Valley News - February 10, 2023

Menifee council tables request to make mayor’s post a rotating position among 5 city districts

Tony Ault Staff Writer

The Menifee City Council discussed but tabled another suggestion to change the city governance structure from its current elected four district and at-large mayor system to a five district yearly rotating system at the Wednesday, Feb. 1, regular meeting.

Call for vendors at Temecula’s 2nd annual CultureFest

TEMECULA ─ In commemoration of World Cultural Awareness Day, Temecula will host the second annual Temecula CultureFest Saturday, May 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in Town Square Park, 41902 Main Street, and at Sam Hicks Monument Park, 41970 Moreno Road, in Old Town Temecula.

Temecula Valley students honored in January

Diane A. Rhodes Special to Valley News

The Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce Student of the Month program, recognizing and inspiring academic excellence since 1993, held its most recent recognition breakfast on Jan. 12 at the Murrieta Sizzler restaurant, 40489 Murrieta Hot Springs Rd. 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.

Temecula father takes ‘A Walk for Justice’

Valley News

On Feb. 27, the parents and sisters of Alexandra Capelouto will appear in a Riverside courtroom to share their victim impact statements with a judge who will decide the sentence for the man found guilty of poisoning Alexandra with fentanyl.

In an effort to bring light to the out-of-control problem of illicit fentanyl finding its way into the hands of unsuspecting victims, Alexandra’s father Matt will take “A Walk for Justice” from Temecula to Riverside in the days leading up to the sentencing hearing. He also wants to raise funds and promote awareness for his nonprofit, DrugInducedHomicide.org. During his trek, he plans to share his story and be joined by other families who have suffered in the same way.

On the morning of Dec 23, 2019, Christine Capelouto found

Capelouto with his daughter Alexandra in 2012.

Diane A. Rhodes Special to Valley

Menifee council tables request to make mayor’s post a rotating position among 5 city districts

Tony Ault Staff Writer

The Menifee City Council discussed but tabled another suggestion to change the city governance structure from its current elected four district and at-large mayor system to a five district yearly mayorial rotating system at the Wednesday, Feb. 1, regular meeting.

The suggestion would have changed the current city council structure to five elected city council members and an at-large mayor. It was the second time the issue has come before the voters since 2018 when the city voters rejected the proposal.

Currently, the city council members include one elected from each of its four districts, while the mayor is elected separately. Although the mayor is elected separately, the position still holds only an honorary voice in city affairs, as the city’s day-to-day business is handled by the city manager, Armando.G. Villa. Most cities that surround Menifee are governed through an elected five district council with a yearly rotating mayor with the exception of San Jacinto which has an at-large elected council. The surrounding city councils hire

a city manager to run the day-today city business with the council’s direction.

The suggestion was made by current Mayor Pro Tem Bob Karwin who suggested the change again, because the city’s projected growth would reach 150,000 or more residents at build out and would render a separately elected mayor many more responsibilities.

He praised the current Mayor Bill Zimmerman for his many years of service and his dedication in promoting the city.

Karwin said that as the city grew, having five districts instead of four districts would be a better option, giving those new residents better representation and reducing each elected council member’s overall workload. Elected council members are not paid, but instead volunteer their time except for a small stipend, some travel and medical coverage.

Joining the discussion, Council members Dean Deines and Lesa Sobek said spending another anticipated $100,000 in a municipal e lection to change the system which residents would most likely not pass again, wasn’t the best idea. The city clerk, Sarah Manwaring, estimated the cost for the council, but she said it couldn’t be done

until the next election cycle in two years and it wouldn’t go into effect until 2027 or 2028.

Council member Ricky Estrada said the idea should be set aside because “the voters have spoken.” He was referring to the previous election that kept the city governance system as it is. Zimmerman said Karwin’s idea had merit, but the voters wanted to keep their council as is with an elected mayor. He agreed the suggestion should be tabled for a much later discussion after more was heard from voters.

The council heard quarterly reports from interim police Capt. David Gutierrez and fire Chief Lonny Olsen. Gutierrez said in the last three months, from November to December 2022, the department received 12,859 calls and officers responded to 4,292 of those calls. The officers made 135 felony arrests; most of those were parole violations and assaults. They made 119 misdemeanor arrests with 30 of those were for driving under the influence.

He said there were 869 alarms sounded, yet only one was an actual burglary or fire. The false alarms were about even for commercial and residential, but overall false alarm calls were down 10% from the earlier quarter

GoMicro on-demand ride service begins

HEMET – GoMicro is Riverside Transit Agency’s on-demand service that offers shared rides in the Hemet-San Jacinto microtransit zone. GoMicro provides an easy way to schedule and track trips in real-time. Book trips in the app for an easy way to get around without having to transfer when traveling within the zone. Trips can be booked in real-time so travelers can get to their destination quicker.

On-demand service means people can access service when

they need it, instead of having to plan a trip around a bus route schedule. The wait time is a maximum of 60 minutes from time of reservation to time of pickup from the requested location within the service zone. GoMicro service is a flexible transit solution where riders can book a ride that connects stops within the microtransit zone.

Service is provided in vehicles that make short trips within the service area. Riders don’t hail a GoMicro vehicle from the curb,

like they would a bus. Trips must be scheduled in advance and are only available within the designated zone. GoMicro uses minibuses to help you travel with ease. GoMicro vehicles are Americans with Disabilities Act-friendly and seat up to 12 passengers. Bike racks and free Wi-Fi are available on all of the vehicles. GoMicro operates Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. To help people book their trips, the GoMicro

Olsen shared the report from his department. Menifee contracts with Riverside County Fire Department and CalFire, which received 3,338 calls during the last quarter, with five structure fires. Paramedics responded to 179 traffic collisions with two fatalities. The Menifee department took 339 of those calls outside of the city and answered 168 inside of the city.

Sobek was asked why so many calls were outside the city. Olsen said it was because there are many new homes built east of the city which are now occupied and need county fire and rescue assistance. A new fire station is being planned for that area to help respond to those calls and relieve the burden to city stations.

A consent item, No. 10.5, asked the council to approve $2,215,000 for the purchase of a Bank of America property at 26800 Cherry Hills Blvd. in Sun City that would expand the Municipal Police Departments current substation by several thousand feet and provide a 35 space parking lot.

The council learned the purchase would come almost entirely from American Rescue Funds with approximately $500,000 of that for required improvements made through Capital Improvement

Funding. That was approved by a 5-0 council vote allowing the city manager to pursue the purchase.

A discussion on consent item No. 10.6 led to council approval of the design services of NV5 for the planned Murrieta Road bridge over Salt Creek that would bring an additional two lanes to the highway with bicycle and pedestrian paths. The cost of the design element is not to exceed $1.78 million. The crossing now is subject to flooding during heavy rainstorms and more traffic is expected on Murrieta Road in future with more housing coming in the east along Salt Creek.

Estrada cast the only nay vote on consent item No. 10.7 that sought to allow the city manager to make a professional services agreement with KTU&A for a Menifee Complete Streets Plan for $244,349 which was $35,000 higher than the lowest bidder. Estrada said he did not see why the selection was made for the higher cost firm when there was only a 1% review difference in the interviews. He was told the higher priced firm had a slightly higher satisfaction record ;and experience that led to the final decision.

Tony Ault can be reached by email at tault@reedermedia.com.

STRENGTH

Many Strengths. One Mission.

Improving community cardiovascular health isn’t just part of our mission. It’s at the heart of what we do. At Loma Linda University Medical Center – Murrieta Heart and Vascular Center, our commitment to innovation in advanced heart care is our greatest strength. Here, patients find strength in renowned heart experts delivering groundbreaking therapies. Strength in minimally invasive options and the most advanced treatments in the region. And strength in a team committed to supporting you and your heart health.

To learn more, visit murrieta.lluh.org/heart.

Three dates remain for bird tours in San Jacinto Valley wetlands

City News Service

Special to the Valley News

Bird watchers seeking close-up views of dozens of species that nest or migrate within the San Jacinto Valley Wetlands have three opportunities left to take tours in what remains of the current birdwatching season, the Eastern Mu-

JUSTICE from page A-1

her daughter unresponsive in her bedroom while the college student was home from Arizona for winter break. Alexandra had ingested one-half of a fentanyl-laced pill that killed her. It took several months for police to find the person responsible for selling her the fatal counterfeit Oxycodone pills.

In August 2022, 23-year-old Brandon Michael McDowell of Riverside pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. In a sworn statement, McDowell admitted to knowing the pills he sold Alexandra Capelouto were counterfeit and that they contained fentanyl. A sentencing hearing at the federal courthouse in downtown Riverside was scheduled for early November but got postponed.

At the upcoming hearing, the judge can sentence McDowell to anything from probation to 20 years in prison. The Capelouto family wants to see the maximum sentence imposed, which was another factor leading to the decision for Matt to take his walk for justice. “I think he should get the maximum penalty of 20 years, one year for each year my daughter was on this earth,” Matt said. The idea to plan this walk came about as Matt was looking for a way to control the anxiety he has been experiencing as the sentencing date approached. He said, “I feel this walk will be a good way for me to channel that energy.” He has been preparing for the trip by taking long walks, progressively

STREETS from page A-1 the deterioration of roadways by creating small cracks. When water finds its way into small cracks from normal wear and tear, it washes out layers of stone, dirt or gravel that supports the roadway. As the cracks grow deeper, chunks of the pavement material separate and are pulled out as vehicles pass over them or as water, especially heavy rains, lift them out and causes a pothole.

Traveling on streets with potholes can be frustrating, damaging and dangerous, but they are part of a roadway’s normal aging process and a product of winter weather conditions. Finding a way to minimize their impact in a timely and effective manner has been a goal of city officials.

Johnson, who was hired as San Jacinto’s city manager in 2017 after spending four years with the city of Menifee, explained the process that begins with the Public Utilities Streets Division crew identifying a location/area of multiple potholes. They perform skin patching or grind and overlay techniques to patch potholes. The depth and diameter of the potholes are keys to employing each technique.

With skin patching, the crew identifies an area to be patched, tacks the area and lays hot asphalt

nicipal Water District announced.

The agency operates a water reclamation facility in the 60-acre protected space, south of Mystic Lake and west of Highway 79. It was constructed using U.S. Bureau of Reclamation funds more than a quarter century ago and enables high-volume water recycling.

The National Audubon Society,

increasing his miles each day.

“I’m not as young as I used to be and the first day I walked 13 miles was a wake-up call,” Matt said. “Being on my feet for that length of time is taxing and doing it three days in a row will be a real challenge. But when I think about why I’m doing it and who I’m doing it for, the pain and soreness I will experience is insignificant.”

Leaving from Temecula on Friday, Feb. 24, which coincidentally would have been Alex’s 24th birthday, Matt will walk about 22 miles to Menifee. The next day he will walk about 18 miles to the outskirts of Riverside. On the third day, the bulk of the walk will conclude at the Mission Inn in Downtown Riverside. From there, at 1 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 27, several parents who also have lost children to fentanyl poisoning will gather in solidarity. “As a group, we plan to walk the final half mile to the courthouse,” Matt said.

The sentencing hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the George E. Brown Jr. Federal Building and United States Courthouse, 3470 Twelfth Street. Capelouto anticipates the turnout to be extensive and most likely will fill the courtroom and its overflow room where a monitor will televise the proceedings.

Capelouto’s three-day journey will also bring awareness to Senate Bill 44, authored by Senator Tom Umberg and supported by Sen. Kelly Seyarto and many others. The bipartisan bill, also known as Alexandra’s Law, would require a court to issue an advisory to

down up to 1-inch thick, rakes and compacts the area and seals its edges with tack. The crew can skin patch an area of up to 1,000 square feet.

