who King was and the legacy he left behind.
Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story. Published in 1958, this is King’s account of the Montgomery bus boycott that began in 1955 and ended in 1956. The book includes information about the planning of the boycott as well as King’s thoughts about it after it ended.
The Measure of a Man. A short book, The Measure of a Man is actually two sermons King delivered in August 1958. The sermons are titled “What is Man?” and “The Dimensions of a Complete Life.”
The Cornell University Library credits The Measure of a Man for offering insight into the theological roots of King’s philosophy of nonviolence.
Strength to Love. A more extensive version of King’s sermons, Strength to Love focuses largely on racial segregation in the United States. King wrote the sermons in Strength to Love during the struggle for civil rights, even composing some of them while in jail.
Why We Can’t Wait. Published in 1964, Why We Can’t Wait focuses on the nonviolent fight against racial segregation in 1963 in Birmingham. The book includes
King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” which remains one of his most famous writings.
Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? This was King’s last book before he was assassinated. King wrote the book from a rented house in Jamaica in 1967 after isolating himself from the civil rights movement. In the book, King contemplates where things stand for the civil rights movement and what must be done to ensure equality for all Americans in the future.
The collective works of Martin Luther King, Jr. provide unrivaled insight into the minds of one of the most influential figures in American history. This year, Martin Luther King, Jr. day is celebrated on Monday, Jan. 16.
at their soon to be new home and neighborhood in the older community of Lake Elsinore, Karmani and Averi, looking around in the new home’s framed third bedroom were deciding who would sleep where, once it is built and they move-in. It is something the two girls were never privileged too.
Their new home, now nearing completion,is one of seven Habitat for Humanity homes now in Lake Elsinore built with the aid of Lake Elsinore, Riverside County, volunteers, and with the sweat and handiwork of the Valenzuela parents themselves.
It is a matter of pride and accomplishment for Jonathan himself, who has long struggled to keep his family in a home, while out of work and on disability and on the Habitat for Humanity waiting list for four years. Heather is working to help. “We always thought there was a home given to people, which it is not,” he said. The home they will be moving into will still cost the family $1,800 a month, still much better than the $2,000 they are now paying for their townhome rent. “We’re happy we are going to get this house.”
CEO of Habitat for Humanity at the home blessing and beam signing at the Peck Street home, said it was a time for the Habitat staff and people who helped support the securing and building of the home, can leave messages on the beams to “celebrate the love and compassion of people coming together to help people come to a better place.”
One of the beam signers that morning was Lake Elsinore City Council Member Tim Sheridan who is also on the local Habitat for Humanity Board. “I’m a huge fan of Habitat and the work that it does is important for our community.” He said the projects help the neighborhood they are in as well.
Marine continued to explain in Habitat the new owners join in with the other volunteers to build the home and provide 500 hours of “sweat equity” to its construction. The family’s work helps with securing the small down payment for the home. “The sweat equity helps the people have the realization that dreams can come true and have success in becoming longterm homeowners,” Marine said.
Habitat for Humanity also does home rehabilitation projects and home repairs in Southwest County. Six more Habitat for Humanity homes are slated to be built in
Tony Ault can be reached at tault@reedeermedia.com
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POW WOW from page A-1 available to any Tribal member seeking to better their lives.
of the casino.
Most striking in the casino’s huge Summit Room were hundreds of Indian blankets covering the seats saved for the more than 500 Native American Pow Wow participants, dancers and their families, many already dressed in some of their finest colorful, beaded and feather filled costumes. Their artistic costumes could be their creations made in the two years in the absence of Pow Wows during the years of COVID all of America experienced.
Native American vendors outside of the Summit Room displayed more of their efforts with thousands of pieces of silver, turquoise, rings, bracelets and necklaces shining, handmade by the Native American families through the years that promised joy and tranquility to all those who bought them. Woven blankets, purses, dresses and all forms of garments, along with dream catchers were displayed.
But, perhaps most striking of all were many vendors, like Pechanga Tribes own Great Oaks Press that offers books, writings and illustrations by Native Americans that depicted what their lives once were, their time-honored historical traditions that continue today and the progress they have made in their quest to restore their Nations in America.
The progress in restoring the health and job opportunities of the Indigenous people of America was evident with booths, like one from California Indian Manpower Consortium from San Diego. Their advice and health tips were readily
While many of the vendors enjoyed being inside, out of the weather, to sell and show their wares, some said they really ached for holding the event and Pow Wow outside where their time honored traditions were held in past Pow Wows and Gatherings where games, trade, and fun were at the forefront.
Outside on the Casino grounds, still wet from the recent rains, on Saturday bathed with sunshine, visitors had tremendous choices of Indian fry bread, barbecued meats, pemmican, succotash and rice, traditional food dishes in the 12, mostly Tribal food booths. There a few with hot dogs and hamburgers. Lines were long and friendly standing on plywood and carpeting covering the soaking wet grass.
Inside the Summit Room during the 3-days of festivities the more than 40 Tribes danced, toe stepped, canoe swayed and swirled with the beat and songs of a dozen Drum and Birdsong Groups from across the Nation. Hundreds of tiny bells chimed from the dancer’s carefully beaded clothes and moccasins with almost every color of the rainbow. It was a special treat for some of the visitors in the stands to watch as Tribal families carefully dressed each other in their finest dance contest clothing. Some of the most colorfully decorated participants posed for pictures from those visitors attending.
The best of the best costumed dancers, men, women and children won prizes and praise from the Pechanga Elders and Board
members watching.. Many past champion dancers were honored.
In the Grand Entries, Native American Veterans lead the march with the American and Indian Nations flags to the beat of each of the drum and Birdsong groups. An Indian Prayer in the Navajo Language was said. Greeting the Pow Wow registrants and visitors on Saturday was Andrew Masiel, Sr., president of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians representing the Pechanga Board. He apologized for the Tribe not having consistent Gatherings and Pow Wows over the 20 years and the past eight years without a Pow Wow and COVID.
“It’s the first time we’ve had indoors. It’s not too bad. We are hoping the show and parades will entertain you. We welcome all of you from the bottom of my heart and we are thankful we are able to support this again,” Masiel Sr. said, He bid all the dancing participants the best of luck in the competitions.
Tony Ault can be reached by email at tault@reedermedia.com
The Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber of Commerce Student of the Month program held its most recent recognition breakfast on Dec. 8 at the Murrieta Sizzler restaurant, 40489 Murrieta Hot Springs Road.
Emcee Jennifer Mejares-Pham is a Moreno Valley High School graduate who was honored as Student of the Month and Student of the Year in her senior year.
She explained the nonprofit’s purpose is to celebrate and honor outstanding students who make a significant difference in their school and community. Its mission is to provide a local high school recognition program which will acknowledge college and trade school bound seniors for their character, their love of learning and their commitment to academics in addition to their participation in athletics, school activities, community service or the ability to overcome difficult life circumstances in a setting that honors God, country, family, community and free enterprise.
“So, this is much more than just being the top student at your school and that’s why you all were chosen,” Mejares-Pham told this month’s honorees.
Backpacks filled with gifts, certificates of recognition and more were donated by the program’s sponsors to the award recipients. Each student was invited to the podium to share their personal story, past challenges and future goals with a room full of supporters that included principals, teachers, peers and family members, as well as community and school district dignitaries.
December’s students of the month are Murrieta Canyon Academy’s Blake Wise, Murrieta Mesa High School’s Trevor Roth, Murrieta Valley High’s Zaira Huq,
Murrieta Canyon Academy Counselor Gabriella Arizola explained that Blake Wise found a thriving environment at the school that offers credit recovery and emotional support for students who need that. Blake is part of the school’s Leadership program and a member of its Mental Health Club. He is also one of two trained peer mentors on campus. He plans to enlist in the U.S. Air Force after
graduation.
When Blake was three years old, he lost his father. In seventh grade, he lost his brother and when he was a sophomore, he lost his mother and both of his grandmothers. “To say that Blake symbolizes strength is an understatement,” Arizola said. “Blake is contagiously optimistic. Instead of being bitter for the losses he has experienced, Blake looks at the good around him and the new support system in his life that he has established as a motivating factor.”
In his time at the podium, Blake
addressed Murrieta Canyon Academy staff, “Please never stop helping the kids like me. Never give up on them like you never gave up on me and keep supporting them like you supported me because I know I won’t be the last one that needs your help.”
Trevor Roth
Trevor Roth was singled out by Murrieta Mesa High School and principal Scott Richards said the senior is “an amazing student with a very bright future ahead of him.” He said some of the words Trevor’s teachers use to describe
him are intelligence, kind and inclusive, optimistic attitude, great sense of humor and a positive influence on others. With a 4.32 GPA, he is in the top 10 of his class and is currently enrolled in seven Advanced Placement classes.
“What impresses me even more than his abilities in his studies, is how he excels outside of the classroom,” Richards said. “As he told me, ‘There’s nothing better than growing as an individual and reflecting on the impact you are
years old and joined a club team when he was 10.
“My parents always taught me to not be a follower but to be a leader,” Noah said. Living up to that lesson, he has been named captain for all of his years on club soccer and two years of playing varsity soccer at his school. He admits to struggling with time management as he works, coaches and practices/plays soccer. After discussing his obligations with his parents, they encouraged him to take things one step at a time. He said that over the years he has learned that to earn respect, you have to show respect and also learn how to put yourself in someone else’s shoes.
Noah plans to study kinesiology or coaching management at college and then return to coach for his soccer club at the youth level. Erin Andrade, Noah’s AVID teacher, nominated him because he is “so authentic and genuine and has such a positive spirit.”
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Diane A. Rhodes Special to the Valley NewsThe Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce Student of the Month program, recognizing and inspiring academic excellence since 1993, held its most recent recognition breakfast on Dec. 15 at the Murrieta Sizzler restaurant, 40489 Murrieta Hot Springs Road. Sally Myers, founder of the nonprofit program, welcomed everyone and shared the mission of the local high school recognition program which sets the criteria for the incredible students who are chosen.
She said college or trade school bound seniors are honored for their character, their love of learning and how they juggle numerous activities such as campus events,
athletics or community service. Or how they have persevered through challenging life circumstances, all in a setting that honors God, country, community, family and free enterprise.
Backpacks filled with gifts, certificates of recognition and much more were donated by the program’s sponsors to the award recipients. Each student was invited to the podium to share their personal story, past challenges and future goals with a room full of supporters that included principals, teachers, peers and family members, as well as community and school district dignitaries.
December’s students of the month are Chaparral High School’s Sofia Santos, Great Oak’s Noah Vasquez, Linfield Christian’s Chel-
Sofia Santos
Sofia Santos was introduced by Chaparral High School Principal Tina Miller as being “passionate about a lot of things” such as her Mexican heritage, American Sign Language and theater arts. She plans to major in theater and ASL, hopefully at UCLA.
“My main goal is to crack a dent in the main challenges of underrepresentation of Latinos in the film industry and give back to my community by serving as a role model to younger Latina actresses and to all actors,” Sofia said.
Her nominating teacher, July Hill-Wilkinson, said, “I think COVID taught us a lot of lessons. We learned a lot over those years but one of the things I think everybody learned is, life is what you make it, and Sofia has just run with that motto.”
She noted that the senior’s involvement with leadership programs, sports and music has given Sofia an amazing resume and that she handles all her responsibilities with grace and style and makes Chaparral “a better place to be.”
Noah Vasquez Noah Vasquez was singled out at Great Oak for being passionate about the sport of soccer and sharing his knowledge of the game by coaching younger players. He has been playing since he was four
Chelsea Prillerman has attended Linfield Christian School since kindergarten, as her two sisters did before her. She is involved with many school activities and admits that sometimes doing so many things to the best of her abilities becomes overwhelming. She has been on ASB four years and serves as secretary this year. She is a student ambassador, belongs to three honor societies, plays trumpet and is first chair in the wind ensemble but also plays in the jazz and pep bands. She has participated in multiple musical theater productions and is on the track and field team, where she holds the school record for triple jump and high jump. Outside of school she dances hip-hop and ballet.
“My greatest life lesson is to try to focus less on perfection and more on being patient with myself,” Chelsea said. “Sometimes I don’t know when to rest or how to say
PALA – Pala Casino Spa Resort will present international multiplatinum selling acclaimed singer and ASCAP award-winning songwriter LeAnn Rimes Friday, Jan. 27, performing live indoors at the Events Center.
LeAnn Rimes has sold more than 48 million units globally, won two Grammy Awards; 12 Billboard Music Awards; two World Music Awards; three Academy of Country Music Awards; two Country Music Association Awards and one Dove Award. At 14, Rimes won “Best New Artist” making her the youngest solo artist to take home a Grammy Award, and at 15, she became the first country artist to win “Artist of the Year” at the Billboard Music Awards.
Out of the 42 singles she has released throughout her career, LeAnn’s ballad “How Do I Live” holds the record as Billboard’s Hot 100 all-time No. 1 hit by a female artist and continues to rank No. 4 on Billboard’s “Greatest of All Time: Hot 100 Song.” Fifteen of her multi-genre singles are top-10 hits, including “Can’t Fight the Moonlight,” which went No. 1 in
11 countries.
In 2017, the world-renowned singer released her 16th studio RCA UK/Thirty Tigers album, “Remnants,” which debuted at No. 4 on Billboard’s Independent Album Chart, peaked at No. 3 on iTunes overall charts in its first week, garnered two No. 1 Billboard Dance hits with “Long Live Love” and “LovE is LovE is LovE,” and one Top 5 hit with “Love Line.” In fall 2018, Rimes revealed a new EP for her fans titled “Re-Imagined” that featured five new versions of some of her record-breaking hits, including an epic duet with the music icon Stevie Nicks. The Grammy-winning superstar also unveiled her firstever live recording as an exclusive vinyl release in honor of the 2019 Record Store Day titled “Rimes: Live at Gruene Hall” where Rimes celebrated music of all genres. She released her latest studio album, “god’s work” in September 2022.
The show will start at 8 p.m. Reserved tickets are $55, and general admission tickets are $35. The show is one of a lineup of headliner and tribute concerts that will be held at the Events
Center and Starlight Theater. Find a list of concerts at https://www. palacasino.com/entertainment/ events-center. Upcoming concerts include Ana Barbara Sunday, Feb. 5; Yachty by Nature Friday, Feb. 10; Dazz Band, Con Funk Shun & Everyday People Saturday, Feb. 11; Los Huricanes Del Norte Sunday, Feb. 12; Spyro Gyra & Peter White Fridy, Feb. 17; Los Dos Carnales Sunday, Feb. 19, and Grupo Marca Registrada Sunday, Feb. 26.
Tickets are on sale now, with no service charge, at the Pala Box Office, http://www.palacasino.com and 877-946-7252. Tickets are also available at http://www.etix. com and 800-514-3849. Must be 21 or older to attend.
All events and promotions are subject to cancellation without notice. Learn more about the upcoming events at Pala Casino Spa Resort by visiting https://www. palacasino.com/entertainment/ all-entertainment/.
Pala Casino is still committed to “Playing It Safe.” All shows continue to have increased cleaning and sanitizer stations. For a full list of the property updates and
safety protocols at Pala Casino, visit https://www.palacasino.com/
As SoCal’s Entertainment Capital, Pala Casino Spa Resort includes a Las Vegas-style casino including an expansive gaming floor with over 2,000 slot and video machines, 78 table games, nine restaurants, two lounges, 2,000seat Pala Events Center, outdoor Starlight Theater and luxury hotel; five swimming pools with two hot tubs and 14 luxury cabanas.
Pala Casino’s wide variety of HD
premium sporting events enhance a collection of live bands daily at both indoor and outdoor venues.
Pala Casino Spa & Resort is an AAA Four-Diamond Award winner for 15 consecutive years.
For more information, visit http://www.palacasino.com, http:// www.facebook.com/palacasino or http://www.twitter.com/palacasino.
Submitted by Pala Casino Spa Resort.
To submit an upcoming community event, email it to valleyeditor@reedermedia.com, put “attention events” in the subject line.
CHILDREN’S EVENTS
Jan. 20 – 3-5 p.m. Confidence Chill and Chat time for girls 5-10 years is held at Menifee Community Services Department West Annex, 29995 Evans Road, in Menifee. Girls learn how to decorate cookies, make friendship bracelets, fuse beads and other activities. The cost is $30 for residents and $35 for non-residents.
Contact 951-723-3880 or visit http://hellomenifee.com.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Jan. 14 – 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Shop Temecula Farmers Market at Old Town Front Street and 6th Street in Temecula year round every Saturday for local produce and vendors.
Jan. 14 – 8-10 a.m. Menifee Moves Community Walk is held the second Saturday of each month at Spirit Park, 25507 Normandy Road, Menifee. Pets are welcome. For more information, contact 951-723-3880 or contractclasses@cityofmenifee.us
Jan. 15 – 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Temecula Valley Historical Society will be running the train and stagecoach rides every Sunday, weather permitting, at Vail Ranch Headquarters, 32127 Temecula Parkway, in Temecula. Jan. 15 – 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Junior Pickleball Classes are offered at La Ladera Park, 28629 La Ladera Road, in Menifee. The cost is $80 to $90. Learn the basics of playing pickleball and advance to adult games. For more information, visit http://hellomenifee. com.
Jan. 21 – 11:30 a.m. A New You New Years Fashion Show will be presented by the Lake Elsinore Women’s Club, 710 W. Graham Ave., in Lake Elsinore.
Jan. 21 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check out the Monthly Makers Markets at the Outlets, 17600 Collier Ave, in Lake Elsinore for food, fun, music and vibes. Child gift tickets are available.
Jan. 21 to March 3 – 2-4 p.m.
Dorland Arts Colony “Harmony 2023” artwork show presents Dorland artists at the Dorland Community Arts Center, Highway 79, in Temecula. Artworks will be for sale. Call 951-302-3837 or visit http://www.dorlandartscolony. org
Jan. 22 – 8 a.m.to 7 p.m. Amazing Scavenger Hunt Adventure will be held at the Temecula Valley Visitor Center, 28690 Mercedes St. Suite A, in Temecula. The event turns Temecula into a giant game board with a fun scavenger hunt adventures combined with the excitement of the “Amazing Race.” For more information, visit
http://visittemeculvalley.com.
Jan. 23 – 6 p.m. Temecula Valley Historical Society presents Laura Zayats, president of the Temecula Valley Prospectors, to speak about and demonstrate techniques used by miners in this area during the heyday of mining in the late 1800s at the Little Temecula History Center, which is the red barn at the corner of Redhawk Parkway and Wolf Store Road. It also be live-streamed on the Temecula Valley Historical Society’s Facebook page. Contact info@temeculahistory.org
Jan. 24 – 6-8 p.m. Attend Business Law and Tax Updates for 2023 at Temecula Valley Entrepreneur’s Exchange, 43200 Business Park Drive, in Temecula for a collection of events presented by The Law Offices of Rosenstein & Associates to educate the local business community on businessspecific legal matters.
Jan. 26-28 – 5-10 p.m. Help build a playground at Community First Church of God, 31371 CA-74, in Homeland with approximately 150 volunteers from Community First Church of God, Smile Generation and KABOOM! Work is available for volunteers of all levels of skill. Contact church at 951-926-1345.
Jan. 26 – 3:30-7 p.m. The All Chamber Mega Mixer will be held at the Storm Stadium, 500 Diamond Drive, in Lake Elsinore. The networking extravaganza is powered by local chambers. Come mix, mingle and connect. For more information, visit http:// www.MurrietaChamber.org.
