High school basketball leagues season preview, B-10
Old Town Temecula Farmers’ Market a veritable treasure trove of goodies, A-11
VALLEY
A
Section
NEWS
January 15 – 21, 2016
Local
Rezoning of land at Auld Road approved
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Volume 16, Issue 3
First El Niño storms of the season drenches area with much needed rain
Joe Naiman Valley News Correspondent The Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved a rezone of approximately 4 1/2 acres at the southeast corner of Auld Road and Dickson Path. The vote changes the zoning of the Rancho California property from light agriculture to general commercial zoning. see page A-4
Local
MVHS students prep for state competitions Paul Bandong Staff Writer It was pouring rain outside the Council Chambers of Murrieta’s City Hall, but that didn’t dampen the spirits of 12 aspiring high school entrepreneurs as they presented their company business plans to a panel of community leaders. see page A-4
Motorists had a wet commute on Interstate 215 near Newport Road in Menifee during a strong storm system that drenched much of Southern California Jan. 6. Shane Gibson photo
Kim Harris Managing Editor
Local
Murrieta mom raises thousands for charity Ashley Ludwig Staff Writer Corie Maue of Murrieta wears many hats – the mother of four, business owner, reality television personality and home business entrepreneur gives back to charity every month, all due to a promise made at the birth of her oldest son. see page A-7
Entertainment
TVFF announces new attractions Kim Harris Managing Editor A plethora of new and exciting exhibits along with many returning favorites from last year will be available for eager fairgoers at the second annual Temecula Valley Family Fair, sponsored by Temecula Valley Toyota Scion. see page A-13
Community
Calicinto Ranch offers children hope Tony Ault Writer Calicinto Ranch in San Jacinto, is giving children of prisoners throughout Riverside County hope thanks to a child’s cry to God in a Sunday School classroom for his daddy who was taken away to prison in 2002. see page B-1
The first El- Niño driven storms of the season pounded the area early last week, bringing with it torrential rains, punishing winds and destructive flooding to the area.
Murrieta and Temecula’s Wine country were the big winners in terms of rainfall recorded with automated gauges collecting 3.91 inches of rain and 3.3 inches, respectively. Temecula collected 2.25 inches, Lake Elsinore and Wildomar both recorded 2.78 inches, Menifee had 2.64 inches of
rainfall. South Temecula reported 2.03 inches of the wet stuff. Murrieta collected more than half of the average annual rainfall amount over the three-day storm as did Menifee which used a manual rain gauge on-site, according to www.weathercurrents.com. Flooding was reported through-
out the area, including Murrieta Hot Springs Road in Murrieta and Via Montezuma in Temecula. Several streets in Menifee were closed due to water overtaking the roadway. Several flash flood warnings were issued throughout the duration of
see RAIN, page A-3
Local mayors cite growth, safety in State of the Cities Address at local luncheon Paul Bandong Staff Writer The Mayors of four local cities – Menifee, Murrieta, Temecula and Lake Elsinore – emphasized growth and public safety as they spoke to hundreds at a local luncheon held by the Women’s Council of Realtors at the offices of the Southwest Riverside County Association of REALTORS® Jan. 5. The luncheon was sponsored by Chase Bank. MENIFEE Mayor Scott Mann referred to Menifee as being in the early stages of the “product lifecycle,” having just recently celebrated its seventh birthday and growing from 65,000 to 85,000 residents during that recessionary period. Menifee was one of only 12 cities (out of 4000) that were showcased at the recent
see CITIES, page A-8
The Women’s Council of Realtors hosted four local mayors to share their State of the City Addresses Jan. 5. Pictured from left are Temecula Mayor Mike Naggar, Murrieta Mayor Randon Lane, WCR President Dee Feather, Lake Elsinore Mayor Steve Manos, and Menifee Mayor Scott Mann. Paul Bandong photo
Vive La Paris! Spirit of Great Oak Marching Band and Guard performs in ‘City of Light’ Kim Harris Managing Editor For one group of Great Oak High School students, the New Year holiday gave them the opportunity to learn about a new culture and visit a foreign country when 140 students from the school’s marching band were given the opportunity to perform live in Paris. The spirit of Great Oak Marching Band and Guard were invited to perform in the city’s annual New Year’s Day parade, Le Grande Parade de Paris – Champs Elysees, and quickly jumped on the chance. Students in grades nine through 12, with a few select eighth-graders
thrown in for good measure, held fundraisers to help pay for the seven-day trip which cost more than $3,000 per student. “Fundraising for the trip really went for the essentials not provided, for example, the ground transportation to and from LAX,” said Jerry Burdick-Rutz, director of The Spirit of Great Oak Performing Ensembles. In addition to the students who went to the city as part of the band, 130 parents, friends and family members also took the trip to support the students, Burdick-Rutz said. The Spirit of Great Oak Band & Guard on the Champs de Mars before the New Year’s Day Parade, Jan. 1, 2016 Courtesy photo
see PARIS, page A-6