With grind and overlay, the crew will identify the area, mark it out and then use a walk-behind saw to cut out the area. Then they tack the area and place hot patch into the cutout area, rake and compact the area and seal its edges with tack.

The crew is able to grind and overlay a 12-foot by 12-foot by 4-inches deep area.

“In the long run, the hot patch is cheaper due to the length of time the patch will stay in place,” Johnson said.

He said it is an important consideration as only about 9% of the city’s total revenue comes from property tax. Most of the city’s funding is from sales tax revenues from residents and others who shop in San Jacinto. Gas tax is a contributor as well.

While the Hot Patch method is considered superior in that it lasts longer, Johnson said it definitely takes more time and uses double the staff to operate the truck.

“Most of our cold patch techniques can be accomplished by a two-person crew and that’s mostly for the safety of the crew,” he said.

“But I would say the new truck has

in partnership with the EMWD, hosts guided bird-watching tours in the Wetlands every year. The tours generally take place the second Saturday of each month, October to April.

Three tour dates remain open for booking: Feb. 11, March 11 and April 8. Information on reservations can be found at http://www.

individuals convicted of selling or distributing controlled substances, including fentanyl, warning them of potential future criminal liability if another person dies as a result of those actions.

In 2020 alone, California experienced nearly 4,000 deaths related to fentanyl poisonings, and in 2021, fentanyl became recognized as the leading cause of death of Americans aged 18 to 45.

The bill would require a person who is convicted of, or who pleads guilty or no contest to, the crime “to possess for sale or purchase for purpose of sale, transport, sell, furnish, administer, give away, manufacture, compound, convert, produce, derive, process, or prepare various controlled substances, including, among others, fentanyl, peyote, and various other opiates and narcotics” to receive “a written advisory of the danger of manufacturing or distribution of controlled substances and that, if a person dies as a result of that action, the manufacturer or distributor can be charged with voluntary manslaughter or murder.”

Capelouto said, “The ultimate goal of this legislation is to prevent any more fathers and mothers from having to go through the anguish and devastation caused by a drug dealer’s selfish, financially driven actions.” He remains hopeful that SB 44 will pass and serve as a deterrent to drug dealers.

Family members of victims, friends and supporters are welcome to join Matt during any part of “A Walk for Justice,” weather permitting. The Capelouto family

probably already paid for itself.”

The Hot Patch Truck holds five tons of material, which is from Fontana. The truck is driven there, filled up and brought back to San Jacinto to fill as many potholes as possible with the material loaded onto it. All crew members have been trained on the equipment by the manufacturer of the vehicle, as well as having been given on-the-job training by Streets Lead Mike Beato.

“It is most often used two times per week. Since the travel time to and from Fontana can be extensive, the goal is to pick up the asphalt and use the truck two days in a row,” Johnson said. “This fiscal year, city crews have repaired 14,050 square feet of potholed area. A total of 173 tons of material has been used since the truck hit the streets on July 25, 2022, which calculates to roughly 34.6 trips to Fontana so far.”

While many commuters and residents might feel the potholes they encounter on a regular basis aren’t being tended to quickly enough, Johnson explained that the city’s website has a “button” on the main page for citizen requests.

“When that link is used, a wide variety of items can be noted for city staff to address,” he said.

Visit http://www.sanjacintoca. gov, and make requests at https:// sanjacintoca.hosted.civiclive.com/ cms/One.aspx?portalId=10384430 &pageId=13252694

Residents can pinpoint the problem area on a GIS map and submit the issue. Other items that can be ad-

4.70

emwd.org/bird-walks

According to water agency officials, North American bald eagles are among the 120 different species that inhabit the Wetlands seasonally.

In February 2022, officials installed a webcam, where viewers can observe activity within the reserve year-round. It’s avail -

able at http://www.emwd.org/ wetlands?utm_campaign=&utm_ medium=email&utm_ source=bundle_and_blast.

The Perris-based EMWD is the state’s sixth-largest utility, serving a 558-square-mile area encompassing Hemet, Menifee, Moreno Valley, San Jacinto, parts of Temecula Valley and Winchester.

%

The Capelouto family formerly on vacation in New York. Valley News/Courtesy photo is also asking for friends, supporters and family members of victims to attend the sentencing hearing. In a statement, Matt Capelouto said, “As a community, it’s important we send a strong message to the judge that we won’t tolerate those who distribute this poison. Law enforcement did their job in bringing this man to justice. Now the judge must do his part and impose the maximum sentence.”

Matt added, “I plan to use the

time during this walk to reflect on my daughter’s life, the impact of our family’s loss and the future of our justice system. Far too many victims are not receiving the justice they deserve.”

For more information and a map of the walk’s route, please visit https://druginducedhomicide. org/a-walk-for-justice. Matt can also be contacted directly by email at matt@druginducedhomicide. org

San Jacinto Streets Division crew members work on patching potholes throughout the city. Valley News/Courtesy photos dressed in this area include animal control, building and safety, traffic, code enforcement, graffiti, parks, SJ Power, water and sewer, planning and any other general city item.

Johnson said Public Utilities Superintendent Preston Sullens uses the GIS platform and has identified problem areas, especially after weather events. When not repairing potholes, department employees stay busy with street sign replacement/repair, street light issues, downed tree or other road issues, graffiti abatement, building maintenance, assisting with water/sewer line repairs, concrete sidewalk/curb repair and assisting the department in any other area of need when necessary.

A large area of a San Jacinto street treated by the Hot Patch method will last much longer, saving the city money and time.

Volunteers build playground for Homeland community

When the Community First Church of God in Homeland was burned to the ground by an arsonist in 2016, Pastor Mike Gratzke said

not to re-

decision was

build the building but to rebuild the community. The church now hosts services on Sundays and serves as a community center every other day.

A new playground, built in five hours Saturday, Jan. 28, with the help of more than 150 volunteers, is the most recent addition to the

center. As part of the commitment to the residents of Homeland, church members completed an application to KABOOM!, a nonprofit that builds playgrounds all over the country.

Headquartered in Washington, the organization has a team that works with different funding partners to build playgrounds where they are needed and requested. In this case they collaborated with Pacific Dental Services, one of the nation’s leading dental support organizations.

The church was the community partner component and supported about 10% of the financial cost and many church members pitched in to help. Laura Vicky Pleasant, who regularly assists with the church’s food bank program, helped give the center’s shed a fresh coat of paint.

Gratzke said it took about six to seven months of cooperative meetings with the community to finalize a design for the playground. Children were asked to draw their ideal playground and based on all the input, KABOOM! presented three designs for the church to choose from.

KABOOM! project manager Derrick Dixon and about five other company representatives were on site to oversee the project.

“We have built over 3,000 playgrounds since we started in 1996,” he said. “This is our first project of 2023; we’re kicking the year off with a bang.”

The playground was assembled on a 2,500 square foot area already chiseled out but filled with dirt.

Volunteers from Mt. San Jacinto College and the church cleared it out a couple of days earlier to

The new KABOOM! playground at Community First Church of God in Homeland.

Valley News/Chris Adams photo

A blank slate greets volunteers to the Community First Church of God in Homeland. More than 150 volunteers transform 2,500 square feet of empty land into a colorful play space in just five hours.

News/Diane A. Rhodes photo

News/Chris Adams photo

Kim and Mike Gratzke sport Washington Nationals baseball team gear to make the DC-based KABOOM! playground builders feel at home. Valley News/Diane A. Rhodes photo

Newly constructed picnic tables and planter benches are placed near the church’s entrance. Valley News/Diane A. Rhodes photo

More than 110, 80-pound bags of concrete are mixed and poured as a foundation for the playground equipment installed at Community First Church of God in Homeland. Valley News/Chris Adams photo

A Pacific Dental Services volunteer helps paint bright colors on the block wall that edges the new KABOOM! play space in Homeland. Valley News/Chris Adams photo

Diane A. Rhodes Special to Valley News

the

made

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

To submit an upcoming communi t y event, email it to valleyeditor@reedermedia.com, put “attention events” in the subject line.

CHILDREN’S EVENTS

Feb. 17 – 5-6 p.m. Critter

Encounters at Kahoots Feed and Pet, 31789 Temecula Parkway, Suite 3, in Temecula. Enjoy close encounters of the wild kind with a local animal rescue with an assortment of fun and friendly rescued animals. Come meet and learn all about their beloved exotic animals. A fennec fox? A tegu?

An owl? Who knows who you might meet?

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Feb. 11 – 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.

Feb. 11 to March 3 – 2-4 p.m.

Dorland Mountain Arts Colony’s “Harmony 2023” artwork show will feature Dorland artists at the Dorland Community Arts Center on Highway 79 in Temecula. Artworks will be for sale at the show. Call 951-302-3837 or visit http:// www.dorlandartscolony.org

Feb. 11 – 8 a.m. Menifee’s free bulky item community collection event will be held at Mt. San Jacinto College. The accepted items include appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, washers and dryers with a limit of three per vehicle, air conditioners, barbecue grills, bundled branches and bagged green waste. Come Saturday, April 22, for a second collection event at 8 a.m. at Kabian Park. Proof of residency is required. Residents can also schedule up to four free bulky item curb pick-up each year by calling Waste Management at 800-423-9986.

Feb. 11 – 8-10 a.m. Menifee

Moves Community Walk will be held at La Ladera Park, 296629 La Ladera Road, in Menifee for an all family community walk with pets welcome.

Feb. 18-19 – 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The 2023 Eastvale Lantern Festival celebrates the Year of the Rabbit in Eastvale with food, shopping and cultural performances at 7447 Scholar Way in Eastvale.

Feb. 23 – 7:30-9 p.m. Bohemian

Queen, a tribute to Queen will perform at Old Town Temecula Community Theater, 42051 Main St., in Temecula. The ultimate Queen show celebrates Freddie Mercury’s Queen in Concert from the 1970s. For tickets and more information, call 866-653-8996.

Feb. 25 – 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Check out the Wellness Market at Valley-Wide Regional Park, 901 Esplanade Ave., in San Jacinto for an event dedicated to holistic health and wellness. The live event

PLAYGROUND from page B-1

have it ready for construction. All the decided play safe components were were concreted in using 110, 80-pound bags of cement. The 155 cubic yards of engineered wood fiber was manually moved from one big pile and spread over the playground area with shovels.

“This job would have taken professional playground installers about four or five days to complete and you did it in five hours,” Dixon told the crowd after the project was completed. He added that KABOOM! had scheduled six hours for the build but volunteers showed up early and in force that enabled them to complete it an hour ahead of schedule. The estimated cost of the build, just for materials, is about $100,000.

Children are not the only ones who will benefit from the project. Picnic tables and planter benches were constructed and placed in the courtyard area near the main entrance. The church already had a covered patio area where it served lunch to all the volunteers which provided a view of the new playground for supervision purposes.

More than 150 volunteers from Pacific Dental Services worked on the customized playground. PDS, headquartered in Irvine, currently supports more than 2,600 dentists at more than 915 practices nationwide by providing business support and operational efficiencies while dental practice owners and clinicians

healthcare

will have yoga, afrobeats dancing, DJ Skully J, nutritionists, financial literacy courses, poetry and more. Vendors wanted. To contact the organizer on Instagram @brownsugarcoffeellc.

March 10 – 6 p.m. The 19th annual Black History Month Awards Ceremony will be held at Center for Spiritual Living, 40460 Stetson Ave., Hemet. For more information, contact Mary Morse at marymorse@humanrelationscouncil.com

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, 951-6726777, 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

excellence.

Carli Kingsley, senior manager of corporate social responsibility for PDS, said several dental offices in the area are PDS partners.

“A large number of team members live in or near this area so it was a perfect location for us to build a playground with KABOOM!,” she said. “Every community, and every group of kids, deserves a playground.”