Jan. 27 – 6-10 p.m. The Starlight Bazaar opening night will be held at Vail Ranch Headquarters, 32127 Temecula Parkway, in Temecula with vendors, DJ, entertainment and more.
ONGOING – The city of Menifee offers in-city or out-of-city special event vendor applications online or at Menifee City Hall to apply for signature and other special events. Contact Menifee City Hall, 29844 Haun Road, 951-672-6777, or online at businesslicensing@cityofmenifee.us
ONGOING – Riverside Transportation Commission is offering Park and Ride lots to connect with carpools, vanpools and transit systems in Beaumont at 600 E. Sixth Street, in San Jacinto at 501 S. San Jacinto Avenue and in Temecula at Grace Presbyterian Church, 31143 Nicolas Road, open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. but not on weekends.
ONGOING – Sun City Civic Association Monthly Square Dance sessions are held Sundays from 1:30-5 p.m. at 26850 Sun City Boulevard, in Sun City.
ONGOING – If you know a homebound older adult, resources in Menifee are available, including grab-and-go, cooked and frozen food for pickup. Courtesy Pantry items and meals delivered with no
contact. Three days of emergency food can be delivered immediately or restaurant meal delivery for those who don’t qualify for food assistance programs. Call 800510-2020 for help.
ONGOING – The Riverside County COVID-19 Business Assistance Grant Program is accepting online applications for business grants up to $10,000 at http://www.rivercobizhelp.org that can be used for employee retention, working capital, personal protective equipment purchases, rent or mortgage payments and paying vendor notices. Eligible businesses, including nonprofits, must be in Riverside County, with a minimum of one but less than 50 employees and operating for at least one year since March 1. For more information, call Riverside County Business and Community Services at 951-955-0493.
ONGOING – 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Temecula Winchester Swap Meet continues, 33280 Newport Road in Winchester. Saturdays and Sundays only. The small local swap meet is only 50 cents for entry, and anyone under age 10 is free admission. No dogs allowed.
ONGOING – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Every Sunday, Murrieta Village Walk Farmers Market is at Village Walk Place in Murrieta. The Sunday morning farmers market at Village Walk Plaza is a place to buy fruits and veggies, gourmet food and crafts. Come to the center in the northwest corner of Kalmia/ Cal Oaks at the Interstate 215 exit in Murrieta.
ONGOING – Temecula’s Farmers Markets are offered in Old Town Temecula Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to noon, 4100 Main Street in Temecula; at Promenade Temecula, 40640 Winchester Road, outside JCPenney every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and at Vail Headquarters, 32115 Temecula Parkway, every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. In compliance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Riverside County Public Health orders, the farmers markets will be restricted to agriculture products only. Follow the Old Town Temecula Farmers Market on Facebook to stay updated. No pets are allowed.
WORKSHOPS, MEETINGS, NOTICES Jan. 16 – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Home Instead office serving Vista and Temecula will be distributing free new hearing aids to older adults with hearing impairments by visiting either Home Instead location Monday through Friday to pick up their hearing aid. For more information, contact Sarah Currinder at sarah.currinder@ fleishman.com or call 314-9744582. Jan. 17 – 10:15 a.m. Temecula
Valley Republican Women will hold its monthly meeting and luncheon at Wilson Creek Winery, 35960 Rancho California Road, in Temecula. Guest speakers attend each month, but attendees must RSVP at least seven days ahead. Memberships are open; contact http://tvrwomen.org or call 703859-1865
Jan. 19 – 4:30-6 p.m. Attend Mighty Me for Adults 18+ Performing arts and dance every Thursday for adults with mental and physical disabilities. The program is free and is designed for all abilities and capabilities. It is located at the Menifee Community Services Department, 29995 Evans Road, in Menifee. Jan. 21 – 9:30 a.m. Menifee Valley Historical Association and Museum presents “Homesteading the San Jacinto Valley – a history of the Lambs family (Lambs Canyon) and their transition to Menifee in the 1950s.” Available on Facebook Live as well. Call 951-708-6842 or visit http://menifeehistory.com April 4 – Save the date: Miller Jones Menifee Memorial Park and Mortuary, in partnership with the city of Menifee and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1956, will bring the replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall to the city Tuesday, April 4, under escort and parade. Volunteers may be needed; contact Miller Jones Mortuary or cbollinger@cityofmenifee.us
ONGOING – Want to help deployed American troops remotely? Help shop for most needed items without leaving your home! This is an easy way to help support deployed men and women by purchasing items remotely and having them delivered to MilVet at designated drop-off locations for packing. All items on the list are special requests from deployed military men and women. MilVet is a nonprofit organization that holds monthly packaging events at different community locations in the area.. For drop-off locations and packaging locations visit http://www.milvet.org/militarycare-packages.
ONGOING – Multiple Sclerosis Support Group Meeting meets the third Monday of each month at the Mary Phillips Senior Center, 41845 6th Street, in Temecula from 10 a.m. to noon. For more information, email gaugustin206@ gmail.com or join the meeting.
ONGOING– Sons of Norway/ Scandinavia meets at noon the first Saturday of every month, September to June, at the Heritage Mobile Park Clubhouse, 31130 S. General Kearny Road, in Temecula. A potluck lunch is followed by a cultural program and short business meeting. Please come and enjoy company with fellow Scandinavians. Call 951-309-1597 or 951-8491690 for more information.
ONGOING – Noon to 1 p.m. Attend Murrieta Wildomar Cham-
ber of Commerce’s weekly business briefing via Zoom or watch live on Facebook every Wednesday. Registration required at https://bit.ly/MWCBizBriefing The chamber business briefing is an opportunity to hear from city, county and business leaders about current and relevant business information.
ONGOING – Menifee Community Services offers online driver’s education courses for a $21.95 fee. The course includes animated driving scenarios, instructional videos, sample test, licensed instructor available to answer questions, DMV approved certificate of completion with all lectures and exams completed from home. Designed for students and does not include behind-thewheel instruction or a California driver’s permit. Contact 951-7233880 or visit the city of Menifee to register at http://www.city of menifee.us.
ONGOING – 10 to 11:30 a.m. Michelle’s Place Cancer Resource Center and The Elizabeth Hospice host a virtual support meeting for caregivers every second and fourth week of the month via Zoom. Get helpful tips and learn from others who are also dealing with similar challenges. For more information and to register, contact The Elizabeth Hospice Grief Support Services at 833349-2054.
ONGOING – Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous, a free 12step recovery program for anyone suffering from food obsession, overeating, undereating or bulimia, has meetings throughout the U.S. and the world. Contact 781932-6300, or for local meetings, call 925-321-0170 or visit http:// www.foodaddicts.org.
ONGOING – The Murrieta Garden Club meets each month at the Murrieta Community Center, 41810 Juniper St. Anyone who likes to garden or is interested in plants is welcome. Membership is $10 per year. Find more information about the monthly event or project on Facebook.
ONGOING – Temecula Valley Rose Society meets each month. For more information and new meeting dates and places, visit http://www.temeculavalleyrosesociety.org.
ONGOING – Menifee Toastmasters meets every Thursday at noon for one hour at a designated place to have fun, enhance speaking capabilities, gain self-confidence and improve social skills. For new dates, call 760-807-1323 or visit http://www.MenifeeToastmasters.org for more information.
ONGOING – Homeless veterans can receive free help by dialing 877-424-3838 for 24/7 access to the VA’s services for homeless, at-risk veterans. Chat is confidential for veterans and friends. See http://www.va.gov/homeless.
FALLBROOK – For its first concert of the New Year, Fallbrook Music Society will present Quarteto Nuevo – a one-of-a-kind musical ensemble. The four innovative musicians which make up the group hail from the Los Angeles music scene and return to Fallbrook for an encore performance Sunday, Jan. 15, at 2 p.m.
“This quartet is a prime example of genre-bending: they artfully merge Western classical, Eastern European folk, Latin and jazz into their performances,” Bob Freaney, president of Fallbrook Music Society said. “These musical virtuosos skillfully meld the music of ancient worlds and faraway places with a contemporary flair that enchants audiences of all ages.”
Winners of the Beverly Hills
National Auditions, Quarteto’s four master musicians create a wide range of musical experiences and exhilarating compositions with something for everyone to enjoy. Their unique instrumentation of Damon Zick on soprano saxophone, Jacob Szekely on cello, Kenton Youngstrom on acoustic guitar and Felipe Fraga on percussion, richly colors their wide-ranging repertoire.
The Fallbrook musical experience will provide a program with selections that encompass the musicians’ roots in the classical tradition, and their passion for musical discovery with such works as Astor Piazzolla’s “Histoire du Tango – III. Night Club 1960” and Chick Corea’s “Children’s Song No. 6” to some of their original works
Movie review: ‘M3GAN’
“Dizer O Que,” “Hector, Desmond and Titus” and “Arches.”
The Quarteto Nuevo concert will take place in Fallbrook’s Mission Theater, 231 N. Main Ave. Doors open at 1:30 p.m.; seating is general admission. The performance is free admission and no tickets are required.
Donations are welcome, however, to support the society’s tradition of delivering excellence in live music to Fallbrook and its surrounding communities. Fallbrook Music Society is a 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization. For more information, visit http:// fallbrookmusicsociety.org, or call 760-451-8644.
Submitted by Fallbrook Music Society.
Special to the Valley News 2023 is certainly off to an impressive start, movie-wise. Usually the new year allows holiday releases to continue dominating for a week or two before unleashing anything heavy-duty. To be clear, “Avatar: The Way of Water” did still dominate the weekend with $45 million domestic against the $30 million debut of “M3GAN,” but $30 million for a new film in the first weekend of the year is nearly unprecedented. That’s how the film is impressive commercially. It turns out the film is quite impressive creatively as well, another rarity for early January. The film stars Allison Williams as Gemma, a toy designer that suddenly gains custody of her niece Cady (Violet McGraw). Despite her family-friendly job description, Gemma is in no way ready for the responsibilities of parenthood. If only there was a way to keep the child happy and occupied while helping the adult’s career in the process. As Gemma works primarily in robotics, that solution is the Model 3 Generative Android, or M3GAN (played by Amie Donald, voiced by Jenna Davis).
At first, M3GAN seems to be what’s best for everybody. She helps Gemma endear herself to her boss (Ronny Chieng) and she’s soon the star of the company as
it realizes it has the greatest toy in history on its hands. As for Cady, she and M3GAN bond, and the two are quickly best friends. Of course, some question if it’s healthy for a child to attach themselves to a robot as much as Cady does, but this is the 21st century, how bad could it be for a child to develop a dependency on a piece of technology that was designed in a week by someone with questionable parenting skills?
Yeah, things go off the rails. At first it’s just a simple matter of M3GAN misinterpreting her directive to “protect” Cady, but eventually her whole worldview goes sideways and she turns malevolent. And that means we get what we all came for: the psycho killer little girl robot with the strangely hypnotic dance moves. Honestly, full-blown evil M3GAN isn’t that interesting. After some calm, efficient violence, she becomes just another bland “stalker” villain with dialogue that really shouldn’t be in her programming.
What elevates the movie is the dynamic between Gemma, Cady, and M3GAN. Gemma undoubtedly has love for her niece, but she makes some ill-advised decisions when it comes to complicated issues like discipline, patience, and grief. The film’s advertising has (understandably) focused on M3GAN turning evil, but it’s also worth mentioning that Cady deteriorates too, depending so
much on the artificial friend that she forgets to make real ones. She turns into a raving lunatic before the robot does, and Gemma is forced to recognize that it’s by her design, literally and figuratively. This movie has a lot to say about society’s dependence on technology, giving it more in common with something like the original “Robocop” than movies that simply feature diminutive antagonists like Chucky or Annabelle.
Some serious points aside, I don’t want to downplay that “M3GAN” is a whole lot of fun. The movie never fails to play up the absurdity of a robot that can run intellectual (and sometimes physical) circles around the world around it. Nobody in the theater was laughing harder than me when the robot would butt into a conversation with what she “thinks” is a helpful contribution, or when she would win at a mind game that the humans didn’t even realize they were playing. As an action or horror movie, “M3GAN” is okay, maybe a little watered-down because of the PG-13 rating, but as a comedy, I can tell it’s going to be one of the funniest movies of the year, and we’re only one release in.
Grade: B
“M3GAN” is rated PG-13 for violent content and terror, some strong language and a suggestive reference. Its running time is 102 minutes.
having on others.’”
Trevor overcame a speech impediment he had when he was younger and now enjoys participating in speaking competitions, drama, soccer and National Honor Society. He plans to pursue a degree in political science in college.
“One lesson I’ve learned, although ridiculously clichéd, is that hard work pays off and determination and grit go a long way,” Trevor said. “As president of the National Honor Society at Murrieta Mesa I’ve had the honor and the privilege to conduct a multitude of community service events and in doing so, I wholeheartedly believe that we have made a difference.”
He plans to dedicate his time and passion to becoming a civil servant and following historic political figure John Winthrop’s vision. “So, one day, hand in hand with my fellow Americans, I hope to lay the foundation that Winthrop once saw and bring new meaning,
new emphasis to what it means to be an American,” Trevor said. “I believe that together we can bring reunification to the current divisions in our country and be able to proudly say we are the United States of America.”
Zaira Huq was Murrieta Valley’s December pick due to being an outstanding and inclusive leader on campus. She has a 4.37 GPA and takes AP and IB classes as an International Baccalaureate diploma student. She is also involved with AVID and was elected ASB Senior Class President by her peers. She is a member of NHS, CSF and the Diversity Inclusion Committee. Principal Ryan Tukua said people value her opinions and ideas.
“I am an academically driven student. There’s not an athletic bone in this body but I’ve demonstrated my skills with my academics,” Zaira said. “I think caring and empathy toward students is a really motivating factor for what they
want to pursue in the future. I hope to get into Stanford to pursue a career in medicine as a plastic surgeon or a cardiothoracic surgeon.
Gabriella Seise
Gabriella Seise was chosen to represent Springs Charter School. Principal Jennifer Martin said, “At this level, we’re looking for students that really make a difference, a change and that inspire you.” She said Gabriella became part of Springs Charter School’s homeschool program to enable her to participate in a research and development program that has helped her control most of her food allergies.
“For some, allergies can be an annoyance but for me, it was life threatening,” Gabriella said. Through the Long Beach program, she found she was allergic to 25 foods, 15 of which she was anaphylaxis, causing an acute allergic reaction, which she hadn’t been aware of before.
“It’s been a long five years, but perseverance has paid off because
HAMILTON, N.Y. – Bailey Misken, a member of the Colgate University class of 2023, earned the spring 2022 dean’s award with distinction.
Misken is a history major from Murrieta and is a graduate of West Springfield High School in Virginia.
Students who receive a term
GPA of 3.6 or higher while completing at least three courses during the spring 2022 semester earn the dean’s award with distinction.
Colgate University advertises itself as a leading American university for students who want classes with rigor, faculty with passion and confidence in knowing they will learn how to thrive
in work and life. The university offers 56 majors and supports 25 Division I athletic teams on a campus of about 3,000 students in central New York. For more information, visit http://www. colgate.edu.
Submitted by Colgate University.
within the next year I will have complete food freedom,” she said. “Being with Springs has allowed me the flexibility to achieve my academic goals, do competitive dance, graduate early, manage this program and most enjoyably, travel the world.”
Her goal is to attend Sacramento State University with a major in sociology and a minor in political science. She would like to serve an internship at the state capitol. Although graduating early, she plans to wait until fall to start college. She is currently seeking volunteer opportunities within local government and community agencies to gain working experience as well as insight.
Vista Murrieta High School
Principal Celeste Scallion described Kai Wallace as having outstanding leadership skills as a member of ASB, Senate, Leadership program and Black Student Union. He is also accomplished in the sport of judo and has competed all over the world, often ranking
first in his weight class. His latest tournament was in Bosnia a few months ago. He was described as a well-rounded student who maintains a 4.21 GPA and has taken 26 AP or dual-enrollment courses. He plans to major in neuroscience in college with hopes of becoming a psychiatrist.
Involved with judo for the past decade, Kai said a good friend once told him that regarding the daily struggle with dwindling motivation, don’t worry about the long-term grind. Focus on winning the day and treat it as if that day determines first and last place. “Those words resonated with me, and I hope everyone is able to take away something from these words,” Kai said.
For more information on the program, please contact Student of the Month Chair LouEllen Ficke at 951-415-2250 or louellenficke@ gmail.com
ANGOLA, Ind. – Giselle Riley of Temecula from Trine University earned dean’s list recognition in the fall 2022 term.
Riley is majoring in elementary education/special ed dual licensure.
To earn dean’s list honors, Trine University students must complete a minimum of 12 hours and have
a GPA of 3.500-3.749.
Trine University’s mission promotes intellectual and personal development through professionally focused and formative learning opportunities, preparing students to succeed, lead and serve.
For more information, visit http://www.trine.edu.
Submitted by Trine University.
If current projections hold, California acreage devoted to strawberries will break a new record in 2023.
Farmers are planting more strawberries this year “to meet record consumer demand,” according to the California Strawberry Commission. Despite inflationary pressures, Americans continue to put strawberries in their shopping carts, with 71% of U.S. households buying strawberries in 2021, the commission reported. Sales volume at the retail level has reached more than 1.2 billion pounds annually, more than all other berries combined.
“The industry has had great support from the consumer, and it’s responded to that,” said Tom Am Rhein, who grows strawberries in the Watsonville area.
But growing demand for strawberries has not come without growing pains, as farmers face increasing production challenges – from the drought and other weather issues to the prevalence of soil-borne diseases that can decimate fields. Finding available workers to pick the delicate fruit also remains a struggle.
Farmers say working through these problems has led to ever-rising costs to grow the berries, shrinking their profit margins even as sales have climbed.
To satisfy the “record levels needed to supply higher consumption and demand,” California growers are expected to plant 41,570 acres of strawberries this year, up from 40,714 acres a year ago, according to an annual acreage survey the commission released last month. The new data represent the first time strawberry acreage is expected to exceed 41,000. Prior to 2022, the last time California strawberry acreage reached similar levels was in 2013, when growers planted 40,816 acres.
Of the 2023 total, 31,852 acres are already in the ground. The fall plantings produce fruit during the winter, spring and summer months.
Another 9,718 acres – all in the Oxnard and Santa Maria districts –are expected to be planted later this
summer, producing berries for the fall season, according to the survey.
Positive consumer response to strawberries has not necessarily translated to higher returns to farmers.
Sa nta Barbara County grower Greg France described the 2022 growing season as “a difficult year overall.” Last spring, a hepatitis A scare linked to organic strawberries imported from Baja California hurt sales of all strawberries, he noted.
“Our demand went down considerably for six to eight weeks, so our pricing during that time period was poor,” France said.
In September, an unusual rain event followed by heat reduced yields significantly, he said. It took plants about two months to recover, he said, adding, “some would say they never did recover.”
With the cost of labor, supplies and other production materials “going through the roof,” France said the decline in volume created “a double whammy” and a year that “wasn’t very good” on the profit side.
Traumatic weather events such as the September heat spell aren’t the only problems plaguing yields.
With the ongoing drought, France noted that growers’ water quality has degraded, causing more stress on the salt-sensitive strawberry plants and making them more susceptible to diseases.
The commission reported that between 2015 to 2018, growers shifted to newer strawberry cultivars that improved their yields, allowing them to produce more volume on fewer acres. But strawberry varieties tend to decline in yield through the years, said Jeff Cardinale, spokesman for the commission.
