Free spinning and weaving class offered at Hamilton Museum

The Hamilton Museum in Anza announced a free spinning and weaving class to be held on four consecutive Wednesdays beginning next month. Interested persons can join David Juhasz for a series of no-charge classes to learn the basics of these home arts Feb. 8, 15, 22 and March 1, beginning at 11 a.m. He will use a step-by-step process to teach the techniques of each craft, with the main focus on the fundamentals of using a spinning wheel.

Classes are open to young teens and adults. Not just for beginners, the class also welcomes those who already spin and weave, according to the museum.

Located between Coachella Valley and the coastal communities of Southern California, the Hamilton Museum is a one-of-akind facility that gives a visitor an idea of the unique western lifestyle that prevailed in the local mountain communities until recent years.

Through old photos, documents, artifacts and a restored homestead house, visitors explore the past, learning how the Cahuilla people and early settlers lived before the arrival of paved roads, electricity and telephones in the 1950s. Hamilton Museum and Ranch Foundation, a California nonprofit corporation was formed in the Spring of 2002 and has rapidly become an important asset to Anza.

or rear wheels. Four wheel drive vehicles with 4x4 engaged, drivers chain up the front steering wheels or the rear wheels.

Additionally, from Nov. 1 to April 1, all vehicles are required to carry tire chains or cables when they enter a chain control area, even if it isn’t snowing.

Drivers can be fined and be in big trouble for damages if involved in an accident where chains may have prevented an out-of-control situation. If you get stuck and need to be towed, you will also incur that cost, which may be substantial.

At the end of the chain control area, motorists must find a safe area to get off the road and remove their traction control devices.

On the busier highways, chain installers or chain monkeys are certified people that will charge a fee to install and remove chains for you. Charges vary, and cash is

The Hamilton Museum will be holding a free spinning and weaving class in February.

The museum is open for visitors on Wednesday and Saturday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. There is no charge to visit but annual memberships or donations are encouraged. Ample king with these services. Caltrans issues chain installers specific permits, and they even have to pass a test that involves untangling a set of chains and installing them on a vehicle in less than five minutes. Chain monkeys can be identified by a badge that they are required to wear. If you use these services, note the badge number and get a receipt. Chain installers are not permitted to sell or rent chains.

Control areas can change rapidly because of changing weather and road conditions. The Caltrans Highway Information Network allows drivers to check road conditions often. Motorists may telephone 800-427-7623 for up-to-the-minute information in California and Western Nevada. The network is updated as conditions change, and is voice-activated for safety and convenience. For up-to-date road conditions and closures, you can also follow CaltransHQ on parking is available. For further information on the classes,content and availability, contact David Juhasz at desert60@ hotmail.com

Twitter or Facebook or check road conditions on their website or their app for your smartphone.

Most car rental companies will not supply chains, and many even forbid their use. If chains are installed, the renter may be responsible for damages to the vehicle as a result. Check with your rental company before taking any chances.

Many auto parts or big box stores will not accept returns on snow chains for any reason. Walmart is a prime example; they have signs posted advising of their strict no-return policy. However aggravating, the purpose of chains is to keep people and property safe. It is best to know the ins and out of these seasonal traction devices to avoid a slippery disaster.

Diane Sieker can be reached by email at dsieker@reedermedia. com

The Hamilton Museum and Ranch Foundation is located at 39991 Contreras Rd. in Anza. Visit them at www. hamiltonmuseum.org/site/main

Valley News/Adobe Stock photo or www.facebook.com/profile. php?id=100089590387522. Diane Sieker can be reached by email at dsieker@reedermedia. com

HOLES from page D-1 freezing in the colder months, rain and snow get into road surface cracks. The water freezes and expands, pushing the asphalt and making cracks bigger, causing even more potholes. Potholes and poorly repaired potholes are some of the most aggravating conditions motorists encounter on Anza Valley roadways.

Caltrans advises do your best to avoid hitting potholes and possibly causing damage to your automobile. If a collision is imminent, slow down, then coast into and out of the obstacle. If you apply your brakes while the car is in the pothole, it may cause more damage to your vehicle than if you simply coast through. Coasting reduces the speed at impact and allows the car’s suspension to travel its full range to absorb the shock of that impact.