Sarah Milik, corporate social responsibility assistant of PDS, was happy to be involved with the PDS Foundation’s Smile Generation Serve Day with the We Serve Team. Each year, they work with KABOOM! to identify a playground-needy region. Whoever is named Region of the Year for giving back to the community gets to have a team-building event that promotes service to their community.

“This is our 18th build with KABOOM!” Milik said. “This year’s (Inland Empire) winners chose to support this project.”

Kingsley said, “At PDS, we believe that high performance, great culture and great teams deserve the opportunity to create lasting legacies, so we use these playground builds as a way to say thank you to our team members who have gone above and beyond throughout the year.”

She said KABOOM! is one of the only nonprofits that provides opportunities like this where more than 150 volunteers can all have a hands-on role in a project. She said within 24 hours of the volunteer

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

Feb. 9 – 5:30 p.m. Voices for Children invites volunteers to come learn to be an advocate for children, or a Court Appointed Special Advocate, trained by Voices for Children. Volunteers serve 10-15 hours per month. Join the Zoom meeting at https://www. speakupnow.org/

Feb. 11 – 5 p.m. Gospel artist John P. Kee and the New Life choir is presented at Centerpoint Church, 24470 Washington Ave., in Murrieta and is hosted by SWRC Inland Empire. Tickets are $65 to $95. For more information, call 951-249-3656.

Feb. 16 – 4:30-6 p.m. Attend Mighty Me for Adults 18+ and enjoy 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.

Feb. 11 – 6 p.m. Valentines Day

Til’ Death Do Us Part sip and shop event will take place at 24771 Washington Ave., in Murrieta. The $25 entrance fee will provide a complimentary drink ticket and a souvenir Valentine’s Day cookie. Waiting for attendees is the “To Die For” photo op for that pictureperfect moment and 15 of Made Local’s unique vendors, ready with custom gifts and desserts Games and other entertainment. For more information, email events@madelocalmarket.org

Feb. 15 – 8-10 p.m. Menifee Business Assistance Program will host a consultation during the free Zoom training. Join the webinar on Zoom with Meeting ID: 811 6549 2354. Register at http://

request going out, they had all they needed.

“To me, that speaks to the heart of service of all these individuals; it’s remarkable,” Kingsley said.

After completion of the playground, Gratzke thanked everyone who came and explained why they were “part of a miracle here in Homeland.” He said as he surveyed the damage the morning after the fire in 2016, he caught sight of a young boy with his mother outside the fenced-off area. The boy gave the pastor seven coins and that was considered the first offering.

“That 39 cents turned into $2 million to rebuild a broken community,” he said. “We have a lot of hardships here. Before the fire, we had a small food pantry that served 40 households a week. We are now serving more than 1,600 households and over 6,000 people monthly.”

Gratzke, who has been the church’s pastor since 2010, spent 10 years as a missionary pastor in Mexico alongside his wife Kim before returning to the United States. They thanked KABOOM! for all the logistics and administration throughout the project.

“It was a pleasure following your step-by-step instructions; you made it easy for us,” Gratzke said. “Now, Pacific Dental Services and Smile Generation, how awesome are you for being part of rebuilding a community? Thank you for being so generous and kind to the children of Homeland.”

Regional partner Kim Valko shared her appreciation with the

www.cityofmenifee.us/sb1383

Feb. 24 – 4-7 p.m. Storm Baseball is looking to form a Lighting Band Pep Squad Band at the Lake Elsinore Diamond Stadium, 500 Diamond Dr., in Lake Elsinore with paid positions. If you are a brass, saxophone, percussion instrumentalist or color guard member and 18 or older, contact CBrock@stormbaseball.com

Feb. 26 – 1 p.m. Attend a free concert at Grace Presbyterian Church, 31143 Nicolas Road, in Temecula with The Bell Players Trio with piano, cello and flute. March 3-4 – 7 p.m. and 2 p.m. respectively. Canyon Lake Community Theater presents “Into the Woods” at the Lake Elsinore High School, 21800 Canyon Dr, in Wildomar with limited engagement. Tickets are $20-$30. For more information, visit http://www. MTIShow.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 951-3091597 or 951-849-1690 for more information.

ONGOING – Noon to 1 p.m. Attend Murrieta Wildomar Chamber 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 833-349-2054.

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

Volunteers transport planters to the church’s courtyard. Valley News/Chris Adams photo

volunteers.

“The lasting imprint that you will leave on this community will be felt for years to come,” Valko said.

Regional partner Lionel Clayton said, “I am truly blessed in my heart for this incredible day and this incredible event and we couldn’t have done it without each and every one of you.”

Kingsley told the group, “I feel truly inspired to go into 2023 with a heart full of service to give to others and to serve others. Thank you for inspiring me and I hope you all are inspired as well.”

For more information, visit http:// www.homelandcog.org , http://www.kaboom.org and http:// pacificdentalservices.com

Movie review: ‘Pathaan’

Bob Garver Special to the Valley News

Without a lot of new mainstream releases stepping up to the plate this past weekend, there was room for a surprise hit. Enter “Pathaan,” an action movie from India that racked up nearly $6 million at the domestic box office despite playing on fewer than 700 screens. My guess is that many theater owners are going to look at the film’s over$8,000-per-screen average and decide that they want a piece of that action. So even if “Pathaan” isn’t playing in your market already, it may be coming soon.

Shah Rukh Khan stars as Pathaan, one of the greatest secret agents in all of India. He has recently resurfaced after being missing for two years. The first half of the film is largely devoted to what happened before he went missing, and frankly the flashback goes on so long that it’s easy to forget that it’s even a flashback. Two

years ago, Pathaan was on a mission to stop a terrorist named Jim, played by John Abraham, himself given flashbacks to explain his motivation. While on the mission, Pathaan met up with Rubai, played by Deepika Padukone, an agent from a rival agency that also saw the threat that Jim presented. A few flip-flops later, and Pathaan found himself in a Russian prison and disavowed by India. Fortunately, he had a brother named Tiger, played by Salman Khan, from another arm of the apparently very popular YRF Spy Universe to help bust him out and disappear for two years.

Now Rubai has been conspicuously seen on a security camera in Paris. If she’s back, then so is Pathaan. The joint resurfacing means that Jim’s three-year – yes, three-year – plan is close to fruition, and the whole world is in danger, especially India. Fortunately, they’ve got an agent the caliber of Pathaan on the case, but is he

back at full capacity? A shootout, chase and daring helicopter escape in the hideout of a weapons dealer indicates that yes, he is.

The story of “Pathaan” is nothing special, the sort of thing you’d se e in a typical James Bond or “Mission: Impossible” movie. Critics have pointed out that the virus-heavy plot strongly resembles the second film in the latter franchise. But the headline here isn’t the just-OK spy movie that the movie is on paper, it’s the blockbuster you’ll get if you see the movie in theaters. So much of this movie is a feast for the eyes and ears. For the eyes, you’ve got the aforementioned hideout sequence, an abduction sequence involving trucks and helicopters, a heist sequence with a precarious helicopter-assisted landing, an illfated train transfer and plenty of other inventive goodies. And that’s nothing compared to what your ears will get. This movie loves its gunshots and explosions, and the

Call for community vendors at Temecula’s 2nd annual CultureFest

TEMECULA ─ In commemoration of World Cultural Awareness Day, Temecula will host the second annual Temecula CultureFest Saturday, May 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in Town Square Park, 41902 Main Street, and at Sam Hicks Monument Park, 41970 Moreno Road, in Old Town Temecula. Temecula’s Community Services Department is looking for diverse vendor booths to s ell international foods, cultural crafts or event related products, as well as booths promoting education and awareness. Vendors can be, but are not limited to, local restaurants or caterers, community nonprofit organizations, high school clubs, religious organizations and/or local businesses.

Vendor applications are available online at http://TemeculaCA. gov/FestVendor through April 14. Vendors selling items will need to show proof of insurance and their

music is exciting and catchy. When I say “the music,” I don’t just mean the score – though the score is most definitely included – I’m talking about two intoxicating musical numbers, one right in the middle of the film. Let’s see Tom Cruise try that. He might, he was in “Rock of Ages,” but I seriously doubt that even he’s fearless enough to interrupt an action movie like that. As for the one at the end, when was the last time you saw James Bond save the world then sing his own theme song to celebrate?

“Pathaan” is sure to lead to an increased presence of Indian action movies on the global stage, especially from this YRF Spy Universe. I’m looking forward to seeing more of them, as apparently they’re hard at work thinking up ways to top the craziness of this movie. The scripts could stand to be tighter, but otherwise they should keep up the good work. Don’t be thrown by the subtitles and cultural differences, the action and beauty of “Pathaan”

Valley News/Courtesy photo

make for a party in any language.

Grade: B “Pathaan” is not rated by the MPAA, but it would be approximately a PG-13, bordering on R at times, for violence. Its running time is 146 minutes.

Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@ nyu.edu.

Pala Casino Spa Resort to host free viewing party for football’s Big Game at Luis Rey’s Sports Bar

mention offer: PalaMVP23.

As the Entertainment Capital of Southern California, Pala Casino’s wide variety of HD premium sporting events enhance an exciting array of live bands daily at both indoor and outdoor venues.

Temecula will host the second annual CultureFest at Town Square Park, 41902 Main Street, and Sam Hicks Monument Park, 41970 Moreno Road, Saturday, May 20. Valley News/Courtesy photo seller’s permit. Space is limited, and there is no vendor fee required for this event. This free, communitywide, special event will also include live music, dancing, special performances and fun activities for the entire family

PALA – Pala Casino Spa Resort announced it will host a free watch party for football’s Big Game Sunday, Feb. 12, at Luis Rey’s Sports Bar. Guests can enjoy the action on the 14-foot HD jumbotron starting at 2:30 p.m. The state-of-the-art system features lights and sound to offer guests an unparalleled viewing experience. Day-of event admission is free, but unreserved seating is based on first come first serve availability. To ensure seating, guests can reserve tables in advance for $25 per table, for up to four people each.

Stay tuned for more information, events and updates from the Temecula Community Services Department by following @ TemeculaParksAndRec on social media, and by visiting http://TemeculaCA.gov/TCSD Submitted by city of Temecula.

The full Luis Rey’s menu will be available during the event, featuring SoCal favorites, tempting starters and a full bar with 16 ice cold beers on draft.

For more information or to book a table, call 877-725-2766 and

Pala Casino has state-of-the-art amenities throughout the property, including an expansive gaming floor with over 2,000 slot and video machines, 78 table games, 10 restaurants, two lounges, 2,000seat Pala Events Center, outdoor Starlight Theater and luxury hotel. All events and promotions are subject to cancellation without notice. Learn more about the upcoming events at Pala Casino Spa Resort by visiting http://www. palacasino.com.

Submitted by Pala Casino Spa Resort.

Joyful Taste of Soul Black Business Expo delights crowds at Murrieta Community Center

Tony Ault

Staff Writer

It was a day of colorful dress, tasty soul food and celebration for many at the annual Taste of Soul Black Business Expo, which served as a kick off to Black History Month at the Murrieta Community Center on Saturday, Feb. 4.

More than 55 vendors, including those selling all forms of soul food, were available and a treat for many. There was a strong community presence from the many Black owned and operated businesses in Murrieta and the surrounding communities. Murrieta Mayor Pro Tem

Lori Stone and Council Member Cindy Warren, along with other local community leaders, were also present.

Stone and Warren joined with Sankofa Forever One expo host Vee Gee to say some encouraging words to the gathering crowds following the singing of the Black national anthem by Eric Faulkner, a member of Temecula’s Race, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Commission.

Delighting the audience, Faulkner encouraged parents to teach their children about where they come from at home and say, “I’m Black and I am proud!”