The Monte rey variety, which has been in production for nearly 10 years, remains the most widely planted day-neutral strawberry. But it does not produce the same yield per acre as when it was first introduced, he pointed out. As a result, growers have had to increase strawberry acreage to meet higher consumer demand.
borne diseases and pests such as lygus have been the main culprits for lowering yields. For this reason, releasing higher-yielding varieties with disease resistance has been a top priority of strawberry breeding programs, Cardinale said.
“New varieties are being introduced and are scaling up, but that takes time,” he said.
Grower Am Rhein said soil diseases are “a huge concern,” as there are now more of them showing up in fields. With the loss of methyl bromide and restrictions on other fumigants, growers have fewer effective tools to fight these diseases, he said.
Though improved strawberry varieties gave growers “a little bump” in recent years, he said, “even those varieties are becoming overwhelmed.” Growers will need “some tremendous genetic breakthroughs…to get significant soil disease tolerance into the bulk of our varieties,” he added.
“That’s going to take us a number of years and millions and millions and millions of dollars to do that,” Am Rhein said. He noted growers have made “very large investments”
in not just plant breeding and genetics but in best practices to optimize water efficiency, increase plant nutrition, and control insects and soil diseases.
For some of his production, France has turned to using a controlled environment agriculture, or CEA, system in which strawberries are grown hydroponically with the use of a nonsoil substrate under a hoop house, or so-called plastic tunnel. Such projects, he said, are meant to “reduce some of the risk and variables involved in farming,” with the goal of also reducing the farm’s use of water, fertilizer and pesticides. But he described the effort as “very expensive.”
“We still have an awful lot to learn,” he said. “We’re way behind what Europe is doing.”
Because strawberries grow only in very specific microclimates with adequate water resources, one way growers have been increasing production is by shifting more of it to summer plantings.
The commission’s annual survey shows acreage has been trending more to summer plantings for years, hitting a record high last year with
10,215 acres versus 30,499 fallplanted acres. That’s compared to 2,718 summer-planted acres and 35,915 fall-planted acres in 2009. The trend is driven by consumer demand and “retailer expectation” that berries be on the shelf every day of the year, Am Rhein said.
“The California industry is continually trying to extend that season – extend it longer into the winter and earlier in the spring, and that summer-plant acreage is one way to do that,” he said.
Though challenges remain, Am Rhein said it’s also “an exciting time” to be in the strawberry business, noting the innovations and concepts that are coming online and the “intellectual power” at the University of California and Cal Poly working to solve growers’ problems.
“There’s so much happening in terms of our research and breeding efforts that it bodes well for the industry,” he said.
Ching Lee is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at clee@cfbf.com.
Permission to use this article was granted by the California Farm Bureau Federation
MENIFEE – As part of the American Rescue Plan Act, the city of Menifee is offering up to $15,000 per qualifying household through the Single Family Home Improvement grant.
The SFHI grant provides up to $15,000 for the rehabilitation of owner-occupied dwellings including single-family and mobile homes. All repairs must be done in accordance with the city’s program guidelines and priority is given to improvements that support health and safety.
The grant is eligible for lowincome homeowners up to the age of 61 and covers several types of
Aside from weather – the biggest factor affecting production – soilHousehold Size: 12345678 Max
repairs including roof replacement, electrical, plumbing and HVAC. To qualify, the home must be within Menifee’s city limits and owneroccupied, and the applicant must be current on their mortgage, property taxes and local income taxes. The household must also meet the annual household gross income requirements.
“Helping local homeowners ensure their homes are safe and in good repair strengthens our overall community,” Cheryl Kitzerow, director of Menifee Community Development, said. “The city of Menifee’s SFHI grant is a great opportunity for those in need to
no because I always want to be everywhere all at once and always please everyone. But sometimes I can’t as much as I want to.”
Her goal is to attend Howard University to study music education and to share the joy and passion she has for music with young people.
Vivienne Morrison Vivienne Morrison of Rancho Vista High School was commended for being strong and optimistic amid her quiet presence. She enrolled at the alternative education campus in the second semester of her junior year during a time when her mother
was ill. She admits she did not make an effort to be part of the school’s campus. After her mother passed away in April of 2022, Vivienne found it more difficult to attend school or care about anything.
“But the staff make the environment comforting for kids that are going through hard times,” she said. With their help, Vivienne was able to get back on track and plans to serve in the U.S. Navy before attending cosmetology school and opening her own salon and boutique in the future.
Erin Jevezeck is Vivienne’s mentor teacher and said she speaks on behalf all the Rancho Vista teachers
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University recognized Angelique Miller of Menifee who was named to the dean’s list for academic achievement during the fall 2022 semester.
To qualify for the dean’s list, students must earn a semester GPA of 3.5 or greater.
With more than 50 graduate and 125 undergraduate degree
paths, Austin Peay advertises the University as a major regional provider of higher education, offering the country’s first registered apprenticeship for teaching and adding new programs in national security studies, aviation science and animation. For more information, visit http://www.apsu.edu.
Submitted by Austin Peay State University.
make meaningful home improvements that might otherwise be out of reach.”
To apply, qualified residents
who are pleased to have seen the senior blossom into a trustworthy and kind person. “When she started at Rancho, she made a promise to her family that she would work hard and make up the credits she needed so that she could go back to her comprehensive high school for her last semester and graduate with her class,” Jevezeck said. “Vivienne has accomplished this goal and will be returning to Chaparral High School. It’s very hard to let her go but she’s ready to spread her wings and the sky’s the limit for this impressive young lady.”
Valeria Negrete Valeria Negrete was Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac Catholic High School’s choice. She was described by school president Sister Ernestine Velarde as someone who lights up the room and is a team player who students respond to because she encourages others. Adding high school classes to the 30-year-old campus is fairly new and Velarde said Valeria was very helpful in recruiting students to create and develop sports teams and other activities for the developing expansion. “She is an other-centered person,” Velarde said.
“The most important lesson I’ll take to college with me is to have a positive work ethic,” Valeria said, adding that she plans to major in biotechnology. “Participating in extracurricular activities and sports has taught me to be true to my word while balancing multiple tasks at school. Though it’s stressful at
should contact Celia Olivas at 951723-1750 or by email at colivas@ cityofmenifee.us for pre-eligibility determination and to begin the ap-
times, it’s crucial to keep in mind what you can and can’t do when it comes to your limits.”
Kacey O’Hara
Susan H. Nelson High School honored Kacey O’Hara in December. The school is one of seven within the Sparkman Alternative Education Center that is served by Principal David Schlottman. He said Kacey is an excellent example of how independent study opportunities offered at Susan H. Nelson can be a life changer for students.
“She and her family made a bold choice to make an educational decision that made all the difference for Kacey’s future,” Schlottman said.
Kacey said, “Growing up, my parents always told me two things: be kind to everyone and get an education.” However, large schools caused the young student severe anxiety as she constantly feared being judged or hated by everyone, leaving her unable to focus on her studies. Finding an educational alternative turned things around for her.
Kacey is graduating a semester early and plans to work full time before attending college in the fall as a nursing student. Imelda Donnelly, her teacher for the past two years, said Kacey is a diligent, hard-working, analytical and mature straight-A student. She added that Kacey is a critical thinker who strives for perfection.
Denise Ojeda Romero Denise Ojeda Romero was Tem-
plication process. The SFHI grant will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Submitted by city of Menifee.
ecula Valley’s choice due to her ability to look at life and its challenges not as obstacles but as new opportunities. Moving to America from Mexico when she was seven, she had to overcome learning a new culture and language. She plans to major in political science and then move on to law school to become a voice for people that don’t get heard. She said she especially wants to be able to support the Latinx, LGBTQ and American Sign Language communities.
She learned through her years of studying ASL and being president of the ASL Honor Society that there are a lot of problems faced by deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals due to their inability to verbally communicate. Denise feels her greatest contribution to her community has been making stickers for the deaf t o share with law enforcement and others that state ways to effectively interact with them to avoid conflicts.
Her love for the environment has led to her working with peers for the past two years to create a Native California plant nursery. Denise hopes it will continue to grow and thrive and be a place that students and members of the local community can enjoy for many years to come.
For more information, please contact Program Chair Amber Poncy at 951-676-5090 or http:// temecula.org/student-of-the-month
QUINCY, Mass. – The National
Fire Protection Association encouraged everyone to remove the household fire hazards by disposing of natural Christmas trees promptly after the holiday season as onethird, or 33 percent, of U.S. home fires involving Christmas trees occur in January.
“As much as we all enjoy the look and feel of Christmas trees in our homes, they’re large combustible items that have the potential to result in serious fires,” Lorraine Carli, vice president of outreach and advocacy at the nonprofit, said. “The longer Christmas trees remain in homes, the longer they present a risk.”
Carli said that fresh Christmas trees, which continue to dry out and become more flammable over time, are involved in a much larger share of reported Christmas tree fires than artificial trees. According to the latest Christmas Tree Fires report from NFPA, 160 home structure
fires began with Christmas trees, resulting in two civilian deaths, 11 civilian injuries and $12 million in direct property damage, on average each year between 2016 and 2020. Overall, fires that begin with Christmas trees represent a very small but notable part of the U.S. fire problem, considering that they are generally in use for a short time each year, NFPA said.
To safely dispose of a Christmas tree, NFPA recommended using the local community’s recycling program, if possible; trees should not be put in the garage or left outside. NFPA also offered tips for safely removing lighting and decorations to ensure that they remain in good condition.
Use the gripping area on the plug when unplugging electrical decorations. Never pull the cord to unplug any device from an electrical outlet, as this can harm the wire and insulation of the cord, increasing the risk for shock or electrical fire.
While packing up light strings, inspect each line for damage, throwing out any sets that have loose connections, broken sockets or cracked or bare wires.
Wrap each set of lights and put them in individual plastic bags or wrap them around a piece of cardboard.
Store electrical decorations in a dry place away from children and pets where they will not be damaged by water or dampness.
For more information on home fire safety all winter long, visit “Put a Freeze on Winter Fires,” a winter safety campaign NFPA promotes annually with the U.S. Fire Administration.
The National Fire Protection Association is a global self-funded nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical, and related hazards. NFPA delivers information and knowledge through more than 325 consensus
RIVERSIDE – As the new year begins, it’s usually the time people start to think about what they want to do or achieve over the year ahead and make some resolutions.
Perhaps it’s to lose weight, quit smoking or save money – but if what we want is vague, it’s less likely to happen. Indeed, studies that fewer than 25% of people actually stay committed to their resolutions after just 30 days and only 8% accomplish them.
For those who have clear goals, however, particularly when it comes to finances, it is revealed that the average Californian plans to save $8,399, which would be $700 per month, in 2023, according to a survey of 3,500 Americans
by real time coupon and deals discovery engine, CouponBirds. This number compares to a national average savings goal of $8,082.
The state which is setting itself the highest goal is Nebraska, aiming for $16,093 of savings next year. North Dakotans have set themselves the lowest goal, at just $1,565.
The survey also found that saving money is the resolution most people are likely to make at the start of the new year, as 28% of those surveyed said. It was followed by exercising more at 24%, quitting smoking at 20%, meeting new people and getting out more at 12%, losing weight at 8%, reducing alcohol intake at 4% and
learning a new skill at 4%.
But when asked how confident they are of hitting their new year savings goal, less than half, or 39%, said they were confident of doing so. Well, that doubt hardly bodes well for their success. When asked whether they set their savings goals independently, or with their partner, surprisingly half said they do it on their own.
More than half, or 56%, of people said their 2023’s savings goal will be lower due to inflation, and 64% said that they keep a closer watch on their partner’s spending habits in times of high inflation. About half, or 51%, said they avoid talking about money with their partner altogether, be-
cause, inevitably, it can lead to arguments.
“As we enter the new year, many of us make resolutions to improve ourselves and our lives. One resolution that can benefit us all is to start saving money. Whether it’s setting aside a little bit each week or creating a budget to help us better manage our expenses, saving money can help us achieve our financial goals and give us peace of mind. So let’s make saving money a top priority in the new year, and see how far it can take us,” Tricia Smith of CouponBirds said.
Submitted by CouponBirds.
“The three menaces to any chimney, fireplace, or stove.”
Every year there are over twenty thousand chimney / fireplace related house fires in the US alone. Losses to homes as a result of chimney fires, leaks, and wind damage exceeds one hundred million dollars annually in the US.
CHIMNEY SWEEPS, INC., one of the leading chimney repair and maintenance companies, is here to help protect you and your home from losses due to structural damage and chimney fires.
Family owned and operated and having been in business for over 30 years, Chimney Sweeps Inc. is a fully licensed and insured chimney contracting company (License # 976438) and they are certified with the National Chimney Sweep Guild and have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
For a limited time, readers of this paper will receive a special discount on a full chimney cleaning and safety inspection package with special attention given to chimney water intrusion points in preparation for the wet & rainy season.
Every year in the United States, around 20 percent of the population gets the flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the annual flu vaccine for everyone over the age of 6 months, unless the vaccination is deemed unsafe due to medical conditions, and generally about half of people do.
The currently licensed flu vaccines in the U.S. are live-attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIV), recombinant hemagglutinin (HA) vaccines, and inactivated vaccines (including whole inactivated vaccines, split vaccines, and subunit vaccines). The last group, inactivated influenza vaccines, are the most commonly used. Every year several months before the annual flu season starts, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decides which four strains of the seasonal flu virus will be dominant and informs the vaccine manufacturers accordingly
According to the CDC, since 2009, the effectiveness of the flu vaccines ranged between 19 and 60 percent, with it being under 50 percent in most years. This may be one reason many people opt for other ways to boost their immunity come flu season.
Here are 77 tips to boost your immunity.
1. Eat the Rainbow Essential nutrients such as vitamins B, C, and D, play a critical role in maintaining and boosting our immunity, and the best way to obtain them is through food intake, so a healthy balanced diet is of paramount importance.
The “eat the rainbow” principle, simply put, refers to the fact that the more colorful your vegetables and fruits variety is, the more nutrients you’ll get. Dark and leafy greens contain an abundance of antioxidants—natural molecules
that help neutralize the damaging free radicals in the body.
Immune-boosting foods also include eggs, fatty fish, milk (especially the dairy products fortified with vitamin D), cereal, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
2. Get Enough Vitamin D
Studies have shown that vitamin D is a faithful defender of our immune system. The higher the level of vitamin D in our body, the lower the risk of us contracting a virus.
Theoretically speaking, the body can produce sufficient vitamin D, if it is exposed to enough sunlight. In addition to eating food with vitamin D, we should also bask in the sunshine, at least twice a week, for about 20 minutes each time.
After being exposed to the sun for 5 to 30 minutes, the blood concentration of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, also known as 25(OH)D, will rise to approximately 60 ng/ mL and stay at this level.
If the sky is covered with clouds, the ultraviolet radiation (UVR) energy is reduced by 50 percent, and air pollution can also decrease UVR.
A sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) greater than 8 can block at least 87 percent of UVB, thus preventing your ski n from synthesizing vitamin D.
3. Eat Warm Oatmeal in the Morning
Our stomachs upon waking from sleep in the morning gain nourishment better from warm foods than cold. Grains contain several nutrients, including immunomodulating nutrients, and can help set the tone for a healthy day
Oat nutrients include dietary fiber (β-glucans), copper, iron, selenium, zinc, polyphenolics (e.g. ferulic acid and avenanthramides), and proteins (e.g. glutamine).
Acting together, these excellent nutrients can modulate both of our innate and acquired immune systems to provide optimal immune responses. At the same time, they can alter our gut microbiome
for the better, which also enhances our immunity.
4. Fast Intermittently Intermittent fasting, which has been practiced for thousands of years, can boost our immunity by enhancing certain host defense mechanisms and modulating the inflammatory response. During the COVID-19 pandemic, intermittent fasting has been associated with greater survival rates.
5. Get Enough Vitamin C Vitamin C is one of the largest immune system boosters of all time. In fact, lacking it can even make you prone to disease and infection.
It is an essential nutrients and it supports the function of many immune cells. For instance, it enhances the proliferation of B cells and T cells, which create antibodies and destroy infected or cancerous cells, respectively. In addition, vitamin C supports the epithelial cell barrier against pathogens.
Da ily intake of vitamin C is essential for good health, because our body doesn’t produce or store it. However, the good news is that vitamin C is in many foods, so most people don’t need to take a vitamin C supplement unless advised by a doctor.
Foods rich in vitamin C include oranges, grapefruits, tangerines, strawberries, bell peppers, spinach, kale, and broccoli.
6. Eat Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds contain an abundance of nutrients, including zinc, iron, selenium, copper, calcium, and Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. The fatty acids help our body properly absorb vitamin E, which is immunity-boosting. Therefore, nuts and seeds can effectively reduce inflammation and enhance our immune function.
The nuts and seeds that we should consume on a daily basis are: walnuts, almonds, cashew nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, and flax seeds.
Note that peanuts are not true nuts, and they don’t count!
7. Quit Smoking
Cigarettes and chewing tobacco both contain nicotine and other chemicals that can weaken or suppress our immune system. Smoking can also destroy the respiratory epithelial cells’ ability to produce interferons. Overall, smoking and vaping can increase the risk of immune system problems.
8. Sleep a Little Earlier
I t has been proven that sleep loss can negatively affect different parts of our immune system, which in turn can result in various disorders and diseases. Cytokines, a type of proteins of the immune system, are only produced during
LOS ANGELES – A new year means a time for new resolutions. The good news is that there is somebody nearby who might be able to help you reach those 2023 goals: your dog or cat. Furry friends can provide people with the necessary motivation to keep their goals for 2023 on the right track.
Best Friends Animal Society, a leading animal welfare organization working to end the killing of cats and dogs in America’s shelters by 2025, is highlighting some ways pets can help people reach and maintain some of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. Work out with a furry fitness buddy.
Have an active dog? Then they also have a personal trainer.
Walking at a vigorous pace for just 30 minutes, five times a week can provide the moderately intensive cardiovascular exercise most physicians recommend.
Some cats like to go for walks on a leash and harness or in a stroller. If a pet owner is unsure how their kitty would feel about it, do some research online to find the safest ways to introduce walking or strolling into your routine.
Decrease stress with a downward dog or cat.
Spending quality time with your pets has been shown to lessen anxiety, lower blood pressure and boost the immune system, health
sleep. And a lack of sleep can also impede the production of antibodies in our body.
To get an adequate amount of sleep, you need to follow a regular bedtime schedule, stay active throughout the day, avoid caffeinated drinks and alcohol before bedt ime, and relax and unwind before going to sleep.
9. Get Enough Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a group of unsaturated monohydric alcohols, which plays a critical role in boosting our body’s immune function. Besides playing promoting and regulatory roles in our innate and acquired immune systems, vitamin A can also help cure various infectious diseases.
Foods rich in vitamin A include broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, tomatoes, red bell peppers, cantaloupes, mangoes, fish oils, dairy products, and eggs.
10. Eat Mushrooms
For thousands of years, certain medicinal mushrooms (e.g. almond mushroom, caterpillar fungus, and sheep’s head mushroom) have been used in Eastern medicine, especially traditional Chinese medicine, to enhance our immune system.
These medicinal mushrooms contain various nutrients, including beta-glucans, which are polysaccharides that can activate immune cells. They can also enhance macrophage and natural killer cell function.
In addition, mushrooms have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. Their antineoplastic properties can slow the growth of tumors, and increase malignant-cell phagocytosis. And mushrooms are potential immune modulators, affecting hematopoietic stem cells, lymphocytes, macrophages, T cells, and natural killer cells.
