SAGE Society to present ‘Fossils of the Inland Empire’

HEMET – The SAGE Society of Hemet will present “Fossils of the Inland Empire” at the Ramona Room behind Miller-Jones Mortuary Wednesday Feb. 15.

The Inland Empire has a long and rich fossil history. Tiny, three-toed horses roamed the hillsides 18 million years ago, while mastodons, mammoths and giant ground sloths lived here during the more recent Ice Age. This presentation will explore the variety of extinct animals that once roamed Hemet and beyond over a span of millions of years –from camels, to tapirs, to strange invertebrates.

Brittney Elizabeth Stoneburg is a vertebrate paleontologist and the collections manager for the Western Science Center, a natural history museum in Hemet. She studies extinct mammals and is passionate about all forms of scientific outreach and communication. Stoneburg said when she’s not hunting for fossils, she enjoys baking, playing video games and reading as many books as she can get her hands on.

Social time begins at 1:30 p.m., and the presentation will follow at 2 p.m. The public is welcome to attend. The Ramona Room at MillerJones Mortuary is located at 1501

Brittney Stoneburg is a vertebrate paleontologist and the collections manager for the Western Science Center, a natural history museum in Hemet.

Valley News/Courtesy photo W. Florida Avenue, Hemet. Parking is in the rear.

The SAGE Society of Hemet, which stands for “Search for Adventure in Greater Education,” provides a forum for people to engage in programs and activities of intellectual stimulation.

Submitted by SAGE Society

As part of the fun at the MUSD Resource and Enrollment Fair held at the school district’s headquarters Jan. 28, a free raffle gives away prizes to visiting children as well as providing valuable information on the school and community resources available. Valley News/Tony Ault photos California Pivotal Practices Award Winner, MUSD innovatively serves students from preschool

STUDENTS from page B-1 she meshes it with a really amazing modern Gothic edge.” Kaylee said one of her driving motivations since she was very young was to be creative and expressive. “Creating art doesn’t just allow me to become a better artist, but to raise my own self-esteem and to continue to impress myself with my skills,” she said. “I’ve always felt it was important to stay true to my creative passions rather than to acclimate to social norms and traditions. I’m an advocate for disability awareness. My little brother Jacob was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. It is crucial that everyone is treated with dignity and respect and our lives should be centered around unity and compassion for others. Growing up with an emotionally and physically absent father put the weight of parenting on my mom. She encouraged me to be myself and celebrate my uniqueness and go above and beyond when it came to my academic career.” Kaylee plans to attend Riverside Community College in the fall and pursue a career in cosmetology.

San Jacinto Unified School District

Emily Gates

San Jacinto High School Air Force Jr.ROTC is led by Emily Gates, who serves as unit commander to nearly 170 cadets. Lt. Col. Michael How ard prefaced Emily’s time at the podium by saying, “It’s our goal to teach students the Air Force core values of integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do, to develop citizens of character, through 8th grade. The Superintendent of MUSD Schools is Dr. Jennifer Root, and it is governed dedicated to serving our nation and community. Only a select few, like Emily, will rise to the top because they internalize those values and turn them into actions.” Emily said that while all three core values are equally important, it is the second one that has resonated with her the most. “Since the beginning of my Jr.ROTC career, service before self has been at the forefront of who I am as a commander because I believe that in order for my unit to succeed, it needs a leader that’s willing to set personal matters aside and take the time to be there, listen attentively and take action.” Emily plans to attend a private military college in Vermont where she will major in criminology before commissioning into the Air Force as an officer Grace Truslow Mountain View’s Grace Truslow was nominated by Mrs. Ochoa who said that teachers at traditional schools get to know their students over time. “I just met Grace in August and I’m already so impressed with her,” she said, adding that Grace is spearheading an art project at the alternative high school and has joined ASB. She recently shared a butterfly tattoo she had gotten on the back of her neck with her teacher who said she found some quotes about butterflies that made her realize that Grace could not have made a better choice. “The butterfly is a beacon of light and hope that comforts and inspires us as we navigate through the complex mix of trials and triumphs that unfold in all of our lives. Just as the butterfly has to undergo different development stages to come out stronger and more beautiful than by a Board of Directors. Tony Ault can be reached at tault@reedermedia.com. ever, you too must accept change and lose the parts of yourself that hold you back.” Grace feels her most significant contribution to her school and home has been her creative mind and inquisitiveness. She plans to attend a two-year college and then enlist in the military. She said she has gone through a lot this past year, starting with her and her younger sister being placed into the foster care system. “Although it’s been rough, I’m proud of myself for pushing through. Even though it’s been rough losing friends and family, I plan on making the best of the situation and the opportunities given me,” Grace said. “If there’s anything I’ve learned through the hardships, it’s that despite your shortcomings and disadvantages in life, if you keep pushing through, the end result will be worthwhile.”

Closing remarks

Zermeno asked all the honored students to stand and be applauded once more. “Know that your challenges have formed the amazing human beings you are today,” she told them. Hemet Unified School District Director of Secondary Education Nereyda Gonzalez said a recent school holiday honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “who inspired us to live in service to others. The students we heard from today are living that every day. One of my favorite quotes from Dr. King is ‘darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.’ So, students, thank you for being the light that has inspired us today.”

For more information, www. studentofthemonth.net