Faulkner also explained the origins of the writing of the Black anthem and poem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” It was written by James Weldon Johnson, an NAACP leader in the early 1900s with the purpose that the lyrics would encourage Black people to be proud and succeed in America.

To bring the spirit of the anthem to the crowds, young members of the Lake Elsinore Unified School District Jr. Black Student Union came to the forefront to recite another poem with coordinated

hand movements, bringing loud applause from the audience.

Stone said Murrieta is connected by community and this is one way to connect: by having the Taste of Soul Expo here in Murrieta. She couldn’t be happier that the event took place at the launch of Black History Month. The Taste of Soul Black Business Expo was invited to be held at a number of other cities, but Murrieta was chosen.

Warren said, “I think it’s fantastic. The vendors are amazing, handmade goods are off the charts, it’s family and dancing and having a good time.” The council members were later presented a

Eric Faulkner, from Temecula’s Race, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Commission, sings “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” known as the Black national anthem, at the Murrieta Community Center Feb. 4.

gift basket by the hosts and the LEUSD Jr. Black Student Union.

Rene Johnson, master of ceremonies for the expo, welcomed the guests saying it is “a super, super time to come together and honor the community.”

Later in the afternoon, there was a style show of the latest, most colorful dresses and accessories from local Black clothing vendors with soul dancing models who received oohs and awes from the attendees in the delightful sunny temperatures of the day.

Stage performances of hip-hop and soul dancing by local youngsters took place inside the Murrieta Community Center building

during the afternoon while a DJ played some favored popular music. The basketball and tennis

courts were open, offering prizewinning games for the children to enjoy.

Members of the LEUSD Jr. Black Student Union with their advisor following the reading of a Black history poem at the Taste of Soul Black Business Expo in MurrIeta.

Models Britnney Spann, Sharee Williams, Minnie Nelson and Diane Hamilton show off some colorful dress styles at the Taste of Soul Black Business Expo in Murrieta. Guests were invited to “wear your African attire or just come as you are.”

Murrieta Mayor Pro Tem Lori Stone, left, and Council Member Cindy Warren with Annie Peals, owner of In the City Beauty Supply, at the Taste of Soul Black Business Expo Feb. 4. Valley News/Tony Ault photos

February is Spay and Neuter Awareness Month

and cats provides pets and their families, as well as communities, with many benefits,” Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society, said. “These routine procedures may prevent medical and behavioral problems from developing, allowing pets to lead a longer, healthier and happier life.”

Spaying or neutering pets can help aid the shelter crisis. Valley News/ Courtesy photo

KANAB, Utah – February is Spay and Neuter Awareness Month and Best Friends Animal Society, a leading animal welfare organization dedicated to ending the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shel-

Joe Naiman Writer

Kennedy/Jenks Consultants has been given the Eastern Municipal Water District contract for the preliminary design of the Soboba Sewer Project.

The EMWD board voted 4-0

Wednesday, Feb. 1, with Randy Record absent, to approve a $420,582 contract with Kennedy/ Jenks. The board also authorized EMWD general manager Joe Mouawad or his designee to execute any necessary consultant and supplier contracts, and the total authorized appropriation of $577,452 also includes environmental and potholing work along with EMWD engineering branch labor.

The Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians completed the construction of a new resort and casino in February 2019. Eastern and Soboba approved an agreement for sewer

ters by 2025, is raising awareness on the simple solution communities can take that not only aids in lifesaving, but all around improves the animal’s well-being.

“Spaying and neutering dogs

service to the first phase of the Soboba development. A February 2019 Riverside County Board of Supervisors action approved the sale of three county-owned parcels totaling 4.48 acres to Eastern, which will allow Eastern to construct a sewer line to the Soboba Hotel. Eastern may also use the land to develop groundwater resources through new infrastructure which conveys and recharges imported water for use and for water rights banking, and the district may also be able to build facilities to capture and recharge stormwater from the nearby Meridian Channel.

The timing of Soboba’s Phase 1 development project did not allow for the design and construction of a permanent solution to accommodate projected buildout flows for the tributary area, so Eastern and Soboba agreed that in the interim the tribe would replace the existing temporary lift station

Additional benefits of spaying and neutering pets include decreasing the number of accidental litters, reducing the risk of future medical problems and expenses including testicular cancer, uterine infections and ovarian and breast cancers, and improving territorial marking tendencies, yowling/howling, escaping and other troublesome behaviors. It can also lower the probability that pets will try to escape their home in search of a mate.

Spaying and neutering can greatly impact the number of dog bite incidents in a community. Most dog bites, 60–80%,

are caused by intact male dogs. Pregnant or nursing female dogs are more likely to bite as well. Reducing your pet’s likelihood of biting or fighting may also help protect you from potential legal action. Spayed/neutered pets are less likely to engage in behaviors that could cause problems with neighbors. Spayed or neutered pets are often more relaxed, and even more affectionate, too.

Healthy puppies and kittens can be spayed as young as 2 months, or when they reach 2 pounds, and can be done in a veterinarian’s office.

The cost varies by community, but the one-time expense is much more cost-effective than taking care of multiple litters. Many communities also have free or low-cost spay/neuter for those who cannot afford the procedure. Contact your veterinarian or local animal shelter to find out what programs are available.

Having pets spayed or neutered can also help the shelter crisis. Across the country, shelters are struggling with higher intakes, while adoptions, fosters and rescues are not keeping pace. This has led to a population imbalance with more animals in shelters, causing an increased strain on shelter staff and the overall crisis. With most U.S. shelters at or over capacity, pets are more at risk for being killed due to lack of space.

“Spay/neuter directly affects the number of pets that lose their lives in the U.S. Having your pet spayed or neutered prevents additional animals from being born and frees up homes for those currently waiting at shelters. By taking this one action, you’ll be an important part of the movement to make America a no-kill country by 2025,” Castle said.

Submitted by Best Friends Animal Society.

with a new temporary lift station sized to accommodate its Phase 1 development and existing tributary sewer flows only. Additional development by the Soboba Tribe, referred to as Phase 2, is projected to occur in the near future and will contribute additional wastewater flows to the existing interim sewer facilities. In addition to the Phase 2 development, Soboba is also considering septic-to-sewer conversion of Tribal lands with the possibility that the additional sewer flow would ultimately be collected by the existing sewer system and conveyed to Eastern for treatment. The Soboba Sewer Project is pursuing the necessary work required to define and implement a permanent sewer system solution between the existing Soboba II Lift Station and the gravity sewer on the south side of the San Jacinto River

On Feb. 8, EMWD issued a re-

quest for proposals for preliminary d esign services for the Soboba Sewer Project. The original RFP requested evaluation of both a new regional lift station and a gravity solution to service the area. Two firms submitted proposals and a selection committee determined that Kennedy Jenks, which is based in San Francisco and has offices in San Diego and Murrieta, had the higher-ranked proposal.

EWMD staff subsequently recommended revising the requested sc ope of services to include an additional alternative evaluation which would focus on hardening the existing Soboba Hot Springs temporary lift station and modifying existing equipment to provide further capacity. A fee of $420,582 was negotiated to reflect the scope of services needed to complete preliminary design including the additional negotiated scope.

In late 2022 Soboba pursued a

septic to sewer conversion feasibility study for residents on Tribal lands. The study had the potential to increase the ultimate flows delivered to EMWD infrastructure and therefore would impact piping and equipment sizing for the project. After the feasibility study was completed Soboba indicated the Tribe will be pursuing a septicto-sewer conversion project. The sewer line to the hotel will be coordinated with that conversion project.

Field investigations including environmental due diligence are expected to be performed in support of the design effort. Those activities will be performed by consultants on the district’s on-call list.

The preliminary design is expected to be complete in November 2023.

Joe Naiman can be reached by email at jnaiman@reedermedia. com.

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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.

Kennedy/Jenks given EMWD preliminary design contract for Soboba sewer

Review of all things Real Estate

optimism below it feels like it might happen sooner.

The observations made by real estate professionals at our weekly marketing meeting, included local area real estate professionals reporting there is increased activity both on the buyer and seller side.

Bob Hillery CR Properties

Below is a good article which seems to bode well for the real estate market in the near future, perhaps even spring of 2023. After interest rates peaked in October 2022 above 7%, the market slowed to a crawl. The numbers of transactions fell noticeably, which coupled with seasonably slow periods over the holidays, caused near panic in the minds of buyers and sellers alike. Inflation was at a 40-year high which further undermined consumer confidence.

The good news is that inflation has slowed perceptibly and mortgage interest rates have fallen over a point (currently around 6.2% for conventional loans and in the mid 5% for government backed loans like VA, FHA and USDA). I previously reported industry experts forecasted that “maybe” by the end of 2023, interest rates “might” touch the 5% range but given the note of

The takeaway: if you have been considering a change of real estate, the time to complete the preparations to come onto the market may be approaching. Available inventory is very low, and buyers are showing up and making offers encouraged by the decreasing mortgage interest rates and softer prices. Read on to see what industry leaders have to say.

US home prices slip for fifth month as market bottom comes into view

The Case-Schiller index posted a 7.7% annual gain in home prices –down from a 9.2% gain in October – while the FHFA index showed a 0.1% decline in prices between October and November

Ben Verde Inman.com

Home prices in the United States continued their gradual decline in

November 2022 as elevated mortgage interest rates kept demand tamped down. The CoreLogic-Case Schiller index and the Federal Housing Finance Authority house price index both posted slight price declines in November, according to new data released Tuesday, Jan. 31.

The Case-Schiller index posted a 7.7% annual gain in home prices –down from a 9.2% gain in October and a 0.6% monthly decrease, while the FHFA index showed a 0.1% annual decline in prices between October and November, and an 8.2% annual increase between November 2021 and November 2022, down from a 9.8% increase posted the previous month.

The Case-Schiller index has now declined for five consecutive months.

The data from late 2022 represents a period in which American home buyers reacted to increases in mortgage rates – which rose above 7% in October – and generally pulled back from the market ahead of the holidays.

“Today’s S&P CoreLogic CaseShiller Index showcases the slowdown in housing transactions toward the tail end of 2022, as homebuyers worn tired by the relentless surge in mortgage rates took a bigger step back from the market,” Realtor.com Senior Economist George Ratiu said in a statement. “Sales of existing homes in November declined, leaving more sellers to ponder

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their pricing strategies, especially as the start of the holiday season redirected people’s focus away from real estate.”

The rise of remote work combined with generationally low interest rates fed a housing boom in 2020, 2021 and the first half of 2022 that screeched to a halt as the federal reserve began increasing interest rates in mid-2022 to tamp down on inflation.

The rise in rates and slowdown of buyer activity has stoked fears of a housing recession, but some experts have predicted that the housing market already bottomed out in 2022 and is setting a course for normalization.

“Despite the slowdown in price appreciation, talk about a major market correction is just hyperbole,” Bright MLS chief economist Dr. Lisa Sturtevant said in a statement.

Trending

“In fact, we may have already seen the bottom of the housing market,” Sturtevant added. “Mortgage rates fell throughout January, prom pting more buyers to view properties and make offers. Inflation has begun to ease, boosting consumer confidence. Many agents and brokers are expecting a robust spring housing market, and the overall mood in the market feels much more optimistic than even a month ago.

EMWD approves Goetz Road sewer design contracts

Joe Naiman Writer

The Eastern Municipal Water District approved two contracts for the final design of the Goetz Road sewer project.

A 4-0 EMWD board vote Feb. 1, with Randy Record absent, authorized a $154,000 design contract with Hunsaker & Associates Irvine Inc., and a $370,000 program management support services contract with Engineering Resources of Southern California Inc. EMWD general manager Joe Mouawad was given the authority to award contracts with necessary consultants and suppliers for engineering support administratively. The board also approved a total appropriation amount of $669,000.