Most of these immunity-boosting mushrooms can be used in cooking or consumed as powder
11. Add Some Herbs and Spices
Common spices and herbs pos-
sess antiviral, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and immunity enhancing properties, as they contain many essential nutrients including different vitamins. Therefore, they can play a role against viral infections. In fact, some researchers believe that the daily use of many spices in cooking had enhanced the immunity of the Indian population, and that its mortality from the COVID-19 pandemic turned out to be low.
Common herbs and spices include garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, oregano, and thyme.
Roughly 60 percent of our body is made of water. Having too much or too little water in our body can keep out immune system from working properly.
For instance, lymph, a fluid of our circulatory system responsible for transporting important immune cells throughout our body, is made up of mostly water. Therefore, if we become dehydrated, it will slow down the movement of lymph. In the worst case scenario, it may result in an impaired immune system.
In order to provide our immune system with adequate water, it is recommended that we should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day, while avoiding sugary drinks.
13.
Dr. Yumi Ishihara, a well known Japanese naturopath, used to be the physician of a former prime minister of Japan. He’s over 60 years old, but he still sees patients and writes daily, and gives over 100 lectures a year. Ishihara is used to fasting in the morning and replacing breakfast with a cup of black tea with molasses and ginger. According to him, drinking this kind of black tea in the morning can warm our body, activate our internal organs, and promote excretion. It’s his antiaging immune booster.
Continue reading this story online at https://myvalleynews. com/blog/2023/01/09/77-thingsyou-can-do-to-boost-up-yourimmunity/.
In the new year, break out a yoga mat and do some poses with a pet, which will not only ease stress but also provide a gentle workout.
benefits many people can use. How can people make the most of the all-natural stress relief? Try a 15-minute meditation break with a cat or dog. Sit with a pet in a quiet, comfortable place. Focus on being present, breathing deeply and petting the dog or cat. Another option is to break out a yoga mat and do some poses with a pet, which will not only ease stress, but also provide a gentle workout.
Eat better.
After enjoying the holidays many are looking to eat healthier. This year, swap out fatty, sweet or salty treats and start sharing some good-for-you snacks with a pet.
Dogs can eat raw sunflower or pumpkin seeds, as well as produce like watermelon, blackberries,
cranberries, blueberries, bananas, apple slices and baby carrots. Steer clear of grapes and raisins, which can be toxic. Cats can get in on the fun, too. Felines can enjoy fish like salmon or mackerel, plain boiled chicken and even a bit of cheese or egg.
Just keep in mind that only 10% of a pet’s daily calories should come from treats. Check with a veterinarian on which foods are appropriate for a pet.
Make new friends and keep the old, too.
Get outside and meet new people with a pet. They are natural ice breakers. and people are sure to meet like-minded people who want to share stories about their own pets.
Don’t
The new year can be a good time to adopt or foster a new best friend. National data trends show that 2022 has been a tough year for shelters. Across the country, shelters are struggling with higher intake, while adoptions, fosters and rescues are not keeping pace. It has led to a population imbalance, with more animals in shelters staying for longer periods, causing increased strain on shelter staff and the current shelter crisis. With most U.S. shelters at or over capacity, pets are more at risk for being killed due to lack of space.
To get started, visit http://bestfriends.org and find a local shelter or rescue where a pet is waiting.
MENIFEE
Menifee is accepting pre-applications for the Menifee M.E.N.U. – Mom and Pop, Entertainment, New Concept and Unique – Grant, which will assist with up-front business expenses ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 to bring in unique eateries into the city. The innovative grant is a first for southwest Riverside County and will help remove market and construction barriers for unique concepts and
entertainment proposals from residents. The M.E.N.U. Grant supports Menifee’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, meets community and demographic demands and spurs tourism opportunities in the city.
Eligible expenses with this grant include start-up costs such as grease trap installation, kitchen equipment and other startup costs as approved by the grant administrator. A pre-application must be
filled out by applicants, which requests a list of proposed expenses to be reimbursed/purchased and give full details including concept board or visual renderings. Preapplications for the grant will be accepted until Dec. 24, 2024, or until all designated funds have been distributed. If the proposal does not meet the selected committee’s standards, applicants will have the ability to reapply one additional time.
“Menifee’s M.E.N.U Grant will leave a long-lasting beneficial impact on the community by removing barriers for culinary entrepreneurs to transform open locations and incoming ones to fully functioning restaurant concepts that will offer our city with new and exciting eatery and entertainment destinations,” Economic Development Director Gina Gonzalez said. “Our City Council has been very supportive
of opportunities that assist our local businesses in meeting the community demand for innovative and dynamic dining options.
For more information about the M.E.N.U. Grant Program, contact the Economic Development Department at 951-672-6777 or email econdev@cityofmenifee. us. To complete a pre-application, visit http://www.menifeebusiness. com/menugrant.
Submitted by city of Menifee.
TEMECULA – The Southwest Riverside Economic Development Coalition members unanimously voted Diane Strand in as president to serve a 30-month term starting on Jan. 6. Strand previously served as the Coalition’s first vice president. Strand succeeds Keith Krzewski who will continue to serve as the past president on the Executive Board.
Strand is the majority owner of the multi-award-winning JDS Video & Media Productions, Inc., the producer at JDS Actors Studio, and the founder of nonprofit 501(c) (3), JDS Creative Academy. In addition, she is the creator and executive producer of the television show Spirit of Innovation – News and Information for Riverside County, and DigiFest Temecula. Strand also serves on the Wom-
an in Business committee for the Temecula Chamber of Commerce, and was a founding member of the Women’s Business Center of California, a charter Board member of the North San Diego Real Estate Investors, and a past-executive Board member for the EDC of North County San Diego. She also works with the Temecula and Murrieta Unified School Districts as an advisor for career technical education (CTE) on professional video production and acting as a career goal.
“It’s an honor to serve this organization. The EDC of Southwest California has provided my businesses with so many resources and connections, it’s a privilege to give back in this capacity,” said Strand.
“Expanding the region’s economic development through attraction
and sustainability benefits all businesses and residents. I am excited to take on a bigger role in the organization to help our region’s cities and businesses grow and expand their economic reach.”
About Southwest Riverside Economic Development Coalition
As a nonprofit regional economic development coalition, its mission is to unite public and private stakeholders to leverage the region’s competitive advantage, attracting business, and supporting a high quality of life. The Coalition works closely with regional partners to get projects done and help businesses create great jobs and opportunities for Southwest Riverside County residents. For more information visit: https:// www.edcswca.com/
ness matters, estate planning and Chapter 11 reorganizations.
“Rosenstein & Associates is proud to announce Paul N. Evenson has been named a shareholder and is now part of the firm’s management team,” Robert B. Rosenstein, founder and managing shareholder at Rosenstein & Associates, said. “Paul has demonstrated an understanding of our firm’s values and is dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcome for our clients.”
Evenson, a Southern California native and Chapman University alumni, has a seven-year history of working with Rosenstein & Associates. He will provide legal services relating to general busi-
“Rosenstein & Associates affords me the opportunity to provide quality legal services to our clients and permits me to protect their interests,” Evenson said.
More information about Evenson is available at https://thetemeculalawfirm.com/staff/paul/.
Rosenstein & Associates, 28600 Mercedes St., Suite 100, in Temecula is a business-oriented law firm providing legal services relating to transactional matters, providing employment advice to employers, estate planning, business reorganizations and business litigation services. For more information, visit http://thetemeculalawfirm.com
Submitted by Rosenstein & Associates.
Prices on the majority of goods and services have increased significantly over the last year-plus. Financial analysts report that inflation has reached heights that haven't been seen in 41 years. According to the United States Department of Labor, the consumer price index, which measures changes in how much Americans pay for goods and services, rose 0.4% in September, 2022.
As prices soared, families' budgets were being pushed. What can people do in the face of rising costs on items they need, including those who may be on fixed incomes? These suggestions may help.
Frequently review your budget. Keep track of how much items cost right now. Document all spending by writing down a list of weekly expenses or utilizing any number of free budgeting apps available. Tracking what is going out may make it easier to cut costs on less essential items,
such as streaming services or gym memberships.
Contact service providers. You may be able to negotiate better deals with a service provider, such as a mobile phone company or a cable television provider, if they learn you are considering leaving. If they can't work out a deal, go with the less expensive provider. You can always switch back at the end of the term if you desire.
Stop automatic payments. Having subscriptions and other bills automatically deducted from your checking account is convenient, but those rising costs may be overlooked. By viewing your bill and paying it each month, you can see where costs have increased and where you might need to rethink services.
Carpool to work or school. Reduce expenditures on gasoline by sharing the costs with another person. Determine if public transportation is more cost-effective
than driving to work or school each day.
Consider alternative retailers. Brand loyalty to one supermarket or a particular retailer is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Nowadays it is wise to comparison shop across various stores to figure out where you're getting the best deal. Venture into stores you may not have considered previously. Divide your shopping list by store category, visiting several for different items if it leads to big savings.
Unplug, literally and figuratively. Cut down on energy costs by unplugging items when not in use. Reduce dependence on devices to further stem costs on electricity and gas-powered appliances.
Prices continue to rise and consumers can explore various ways to stick to their spending budgets.
Notice To Readers: California law requires that contractors taking jobs that total $500 or more (labor or materials) be licensed by the Contractors State License Board. State law also requires that contractors include their license number on all advertising. You can check the status of your licensed contractor at www.cslb.ca.gov or 800-321-CSLB. Unlicensed contractors taking jobs that total less than $500 must state in their advertisements that they are not licensed by the Contractors State License Board.
Discipline in our power, to acquire that knowledge, and conduct, which is necessary in War – Our men are brave and good; Men who with pleasure it is observed, are addicted to fewer Vices than are commonly found in Armies; but it is Subordination & Discipline (the Life and Soul of an Army) which next under providence, is to make us formidable to our enemies, honorable in ourselves, and respected in the world; and herein is to be shewn the Goodness of the Officer.” Visit https:// founders.archives.gov/documents/ Washington/03-03-02-0001
In the same month, the political pamphlet “Common Sense” was published by author Thomas Paine who “convincingly argued for American independence and sold more than 500,000 copies in a few months.” Within months, citizens’ support for independence swept the colonies, the Continental Congress called for states to form their own governments and a five-man committee was assigned to draft a declaration.
TEMECULA – The first of January, 247 years ago, was a day to rejoice. Just as people today look toward a new year with new resolutions, new dreams and new desires, Jan. 1, 1776, Gen. George
Washington hoisted the Continental Union Flag. Visit https://www. onthisday.com/.
In Washington’s General Order of Jan. 1, 1776, he wrote, I hope “that the Importance of the great
Cause we are engaged in, will be deeply impressed upon every Man’s mind, and wishes it to be considered, that an Army without Order, Regularity & Discipline, is no better than a Commission’d
Mob; Let us therefore, when every thing dear and valuable to Freemen is at stake; when our unnatural Parent is threat’ning of us with destruction from every quarter, endeavour by all the Skill and
The colonies began their American history as a nation. As the nation approaches the 250th year since these events took place, the Daughters of the American Revolution America250 committee encouraged Americans to draw closer to our roots and to realize the impact that the knowledge of those historic actions can have on Americans this year.
One of “our men …brave and good” is patriot George Daugherty. He served as a sergeant in the 5th Pennsylvania Battalion which was led by Capt. Henry Miller and Col. Robert Magau. During his time with the 5th battalion, he was taken prisoner and transported by the British to Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. A prisoner exchange followed which gave Daugherty his freedom. He knew that “everything dear and valuable to Freemen (was) at stake,” so he re-enlisted in 1777. At the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, he received 200 acres in Carpenters Run, Pennsylvania, for his service.
Daugherty was born in April 1750 in Virginia and remained a bachelor throughout the war. He married Julia Holshopel in 1786 in Greenbrier County, Virginia, and they had one child, Mary. Daugherty died in June 1831 in Greenbrier County, not knowing that 192 years later he would be celebrated for his heroism. The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution said it is grateful for his contribution to freedom. NSDAR Luiseño Chapter’s America250 Committee will honor another Patriot with the publication of their story in February.
Offered at $649,000
For more information about Luiseño Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, visit the group on Facebook, “Luiseño Chapter DAR – Temecula Valley, CA.” Luiseño Chapter has 104 members living in Riverside and San Diego counties.
Submitted by Luiseño Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution.
Real estate remains an especially lucrative investment vehicle. According to the S&P 500 Index, the median return on investment in the United States property market is 8.6 percent. That’s an important consideration for investors who are considering adding income properties to their portfolios. Though the costs associated with income properties can be substantial, the potential rate of return on those properties is significant. Individuals considering an income property investment are urged to speak with a financial advisor, who can shed light on various factors that must be examined prior to purchasing a property. For example, individuals counting on rental property income should familiarize themselves with how that income is taxed before investing.
Raineri Sports Editor
SAN DIEGO — Bo Nix threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Chase Cota on fourth down with 19 seconds left and Camden Lewis’ PAT bounced off the left upright and went through to give No. 15 Oregon a wild 28-27 victory against North Carolina in the Holiday Bowl on Wednesday night at Petco Park.
Cota caught the ball at about the 1 and got it across the goal line as he was being tackled by Don Chapman. The play was upheld on review. Lewis then banked in the PAT.
North Carolina (9-5) got the ball to the Oregon 42 yard line with one second left before Drake Maye’s desperation heave into the end zone fell incomplete. Maye, the ACC Offensive Player of the Year, was 18 of 35 for 206 yards and three scores.
The Ducks finished 10-3 thanks to Nix, who threw a 6-yard TD pass to Troy Franklin with 6:58
to go to pull the Ducks to 24-21.
The Tar Heels took a 27-21 lead with 2:34 to go on Noah Burnette’s 44-yard field goal, his second of the quarter.
Nix then moved the Ducks 79 yards in eight plays for the win, with the drive being aided by a
pass interference call.
Nix was 23 of 30 for 205 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. Oregon’s Bucky Irving had touchdown runs of 2 and 66 yards. Oregon’s roster also included two Temecula natives, Micah Roth (#35) and Steven
Jones (#74).
Roth, listed at 6’2” and 223 lbs., is a senior (inside linebacker) who transferred to Oregon in 2021 after playing his first three years at Division II Azusa Pacific University. Last season Roth played in all 14 games in his first
season with the Ducks. He made four total tackles, including two solo, played 80 total snaps, with 64 on special teams and 16 on defense.
In high school, Roth played at see BOWL, page C-2
TEMECULA – Gavin Johns is a Temecula native that spent countless days in the area doing what he loves. Johns is a baseball player who went through the ranks locally, from the youth leagues, through high school, and went on to not only win a National championship in junior college but also played Division 1 baseball for UCLA and Tennessee Tech. After graduating from Tennessee Tech, he added ‘Man of the Year’ to his resume, given by the Athletics Department in 2021. Since graduating, Johns has been on a mission to play professional baseball.
Johns achieved his dream in 2022 when he signed on to play professionally, which started in
the Pioneer League, and then led him to the Atlantic League. The Atlantic League is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, and that is where he shined, hitting .320 over the course of 61 games with 72 hits in 225 at-bats.
The road the hometown Temecula man has taken has not been paved with gold, though. In fact, it’s been tougher than most would imagine. In late 2022, Gavin released his first book, an autobiography titled “Laugh in the Face of Adversity.” The book is a true in-depth story of Johns’ journey and how his faith, hard work and perseverance enabled him to overcome failures, disappointments and setbacks to become the man and professional baseball player he is today.
“This book covers ‘all the bases’ about my life on and off the baseball field,” Johns said. “It will be an inspiration for anyone going through a difficult time, and instead of giving up, to focus on the positive and keep going!”
On Tuesday, Jan. 10, Gavin joined up with the trainers at Dynamic Fitness HPK, where he signed copies of his book for those in attendance.
“It’s a great inspirational book that will motivate you to conquer your goals in 2023,” Johns added.
Dynamic Fitness HPK, which just went through a huge renovation adding thousands of square feet, is where Johns, as well as countless other area athletes (professional and amateur), train. The facility is located at 26881 Jefferson Ave. in Murrieta. To keep up with Gavin
JP Raineri Sports Editor
TEMECULA – While most local high school basketball teams have already started league play, the Valley News sports department is still playing catch up from turning over a new year. Over the holiday break, Great Oak held their annual Battle at the Oak tournament, which showcased ten teams in total, seven of which were from here in the Temecula Valley. Two different bracket pools were used in the four-day event that took place from Tuesday, Dec. 27, through Friday, Dec. 30. The final day was slated for placement and championship games.
Pool A consisted of King (9-6), Murrieta Mesa (11-8), Paloma Valley (5-9), San Jacinto (2-11), Temescal Canyon (13-5), and Vista Murrieta (17-3). Pool B featured the host Wolfpack (10-9), Bishop Amat (12-7), Arlington (8-10), and Linfield Christian (19-0).
After three days of pool play, the final day saw Bishop Amat route San Jacinto, 77-29 in a consolation game; Arlington fell to Murrieta Mesa, 60-47, in the 7th place game; Paloma Valley fell to Temescal Canyon in the fifth-place game, 7742; Great Oak was defeated by King in the third-place game, 76-67;
McNair was also named MVP of the tournament, which was sponsored by Dr. Rucker and Pechanga.
JP
rushing for 3,837 yards, finishing with 1,455 receiving yards over four seasons.
Jones, listed at 6’5” and 340 lbs., is a junior (offensive lineman) who graduated from Chaparral High School in 2018. He was a fourstar recruit and top 300 prospect in the class by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports, and one of the top offensive guards in the state of California. Named first-team AllSouthwestern League as a senior, Jones helped open holes for a Chaparral offense that averaged 205.7 rushing yards per game and surpassed 200 yards six times.
Last season, Jones Started all 13 games he played for the Ducks, missing one due to injury. He started four games at right tackle before starting the final nine at right guard and was a key contributor on an Oregon offense that ranked in
the top 25 nationally with 202.26
Chaparral
Mitchell
also a part of Oregon’s
of
on
and probably knows the offensive playbook better than the coaches. Godfrey, a football and track and field athlete for the Pumas, graduated in 2021.
Hailing from just down the I-15, Jaden Navarrette of Norco is also listed on the roster, but was a redshirt freshman this season. Last season, Navarrette played in one game utilizing a redshirt status, making his collegiate debut against Stony Brook (Sept. 18), playing two defensive snaps. As a true freshman in 2020 he did not see any game action during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Article contributions made by the Associated Press.
JP Raineri can be reached by email at sports@reedermedia.
TEMECULA – Great Oak’s new head baseball coach, Tony Tarasco, has high hopes for not only his program, but for players all over the valley, which he wants to start referring to as the “Diamond Valley” when it comes to baseball. While Diamond Valley may be synonymous with the Hemet area, Tarasco, a former Major Leaguer, is on a rebranding mission.
Tarasco bought a house In Temecula as the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world in 2020 but has been a staple in the local professional baseball realm since 2015 when he was working with the Padres, and Lake Elsinore Storm. As a player, Tarasco signed with the Atlanta Braves in 1988 after being selected in the 15th round of the MLB Amateur Draft and made his Major League debut at 22 years old against the St. Louis Cardinals, in which he recorded a pair of base hits.
The California native then went on to play in parts of eight major league seasons with the Braves, Montreal Expos, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, and New York Mets. Once he retired from baseball, Tarasco began his coaching career, landing a job in the Washington Nationals organization. Prior to being with the Padres, he started out as a minor league coordinator before joining the Nationals coaching staff as a first base and outfield coach.