The State of California may pay for damages and advises motorists that if they hit a pothole and suffer injuries or damages to their vehicle, they must first find out who owns the stretch of roadway and what part of the government collects the claims. The California Department of Transportation can reimburse damages caused on freeways and state highways, such as State Highway 371. The agency will pay up to $10,000 in repairs. Other roads are maintained by county and city governments.

However, not all jurisdictions provide compensation for drivers whose cars are damaged by potholes.

Caltrans owns or controls

350,000 acres of Right of Way and maintains 15,133 centerline miles of highway and 13,063 state highway bridges. The Department also inspects over 12,200 local bridges and manages more than 50,000 miles of California’s highway and freeway lanes.

Can you make an insurance claim if your vehicle sustains damage from a pothole encounter?

According to Progressive.com , yes, but only if you carry optional collision coverage. This can cover you if you hit an obstacle such as a guard rail, telephone pole or pothole. Although potholes usually cause only minor damage to a tire or wheel, hitting one can harm a vehicle’s alignment, steering system or suspension. However, it’s only worth filing a claim for pothole damage if the repair costs are higher than your deductible. Typically, deductible amounts can range anywhere from $100 to $2,000 depending on your insurer.

Additionally, Progressive says that if you suspect there’s significant damage to your vehicle, have it inspected by a licensed mechanic. Once you’ve received an estimate for repairs, you can determine whether it’s worth filing a claim.

Your automobile insurance should cover pothole damage regardless of how deep the pothole was, assuming you have collision coverage and the repair costs exceed your deductible.

Progressive also advises drivers to take photos of the pothole, the surrounding area and the vehicle as documentation immediately after the incident. Note the location of the pothole, as well as the time of day and the weather conditions. It’s also a good idea to contact the local non-emergency police line to report the incident and have a police report filled out. The more documentation you have, the better when filing a claim.

However, in many instances, it doesn’t make sense to file a claim, says Progressive. Since hitting a pothole is considered a singlevehicle accident, your insurer will usually find you at fault for the incident unless there’s evidence that another vehicle caused you

COURTS & CRIMES

Menifee mother charged with fleeing with children into Mexico

City News Service

Special to Valley News

A 41-year-old Menifee woman accused of fleeing with her two children during a child custody exchange and leading law enforcement officers on a pursuit into Mexico, where she eluded capture for one night, was charged on Thursday, Jan. 19 with two counts of child concealing and other offenses.

Katheryn Rose Broersma was arrested by federal authorities Sunday, Jan. 15 at the San Ysidro border crossing in San Diego County.

Along with the child concealing counts, Broersma is charged with two counts of child endangerment and a misdemeanor count of violating a court order.

Broersma was slated to make her initial court appearance at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta Thursday, Jan. 19.

She was being held in lieu of $35,000 bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside. However, prosecutors are seeking to increase the bond requirement to $100,000.

According to Menifee police

Capt. Heriberto Gutierrez, about 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, Broersma met with relatives of her former partner, whose identity was not disclosed, in the 29000 block of Antelope Road, near Wendover Road, to return her 6- and 8-yearold children to their father.

Gutierrez said that after the children were situated in the relatives’ vehicle, Broersma jumped behind the wheel and sped away, prompting immediate calls to 911.

“Family members were able to track the suspect via her cell phone, and she was located in the area of the Interstate 215/60 freeway (interchange),” the captain said. He said sheriff’s deputies signaled the defendant to pull over, but she refused, “and a vehicle pursuit ensued.”

“The vehicle traveled into the San Diego area, where officers from the Escondido Police Department took over the pursuit,” Gutierrez said. “The suspect was able to evade officers when she crossed the border and entered into Mexico.”

No effort was made to track the vehicle in Tijuana.

Gutierrez said U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents were alerted to the alleged parental abduction and advised that Broersma might attempt to reenter the country, which she did the following morning.

The captain said agents stopped the vehicle at the border crossing about 8 a.m. and took the defendant into custody without incident. The children, who were uninjured, were returned to their father the same day.

Broersma has no documented prior felony or misdemeanor convictions in Riverside County.