Quail Valley has failing septic systems located within the City of Menifee northeast of Canyon Lake and since Quail Valley is considered a disadvantaged community, it is eligible for certain grants. EMWD staff developed nine planning subareas within Quail Valley for septicto-sewer conversion projects with Sub-Area 4 and Sub-Area 9 being designated as priority sub-areas.

Last year, Eastern completed a feasibility study for Sub-Area 4 and a preliminary design for the necessary backbone improvements within Goetz Road which will be required to serve Sub-Area 4. The district is ready to advance designs for both the Sub-Area 4 sewer system and the Goetz Road sewer and is issuing two separate requests for proposals for the designs. The Goetz Road sewer final design will be conducted separately from, but in coordination with, the ongoing effort for Sub-Area 4.

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On Dec. 7, EMWD staff released a request for proposals for the design contract. The two proposals received by the Dec. 19 deadline were evaluated. Hunsaker & Associates Irvine Inc. (each Hunsaker & Associates office is a separate company and operates independent of other locations) was determined to be the better firm to perform the work based on the company’s detailed understanding of the project and the qualifications of their team. The negotiated fee of $154,000 reflects the scope of services to complete the final design through the bid and award phase of the project.

During the development of the request for proposals, EMWD staff recognized the complexity, challenges and level of detailed coordination with multiple property owners and determined that the historical knowledge and support of Engineering Resources of Southern California, which is headquartered in Redlands, would benefit EMWD and the overall success of the SubArea 4 design. ERSC was involved in the October 2005 Quail Valley Sewer Improvements Alternatives Study: Sub-Areas 1-9, aspects of the Sub-Area 9 efforts including the property acquisition process, and the Sub-Area 4 feasibility study. EMWD staff requested that ERSC submit a proposal for program management support services which included providing technical guidance, attending select project status meetings, review and comment on design deliverables, and other project support activities as identified and directed by the EMWD project manager. The proposal amount of $370,000 assumes part time “asneeded” support over a two-year period.

The $669,000 budgeted amount also includes $100,000 for environmental and geotechnical consultants, $29,300 for EMWD engineering branch labor during the design process, $7,100 for the final review of plans and specifications, and $8,600 for bid and award expenses. The district expects Santa Ana Water Project Authority and State Water Resources Control Board grants to be awarded, and the SWRCB also has a State Revolving Fund program which provides 20-year loans with interest rates between 1.5% and 3%. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency may also provide Community Projects Funding grants.

The design work will commence this month. An environmental document is expected to be finalized in October. The final design has a November 2023 completion estimate. Construction is planned to begin in February 2024 and be completed by August 2024.

Ken’s Corner

We have been hard at work brainstorming ideas and formulating what new ADDITIONAL marketing avenues we will be implementing for this year. All of this in addition to what we currently do and also what Compass includes for your benefit. We love this question: What sets you apart from other realtors? Give us an opportunity and we will gladly show you! Your satisfaction is our number one goal.

AT YOUR SERVICE! – Ken

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3993 Peony Dr, Fallbrook

Spectacular “Classic California” estate above lovely Fallbrook. Sunsets here are amazing as are the inspiring western-facing panoramic views. Completely private and gated with a jaw-dropping resort-style pool and spa, this property is surrounded by other high-end estates. Five acres of useable land with several building sites for possible guesthouse, pool house or ADU’s. Income-producing blood orange, lime and avo trees. Built by custom builder Michael Pierce, beams & high ceilings throughout. Sold for $1,590,000

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Welcome to this beautiful single-story home in the highly desired neighborhood of Sycamore Ranch! Offering stunning views of surrounding hills and avocado groves. Home to the Golf Club of CA. Recently remodeled kitchen w/walk-in pantry, Spacious center island, Quartz counters, Glass tile back splash, Light Gray Cabinets w/stainless appliances opens to Family room with cozy fireplace. Master Bedroom features retreat with built-ins and Plantation shutters. Private, serene backyard with Koi pond and water feature. New Roof, Fresh new exterior paint, Whole house water filtration system. Tesla Solar Electric net metering. Circular Drive w/RV Parking. Attached 3-stall garage, Plus 2 1/2-stall det. garage w/workshop. 1.05 acre usable lot permitted for ADU!

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Wild week in Southwestern League boys’ and girls’ hoops ends in shared league titles

Sports Writer

When Monday morning dawned over the Southwestern League this week, it was Murrieta Valley in control of their destiny with Vista

Murrieta and Great Oak chasing the Nighthawks in a competitive boys’ championship. However, as the clock struck midnight and league officials turned in their CIF-SS playoff entries, there was a three-way tie for the title at 7-3.

Here’s how it went down.

On the eve of Wednesday, Feb. 1, Murrieta Mesa defeated the Nighthawks 64-53 which avenged a 61-57 loss from Jan. 13. Meanwhile, Great Oak and Vista Murrieta played their final head-

to-head matchup, with the Broncos prevailing 55-50. That win evened their two-game series after a 55-49 loss on Jan. 13 as well.

Entering last Friday night’s action, Murrieta Valley held a one game lead over both the Broncos

Winter sports prep playoff report

and Wolfpack. Great Oak, taking on Chaparral, took a 28-11 lead at the half, never looking back on their way to a 53-38 win. Tony Sheron led the Pack with 27 points see LEAGUE, page C-2

earned the No. 4 seed for this year’s playoffs and will be home this week to face Mira Costa in their first-round matchup.

Another top team from the area was Elsinore, who claimed the Inland Valley League crown with a 1-0 victory in their final game of the season over Moreno Valley. It’s the first league title under first-year coach Amanda Acosta for Elsinore (9-8-3 overall, 6-0-2 in league).

Other area teams include the following:

CIF-SS GIRLS SOCCER

PLAYOFFS (Matches at 3 p.m. or 5 p.m. Dates, sites and time subject to change.)

DIVISION 1

First-round

Mira Costa at Temecula Valley

DIVISION 2

First-round

Vista Murrieta at Citrus Valley

DIVISION 3

JP Raineri & Derryl Trujillo Sports Writers

With the high school winter sports season being one of the shorter seasons of the school year, due to the holiday break, the overall goal is still the same when it comes to winning. With the end of the regular season in the rearview mirror, this week marks the start of the postseason for boys’ and girls’ basketball, wrestling and soccer, as well as girl’s water polo.

This past weekend, the CIFSouthern Section announced the playoff division pairings for the 2022-2023 winter prep sports programs moving on, and there

are plenty of teams to cheer for from inside the Valley News sports coverage area.

Starting on the soccer fields, the Hemet girls’ soccer team was the only area team to receive a top seed in their respective division.

The Bulldogs, who were the Ivy League runner-up and CIF-SS Division 5 runner-up last season, will open the Division 5 playoffs at home in the first round against Miller.

Temecula Valley, who has now won six straight Southwestern League titles, going undefeated in league play again this year, are also the defending champion in Division 1. The Golden Bears

First-round

St. Margaret’s at Murrieta Valley

DIVISION 4

Wild-card matches

Linfield Christian at Bloomington (Monday)

Paloma Valley at Yucaipa

(Monday)

El Rancho at Tahquitz

(Wednesday)

Santa Clara at Temescal Canyon

(Wednesday)

DIVISION 5

First-round

Miller at Hemet

Rancho Verde at Monrovia

see PLAYOFFS, page C-3

Derryl Trujillo

Vista Murrieta and Murrieta Valley battle for the Southwestern league crown Friday, Feb. 3.

Despite a three-way tie at the top of the standings, Great Oak will get to carry a No. 1 seed into the Division 1 playoffs at home against JSerra this week.

Valley News/David Canales photo Valley News/Time Stood Still Photography

In a recent matchup, Murrieta Mesa’s Ryan Kreyling (5) shoots against Vista Murrieta defender Nathan Padilla (1). Vista Murrieta center Aily Robert (24) looks to grab the rebound against Murrieta Mesa in their recent matchup. Valley News/Action Captures Media Group Valley News/Action Captures Media Group

Vista Murrieta’s Makena Ching (33) gets a shot off over Murrieta Valley defender Ava Black in their final matchup of the regular season. Valley News/David Canales photo

Temecula Valley goal keeper Ellie Ludwig goes to strike the ball down field in a recent matchup for the Golden Bears, who won their sixth straight Southwestern League title this season. Valley News/Time Stood Still Photography

All-CIF First Team football players recognized

announced the

names for the top student athletes that made the All-CIF First Team for the sport of 8- and 11-person contact football. These lists are presented by the LA84 Foundation, selected by the Football Coaches Association. According to CIFSS Program Coordinator Anita Fopma, only First Team selections are recognized in 11-person.

“We only have an All-CIF First Team, if the coaches select a player for a Second Team, we do not recognize it as All-CIF,” she said.

On top of the list of local selections, the largest group of premier football players selected from the 2022 football season came from San Jacinto High School, who not only won the Mountain Pass League title, but also won a CIF Southern Section title, a SoCal Regional CIF State title and were runners-up in the CIF State Bowl Game. Their list also includes Championship Coach of the Year and Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year as well.

Chaparral also had a good number of players honored with four, and Murrieta Valley’s Bachmeier brothers, Tiger and Bear, won’t have any trouble sleeping at night knowing they were also on the list.

All-CIF First Team local selections:

11-person

DIVISION 2

Murrieta Valley: Bear Bachmeier, QB (10); Tiger Bachmeier, WR (12)

DIVISION 3

Chaparral: Caron Tyler, Skill (12); Stacy Dobbins, Skill (11); Izaiah Souriolle, Line (12); Aiden Alefosio, Line (11)

Vista Murrieta: Akili Smith Jr., Skill (10)

DIVISION 4

Orange Vista: Sire Gaines, WR (11); Corey Johnson, OL (12)

DIVISION 5

Great Oak: Trevor Schuck, LB/ TE (11)

Murrieta Mesa: CJ Moran, Ath (11)

Temecula Valley: Jake Sinz, MLB (12)

DIVISION 6

Offensive Players of the Year:

Dereun Dortch, San Jacinto and Dillon Gresham, San Jacinto

Defensive Player of the Year: Andre Taylor, San Jacinto

Championship Coach: Aric Galliano, San Jacinto San Jacinto: PJ Enosa, OL;

Malachi Brown, RB; Ahlijah Afemata, LB; Vincent Holmes, DB

DIVISION 7

Paloma Valley: Stephen Gallegos, Skill; Jacob TorresHornbeak, Skill

DIVISION 8

Elsinore: Mykai Skinner, Skill;

Zavier Swoffer, Skill

Hemet: Tanner Fye, Skill

Liberty: Eddie Smith, Skill

DIVISION 9

Tahquitz: Dorian Levinston, WR (12); Do’Jonni Bryant, WR (12)

DIVISION 12

Linfield Christian: Jonathan

Aguilar, Skill (12)

selection for football in

DIVISION 13 Santa Rosa Academy: Holden Weber, OL (12)

DIVISION 14

St. Jeanne de Lestonnac: Malik Douglas, Skill (11); Adrian Ortiz, Line (9)

Temecula Prep: Wyatt Lynch, Skill (12)

8-person

DIVISION 2

First Team Defense

Cornerstone Christian: Caden Kakoschke (12)

California Lutheran: Aiden

Boehm (10)

Second Team (All-Around)

Cornerstone Christian: Jaiden Chavez (12)

California Lutheran: Nathan Nash (12)

A complete list of selections from the entire state can be found online at www.cifss.org. JP Raineri can be reached by email at sports@reedermedia. com

LEAGUE from page C-1

in the victory. Meanwhile, at Bronco Arena, Vista Murrieta defended their home floor with a 71-64 win over the Nighthawks after falling 5755 on Jan. 18. In that Friday night victory, it was Donovan Ford

leading the way with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists. Brody Guinn added another 17 points with seven rebounds while Gary Dodson chipped in 12 points with seven assists and five rebounds. Rounding out the Broncos double digit scorers was Andrew Clyburn with 14 points.