“That time, in my new house, tucked away from the world, I got to really delve into the local history, and got to know a lot of the local coaches, like Eric Morton, who had been talking about finding
the right person to take over at Great oak when the time was right,” says Tarasco.
Morton retired from coaching in 2022, and Tarasco jumped at the opportunity. While he has been learning the ways of high school baseball, and the rules, and CIF Southern Section ways of life, coaching, and playing the game at a high level are fueling his every move at this point.
The new head coach just recently teamed up with a local organization that has been working with baseball players all over Southern California for the past few years. Baseball Resource Group (BRG) is a California nonprofit corporation founded by former MLB scouts, coaches, and players whose mission is to provide opportunities for student baseball athletes.
The goal of BRG, is much like Tarasco’s philosophy of being able to expose players to some of the industry’s best talent, college recruiters, and pro scouts. While the group has utilized many resources in the area over the past few years, including using local high schools for field space, this past weekend the two groups, BRG and Great Oak Baseball, were able to come together on the Great Oak baseball fields in the City of Temecula, which isn’t easy to go down when it comes to district approval for non-school related events.
“I have had such great support with our admin Aimee Ricken (Principal), and Herschel Ramirez (Athletic Director), who have been steering the District ship,” says Tarasco. “Shelly Lopiccolo (TVUSD Facilities Use Technician) has also been a valuable guide for me as I have started the process in understanding what needs to be
This past weekend’s event was a hit in every sense of the word. Both fields at Great Oak were set to be utilized for players to play games, train, develop, and get mentorship by former and current MLB/MiLB players, coaches, and scouts. Also in attendance were college scouts and coaches looking for talent to
the 79th race held at Angel Stadium as Supercross visits multiple times a year. The local area was well represented as a handful of riders, representing Menifee, Murrieta, Lake Elsinore, and Wildomar, all made it to the final race of the first event.
While the top finishers for the Western Regional 250SX Class were Jett Lawrence (Zephyrhills, FL – Honda HRC), RJ Hampshire (Minneola, FL – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing), and Cameron McAdoo ( Sioux City, IA – Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki), local riders Dylan Walsh (Wildomar) finished in
11th place, Derek Drake (Lake Elsinore) took 12th place, and Hunter Yoder (Menifee) came in 17th place.
The top finishers for the 450SX Class were Eli Tomac (Cortez, CO – Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing), Cooper Webb (Newport, NC –Red Bull KTM), and Chase Sexton (Clermont, FL –Honda HRC) with local riders Colt Nichols (Murrieta) finishing in 6th place, and Dean Wilson (Menifee) taking 14th place.
The world premier offroad motorcycle championship is the most competitive and highest-profile off-road motorcycle
racing series on the planet, attracting nearly one million fans in live attendance over the course of the 17-race series, now a part of the 31-event SuperMotocross World Championship series stretching from January to October.
The next stop on the event is Oakland Saturday, Jan. 14, then Round 3 will be in San Diego Saturday, Jan. 21, with a return to Anaheim Saturday, Jan. 28, for Round 4 action. AMA Supercross racers will be on the road through May when the series wraps up in Salt Lake City, Utah. Fans can keep up with schedules and events at https://www.supercrosslive.com.
JP Raineri can be reached by email at sports@reedermedia.com
JP
Deeahmee Malone joined the sport of racing to carry on a family legacy. He is a third-generation racer, following in the tracks of his father and grandfather. Kart racing, or karting, is a road racing variant of motorsport with openwheel, four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts or shifter karts. They are usually raced on scaleddown circuits, although some professional kart races are also held on full-size motorsport circuits. Karting is often perceived as the steppingstone to the higher ranks of motorsports, with most Formula One champions having begun their careers in karting.
The 18-year-old Soboba Tribal member began racing karts about six years ago and has won two championships in the past season at the Northern Nevada Kart Club. He placed third in a national competition, racing in a KA Kart. He runs No. 12, a family number that his father and grandfather used
when racing stock cars in Carson City, Nevada.
Although he lives in Reno, Malone keeps close ties with the Soboba community whenever he visits Troy Adams Motorsports in Riverside for coaching and practice runs. Adams, who has been coaching Malone for about a year, said he’s been blessed to have five of his clients in NASCAR.
Adams’ family opened Adams Kart Track, now known as Adams Motorsports Park, in 1960 and it was the first African American owned racing facility in California and one of the largest facilities of its kind in the western United States. After college, Troy Adams became a NASCAR driver and from 1995 to 2002, he was one of only a handful of African American drivers on the NASCAR circuit.
Adams said his experiences have allowed him to teach Malone how to navigate the sport.
“With NASCAR, or racing in general, he’s going into a space where there’s not many of his ethnicity. There’s no Native Americans in NASCAR, if you look at it,” Adams said. “I support him in those efforts, and I think he thrives on trying to be better in that area and I like that about him.”
Adams acquired sole ownership of Adams Motorsports Park in 2006 and is best known for his driver development skills, teaching professional drivers from all over the world. He said his race team is very diverse and everybody is always welcome.
“The most important thing a racer has to have is passion, just like any other sport,” Adams said. “You have to have the will to push yourself beyond your limits because racing is a very uncomfortable sport at the speed that we go.”
He said the biggest thing he tells everyone is that you have to be comfortable in an uncomfortable environment and learn how to calm yourself down, sometimes putting your mind and body in another place.
“Things that make us successful are usually the things we felt uncomfortable about doing in the beginning,” Adams said. “There is no part of our sport, or any elite athlete’s environment, where they’re comfortable. They are always pushing to that extreme end and the only way they can do that is to learn how to be comfortable in that space.”
His coaching is based on watching how the car performs but also, he can mentally coach drivers to go beyond
themselves to get to the next level.
“Some people say in racing it’s more about being a psychologist than a coach,” Adams said.
Offering something for all ages, Adams started a Kid Kart program about 15 years ago that allows those as young as five years old to be introduced to the sport. Yet, the oldest driver he has is 90+ years old. His expertise and passion have allowed Adams to develop many upcoming racers throughout the motorsports
Malone has participated in many competitions with different karts, from a 206 that can go up to 60 mph to a KA100 that can go 80 mph. He has a regimen he follows to prepare for races.
“I start off by eating and then go work out for an hour,” he said.
Both these things provide the energy and stamina he needs to stay focused throughout a race.
“It takes patience and quick reflexes to avoid wrecks on the track in order to win a race,” he said. “I like the speed of this sport and how it gives me such a thrill when I’m driving.”
Malone said the biggest challenge is the competition with other racers and staying focused.
“It’s important to always stay consistent,” he said. “I’m planning on becoming a NASCAR driver and the Legends is a good way to climb up there.”
Menifee announced Eastern Municipal Water District is nearing completion of the construction work at Murrieta and Newport Roads. Intermittent traffic control may be in place as the project completion progresses. Please visit www.emwd.org/MurrietaRoad for additional updates on this project.
Traffic signal improvements on Garbani Road and Menifee Road continue on this project.
Traffic signal improvement work continues for this project. Traffic controls will continue to remain in place as necessary through February 2023.
Traffic signal and median work continues at McCall Boulevard and Ranch Road as part of the McCall Square project. The construction schedule for this project has been extended and is now expected to continue through April 2023.
Traffic control will remain in place for the duration of the project.
The Lazy Creek and Sun City Boulevard Pedestrian Improvement Project continues with the city removing and replacing ADA ramps throughout the neighborhood. Traffic control will be in place at various locations as necessary.
SoCal Gas Company gas line installation will continue in the vicinity of Evans Road and Lazy Creek. Lane closures will remain in place for the next several months to support the project, but reports, “Additional road closures may occur this week based on projected rainfall that will be announced on the City of Menifee’s website and social media platforms as needed.”
Menifee Public Works says, “Please remember to drive safely and slowly during rainy conditions.”
For questions on the project/ construction updates call 951-
746-0654 or see psouthard@ cityofmenifee.us Caltrans
The California Department of Transportation says it will continues its work on a $2 million project to rehabilitate existing planting, landscaping, upgrade of irrigation facilities to current water efficient technology and provide erosion control on Interstate 10 (I-10) at 8th Street in the City of Banning. Crews also continue working on landscaping and irrigation facilities in and near the I-10 from .25 miles west of 8th Street to South San Gorgonio Avenue. Weather may affect work schedule. January Schedule Hours of operation: 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Ramps and shoulders may be intermittently closed to ensure the safety of the crew.
Caltrans reminds motorists it will soon begin work on a $1.3 million safety project on State Route 79 (SR-79) in the City of
Hemet. The project will modify and upgrade a traffic signal, reconstruct and upgrade sidewalks, curb ramps and driveways to current American Disabilities Act (ADA) standards at the intersection of E. Latham Avenue and SR-79.
The project was awarded to Crosstown Electrical and Data, Inc. of Irwindale California. Crews will be working at the intersection of Latham Avenue and SR-79
Caltrans is continuing its work to rehabilitate 59 miles of lane, ramps, and drainage systems on Interstate 15 (I-15) in San Bernardino County. The project spans from Oak Hill Road in Hesperia to just south of Bear Valley Road in Victorville. Weather permitting. Crews continue excavation, grinding and paving operations going both north and southbound.
Caltrans is also continuing work on a $5.5 million project to construct and upgrade curb ramps
to ADA standards (Americans with Disabilities Act) and modify signal and lighting systems on State Route 111 (SR-111) in Palm Springs. Weather permitting. Crews continue work at various locations on SR-111 from Lawrence Crossley Road to West Gateway Drive.
RCTC
The Riverside County Transportation Commission in partnership with Caltrans, is building the 15/91 Express Lanes Connector, which will link the 15 Express Lanes to the 91 Express Lanes. A new connection will be provided from the eastbound 91 Express Lanes to the future northbound 15 Express Lanes and from the southbound 15 Express Lanes to the westbound 91 Express Lanes.
Tony Ault can be reached at tault@reedermedi.com
On Thursday, Jan. 5, a law enforcement group representing Riverside County’s sheriff, district attorney and 19 chiefs of police called on Superior Court judges to end the mass dismissal of criminal cases to solve a backlog, saying the practice is escalating dangers to public safety.
“The courts have engaged in the reckless dismissal of more than 1,000 cases, undermining the rule of law and making Riverside County a less safe place to live,” the Association of Riverside County Chiefs of Police and Sheriff (ARCCOPS) said in a statement. “A large percentage of the dismissed cases involve domestic violence, while many are felonies involving firearms.”
According to the latest figures released by the District Attorney’s Office, 1,098 cases have been booted by judges since Oct. 10. Judges have been vacating cases almost daily, generally citing a
lack of available courtroom space for trials as the main reason for the dismissals. Most of the cases were added to dockets during the public health lockdowns, when courts suspended many operations under emergency orders from the California Office of the Chief Justice.
A backlog of roughly 2,800 cases developed. The chief justice’s pandemic orders expired on Oct. 7.
“In one case, a judge dismissed five felony charges, including attempted murder,” according to ARCCOPS. “While we commend District Attorney Mike Hestrin for immediately re-filing charges in this case, and in many other dismissed cases, this is a temporary fix. The state needs to do more, perhaps by adding more judges and staff to help alleviate the backlog.”
The majority of cases have been dismissed by judicial officers at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, followed by a smaller number at the Banning Justice Center, and
fewer at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta, the Riverside Hall of Justice and the Blythe Courthouse.
According to data, the lion’s share of cases dismissed were misdemeanor filings, many of them domestic violence matters. However, figures revealed that close to 30 have been felony assault with a deadly weapon cases, along with five alleged kidnappings, five alleged robberies and five alleged attempted murders.
ARCCOPS noted that judges in Sacramento County had “embraced creative solutions” to prevent mass dismissals, including reopening night courts and holding hearings virtually.
“We call on Riverside County judges to show that same level of urgency and creativity to address this public safety crisis, as continuing to set criminals free undermines the entire justice system and threatens our communities,” the association said. “These days, we are fielding a constant stream of calls from
crime victims and their families, wondering whether justice will be served in their cases. They deserve an answer.”
Superior Court Presiding Judge John Monterosso released a statement on Oct. 25 acknowledging the court system was bearing a heavy load, traced to the lockdowns and consequent changes in court operations.
“The genesis of the current set of circumstances is the chronic and generational lack of judges allocated to serve Riverside County,” Monterosso said.
He emphasized the county has 90 authorized and funded judicial positions, but a 2020 Judicial Needs Assessment Study noted that 115 judicial officers are needed to ensure efficient operations throughout the local court system and prevent logjams.
“While the law allows a court to continue a case beyond the statutory deadline for ‘good cause,’ the decision on whether ‘good cause’ exists is an individualized decision made by the trial judge
based on the law and the facts of the case,” Monterosso said.
Hestrin questioned the legitimacy of basing dismissals on a deficit of judicial resources, given that “this has been the case as far back as anyone can remember.”
According to prosecutors, some of the dismissals are being appealed, while other cases are being re-filed in response to the judges’ actions.
The backlog is reminiscent of the cumulative impact of a buildup of unresolved criminal cases in 2007 that prompted the state to dispatch a “judicial strike team” to the county to help sort through criminal cases clogging the court system.
At the time, the Superior Court virtually halted civil jury trials for months while judges focused on reducing the strain on resources. An empty elementary school was even converted into a makeshift courthouse.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Is the metaverse closer than we think?
It depends on who you ask at CES, where companies are showing off innovations that could immerse us deeper into virtual reality, otherwise known as VR.
The metaverse, essentially a buzzword for three-dimensional virtual communities where people can meet, work and play, was a key theme during the four-day tech gathering in Las Vegas that ended Sunday, Jan. 7.
Taiwanese tech giant HTC unveiled a high-end VR headset that aims to compete with market leader Meta, and a slew of other companies and startups touted augmented reality glasses and sensory technologies that can help users feel, and even smell,in a virtual environment.
Among them, Vermont-based OVR Technology showcased a headset containing a cartridge with eight primary aromas that can be combined to create different scents. It’s scheduled to be released later this year.
An earlier, business-focused version used primarily for marketing fragrances and beauty products is integrated into VR goggles and allows users to smell anything from a romantic bed of roses to a marshmallow roasting over a fire at a campsite.
The company says it aims to help consumers relax and is marketing the product, which comes with an app, as a sort of digital spa mixed with Instagram.
“We are entering an era in which extended reality will drive commerce, entertainment, education, social connection, and wellbeing,” the company’s CEO and co-founder Aaron Wisniewski said in a statement. “The quality of these experiences will be
measured by how immersive and emotionally engaging they are. Scent imbues them with an unmatched power.”
But more robust and immersive uses of scent — and its close cousin, taste — are still further away on the innovation spectrum. Experts say even VR technologies that are more accessible are in the early days of their development and too expensive for many consumers to purchase.
The numbers show there’s waning interest. According to the research firm NPD Group, sales of VR headsets, which found popular use in gaming, declined by 2% last year, a sour note for companies betting big on more adoption.
Still, big companies like Microsoft and Meta are investing billions. And many others are joining the race to grab some market share in supporting technologies, including wearables that replicate touch.
Customers, though, aren’t always impressed by what they find. Ozan Ozaskinli, a tech consultant who traveled more than 29 hours from Istanbul to attend CES, suited up with yellow gloves and a black vest to test out a so-called haptics product, which relays sensations through buzzes and vibrations and stimulates our sense of touch.
Ozaskinli was attempting to punch in a code on a keypad that allowed him to pull a lever and unlock a box containing a shiny gemstone. But the experience was mostly a letdown.
“I think that’s far from reality right now,” Ozaskinli said. “But if I was considering it to replace Zoom meetings, why not? At least you can feel something.”
Proponents say widespread adoption of virtual reality will ultimately benefit different parts of society by essentially unlocking the ability to be with anyone,
anywhere at any time. Though it’s too early to know what these technologies can do once they fully mature, companies looking to achieve the most immersive experiences for users are welcoming them with open arms.
Aurora Townsend, the chief marketing officer at Flare, a company slated to launch a VR dating app called Planet Theta next month, said her team is building its app to incorporate more sensations like touch once the technology becomes more widely available on the consumer market.
“Being able to feel the ground when you’re walking with your partner, or holding their hands while you’re doing that… subtle ways we engage people will change once haptic technology is fully immersive in VR,” Townsend said.
Still, it’s unlikely that many of these products will become widely used in the next few years, even in gaming, said Matthew Ball, a metaverse expert. Instead, he said the pioneers of adoption are likely to be fields that have higher budgets and more precise
needs, such as bomb units using haptics and virtual reality to help with their work and others in the medical field.
In 2021, Johns Hopkins neurosurgeons said they used augmented reality to perform spinal fusion surgery and remove a cancerous tumor from a patient’s spine.
And optical technology from Lumus, an Israeli company that makes AR glasses, is already being used by underwater welders, fighter pilots and surgeons who want to monitor a patient’s vital signs or MRI scans during a procedure without having to look up at several screens, said
David Goldman, vice president of marketing for the company.
Meanwhile, Xander, a Bostonbased startup which makes smart glasses that display realtime captions of in-person conversations for people with hearing loss, will launch a pilot program with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs next month to test out some of its technology, said Alex Westner, the company’s co-founder and CEO. He said the agency will allow veterans who have appointments for hearing loss or other audio issues to try out the glasses in some of their clinics. And if it goes well, the agency would likely become a customer, Westner said.
Elsewhere, big companies from Walmart to Nike have been launching different initiatives in virtual reality. But it’s unclear how much they can benefit during the early stages of the technology. The consulting firm McKinsey says the metaverse could generate up to $5 trillion by 2030. But outside of gaming, much of today’s VR use remains somewhat of a marginal amusement, said Michael Kleeman, a tech strategist and visiting scholar at the University of California San Diego.
“When people are promoting this, what they have to answer is — where’s the value in this? Where’s the profit? Not what’s fun, what’s cute and what’s interesting.”
Jamie McLeod’s property was under the Montecito evacuation order, but she said there is no way for her to “get off the mountain” with a rushing creek on one side and a mudslide on the other. The 60-year-old owner of the Santa Barbara Bird Sanctuary said one of her employees came to make a weekly food delivery and is stuck, too.
McLeod said she feels fortunate because her home sits on high ground and the power is still on. But she said she tires of the frequent evacuation orders since the massive wildfire followed by the deadly landslide five years ago.
“It is not easy to relocate,” said McLeod. “I totally love it — except in catastrophe.”
San Lorenzo.
The river is usually about 60 feet below the cabins, Martin said, but it crept up to 12 feet from the cabins.
In Northern California, several districts closed schools and more than 35,000 customers remained without power in Sacramento — down from more than 350,000 a day earlier after gusts of 60 mph knocked majestic trees into power lines, according to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District. A homeless person killed by a falling tree in the region was among the new deaths announced Monday, Jan. 9.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — As another powerful storm walloped California, a 5-year-old boy was swept away by floodwaters Monday, Jan. 9 on the state’s central coast and an entire seaside community that is home to Prince Harry, Oprah Winfrey and other celebrities was ordered to evacuate on the fifth anniversary of deadly mudslides there.
Tens of thousands of people remained without power, and some schools closed for the day. Streets and highways transformed into gushing rivers, trees toppled, mud slid and motorists growled as they hit roadblocks caused by fallen debris. The death toll from the relentless string of storms climbed from 12 to 14 on Monday, Jan. 9, after two people were killed by falling trees, state officials said.
A roughly seven-hour search for the missing boy turned up only his shoe before officials called it off as water levels were too dangerous for divers, officials said. The boy has not been declared dead, said spokesperson
Tony Cipolla of the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office.