Great Oak will get to carry a number one seed into the division one playoffs and has earned a home game against JSerra because they are in a different playoff division than the Broncos and Nighthawks.

Vista Murrieta will host Crespi mid-week as the league’s second place team while Murrieta Valley is the league’s No. 3 seed based on tiebreakers and makes a short trip down I-15 to Linfield Christian (the Ambassador League runnerup).

For the Southwestern League girls side, they also had a shared league championship as Vista Murrieta and Great Oak both finished with 9-1 records. The Broncos were victorious in their first matchup with the Wolfpack 50-34 on Jan. 13 before falling last Wednesday night, 48-35.

Janylle Nieto had 16 points to lead the Wolfpack, who were ranked third in division 2A, while Alyssa Schuzete added 10 points with six rebounds in that league championship clinching win. For Great Oak coach Jared Curtiss, it was the culmination of a rebuild which started after a 20202021 season where the Wolfpack recorded marks of 2-10 overall and 1-9 against the Southwestern League. Vista Murrieta will host Marlborough in their first-round matchup while third seeded Great Oak (Division 3A) will host California School for the Deaf (Riverside). Round 1 action will begin Thursday, Feb. 9, with tipoffs currently set for 7 p.m. Derryl Trujillo can be reached by email at socaltrekkie@gmail. com

Chaparral’s Caron Tyler, a senior, is an All-CIF First Team selection in Division 3 for the sport of football.

Murrieta Valley’s Bear Bachmeier, a sophomore, is an All-CIF First Team

Division 2.

JP Raineri

Sports Editor

The Southern Section offices of the California Interscholastic Federation recently

Tiger Bachmeier, a senior from Murrieta Valley, was recently announced as an All-CIF First Team selection in Division 2 for the sport of football.

Sophomore QB Akili Smith Jr. of Vista Murrieta, is an All-CIF First Team selection in Division 3 for the sport of football. Valley News/Jerry Soifer photo Valley News/Action Captures Media Group

Wyatt Lynch, a senior from Temecula Prep, was recently announced as an All-CIF First Team selection in Division 14 for football.

All-CIF Championship ‘Coach of the Year’ Aric Galliano of San Jacinto High School, gets an ice bath after winning the Mountain Pass League in 2022. Valley News/Jerry Soifer photo Valley News/Action Captures Media Group

Valley News/David Canales photo Valley News/David Canales photo

City SC plays halftime game on Sockers’ field

Joe Naiman

for the Valley News

The Temecula-based City SC soccer club played the halftime game Sunday, Jan. 15, at Pechanga Arena in San Diego when the Major Arena Soccer League game that evening was between the San Diego Sockers and the Kansas City Comets.

“You can’t believe the excitement,” City SC coach Carlos Basso said.

Basso coaches three City SC futsal teams. Futsal differs from indoor soccer in terms of number of players – five on each team, surface – a harder floor, smaller ball size and out of bounds designation – lines rather than walls or boards. His teams are the girls 10-and-under Pre-Academy, girls 10-and-under Premier and girls 6-and-under squads. Basso, who was born and raised in Brazil, also oversees four Brazilian soccer camps each year.

“I’ve been very happy with City SC,” Basso said.

Last year Basso’s 6-and-under team won the National Premier Leagues’ Discovery League championship, and in December,

his 10-and-under Gold Team won the Southern California championship. The 10-and-under Gold team provided the players for the Jan. 15 halftime game.

Basso, who is now 58, came to the United States when he was 20. In 1986, he signed a developmental contract with the Sockers and was on their reserve team, although he didn’t play with the primary team during his first stint with the Sockers. He played for the Milwaukee Wave and the Tulsa Ambush before becoming a member of the Sockers in 1993 when the Sockers were in the Continental Indoor Soccer League.

Basso moved from San Diego to Temecula in 2000.

The Temecula-Murrieta Soccer Club added Basso to the organization’s staff in 2000. That club eventually became the Hawks Soccer Club, and Basso coached there for 20 years. In 2020 the Hawks and the Legends Football Club merged to become Legends Temecula Valley. Basso coached one year with the Legends before joining City SC two years ago.

“I wanted a challenge,” he said.

Sockers general manager Sean Bowers, who has lived in Murrieta

since 2003, played on the United States national futsal team from 1996 to 2004 and was the team captain for the entire time. He took part in the 1996 and 2004 futsal World Cup tournaments. In 2011, Bowers founded 619 Futsal, which has the goal of helping to develop youth soccer players in the San Diego area. Bowers played on the 1991-1992, 2003-2004, 2004-2005 and 2009-2010 Sockers teams and became the Sockers’ general manager in July 2016.

“We keep in touch,” Basso said of Bowers.

Bowers invited Basso to have his players participate in the halftime game. Although the 10-and-under Gold team had 14 players, only 10 players made the trip to San Diego in that day’s rainstorm. The players were divided into two teams of five players apiece, and the game lasted for approximately eight minutes.

“They really enjoy it. We don’t have indoor soccer here in Temecula, so for them it was kind of something new,” Basso said.

No formal score was kept for the halftime game. The Sockers themselves scored the MASL game’s first four goals and obtained a 7-3 victory over the

Quarterfinals: Tuesday, Feb. 14

Semifinals: Friday, Feb. 17

Finals: Friday, Feb. 24 or Saturday, Feb. 25

In the Murrieta Valley at Linfield Christian game, Nighthawks coach Brian Weathers returns to one of his previous head coaching stops before taking over at his high school alma mater. If Murrieta Valley defeats Linfield Christian and ends up hosting that game it will be played at an alternate venue. Nighthawk Gym is being used as a host site for the CIF-SS Southern Division Individual Boys Wrestling Championships this weekend and is unavailable.

CIF-SS Girls’ Basketball Playoffs

Crean Lutheran or New Roads at Nuview Bridge

DIVISION 6

Wild-card matches

Temecula Prep at Chino

(Monday)

First-round

Santa Rosa Academy at Xavier

Prep Citrus Hill at Elsinore

Garden Grove Santiago at San Jacinto

DIVISION 7

Wild-card matches

San Jacinto Valley Academy at Silver Valley

For boys’ soccer, Mountain Pass League champion Citrus Hill was the only semi-area team that made the cut for the Division 1 playoffs this season and will travel to Cathedral for their first-round match. Temescal Canyon was the Sunbelt League champion and will be the No. 2 seed when they host Arcadia in their first-round match this week. South Valley League champion California Military Institute received the No.1 seed in the Division 7 bracket and will take on Tahquitz, Silver Valley or Gorman Charter once the wildcard rounds finalize. The Division 7 bracket had an abundance of automatic qualifiers, so Silver Valley will have had to play Gorman Charter with the winner playing another wild-card match at Tahquitz early in the week.

CIF-SS BOYS SOCCER

PLAYOFFS (Matches at 3 p.m. or 5 p.m. Dates, sites and times subject to change.)

DIVISION 1

First-round

Citrus Hill at Cathedral

DIVISION 2

No local teams

DIVISION 3

No local teams

DIVISION 4

First-round Chaparral at El Toro

Great Oak at Nuview Bridge

DIVISION 5

Wild-card matches

Rubidoux at Hemet

Schurr at Elsinore

First-round

Patriot or Jurupa Valley at Orange Vista

Segerstrom or Norco at Vista

Murrieta

Rubidoux or Hemet at Linfield

Christian

DIVISION 6

First-round

Indio at San Jacinto

Arcadia at Temescal Canyon

DIVISION 7

Wild-card matches

Silver Valley or Gorman Charter at Tahquitz

Hamilton at Environmental

Charter

Yeshiva at Rancho Verde

Cantwell-Sacred Heart at Temecula Prep

Heritage at Don Bosco Tech San Jacinto Valley Academy at Gladstone

First-round Tahquitz, Silver Valley or Gorman Charter at California

Military Institute

CIF-SS Boys’ Basketball

Playoffs

Last Sunday afternoon a group of 12 teams from the area, who qualified for the playoffs, found out what their road to championship weekend on Feb. 25 will look like.

Rancho Christian is the area’s only top seeded team, earning a No. 1 seed in Division 2A. Their playoff journey starts against Norco in first-round action. Norco is an at-large selection from the Big VIII League who reached the quarterfinals a season ago.

The Eagles were champions of the Ivy League this season, which was also their first season with the Raincross Conference.

Area league winners include:

Ivy: Rancho Christian; Mountain

Pass: Liberty; Southwestern: Great Oak, Vista Murrieta and Murrieta Valley; South Valley: Santa Rosa Academy; Sunbelt: Temescal Canyon.

Here is a complete list of the first-round matchups. (All games are scheduled for 7 p.m.)

DIVISION 1

No. 4 JSerra at Great Oak

DIVISION 2AA

No. 11 Crespi at Vista Murrieta

Murrieta Valley at No. 12

Linfield Christian

DIVISION 2A

Norco at No. 1 Rancho Christian

DIVISION 3A

Yorba Linda at No. 5 Temescal

Canyon

Murrieta Mesa at No. 4 Valley

Torah

DIVISION 4AA

Hacienda Heights/Wilson at Santa Rosa Academy

DIVISION 4A No. 15 Lakeside at Yucca Valley

San Bernardino at Liberty

DIVISION 5AA

Temecula Prep at Calvary

Chapel Downey

DIVISION 5A

Cornerstone Christian at No. 6

San Gorgonio

Here is the remainder of the playoff calendar: Second round: Friday. Feb. 10

The Rancho Christian Eagles and the Great Oak Wolfpack will lead the area teams into the playoffs as nine teams moved into the postseason, which started earlier this week with wildcard games if necessary, and first round matchups that began on Thursday.

Rancho Christian, the Ivy League champion, earned a No. 1 seed in Division 3A while Southwestern League co-champion Great Oak earned a No. 3 seed in the same division. For the Wolfpack there has been a rapid turnaround under second year head coach Jared Curtiss who came over from Murrieta Mesa, where he was an assistant, after the spring 2021 season.

Last season (2021-2022) the Wolfpack went 14-7 overall and 5-5 in Southwestern League play, receiving a playoff berth for the first time since 2018-2019 when they earned runner-up honors, but fell to Orange Lutheran in the first round. This year’s league championship is Great Oak’s first since the 2016-2017 season and their 20 regular season wins is the program’s highest total since 2018-2019.

“I knew there were pieces here from my time as an assistant at Murrieta Mesa and thought we had a chance to mold a high caliber culture that we had in my teams back home in Oregon,” Curtiss said. “Our students’ version of hard work wasn’t the same as ours but we held kids to the standards of hard work and collective responsibility and we’re seeing that pay off. Our captains, especially the seniors in Payton and Kimber, will do a great job of making sure we don’t get caught looking too far ahead and keep everyone focused on what’s in front of us.”

Curtiss’ leading scorer is senior guard Alyssa Schuetze who averaged 12.3 PPG and 4.5 RPG while shooting 40% from the field and just under 30% from the threepoint line. His daughter Payton runs the point and averages 6.5 PPG with an impressive 6.2 APG (assists).

Meanwhile, 3.4 miles up the road at Rancho Christian, Aalyiah Stanton does a little bit of everything for the Eagles averaging 30.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.2 APG and 3.8 SPG.

Area league champions include, Arrowhead League: California Lutheran; Inland Valley League: Orange Vista; Ivy League: Rancho Christian; Southwestern: Great Oak and Vista Murrieta.