The boy’s mother was driving a truck when it became stranded in floodwaters just before 8 a.m. near Paso Robles, a small city inland from California’s central coast, according to Tom Swanson, assistant chief of the Cal Fire/ San Luis Obispo County Fire Department.
Bystanders were able to pull the mother out of the truck, but the boy was swept out of the vehicle and downstream, likely into a river, Swanson said. There was no evacuation order in the area at the time.
About 130 miles to the south, the entire community of Montecito and surrounding canyons scarred by recent wildfires were under an evacuation order that came on the fifth anniversary of a mudslide that killed 23 people and destroyed more than 100 homes in the coastal enclave.
In Los Angeles, a sinkhole swallowed two cars in the Chatsworth area on Monday night, Jan., 9. Two people escaped by
(John Woolfolk/Bay Area News Group via AP)themselves and firefighters using ropes and an aerial ladder rescued two others who had minor injuries, authorities said.
The National Weather Service reported rainfall rates of one inch per hour, with heavy downpours expected throughout the night in the upscale area where roads wind along wooded hillsides studded with large houses. Montecito is squeezed between mountains and the Pacific and is home to celebrities including Rob Lowe and Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Ellen DeGeneres shared an Instagram video of herself standing in front of a raging creek near the Montecito home where she lives with her wife, actor Portia de Rossi. She said in the post that they were told to shelter in place because they are on high ground.
“This is crazy!” the talk show host, wearing a hoodie and raincoat, says in the video. “This creek next to our house never flows, ever. It’s probably about nine feet up and is going to go another two feet up.”
Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said the decision to evacuate nearly 10,000 people was “based on the continuing high rate of rainfall with no indication that that is going to change before nightfall.” Creeks were overflowing, and many roads were flooded.
Northbound lanes of U.S. 101, a key coastal route, were expected to be shut until Tuesday, Jan. 10. Many other highways and local roads were closed because of rockslides and flooding.
Up the coast, evacuation orders were issued in Santa Cruz County for about 32,000 residents living near rain-swollen rivers and creeks. The San Lorenzo River was declared at flood stage, and drone footage showed numerous homes sitting in muddy brown water, the top halves of autos peeking out.
Maria Cucchiara, who lives in tiny, flooded Felton, went for a walk to count her blessings after “a huge branch harpooned” the roof of her small studio, she said.
“I have two kitties, and we could’ve been killed. It was over a ton,” she said. “So needless to say, it was very disturbing.”
Nicole Martin, owner of the Fern River Resort in Felton, described a more laid-back scene Monday, Jan. 9. Her clients sipped coffee amid towering redwood trees and were “enjoying the show,” she said, as picnic tables and other debris floated down the swollen
Officers investigating wildfires in California made 160 arson arrests last year, up from 149 in 2021, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) recently reported.
The number of people arrested for intentionally setting fires in the Golden State has steadily increased in the past four years as officers more diligently investigate arsons and the number of private and public cameras grows, Cal Fire’s Chief of Law Enforcement Gianni Muschetto told The Epoch Times.
“Any intentional fire we can stop through arrest benefits the public,” he said.
Last year, significantly fewer acres were burned in California but it’s unclear whether the arson arrests played a part in the reduction.
“It’s hard to ever know (if the arrests helped reduce fires last year,) but the arson arrests definitely prevent potential future fires,” Muschetto said.
In 2022, over 360,000 acres
burned compared to the year before when nearly 2.7 million acres burned. The state’s fiveyear average is 2.3 million acres each year.
Reducing intentionally set fires through arrests can help the public and firefighters, protect property, and prevent environmental damage, Muschetto said.
Homeowners and communities have also helped officers identify suspected arsonists by installing more outside cameras, such as the popular Ring cameras. Cities and counties have also installed more surveillance systems in the past few years.
The videos can be used by law enforcement to help with arson investigations.
“That just increases our chance of identifying somebody,” Muschetto said.
Officers also aggressively investigated every fire that occurred last year, he said.
California’s two arson laws, penal codes 451 and 452, make most of such crimes felonies. A person who is found guilty of arson by willfully and maliciously setting fire or recklessly causing a
burn to any structure, forest land, or property, can face nine years in state prison for each count.
In 2016 though, California voters passed policy reform laws that reduced sentences for nonviolent felonies and allowed for earlier release for convicted arsonists.
“Arsonists that have gotten longer sentences are now eligible to be released from prison a lot sooner,” Muschetto said.
The state has arrested some in the past who started multiple wildland fires. They were given 20-year sentences but were released after doing less than half their time.
These convicted arsonists have not been rearrested, however, he said.
Arrest numbers were steady until about 2019 when officers nearly doubled the number. In 2016, officers made 73 arson arrests. Four years later in 2020, that number jumped to 120 and it has steadily climbed since then.
One of the latest arrests was made in Sacramento County on Nov. 18. Officers arrested a Sacramento man for a wildfire set
July 14 at the vacant county Boy’s Ranch facility in Sloughhouse.
Another arson arrest was made in November 2022 after a 34-year-old homeless woman in Amador County was booked on suspicion of setting a fire in Jackson, about an hour east of Sacramento.
Besides increasing arrests,
The National Weather Service warned of a “relentless parade of atmospheric rivers” — long plumes of moisture stretching out into the Pacific that can drop staggering amounts of rain and snow. The precipitation expected over the next couple of days comes after storms last week knocked out power, flooded streets, and battered the coastline.
President Joe Biden issued an emergency declaration Monday, Jan. 9 to support storm response and relief efforts in more than a dozen counties.
The weather service issued a flood watch for a large portion of Northern and Central California, with 6 to 12 inches of rain expected through Wednesday, Jan. 11 in the already saturated Sacramento-area foothills.
In the Los Angeles area, there was potential for as much as 8 inches of rain in foothill areas late Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 9 and 10. High surf was also expected. Much of California remains in severe to extreme drought, though the storms have helped fill depleted reservoirs.
Associated Press journalists Janie Har and Olga R. Rodriguez in San Francisco, Amy Taxin in Orange County, Andrew Dalton in Los Angeles, Nic Coury in Aptos, Martha Mendoza in Santa Cruz and Haven Daley in Felton contributed to this report.
Cal Fire has also added new technology and firefighting tools including two new aircraft last year, giving firefighters the ability to attack fires at night and from the air.
Reprinted with permission from the Epoch Times. Copyright 2023
Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Friday, activating the National Guard to help with an influx of migrants arriving by boat on Florida’s coast.
In response to the Biden administration’s alleged inability to manage a record number of migrants attempting to cross the southern border into the U.S. and anticipating a wave of migrant arrivals, DeSantis authorized state agencies to take
emergency response measures Jan. 6, according to the order.
The governor also authorized the National Guard to deploy “as needed, to deal with this emergency,” given that “the migration of unauthorized aliens to the State of Florida is likely to constitute a major disaster.”
“The lawlessness at the Southwest Border continues unabated and the Biden Administration has repeatedly demonstrated its ineptitude at managing the crisis it created,” the order stated. As a result, an increasing number of illegal
migrants are seeking entry to the U.S.
At least 345 unauthorized persons entered Florida on Jan. 3 and Jan. 5, and the state has identified multiple vessels likely to contain illegal migrants destined for Florida’s shores, the order stated. From August 2022 to January 2023, officials indicted more than 8,000 migrants in the waters around Florida’s peninsula.
Customs and Border Patrol has logged a record number of migrant encounters at all U.S. borders in the first two months of fiscal year 2023, which began in October,
including 460,000 at the southern border alone.
Nearly 500 illegal migrants docked in the Florida Keys over New Year’s weekend, forcing a park in the region to shut down as Florida law enforcement struggled to apprehend all of the arrivals.
Border Patrol reportedly told local police they did not have sufficient federal resources to respond, according to a Facebook post by Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay’s office.
Ramsay’s office described the incident as a “federal failure.”
Biden made his first visit to the
southern border since becoming president in January 2021 before traveling to Mexico to attend the North American Leaders’ Summit.
The border visit stopped in El Paso, Texas, Sunday, Jan. 8, where Democratic El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser declared an emergency authorizing use of additional resources to help with migrants sleeping on the streets.
The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
‘Lawless’:One of four aircraft fighting the Sandia Creek fire drops retardant on a neighborhood near the fire Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022. Valley News/Bill Carnahan photo
Conservative organizations told the Daily Caller News Foundation that they are hoping the newly elected GOP Congress will largely focus on federal oversight, the southern border and social issues during its term beginning in 2023.
Some organizations hoped that Congress would push conservative legislation through while others appeared skeptical that any truly conservative legislation would pass through a Democratic Senate and White House.
“We believe that the focus should almost singularly be investigations of the Biden administration and their allies outside of the government.”
Thomas Jones, president and founder of the American Accountability Foundation, told the DCNF
The 118th Congress should largely prioritize federal oversight while not losing sight of pushing key legislation on social issues and the southern border, conservative groups told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
A group of 20 GOP representatives initially refused to vote for Rep. Kevin McCarthy for speaker of the House, leading to over a dozen rounds of votes that culminated in McCarthy being elected to the office late Friday. Many conservative organizations who spoke with the DCNF conveyed their hope that the GOP would be able to achieve
legislative victories during its term, while others were skeptical of this due to a Democratic Senate and White House.
Federal oversight remained the common theme among most of the groups, with several mentioning the recent revelations within Twitter CEO Elon Musk’s “Twitter Files.” The files revealed how the federal government worked with prominent tech companies to censor speech to further a particular narrative such as in the case of the Hunter Biden laptop article from the New York Post, according to multiple reports.
“We believe that the focus should almost singularly be investigations of the Biden administration and their allies outside of the government.”
Thomas Jones, president and founder of the American Accountability Foundation, told the DCNF.
“The Twitter Files released by Elon Musk have provided a disturbing, if incomplete, picture of these anti-democratic activities, and Republicans must establish a January 6-style commission to get to the bottom of this and determine what actions must be taken to ensure it never happens again,” Terry Schilling, the president of the American Principles Project, told the DCNF.
Multiple groups expressed confidence in the House Judiciary Committee with Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan at the helm.
Dan Schneider, vice president of Free Speech America and
MRC Business, however, told the DCNF that while oversight was extremely important, Congress cannot use it as an excuse to not push conservative legislation.
“The House must not use oversight hearings as an excuse for not doing the important legislative work that must be done,” Schneider stated. “We need to have oversight for things like the Hunter Biden laptop story, Big Tech censorship and manipulation of data but those hearings must be a means to an end not an end of itself.”
Jones felt that the GOP would be fighting a losing battle if they focused on legislation since the Senate and the White House are controlled by Democrats.
RIVERSIDE - Colleagues and loved ones of a 32-yearold Riverside County sheriff’s motorcycle patrol deputy gunned down during a traffic stop remembered him during a two hour memorial service Friday, January 6, as a “warrior’’ and a man who thought of others before himself.
“You were a man of few words but of heartfelt action,’’ Rebecca Cordero said of her son, Isaiah Albert Cordero. “Your precious and honest heart will live on. We cherish you.’’
The grieving mother struggled to get through the eulogy for her youngest son, breaking down several times as her husband and Cordero’s stepfather, Gilbert, and several other family members stood next to her on the main platform during his funeral service Friday at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside.
“You never wanted the spotlight, angel baby,’’ she said tearfully. “Your life was one of selfless service. You worked so hard to overcome hurdles. You knew what it took to earn that badge. Your selflessness and determination will not be forgotten.’’
Rebecca Cordero noted that her son had entertained thoughts of leaving California due to the cost of living and the growing “disdain, disrespect (and) disregard’’ exhibited by a judicial system that she said appeared more oriented to the welfare of criminals than public safety.
“Complacency is no longer an option. We can no longer stand for virtue-signaling,’’ she said, taking aim at the San Bernardino County Superior Court judge who had deferred action on a case involving Deputy Cordero’s killer, a three-strike felon, allowing him to remain free on bail pending sentencing.
“Judge Cara Hutson, my family is devastated,’’ Cordero said. “My family and his community and his brothers and sisters (in uniform) demand your resignation.’’
The words roused applause throughout the church.
Cordero said she believed the traffic stop that ended her son’s life likely saved other people from peril.
“You fought the good fight, my boy,’’ she said. ``It’s so heartbreaking.’’
Sheriff Chad Bianco equated his deputy’s willingness to confront the criminal element to scriptural references of waging battles against evil from the beginning of time.
“God has sent warriors to fight evil,’’ Bianco said. “Where does evil come from? It’s in the Book of Isaiah ... God asks who shall he send? Isaiah said, ‘Send me.’
Deputy (Isaiah) Cordero stood up and said, ‘Send me.’ We lost a deputy. The Cordero family lost a son, and the world lost a good man. ... His sacrifice will not be in vain.’’
Bianco said the loss raises the ever-agonizing question of “why is it always the good ones’’ who are taken.
“Our time is set, and sometimes there are no answers,’’ the sheriff said. “But we must never forget the battle, and we must not let his death be in vain. We must never be afraid to pursue justice. Evil is always lurking in the shadows. We must seek to fight and destroy it.”
Cordero’s immediate supervisor, sheriff’s Capt. Mike Koehler, chief of the Jurupa Valley station, praised the fallen deputy for his staunch work ethic and positive attitude.
“That smile you saw in the pictures is the only Isaiah I knew, no matter what kind of day he was having,’’ Koehler said. “We will memorialize and mourn Isaiah. He epitomized the ethos of `Service Above Self.’ We will carry on (and) not let him or his family down. He was the better man.’’
Harvest Pastor Greg Laurie related how the feelings that welled within him after the loss of his son in a traffic accident on the Riverside (91) Freeway 14 years ago were the same for Cordero’s family.
“You ask, how can I survive this? Why was this allowed by
Deputy Cordero, age 32,
God?’ Laurie said. “You will never get over this, but you will get through this. Isaiah is in Heaven. It’s a real place, with real people, who do real things. We will be reunited again.’’
An end-of-watch tribute was broadcast on the sheriff’s public safety channels to close out the memorial, during which a dispatcher called Cordero twice, asking for a safety check. After no response, she said finally, “We will be forever grateful for all you have given and sacrificed.’’
Several thousand people gathered inside church, and in an overflow seating area outside for the duration of the nearly two-hour memorial. Hundreds of law enforcement personnel from throughout the county, California and a few other states were on hand to salute the fallen lawman.
Cordero was fatally shot about 1:45 p.m. on Dec. 29 in the 3900 block of Golden West Avenue, near Rathke Drive, in Jurupa Valley, his hometown. His was the first line-of-duty death involving a Riverside County sheriff’s deputy
in 15 years.
He began his career as a correctional deputy, working the jails from 2014 to 2017. He attended the sheriff’s academy again in 2018 to serve as a patrol deputy and was eventually accepted onto the motor unit, where he worked as a patrolman from September to December 2022.
Bianco said Cordero stopped 44-year-old William S. McKay of San Bernardino for reasons still under investigation but likely related to irregularities with the black pickup he was driving.
According to the sheriff, McKay’s criminal history included convictions for kidnapping, assault on a California Highway Patrol canine and armed robbery.
“This tragedy should have been (prevented) by the criminal justice system,’’ Bianco said last week.
“This suspect was on his third strike in 2021. But instead of receiving a sentence of 25 years to life in state prison, a judge lowered his bail. He failed to appear for sentencing ... and the same judge
A 36-year-old man accused of shooting at an off-duty police officer along the Ortega (74) Highway near Lake Elsinore in an act of road rage must stand trial on felony charges, a judge ruled Friday, Jan. 6.
Keith Frederick Prante of Mission Viejo was arrested in February 2021 following an investigation by the California Highway Patrol.
At the end of a preliminary hearing at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta, Riverside County Superior Court Judge F. Paul Dickerson found there was sufficient evidence to hold Prante over for trial on charges of assault
with a semiautomatic firearm, shooting at an occupied vehicle and carrying a loaded handgun in an unlawful manner.
The judge scheduled a postpreliminary hearing arraignment for Feb. 17. Prante remains free on a $135,000 bond.
According to CHP Officer Mike Lassig, shortly before 8 p.m. on Feb. 20, 2021, the victim, identified as an off-duty San Bernardino police officer with the initials “T.S.,” was going east on the 74 approaching Decker Canyon Road when the defendant abruptly stopped directly in front of him, blocking his path along the narrow two-lane corridor.
There was no word on what immediately preceded the action.
Lassig alleged that Prante leaned
out of his vehicle with a .40caliber pistol in hand and opened fire on the driver’s side of the victim’s car. However, none of the bullets penetrated the windshield.
The defendant then accelerated away, but traveled only a couple of miles before pulling over to the shoulder of the highway, according to Lassig.
T.S. spotted Prante and, “fearing for his safety, stopped just west of the suspect’s location,” the CHP officer said.
“The victim observed the suspect produce a handgun out the driver’s side window and begin to reverse toward the victim’s location,” Lassig said. “The victim, fearing for his life, fired a handgun ... toward the suspect.”
No one was injured.
The
released him again.’’
The judge, Hutson, was reelected in June and has been a judicial officer since 2007.
McKay led a phalanx of law enforcement personnel on a roughly two-hour pursuit that started in San Bernardino and ended on southbound Interstate 15 in Norco, where his pickup crashed after the rear tires, which had blown after going over a police spike strip, caused the axle to fail.
Bianco alleged McKay fired at law enforcement officers as they surrounded him. They returned fire and killed him.
A “Help A Hero’’ fundraiser for Cordero’s loved ones topped $100,000 on Wednesday. The original goal was exactly that amount, prompting the page sponsor, the Riverside County Deputy Sheriff Relief Foundation, to establish a new goal of $200,000. The page is at https://helpahero. com/campaign/deputy-isaiahcordero
officer
Lassig said Prante was identified as the alleged shooter, and his whereabouts were confirmed the following morning, at which point he was taken into custody without incident.
The defendant has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.
Everyone knows wet roads can be dangerous. Driving in the rain presents many challenges for
California motorists. Wet roads can reduce tire traction and may lead to drivers losing control of their vehicles. Visibility is reduced as water pelts the windshield. Add fog, darkness and wind, and it
becomes a recipe for disaster.
Excessive speed partnered with wet pavement may result in hydroplaning, an event in which the tires briefly separate from the road and ride on a film of water,
which could lead to an out-ofcontrol situation for the driver.
To avoid this from happening, motorists are advised to: Check that tires are properly inflated and in good condition with
is available upon request.
One of the best kept secrets in Anza is hiding in plain sight at the Ribbonwood Grill, located inside the Cahuilla Casino Hotel. A well-planned, affordable breakfast buffet is offered every Sunday, attracting both locals and visitors alike.
The buffet has a huge variety of traditional breakfast items, including a build-your-own threeegg omelet with ingredients such as cheddar cheese, jack cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, bacon, sausage and sour cream. Each creation is cooked to the guest’s requirements by a friendly and accommodating staff.
Other all-you-can-eat options are buttermilk pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, yogurt parfait with Greek vanilla yogurt, granola and blueberries, waffles, fruit, chili rellenos and spiced pork. Beverages include orange juice, sodas, water and coffee. Sugar-free pancake syrup
The wait staff is professional, upbeat and efficient. Cleanliness and customer satisfaction are top priorities.
“I was staying at the hotel with my fiance,” said Ben Robinson, a visitor from North Carolina. “We discovered the buffet after enjoying breakfast there all week. It was nice to have such a huge selection to choose from and the omelets are about the best I have ever had.”