Girls’ Water Polo Playoffs

Murrieta Valley had the only girls water polo team that received a seed for their respective divisions as the CIF Southern Section released

its playoff pairings last Saturday morning. The Southwestern League champion Nighthawks received the No. 3 seed in the Division 2 bracket and will open the postseason this week at home against Centennial, which won the Division 5 section championship last season. Here is a complete list of the first and second round matchups. Matches are scheduled for 5 p.m. (Dates, times and sites are subject to change.)

DIVISION 1 No local teams

DIVISION 2

First-round Vista Murrieta at Dana Hills

Centennial at Murrieta Valley

DIVISION 3

Second-round

Claremont or La Serna at Elsinore (bye in first round)

DIVISION 4

First-round

Temescal Canyon at Great Oak

DIVISION 5

Quarterfinal round

Muir or Rowland at Hemet (bye in first round, no second round)

DIVISION 6

Wild-card matches

Long Beach Cabrillo at Paloma

Valley

First-round

Cabrillo or Paloma Valley at Tahquitz

Montclair at Lakeside

Indio at West Valley

Boys’ and Girls’ Wrestling

Playoffs

BOYS’ DUAL MEET

WRESTLING

DIVISION 1

Temecula Valley defeated Paloma Valley 48-30 in Round One, fell to St. John Bosco 59-12 in the semifinals Saturday, Jan. 28.

DIVISION 2

Chaparral are CIF Southern Section champions after defeating Covina 81-0, Villa Park 57-18, Camarillo 36-33 and Servite 50-21. Great Oak fell to Servite 50-33.

DIVISION 3 No local teams

DIVISION 4

Lakeside are CIF Southern Section champions after defeating Barstow 60-24, La Canada 69-11, South Torrance 57-24 and Victor Valley 40-31.

DIVISION 5 Liberty (Winchester) fell to La Habra 49-30.

DIVISION 6 Santa Rosa Academy fell to Schurr 51-24.

Orange Vista fell to Glenn 74-6.

GIRLS’ DUAL MEET

WRESTLING

DIVISION 1 Orange Vista fell to Northview 55-12.

DIVISION 2

Murrieta Valley fell to Ventura 63-16.

Chaparral tied Valencia 42-42, but did not advance.

Article contribution made by sports writer Derryl Trujillo and sports editor JP Raineri. Please email socaltrekkie@gmail.com or sports@reedermedia.com if there are any changes in times, dates and/or sites.

Members of the City SC 10-and-under Gold Team, coached by Carlos Basso, enjoyed playing at halftime during the San Diego Sockers’ Sunday, Jan. 15, home game. Valley News/Stephanie Reade photo Comets to improve San Diego’s record to 6-0. “They’re looking good. They’ve got

a good team. Very well

balanced,” Basso said. Joe Naiman can be reached by email at jnaiman@reedermedia. com

PLAYOFFS from page C-1

Senior point guard Payton Curtiss (2) and the Great Oak Wolfpack advanced to the postseason as co-champions from the Southwestern League after going 9-1 this season. Valley News/Time Stood Still Photography

The Vista Murrieta girls’ soccer team will open against Citrus Valley on the road in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs this week. Valley News/Rob Davis Photography

Both the Chaparral and Great Oak boys’ soccer teams made it to the postseason, advancing to the first round this week. Valley News/Rob Davis Photography

Temecula Valley students honored in January

Diane A. Rhodes Special to Valley News

The Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce Student of the Month program, recognizing and inspiring academic excellence since 1993, held its most recent recognition breakfast on Jan. 12 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 their willingness to participate in numerous activities such as campus events, athletics and community service as well as how they have persevered through challenging life circumstances. They accomplish all this 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.

January’s students of the month are Chaparral High School’s Liam Rosen, Great Oak’s Sarah Wilson, Linfield Christian’s Caleb Klimpt, Rancho Christian’s Yeonj Seo, Temecula Preparatory School’s Joshua Elizalde and Temecula Valley High School’s Erick Jacobsen.

Liam Rosen

Chaparral High School Principal

Tina Miller applauded Liam Rosen for his passion and not just at school spirit events but for always leading others and putting others before himself, even in times of hardship. Nominating teacher

Alva Ruiz said, “Superhero is a word that comes to mind when I think of Liam because he never hesitates and he never stands back when someone is in need.” Liam said, “From family to friends, peers, teachers and administrators, I have had many leaders and heroes present in my life who have continuously supported me. Unfortunately, the person who gave me endless support and basically made me in every which way, my mother, is no longer with us.” Rosen said he wants to spend his life helping people and not because of the pain of losing his mother but because of the goodness in her and all those around him that have inspired him. “I’ve learned that bravery is not the absence of fear and hope is not the absence of doubt or neglect;

you don’t have to lose to negative emotions,” he said. “So I promise, as a student of Chaparral, as the son to my mother and father and most importantly, as myself, Liam Rosen, I will give everything I have to each person I possibly can. I want to help to see a world where it’s okay to feel sad and angry, where difficult emotions and mental health are accepted and where everyone has a reason to smile and laugh and enjoy the life they have. And I will dedicate my life to that.”

Sarah Wilson

Great Oak High School Principal Aimee Ricken, herself a former Division 1 volleyball player, was pleased to have Sarah chosen as this month’s honoree. “I have watched her come in as a freshman and have extraordinary junior and senior years on the (volleyball) courts,” Ricken said. “But it’s really the non-athletic things about Sarah that she’s known for. She has the reputation for being a servant leader in her classrooms.” Sarah said the passion she observes in her teacher, Teresa Wells, has inspired her to follow her dream of working in the medical field. “In my early years, I lived in a double-wide in the middle of a vineyard in Temecula Wine Country. I woke up to hot air balloons hovering over my house and the grapes glistening in the morning mist. I always appreciated the beauty of it all, but only recently have I discovered the deeper meaning within.” She said watching the plants grow from tiny sprigs to strong vines made her realize the transition doesn’t happen by itself. Sarah said that discovery taught her that the catalyst of growth is powerful relationships. “My parents have had the strongest influence, but it has been life changing to grow up with all four of my grandparents and being able to absorb their wisdom, encouragement and love. As an athlete, key coaches have shown me the dedication and hard work it takes to be strong in character. Friends and teammates have consistently inspired me to have an open mind and open heart. As a student, I have had outstanding teachers who have taught me how to think, not just what to think. Soon I’ll be transplanted into the expansive vineyard of college. I know I am going to experience challenges and obstacles but I know I will make it through because I am rooted in strong, vibrant relationships and in God’s love.”

Caleb Klimpt

The entire faculty at Linfield Christian School has a voice in choosing the Student of the Month and for January it was Caleb Klimpt. Principal Carrie Washburn said he possesses wisdom beyond his years and is a great advocate for his friends and peers. In college, he plans to major in mechanical engineering, saying it’s been his lifelong passion to build, create

and design. “I’m excited to be able to pursue my dreams in this field,” Caleb said. “I’m definitely a dreamer and a thinker and if I could choose a dream career, I would want to be a roller coaster engineer.” He said that all the seniors at the Student of the Month breakfast are evidence that hard work pays off but the biggest life lesson he feels he will be carrying into college is that there are two things that compose one’s life: circumstances and opportunities. “Circumstances are things you can’t choose but circumstances can create opportunities for you and that’s really where your life changes; don’t let opportunities pass you by,” Caleb said. His nominating teacher, Kim Cavlorich, teaches Spanish and described Caleb as “incredibly gifted, intelligent, studious, curious and observant.” She said his character, integrity and faith will carry him through life.

Yeonj Seo

Yeonj Seo of Rancho Christian was described by Vice Principal Joshua Medrano as “a very sweet, kind young lady who is an inspiration to our international program and to our native students.” He said that on top of all she does academically, Yeonj is an active member of the school’s ASB and theater department. Seo came from South Korea to study in the United States. “I am sometimes considered an outsider, however, I never considered being an outsider to be an important factor in my life,” she said. “Rather than being ashamed of it, I believe that my greatest contribution to my community and school is that I have been sharing my own culture and experiences.” She said being influenced by many great movies in her life that brought her much happiness and hope has led her to wanting to produce some of her own in the future. Hannah Thomas

has taught Yeonj in different government classes during her four years of high school. “We’ve had several international students at Rancho, but Yeonj is definitely someone I will remember long after she graduates,” her teacher said. “She is the embodiment of quiet confidence.” Thomas has been impressed with Yeonj’s performances in the school’s theater productions and also her academic abilities while working in her second language.

Joshua Elizalde

Joshua Elizalde has attended Temecula Preparatory School since kindergarten. Upper School Dean Breanna Brossman said he has a strong compassion for others and excels in academics, athletics and music. Joshua said, “I feel there are no greater lessons than those given to me by my parents. It’s incredibly important to me that I have my parents with me here today because I believe that any praise or recognition I receive is really a testament to the example that they have set for me. As I ascend into higher education and adulthood, I hope that by maintaining my studies and eventually obtaining a good career, I can reciprocate what my dad has taught me, which is achieving excellence through hard work. My mother has taught me the importance of family and the responsibility I have to help them. She is the strongest woman I know and always carries herself with grace and has been the backbone of our family. There will be no greater lessons for me to learn than those given to me by my parents that will help me govern my life successfully.” Elizalde’s counselor and teacher Rachel Lemkau was herself a Student of the Month 21 years ago when she was a student at Chaparral High School, and she lauded Joshua for being someone who can always be counted on to

Soboba preschoolers celebrate 100 days of school

Soboba Band of Luiseño

Indians

Special to the Valley News

Counting to 100 is something students at the Soboba Tribal Preschool are working on, but it was a number they celebrated Monday, Jan. 30, as it signaled the school year’s halfway mark. With activities that ranged from making hats to wear that deemed them “100 Days Smarter” and “100 Days Brighter” the kindergarten, pre-kindergarten and children in the “twos” and “threes” classrooms spent the day working with the big number.

Many of the children came dressed for the day, either as a 100-year-old person with gray frosted hair or wearing something that showed 100. A pre-k student had a T-shirt with 100 plastic googly eyes glued onto it, another had 100 colorful pom poms attached to their shirt.

Amanda Vallin’s three-yearolds spent part of their morning counting out 10 different snacks into groups of 10. They used pretzels, Goldfish crackers, Cheerios, raisins, popcorn and more to complete their 100th Day Trail Mix sheet. Their snack items were then transferred to a plastic bag for them to take home and eat later. They also enjoyed a 100-day story that incorporated a special dance so they could get some of

their fitness time in as well.

Vallin said the biggest difference with the kids at the start of the school year in August until now has been the development of their fine motor skills. She said that is the most important thing they focus on in her classroom each day. The students do puzzles and trace their names with a pencil. She said a lot of the students had not been in school before so there was much to learn about rules and socialization, too.

Ana Garcia is teaching the pre-kindergarten class this year. She taught the three-year-olds last year so many of her former students are in her class again and she has noticed how much they’ve grown. She was working at a table with four students who were assembling paper gumball machines. The top of the “machine” was made from a paper plate with 100 circles on it. The children could color them any way they wished before gluing them to the base of the machine where they wrote their name.

Garcia said the class is reading short stories and memorizing sight words. She said the majority seem ready for kindergarten even though they have another 100 days of school left.

“I couldn’t be happier with the progression,” she said. “Some kids got really creative with the theme this year, with help from

do the right thing.