The Sunday breakfast buffet is served from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m., and costs $19.99 per person.
“The Ribbonwood Grill buffet is a great place with a positive vibe to meet friends and family every Sunday and stuff your face,” said local Chris Williams.
The restaurant serves breakfast every day from 8 a.m. until 12 p.m., and lunch and dinner from 12 p.m. until 9 p.m. Sunday - Thursday and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
The Ribbonwood Grill is located on the main floor near the casino,
safety officials say.
a main concern to those living in the state of California.
The main way to cope with extended power outages is to use portable generators, an affordable and safe option to keep the lights on and appliances humming,
Unfortunately, many people’s first experience with the compact power-creating machines end in often expensive mistakes when it comes to maintenance. It is advised to have a checklist of things to do to maintain the unit in excellent condition and avoid headaches the next time it needs to be brought out and fired up.
Simply put, small generators create electricity by running a gasoline, propane or diesel powered engine that turns an on-
board alternator, called a genset, to generate electrical power. Built-in outlets on a 5,000 watt unit provide a way to tap that electricity and use it for most power refrigerators, fans, lights and other light use appliances.
Some safety tips must be observed when using generators in the event of a power outage. Carefully follow all owners manual instructions to safely start and operate the generator.
If you have an upcoming community event, email it to valleyeditor@reedermedia.com put “attention events” in the subject line. Readers should call ahead on some listed events for the latest updates.
ONGOING – Anza Electric Cooperative and F.I.N.D. Food Bank offers a free mobile food pantry the second Saturday of every month at the AEC office, 58470 Highway 371, from 10:3011:30 a.m. All are welcome. CalFresh application assistance and free community health services are also available. Bring your own reusable bags to take food home. Volunteers welcome. For more information, contact the AEC office at 951-763-4333.
Hamilton High School – Find out what is happening using Hamilton’s online calendar at http://www.hamiltonbobcats.net/
apps/events/calendar/.
Hamilton Museum – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Open Wednesdays and Saturdays at 39991 Contreras Road in Anza. For more information, call 951-763-1350 or visit http:// www.hamiltonmuseum.org. Find them on Facebook at “HamiltonMuseum-and-Ranch-Foundation.”
Backcountry Horsemen Redshank Riders – Meeting monthly on the second Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. Locations change, so please contact Mike by email at stumblinl55@gmail.com or by calling (951) 760-9255.
Health, exercise, resources and recovery meetings
Fit after 50 – 10:30-11:30 a.m. Tuesday and Friday mornings at Anza Community Hall. Free. Wear comfortable clothes and supportive shoes. Call or text instructor Teresa Hoehn, at 951-751-1462 for more information.
Narcotics Anonymous Meeting – 6 p.m. Every Tuesday at Shepherd Of The Valley Church, 56095 Pena Road, in Anza. Open participation.
Veterans’ Gathering Mondays 9-11 a.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 39075 Contreras Road, in Anza. Men and women veterans come to share and help each other deal with posttraumatic stress disorder and other difficulties. Call John Sheehan at 951-923-6153. If you need an advocate to help with VA benefits, call Ronnie Imel at 951-659-9884.
to the clinic is provided. For more information, contact Borrego Health’s Anza Community Health Center, 58581 Route 371, in Anza. For more information, call 951763-4759.
Food ministries F.U.N. Group weekly food ministry – Deliveries arrive noon Thursdays at the Anza Community Hall. To order a paid box and help feed those who can’t afford to pay, drop off payment and cash donations by Thursday at 1:30 p.m., to ERA Excel Realty, 56070 Highway 371, in Anza. Pay inside or drop off during the day in the red box outside. To drop it off, put name and request on an envelope with payment inside. A $30 box has about $100 worth of food and feeds six people. Half boxes are available for $15. Food is delivered once a week to those who cannot find a ride. For more information, call Bill Donahue at 951-288-0903.
Living Hope Christian Fellowship Community Dinner 1 p.m. Dinners are held the last Sunday of the month at the Anza Community Hall. All are welcome. Donations of time, money, etc. are always welcome.
different locations. Contact Jeff Crawley at 951-763-1257 for more information.
Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church – 10 a.m. Weekly Wednesday Bible study takes place at 56095 Pena Road in Anza. Call 951-763-4226 for more information.
Valley Gospel Chapel – 7 a.m. Saturday Men’s Study meets weekly with breakfast usually served at 43275 Chapman Road in the Terwilliger area of Anza. For more information, call 951763-4622.
Find helpful art tips at http://www. facebook.com/AnzaValleyArtists/ Anza Quilter’s Club – 9:30 a.m. to noon. Meets the first and third Tuesday of each month at the Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, 56095 Pena Road, in Anza.
Editorial STEPHANIE PARK, Copy Editor
J.P. RAINERI, Sports Editor SHANE GIBSON, Staff Photographer
Production KARINA RAMOS YOUNG, Art Director FOREST RHODES, Production Assistant SAMANTHA GORMAN, Graphic Artist Digital Services MARIO MORALES
ANZA VALLEY OUTLOOK MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. BOX 391353, Anza, CA 92539 PHONE: (760) 723-7319 PHONE: (951) 763-5510 FAX: (760) 723-9606 Copyright Valley
The Most Excellent Way –Christ-centered recovery program for all kinds of addiction meets Fridays from 7-8:30 p.m. and Tuesdays from 8-10 a.m. Program is court approved; child care is provided. Transportation help is available. The group meets at 58050 Highway 371; the cross street is Kirby Road in Anza.
AA Men’s Meeting – 7 p.m. Meetings take place Thursdays at 39551 Kirby Road in Anza, south of Highway 371.
Alcoholics Anonymous – 8 p.m. Wednesday evenings at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, 56095 Pena Road in Anza. For more information, call 951-7634226.
Bereaved Parents of the USA – The Aguanga-Anza Chapter of BPUSA will hold its meetings at 6 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 49109 Lakeshore Blvd. in Aguanga. For more information, contact chapter leader Linda Hardee at 951-5512826.
Free Mobile Health Clinic Open every third Wednesday of the month from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. No appointment is needed. Uninsured may only be seen in the Anza Community Hall’s parking lot or inside the hall.
Medication Assistance and Treatment for Opioid Dependence – Get treatment for heroin addiction. Transportation
Food for the Faithful – 8 a.m. The food bank hands out food the last Friday of the month until the food is gone. The clothes closet will be open too. Emergency food handed out as needed at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. FFF is a non-denominational nonprofit. All in need are welcome; call Esther Barragan at 951-763-5636.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Anza Sunday Sacrament is held 10 a.m.; Sunday School is 11 a.m. Priesthood/Relief Society meets noon; Wednesday Boy Scouts gathers 6 p.m. and Youth Night is 7 p.m. For more information, call Ruiz at 951-445-7180 or Nathan at 760-399-0727. The Wednesday Genealogy/Family History Class, 5-8 p.m., is open to the public at 39075 Contreras Road in Anza.
Native Lighthouse Fellowship 10 a.m. The group meets the first Saturday of the month, and breakfast is served. All are welcome to fellowship together at the “Tribal Hall” below the casino in Anza. For more information, call Nella Heredia at 951-763-0856.
Living Hope Bible Study –8-10 a.m. Tuesdays at Living Hope Christian Fellowship, 58050 Highway 371, in Anza. All are welcome. For more information, call Pastor Kevin at 951-763-1111.
Anza RV Clubhouse – 7 p.m., the second Wednesday of the Month, Pastor Kevin officiates at 41560 Terwilliger Road in Anza.
Monthly Christian Men’s Breakfast – 9 a.m. Breakfast takes place the fourth Saturday of each month and rotates to
Anza First Southern Baptist Church - Begin your week with Sunday School for all ages at 9 a.m., followed by Sunday morning worship at 10:30 a.m. On Sunday nights, the church has prayer on the 1st and 4th Sundays from 6-7 p.m. and Bible study on the 2nd and 3rd Sundays from 6-8 p.m. On Monday evenings, from 6-8 p.m., the youth group (6th to 12th grade) meets for games and Bible study. Anza Baptist Church also offers Men’s and Women’s Ministries, a Homeschool Support Group, Summer Vacation Bible School, and Senior’s Ministry. The church office is open Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The church is located at 39200 Rolling Hills Road in Anza. For more information, contact the church at 951-763-4937 or visit www. anzabaptistchurch.com.
Clubs High Country Recreation –Second Monday of the month attend committee meetings at ERA Excel Realty in Anza. For more information, call Albert Rodriguez at 951-492-1624 or Robyn Garrison at 805-312-0369.
HCR Bingo fundraisers –6:30-9:30 p.m. second and fourth Fridays at Anza Community Hall.
Anza Valley VFW Post 1873 Capt. John Francis Drivick III Post, the Ladies’ and Men’s Auxiliaries are located at 59011 Bailey Road in Anza. Mail P.O. Box 390433. Request monthly newsletter and or weekly menu by email at vfw1873anzaca@gmail.com. For more information, call 951-7634439 or visit http://vfw1873.org.
High Country 4-H Club – 6:30 p.m. Meetings are on the third Wednesday of the month, except February, at Anza Community Hall. 4-H Club is for youth 5 to 19 years old offering a variety of projects. High Country 4-H Club is open to children living in the Anza, Aguanga and surrounding areas. For more information, call Allison Renck at 951-663-5452.
Anza Valley Artists Meetings – 1 p.m. Meetings are the third Saturday of each month at various locations. Share art, ideas and participate in shows. Guest speakers are always needed. For more information, call president Rosie Grindle at 951-928-1248.
Anza Valley Lions Club – The Anza Valley Lions Club has been reinstated and is open to all men and women who want to work together for the betterment of the community. The group is working on securing a new venue for meetings. Meetings and events are posted on the Anza Lions Club of Anza Valley Facebook page at https://www.facebook. com/LionsofAnzaValley. For more information, email president Greg Sandling at President.AnzaLions@ gmail.com or Chris Skinner at Secretary.AnzaLions@gmail.com
Boy Scouts Troop 319 – Cub Scouts meet 6 p.m. every Tuesday, and Boy Scouts meet 7 p.m. every Wednesday at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Contreras Road, south of state Route 371, in Anza. For more information, call Richard Hotchkiss at 951-551-3154.
Boys Scouts Troop 371 – Boy Scouts meet at Lake Riverside Estates. For more information, call Ginny Kinser at 909-702-7902.
Civil Air Patrol – Squadron 59 is looking for new members of all ages. For more information, call squadron commander Maj. Dennis Sheehan from the Anza area at 951403-4940. To learn more and see the club’s meeting schedule, visit http://www.squadron59.org.
Fire Explorer Program – 6 p.m. The program meets every second, third and fourth Tuesday of the month at Fire Station 29 on state Route 371 in Anza. Call 951763-5611 for information.
Redshank Riders – 7 p.m. Backcountry horsemen meet at the Little Red Schoolhouse in Anza, the second Thursday of each month. Visit http://www.redshankriders. com or call Carol Schmuhl for membership information at 951663-6763.
Anza Thimble Club – The club meets the first Thursday of the month at Valley Gospel Chapel, 43275 Chapman Road in Anza. The social hour is 11:30 a.m., and lunch is served at noon. Contact Carol Wright at 951-763-2884 for more information.
Organizations Terwilliger Community Association – 6 p.m. Second Monday of the month at VFW Post 1873, 59011 Bailey Road, in Anza. Potluck dinner open to all. For more information, call Tonie Ford at 951-763-4560.
From the Heart Christian Women’s Ministries – Noon. Monthly luncheon and guest speaker are held the second Saturday of each month. The $5 charge covers lunch at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, 56095 Pena Road, in Anza. From the Heart helps the area’s neediest children and invites all women and men to join in their mission. Donate or help with the rummage sales twice a year to raise funds for the cause or other events. For more information, call president Christi James at 951-595-2400.
Anza Community Hall – 7 p.m. General membership meetings are held the fourth Thursday of the month. Memberships cost $20 per person or $35 per business, and both get one vote. No government funds are allocated for the Hall, which pays its bills through memberships and swap meets.
Voting members receive discounts off hall rentals, swap meet booths and save on propane gas from Ferrellgas. Mail membership to: Anza Community Building Inc. at P.O. Box 390091, Anza, CA 92539. The hall is located at 56630 Highway 371 in Anza. Swap meet held each Saturday of the month, weather permitting, early morning to 1 p.m. Vendors wanted. For more information, call 951-2824267.
Anza Civic Improvement League – 9 a.m. meets the first Saturday of each month at the Little Red Schoolhouse. The league maintains Minor Park and Little Red School House, which are both available to rent for events. No government funds are allowed; the membership pays the bills –$10 a person, $18 family or $35 business membership. For more information, visit http://www. anzacivic.org.
Recreational drones provide affordable adventure, photos and videos, but it’s important to know where and how you can fly them. There are many laws and guidelines regarding drone flight and this includes recreational activity. For instance, drones are not permitted in federallydesignated Wilderness areas.
“They should never be flown around wildfires or wildlife,” wrote a representative of the Pacific Crest Trail Association on social media. “And while generally okay below 400 feet in National Forests, there are areas within forests where drones aren’t allowed. Also, some people consider drones annoying and/or intrusive.”
Drone safety is the law. Concerns for wildlife are also very important. Unoccupied Aircraft System, or UAS, activity and even a single flight has been shown to cause substantial impacts such as chick mortality when birds have been unintentionally frightened off their nests by a UAS. Intentional harassment of wildlife during breeding, nesting or the rearing of young is not allowed unless approved as research or management.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has some tips for best practices to protect wildlife when piloting UAS craft.
Be alert for wildlife, especially birds, before you fly.
Launch and land at least 300 feet from any wildlife in the area. Never fly lower than 100 feet over wildlife.
Do not pursue or otherwise provoke a response from wildlife with your drone.
When possible, have a wildlife observer with you to help you spot and avoid wildlife.
The US Department of Agriculture Forest Service says that individuals and organizations may fly UAS for hobby or recreational purposes in compliance with Section 336 of Public Law 112-95.
UAS must be flown below 400 feet and remain clear of surrounding obstacles.
UAS are considered to be both motorized equipment and mechanical transport and, as such, they cannot take off from, land in, or be operated from congressionally designated wilderness areas.
UAS are not permitted to fly in areas that have Temporary Flight Restrictions in place, such as wildfires.
The Forest Service also says
to follow FAA guidelines by ensuring that pilots comply with all FAA regulations and guidance for UAS. The Administration has authority over all airspace. Do not fly any aircraft weighing more than 55 pounds - total weight, including payload and fuel source.
Pilots must follow state wildlife and fish agency regulations on the use of UAS to search for or detect wildlife and fish. UAS must be launched more than 100 meters or 328 feet from wildlife. Do not approach animals or birds vertically with the UAS.
Keep your UAS within your visual line of sight at all times.
Take lessons and learn to operate your UAS safely.
Remain well clear of and do not interfere with manned aircraft operations.
Fly your UAS at least 5 miles from an airport or backcountry airstrip.
Keep your UAS away from populated and noise-sensitive areas, such as campgrounds, trail heads and visitor centers.
Obey all privacy laws.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, there are currently 871,984 drones registered with the FAA; 333,946 commercial drones registered; 534,439 recreational drones registered; 3,599 paper registrations, 307,049 Remote
Pilots Certified and 403,580 Recreational UAS Safety Test Certificates issued.
The FAA states that the rule for operating unmanned aircraft systems or drones under 55 pounds in the National Airspace System is 14 CFR Part 107, referred to as the Small UAS Rule. For drones used for purely recreational purposes, there is a limited statutory exception that provides a basic set of requirements.
The Recreational UAS Safety Test Recreational flyers are encouraged to take and pass the UAS Safety Test and carry proof of passage when flying.
The FAA adds that nonrecreational drone flying includes activities such as taking photos to sell a property or service, roof inspections or even taking pictures of a high school football game for the school’s website. It also includes things like volunteering to use a drone to survey coastlines on behalf of a non-profit organization.
If you’re not sure which rules apply to your flight, fly under Part 107, says the FAA.
The Exception for Limited Recreational Operations of Unmanned Aircraft (USC 44809) is the law that describes how, when, and where you can fly drones for recreational purposes. Following these rules helps keep
people, drones and our airspace safe.
Fly only for recreational purposes, as in personal enjoyment.
Follow the safety guidelines of an FAA-recognized Community Based Organization.
Keep your drone within the visual line of sight or use a visual observer who is co-located physically next to and in direct communication with you.
Give way to and do not interfere with other aircraft.
Fly at or below FAA-authorized altitudes in controlled airspaceClass B, C, D, and surface Class E designated for an airport - only with prior FAA authorization by using LAANC or DroneZone.
Fly at or below 400 feet in Class G uncontrolled airspace.
Flying drones in restricted airspace is not allowed. Drone pilots should always check for airspace restrictions prior to flight on the FAA B4UFLY app or the UAS Facility Maps webpage.
Have a current FAA registration, mark your drones on the outside with the registration number, and carry proof of registration with you when flying.
Beginning September 16, 2023, if your drone requires an FAA registration number it will be also required to broadcast Remote ID information.
Do not operate your drone in a manner that endangers the safety of the national airspace system.
Individuals violating any of these rules, and/or operating in a dangerous manner, may be subject to FAA enforcement action.
Flying drones can get complicated, but with the proper education, knowing the rules and regulations, being aware of wildlife and peoples’ privacy, the sport can bring great joy.
To learn more, visit the Forest Service’s Recreational Drone Tips page at https://www.fs.usda. gov/visit/know-before-you-go/ recreational-drone-tips.
Also see the FAA’s Recreational Flyers info on their main Drones page: https://www.faa.gov/uas.
Become a wildlife-friendly pilot at wildlife.ca.gov/Drones.
The FAA also regulates recreational flyers and provides tips, training and other useful information on their website www. faa.gov/uas/recreational_flyers regarding where and how to fly responsibly.
Search the Federal Aviation Administration website for current TFRs at http://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list. html.
Diane Sieker can be reached by email at dsieker@reedermedia. com
Keep a safe distance from other vehicles and do not tailgate Avoid hard and unnecessary braking
Make sure the vehicle’s wipers and defrost are in good working order. Visibility in the rain can be challenging enough without streaky wipers and a fogged up windshield. Products like Rain-X added to the glass help water course off the windows, allowing for better visibility.
Every turn in the road may present a flooded area, rocks in the road or a mud or debris flow, so be sure to drive cautiously and don’t overrun your headlights in nighttime inclement weather.
“After seeing light to moderate rain through most of the day, some localized areas are seeing ponding along roadways and low-lying areas,” the US National Weather Service in Sacramento advised last December as storms battered Northern California. “Be sure to drive safely if you encounter minor roadway flooding.”
According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, there are laws in place to help drivers stay safe in wet weather.
The California Vehicle Code requires motorists to turn on their headlights whenever visibility is reduced, such as when it rains or fog settles in. Turn your headlights on any time you have your windshield wipers on, so other drivers can see you better.
California’s DMV Driver’s Handbook also warns that when you can’t see any farther than 100 feet, you cannot safely drive faster than 30 mph. The DMV also suggests stopping to clear headlights of mud, debris, and ice when conditions require it.
The National Motorists Association advises to never use hazard lights or flashers to make your vehicle visible during a storm.
Hazard lights are meant to be used for a disabled vehicle leaving or on the side of the roadway, not as a rolling safety beacon. Flashers alert other motorists that you are turning out of lanes and may be driving at reduced speeds.
Heavy rain, fog, sleet or snow can sometimes get to be too much for a driver, especially on the highway or interstate. Don’t be afraid to pull over if conditions become too harsh. Slow down gradually, turn on your hazard lights and move your car towards the side of the road when it is safe to do so, or pull into a rest area or parking lot.
Maison Law, a California personal injury law firm with offices located in several Central Valley locations, adds that California’s Traffic Injury Mapping System, a tool that tracks accidents involving adverse conditions across the state, reported 909 accidents in Los Angeles County blamed on the weather in 2020. Those accidents led to 15 deaths and 1,197 injuries. San Diego recorded 364 accidents involving weather. Nine lives were claimed and 470 people suffered injuries.
California drivers are required by law to travel at speeds safe for conditions. Drivers are responsible for slowing down when road surfaces get slippery or visibility
is reduced. When they ignore conditions and cause an accident they can be held liable for any injuries or deaths they cause.
Sometimes drivers can stay home in inclement weather, but
for the most part, it is something we all have to learn to deal with safely and confidently.
Diane Sieker can be reached by email at dsieker@reedermedia. com
comfortably tucked into the south corner of the facility. Menu items are affordable and of excellent quality and quantity.
The Cahuilla Band of Indians opened the Cahuilla Casino in 1996. In 2019, they began building a new casino and added a hotel, rebranding as the Cahuilla Casino Hotel. The property is well planned out and designed. Ample parking, large hotel rooms with popular amenities, excellent dining, top notch games and entertainment plus courteous staff guarantee memorable experiences for guests.
The Cahuilla Casino Hotel is located at 52702 State Highway 371 in Anza. For more information, call (951)763-1200.
For more information on the Ribbonwood Grill, visit them at https://cahuillacasinohotel.com/ dining/.
Diane Sieker can be reached by email at dsieker@reedermedia. com
Do not use a generator indoors, as the engine exhaust is poisonous to breathe. These machines are designed to be run outside, in wellventilated areas.
Do not overfill the fuel tank.
Always allow room for fuel expansion due to temperature changes. Never fill the tank while the unit is running or hot. Allow the engine to cool completely before fueling.
Overloading the generator can seriously damage appliances and electronics. Do not operate more
equipment than the output rating of the generator is designed to handle.
Connecting a portable generator directly into your home’s wiring is not advised. This can back feed power onto the power lines connected to your home and injure neighbors or electric cooperative crews.
Plug individual appliances into the generator using heavy-duty cords with a wire gauge rating adequate for the appliance load.
Overloaded cords can cause fires or equipment damage. Do not use extension cords with exposed wires or worn insulation.
unknown and unseen car secretly lurking around the corner, waiting for her to appear so it can run her over. Basically, she’s afraid of getting run over.
I can’t tell you how many times she has increased the pace while crossing the street with me, and there is no car to be seen. I laugh at her every time, and most of the time, she even laughs at herself. I even run out ahead sometimes like a car is coming. She loves that one.
Obviously, this fear isn’t a crisis for my wife. But it does speak to a more profound fear we all have – the fear of the unknown.
Always start or stop the generator when electrical loads have been disconnected.
The generator must be properly grounded, if not, there is a risk of electrocution and serious injury.
Allow good clearance of at least five feet on all sides of the generator when it is operating.
Keep children and pets away from portable generators at all times.
Protect the unit from the elements such as snow or rain.
“Always use 91 octane, high test fuel with a stabilizer when in use,” said local mechanic Bud Elmore.
Are you going to choose to live in fear, afraid to take a step into the future? Or are you going to choose faith by stepping into the unknown and trusting in a God who does know?
When it comes to fear, God said, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand,” in Isaiah 41:10.
Here are three things you should know about fear and why faith is better.
“Ethanol fuel is the number one killer of fuel system components and California fuel has the most ethanol in their mixes. Oil changes should be done per the manufacturer’s specs and with a high quality oil. While in storage try to keep your generator covered, if not sealed in a container to prevent dirt and rodent damage.
Dirt can settle in components and cause damage to not only the engine but the electrical genset itself. Cycle your unit a few times during storage, especially if it has a battery, as batteries do not like to be dormant. Most importantly, always drain the fuel prior to storage. Empty the fuel
system by draining the tank and then running it dry. Next time it’s needed, use fresh fuel and all should be just fine and dandy.”
Adherence to the owner’s manual guidelines and common sense helps a homeowner to have a nearly painless experience when the lights go dark. Generators are a common addition to the garages of many homes in the Anza Valley, now more than ever. Take good care of them and they will be fully operational in your time of need.
Diane Sieker can be reached by email at dsieker@reedermedia. com
in Joshua 1:9.
Fear loses its grip when you seek God.
Have you ever noticed how fear and worry seem to dominate our minds? We can think of the worst-case scenario in a matter of seconds, and we mull it over and over in our minds until the fear becomes overwhelming.
The quickest way to get fear out of your mind is to put God into it. The Bible said, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears,” in Psalm 34:4. Fear can’t grip where God already has his hand.
you the power to overcome the mind tricks of the enemy. He helps you to discipline your thoughts and focus on faith. All the while knowing that God loves you.
Fear wants nothing more than to keep you from moving into all God has for you. But that’s not what God wants. He wants you to walk in his power. Full of faith instead of fear.
It’s the gift Jesus left us with when he said, “I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid,” in John 14:27.
My wife is afraid of crossing the street. It’s not a paralyzing fear, as if she’s frozen on the corner, afraid to take a step. It’s a fear of the
As we head into a new year, we face 365 days of the unknown. It can cause a lot of people to experience anxiety, panic and cold hard fear. We don’t know the future, but we wish we did.
The question is, what are you going to choose for your future?
You don’t need to fear because God is always with you.
Some of the most fearful times in life are when you feel alone, especially in dark times. But God gives us a command to “Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go,”
Though couples can plan wedding ceremonies and receptions how they see fit, many weddings are steeped in tradition, some of which may be more subtle than others. One longstanding wedding tradition revolves around a bride’s attire. Historians differ regarding the origins of the bridal veil, but some trace this tradition all the way back to Ancient Greece. Others suggest bridal veils were first popularized within the Roman Empire by people who believed that the veil protected the bride from evil spirits as she walked down the aisle.
Traditions surrounding bridal veils even differ within various faiths, so the veil may signify one
thing at a Jewish wedding and something entirely different at a Christian ceremony. Veils also have long been seen by some as symbolic of purity. Despite their long-held position in wedding lore and tradition, veils are no longer seen as a must-have. Nor are brides who choose to wear a veil beholden to having it cover their face as they walk down the aisle. In fact, many modern brides now flip their veils over their head as they walk down the aisle en route to saying, “I do.”
Regardless of how brides who opt for veils choose to wear them, there’s no denying the enduring popularity of this tradition.
The spirit of fear is not from God.
The Bible said, “God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline,” in 2 Timothy 1:7.
God’s Spirit doesn’t make you afraid. On the contrary, he gives
Zachary Elliott is the lead pastor of Fusion Christian Church in Temecula. For more information, visit http://www. fusionchristianchurch.com, http:// www.encouragementtoday.tv or find them on Instagram.
Data taken from multiple insurance reports and actuaries shows that the unexplained deaths started to spike in August, Sept. and Oct. of 2021 after President Biden signed an Executive Order forcing corporations, military and professional sports organizations to give their people the experimental shots.
Julie Reeder Publisher
The collapse of Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin during an NFL Monday Night Football game was a shocking and sad event with national attention. Medical professionals provided immediate support on the field, and prayers started.
Why are doctors and experts attributing Hamlin’s heart problems and sudden collapse to everything but the COVID shot he and others were forced to take despite the number of young athlete deaths?
It’s the new normal for the healthiest young people on the planet to drop dead and their deaths are blamed on anything but the COVID shots. It’s unpopular to talk about the spike in strokes, blood clots and was the reason for coining a new term, “Sudden Adult Death Syndrome.”
Pfizer and Moderna didn’t need any sales pitch for COVID shots, since the products were developed, ordered, purchased, promoted, defended, indemnified and even mandated by our own government. Then anyone who dissented or asked questions was censored and ridiculed.
Edward Dowd, author of ‘Cause Unknown’ and a former BlackRock Managing Director, on a recent podcast said, “The number of people dying and disabled from the COVID shots are staggering. The wheels of justice are slowing grinding. The message I’m trying to get out is to just stop taking the shot.”
He continued, “There has been an astounding 84% increase in excess mortality among healthy millennials between the ages of 25 and 44 in the second half of 2021. The vaccination has proven far more dangerous to young people than COVID itself.”
In Dowd’s new book, “‘Cause Unknown’: The Epidemic of Sudden Deaths in 2021 and 2022,” he explores the rise in sudden fatalities among young, healthy
people beginning in 2021. He also documents the hundreds of cardiac deaths in athletes since June 2021 and shows that what they all had in common was the mRNA COVID-19 shot which has a documented and proven adverse effect and known risk of myocarditis, especially in young men. The book has QR codes with a link to all the data and backup documents.
In 2021 and 2022 Dowd started seeing a shift from older people dying to younger healthy people. He said, “There’s something new going on and it’s undeniable and true. We rarely had a month with 29 deaths before August 2021 and now we have 100 or 150 a month. We catalog those stories that the health officials don’t seem to care about. There’s a new term now to describe unexplained deaths of people in the prime of their livesSudden Adult Death Syndrome.”
He continues, “From February 2021 to March 2022, millennials experienced the equivalent of a Vietnam war, with more than 60,000 excess deaths. The Vietnam war took 12 years to kill the same number of healthy young people we’ve just seen die in 12 months.”
Young people have a death rate from COVID-19 that is .00003% or statistically zero, making the vaccine unnecessary in the first place.
During 2020 we all portrayed tickers with the number of people who died from COVID-19. Then
we started seeing that many of those people died “with” COVID-19, not always “from” COVID-19. But no one seems to care about the thousands of young people dying post Aug 2021 all over the world in vaccinated countries.
Matt Le Tissier, Global Star Footballer is quoted in ‘Cause Unknown,’ “Never seen anything like it. I played for 17 years. I don’t think I saw one person in 17 years have to come off the football pitch with breathing difficulties, clutching their heart, heart problems. But, in the last year, it’s just been unbelievable how many people, not just footballers, sports people in general – tennis players, cricketers, basketball players, just how many are just keeling over. And at some point, surely you have to say, “This isn’t right, this needs to be investigated.”
Dowd reports the shots were known to be deadly from the beginning from information found in a FOIA request. “During trials the all-cause mortality of the Pfizer product failed. There were 21 deaths in the vaccine cohort and 17 died in the non vaxxed cohort. But it was approved anyway. You don’t push a product that fails the gold standard of testing with more people dying with the product.”
Then people were forced to be vaccinated despite the fact that they didn’t have informed consent and the ingredients weren’t published as to what was in the shot.
Dowd also points out that
the pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer have prior fraud convictions among other issues.
The San Diego Communications Office this month sent out a press release to remind everyone that, “If someone does drop from a cardiac issue, medical experts say every second counts once cardiac arrest has brought about the abrupt loss of heart function, breathing, and consciousness. Quick actions like CPR and defibrillation can improve outcomes while waiting for medical professionals to arrive.”
In their press release they write, “CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is used when the heart can’t pump blood to the rest of the body. It uses chest compressions to mimic how the heart pumps. Many organizations like the American Heart Association and YMCA provide CPR certification courses.
“An AED can also help someone in cardiac arrest. They are located in many public places, and you can download and use the PulsePoint AED app to help build a regional registry of where the defibrillators are located. The app is the companion to the PulsePoint Respond app, which notifies nearby responders of a cardiac emergency, providing a map of the location and nearby approved AEDs.”
Being ready in case of an emergency could save someone’s life who is near or dear to you.
The residents of the Valley who attend the local city council meetings or watch them online will be seeing a number of new faces with seven newly elected or appointed members now sworn into office and taking their seats on the different daises.
The new members are on the city councils of Menifee, Murrieta, Wildomar, Temecula, Hemet and San Jacinto councils and most likely will bring new ideas to the council and to the city staff that could make the years 2023 to 2024 the most memorable to those cities.
The only city in the Valley News coverage area that will have no changes for the next year will be in Lake Elsinore where voters choose to keep their council as it was in the past two years.
While the majority members remain the same on the 5 member councils there could be some changes to what the city sees in their short term strategic
plans for citizens quality of life, capital projects, infrastructure, city communication, traffic and transportation.
The major city council membership changes were seen in the cities of Temecula where newly elected members Curtis Brown and Brandon Kalfus sit, and in Murrieta where appointed member Jon Levell and Ron Holliday take their council seats. The Menifee City Council has one new member, Ricky Estrada, Wildomar City Council with Carlos Marquez; Hemet City Council with Jackie Peterson in District 2 and San Jacinto with Valerie Vandever at large.
Those former councilmembers termed out this past year after serving many years on their councils included Jonathon Ingram, former mayor of Murrieta; Menifee Council Member Matthew Liesemeyer, and Wildomar’s Ben Benoit who now is Riverside County’s elected auditor controller.
Interesting in Temecula on the city council now are council
This letter is about the two part op-ed by Julie Reeder on the subject of Critical Race Theory. I think it is absolutely essential that all Americans sit up and take notice of Julie’s work. The summary that I take from her two articles is that this CRT is very dangerous to the health and well being of our democracy, our freedom, and our way of life. My wife and I have obtained one of the books Julie refers to in the article and have begun reading more on this subject. Ladies and gentlemen,
the cancer of CRT is far more dangerous to us than the foolish prank that turned catastrophic on Jan 6 when the age-old factor of mob rule took over a bunch of people trying to demonstrate. The city of Temecula had it right when they enacted a prohibition against this being taught in their schools. Good work, Valley News. And bravo to Julie Reeder.
members Kalfus and Brown, both former firefighters who may weigh in on the city’s fire department issues which is now contracted out with the Riverside County Fire Department aligned with Calfire and other public safety issues that are of major concern for Temecula residents.
Menifee councilmember Estrada, who worked very hard to win his election, becoming one of the youngest to serve on growing Menifee’s council, is particularly interested in the city transportation plans, traffic and serving its residents with better communication. He once unsuccessfully ran against Menifee Mayor Bill Zimmerman and lost the at-large position several years ago. They will now serve together.
Murrieta’s new councilmember Jon Levell, who was actually appointed to his position by the old city council in August, 2022 to serve for the next four years, comes out of the Murrieta City Planning Commission and is very familiar with the city’s future
building plans. His new fellow council member Ron Holliday, a long-time city resident and friend of Ingram, sees public safety as his first concern for the residents in the next four years.
The current Wildomar City Council members were pleased to welcome Marquez to the council who has been a longtime supporter of Wildomar and active in many of its activities with his family who swore him in to his new office.
New San Jacinto City Council member Valerie Vandever comes to the council with a strong knowledge of how governments work after retiring as a Riverside County employee and very interested in better community service for the homeless and those in need. She will work alongside fellow candidate Alonso Ladezma who was elected again for another four years. Both are at large positions.
Hemet Council will see Jaculin “Jackie” Peterson, District 2, take her seat. She is a Navy veteran and active member of Hemet’s
American Legion Post and a supporter of veterans and active duty service members. She is also a strong advocate of cleaning up the city. She carefully watches the city’s tax measures. She joins longtime council member Linda Krupa who was reelected for another term and another former Marine and Mayor Joe Males. Karlee Meyeer remains in her District 1 seat.
In this year of great political turmoil, confusion and uncertainty in the nation, all residents are urged to take a bigger part in learning about their own local governments and supporting those things that will be most important to them and their families in the communities where they live.
Local city council meetings are online, either through Facebook or on the city’s own websites. All allow residents to participate in those meetings in person or online and welcome their views on current agenda issues.
RIVERSIDE – This January, the American Red Cross and Pro Football Hall of Famer and blood donor Peyton Manning are asking people to score big for patients in need – while getting a chance to win a trip to Super Bowl LVII in Arizona – by giving blood or platelets.
The start of the new year marks National Blood Donor Month. It is a time to celebrate those who generously roll up a sleeve to keep blood products stocked for hospitals providing critical care. As the busy holiday season winds down and the threat of severe winter weather and seasonal illness cases continue to rise, January can be a tough time for donors to make and keep appointments.
Step off the sidelines and resolve to donate blood or platelets. To book a time to give, visit http:// RedCrossBlood.org , download the Red Cross Blood Donor App or call 800-733-2767. In partnership with the National Football League, those who come to give blood, platelets or plasma until Tuesday, Jan. 31, will be automatically entered to win a trip for two to Super Bowl LVII in Arizona, including access to dayof, in-stadium pre-game activities, tickets to the official Super Bowl Experience, round-trip airfare to Phoenix, three-night hotel accommodations Feb. 10-13, plus a $500 gift card for expenses.
To lead the offense against a potential winter blood shortage, Manning invited the public to join him in helping save lives.
“If everyone does their part and we collectively commit to donating blood, we can stack up more wins for hospital patients who are counting on us. A single
individual is certainly impactful, but a whole team of people coming together to donate has an even greater effect,” Manning said.
How to donate blood
Remember to download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit http://RedCrossBlood. org , call 800-733-2767 or enable the Blood Donor Skill
on any Alexa Echo device to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states, weigh at least 110 pounds and
are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health
history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, before arriving at the blood drive. To get started, follow the instructions at http://RedCrossBlood.org/ RapidPass or use the Blood Donor App.
Submitted by American Red Cross.
RIVERSIDE – School-based mental health services in Riverside County are receiving a boost after a U.S. Department of Education School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program awarded $15.6 million to the Riverside County Office of Education.
“Mental health services are an educational imperative for student success, and this grant will expand access to school-based services for thousands of students from diverse and economically disadvantaged backgrounds,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez.
“The community looks to our public school system to meet the educational needs of all students, and the increased need for mental health services at local schools and districts will benefit students
in the classroom, families in the community, and our region as a whole.”
“As a former educator, I know from my time in the classroom that access to culturally competent mental health services is instrumental to a student’s success,” said Rep. Mark Takano. “I’m thrilled to see this robust funding come to Riverside, equipping our schools with the resources needed to train and retain the mental health professionals that will serve our students.”
The program will initially serve students in Jurupa USD, Beaumont USD, and Moreno Valley USD. In addition, students in local educational agencies across Riverside County will be served over the five-year span of
the grant.
Three primary objectives of the grant include: Recruitment of school-based licensed mental health providers and interns
Mental health service delivery Retention of mental health providers and interns through professional development, scholarship program, and other retention activities
Proposed outcomes of the grant through 2027 include: Increasing school-based providers from diverse backgrounds, increasing access by lowering the ratio of students to counselors, and increasing retention of current providers.
For more information on the grant program, please contact Kathy King, Director, Leadership,
Wellness and Student Services Division, at the Riverside County Office of Education, at kking@ rcoe.us or 951.826.6557.
In accordance with Division H, Title V, Section 505 of Public Law 116-260, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, the following information is provided:
The percentage of the total costs of the program or project which will be financed with Federal money is 75%.
Dollar amount of Federal funds for the project or program ($15,685,682)
The percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of the project or program that will be financed by non-governmental sources is 25% or $4,677,438
About the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE) RCOE is a service agency supporting the county’s 23 school districts that serve nearly 430,000 students or more than the student population of 17 states. RCOE services include administrative support to districts, programs for preschool, special education, pregnant minor, correctional, migrant, and vocational students. In addition, the organization provides professional training, support and resources for more than 18,000 teachers, administrators and staff throughout the 7,000 square miles of Riverside County. Learn more at www.rcoe.us.