Erick Jacobsen

Temecula Valley High School Principal Donna Lione said Erick Jacobsen is an AP Scholar with Distinction but is also a well-rounded student, involved in Mock Trial, Chess Club and Math Club, to name a few things. He is considering majoring in English or Political Science with future aspirations of becoming a state legislator, diplomat or possibly moving into publishing and editing. “He recently received the VFW regional award for his phenomenal essay titled, ‘Why the veteran is important’ and is headed to Sacramento to receive his award,” Lione said. Jacobsen said an important life lesson he learned is that you shouldn’t push yourself too hard. “It’s okay to not be perfect all the time,” he said. “It’s okay to sometimes not know all the answers. I’m grateful to have learned this lesson when I did as I know there are others that still struggle with this.” He was nominated by sociology and psychology teacher Zachary Force who said, “Erick is a diligent, gifted, confident person who is always eager to learn. Oftentimes in class we discuss difficult and usually unfamiliar material. While many students may be hesitant to buy into this material, Erick has never been one to shy away from the challenge. He embraces it as a way to further his own personal growth.” He volunteers to tutor struggling peers through the school’s tutoring program. Force said, “Erick’s enthusiasm to be a lifelong learner is something that his classmates, family and even teachers such as myself should aspire to achieve to be like.”

For more information, please contact Program Chair Amber Poncy at 951-676-5090 or http:// temecula.org/student-of-themonth.

Amanda Vallin’s class of three-year-olds count 10 different trail mix items out by tens that will be combined into a bag of trail mix to take home in celebration of 100 days at Soboba Tribal Preschool. Valley News/Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians photo their parents. It is so good to see this level of parent participation.”

Sierra Vivanco’s kindergarten students strung 100 colorful cereal loops onto yarn to form a necklace. They also were counting to 100 and working in an activity book that included drawing a picture of themselves at 100 years

of age, completing sentences that began with such prompts as “I wish I had 100…” and “If I had $100, I would buy…” and practicing writing out the words “one hundred.”

Vivanco said many of the students have been able to pick up on their letter sounds, which

is the skill that was hardest to recoup after the pandemic forced children into virtual learning. She said compared to last year when she taught the first post-COVID kindergartners in person, this has been a faster paced first 100 see 100, page C-6

Recipients of the Temecula Valley Student of the Month award for January. From left, Sarah Wilson, Joshua Elizalde, Erick Jacobsen, Yeonj Seo, Caleb Klimpt and Liam Rosen. Valley News/John P. Hess photo

Could this be the root of all heart disease?

Dr. Joseph Mercola, Mercola.com

The Epoch Times

Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, a boardcertified family physician and author of the book, “The Clot Thickens: The Enduring Mystery of Heart Disease,” reviews the underlying mechanisms for heart disease, which for the last century has been the leading cause of death in the U.S.

Of all the books he’s written, this is my favorite as it goes into great detail, giving you the biological understanding of the process of atherosclerosis leading to heart attacks and strokes. He also has solid strategies for lowering your cardiovascular disease risk.

Incidentally, once you understand the disease process, then you can also understand how both COVID-19 and the COVID jab can contribute to heart disease. When asked why he’s taken such an interest in heart disease, Kendrick replies:

“When I was training as a student in medicine, Scotland had the highest rate of heart disease in the world. Early on the answer for why was, ‘Oh, well, it’s because we have such terrible diet, and we eat rubbish food like deep fried Mars bars.’

So, you eat too much saturated fat, the saturated fat gets turned into cholesterol in your bloodstream, and then it’s absorbed into arteries and forms narrowings and thickenings, which all sounds plausible if you don’t think about it too hard.

But I also happen to go to France quite a lot, and what I noticed about France was, they eat a lot of saturated fat. They eat more, in fact, than anyone else in Europe, and certainly more than Scotland.

So, (this saturated fat) hypothesis certainly didn’t work for the French. They have the highest saturated fat intake in Europe and lowest rate of heart disease, and this has been the case for decades.

If you took all the risk factors for France and Scotland [such as smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes], then the French had slightly (higher risk), according to conventional thinking. But, in fact, they had one-fifth (the rate among age-matched men).

So, I thought, this is interesting. It doesn’t make much sense according to what we’re told. Then while I was in medical school, a tutor in cardiology said … LDL cannot cross the endothelium. At the time, I didn’t know what LDL was, nor did I know what the endothelium was, but it sounded important. She had been looking at heart disease as a different process for decades … So, I think that’s really where I got started. Once you start questioning what the problem is, you end up questioning more and more and you start thinking, gosh, this is just nonsense, isn’t it? This whole hypothesis is just nonsense. So, I started picking it apart.”

The Thrombogenic Hypothesis

“The Clot Thickens” is Kendrick’s effort to explain an alternative hypothesis for what actually causes heart disease. If it’s not saturated fat and cholesterol, what is it? In 1852, a Viennese researcher, Karl von Rokitansky, developed what he called the encrustation hypothesis of heart disease.

Today, this hypothesis has been renamed the thrombogenic hypothesis. ‘Thrombo’ stands for thrombosis, i.e., blood clots, and ‘genesis’ means the cause of, or the start of. So, the thrombogenic

hypothesis is that blood clots are the basic pathology that causes all heart disease. We know blood clots cause the final event in cardiovascular disease. We know blood clots cause plaques to grow. Why won’t you accept that blood clots are the thing that starts heart disease in the first place? Because then we have one process all the way through, and it makes sense, because it fits with what you can see according to Dr. Malcolm Kendrick

In a nutshell, when a blood clot forms on your artery wall, which can happen for a number of reasons, it will typically be covered over and dissolved. A problem arises, however, if the blood clot is not fully eliminated and another blood clot forms in the same ‘vulnerable’ area. This then becomes what’s conventionally referred to as atherosclerotic plaque.

Clotting causes

“The atherosclerotic plaque is basically a buildup of blood clot, repair, blood clot, repair, blood clot, repair,” Kendrick explains.

“If the blood clotting process is faster than the repair process, you have a plaque that gradually grows and eventually thickens the artery wall until it narrows sufficiently that the final blood clot, on top of the existing plaque, is the thing that can cause a heart attack or stroke …

If you cut through the plaque and look at it, it almost looks like tree rings. You can see there’s been a clot, repair, clot, repair, clot, repair, clock, repair over the years.

It’s widely accepted that a blood clot forming on an existing plaque will cause the plaque to grow in size. You can find 10,000 papers saying that this is the case. What the mainstream won’t accept is that a blood clot on a healthy artery wall can initiate the whole process.

So, to an extent, all I’m saying to people is, well, we know blood clots cause the final event. We know blood clots cause plaques to grow. Why won’t you accept that blood clots are the thing that starts it in the first place? Because then we have one process all the way through, and it makes sense, because it fits with what you can see.”

As noted by Kendrick, the conventional view is that lowdensity lipoprotein or LDL gets into the artery wall where it initiates plaque formation. It then, inexplicably, stops initiating plaque, and the plaque continues to grow through the addition of repeated clots.

However, Kendrick says, once you start drilling down into the

cholesterol, aka LDL hypothesis, the whole thing starts to fall apart. LDL simply cannot explain the disease progression. Yet despite the many holes in the theory, the idea that LDL causes heart disease is touted as an absolute, indisputable fact. What’s the mechanism?

In order to justify a hypothesis, you need to have a mechanism of action. Once you understand the mechanism of the actual disease process, then you can put the puzzle pieces together. Kendrick begins his explanation:

“Your blood vessels are lined with endothelial cells, a bit like tiles on a wall. Endothelial cells are also covered themselves in a thing called glycocalyx. If you try to pick up a fish, it’ll slip through your fingers; it’s very slippery. The reason it’s slippery is because it’s covered in glycocalyx and the glycocalyx is incredibly slippery. It’s nature’s Teflon.

So basically, in our case, the glycocalyx [is inside] our blood vessels, to allow the blood to travel through without it sticking, without damage occurring. So, you have this kind of damage-repellent layer on top of your endothelial cells.

Now, if that layer is damaged,

and then the endothelial cell itself underneath is damaged, then the body will say, ‘Oh, we’ve got damage to a blood vessel, we must have a blood clot there because we could bleed out.’ So, a blood clot forms on the area of damage, and immediately stops [the bleeding].”

The blood clot doesn’t just keep on growing and growing. If it did, you’d die anytime you had a blood clot. Instead, when a clot forms, other processes step in to prevent it getting too big, which is why every blood clot doesn’t cause a stroke or heart attack. Once the clot has stabilized, and has been shaved down, the area is covered over by endothelial progenitor cells, made in the bone marrow, that float around in your blood stream.

When a progenitor cell finds an area that has been damaged, it attaches itself to that area, along with others, forming a new endothelial layer. The remaining blood clot is now lying ‘within’ the artery wall itself. So, basically, it’s the repair process that can lead to plaque buildup within the artery wall. In time, if damage outstrips repair, this can narrow the artery and reduce blood flow.

What damages endothelial cells?

The question is, what can

damage the endothelium in the first place? Here, Kendrick uses the SARS-CoV-2 mechanism as an example:

“The COVID virus enters endothelial cells through the ACE2 receptor. It prefers endothelial cells because they’ve got ACE2 receptors on them. It gets into the endothelial cell and starts replicating, then bursts out, damaging the cell. Bingo, you’ve got an area of damage.

Of course, added to this, when cells have viruses within them, they send out distress signals to the immune system saying, ‘I’ve been infected, come and kill me,’ and so the immune system starts to have a go at the endothelial cells. This is why you can get a problem, because the endothelial cells are being damaged and stripped off.

Blood clotting occurs at the points of damage and hey, presto, you’re having clotting, you’re having strokes, you’re having heart attacks, which is the thing that people at first couldn’t understand [about COVID-19]. Yet it’s very clear that what’s happening is you’ve got damage to the endothelial cells.

Obviously, you and I both know that if you get a [COVID jab], the cells are triggered to produce the spike protein, and these cells are sending out distress messages saying, ‘I’m infected.’ You have to be very careful if you want to stick something into cells that then says to the immune system, ‘Please come and destroy me,’ because that’s what the immune system is going to do.

But moving on from that, what other thing can cause endothelial damage? The answer is things like smoking. Smoke particles get out of your lungs, they go into your blood vessels and they cause damage … You smoke one cigarette and a whole bunch of microparticles appear in your bloodstream, which means endothelial cells are dying.

Luckily as endothelial cells die, another message is sent to the bone marrow saying, we need more endothelial cells and it stimulates endothelial progenitor cell production. These endothelial see HEART, page C-6

Valley News/Metro Creative Graphics

HEART from page C-5

progenitor cells rush around covering over the areas of damage.

Some smokers have enough repair going on and when you’re younger, it’s okay. As you get older and your repair systems begin to fail a bit, cigarette smoking becomes more and more of a problem.”

Other things that can cause endothelial damage include:

• High blood sugar levels and diabetes. The protective glycocalyx layer is made of proteins and sugars. High blood sugar damages the glycoprotein layer, thinning it down in a measurable way. High blood sugar can reduce the glycocalyx layer by as much as two-thirds. This, in turn, exposes the endothelial cells to the bloods and anything else damaging that might be there.

The damage to the glycocalyx is why diabetics are prone to both arterial and capillary (small vessel) disease. You can’t get atherosclerosis in the capillaries, as there’s no room. Instead, the capillaries become broken down and destroyed. This in turn can cause ulcers, due to poor circulation in the skin of your legs and feet.

Peripheral neuropathy as the ends of nerve cells are deprived of oxygen. Also visual problems (diabetic retinal damage) and kidney damage. Blood pressure may also become elevated as your heart has to work harder to push blood through a network of damaged/missing small blood vessels.

These are heavy metals such as aluminum and lead.

And high blood pressure, as it puts stress on the endothelium Atherosclerotic plaques (atherosclerosis) doesn’t occur

100 from page C-4

days. She said there are still some challenges with attendance and social skills, but they are working through all that and she feels by the end of the school year, the students will all be where they need to be to head off to first grade.

“By graduation, they need to have mastered letters and their sounds, numbers, sight words and other things that most are doing pretty well at so far,” Vivanco said. “Parents are really grasping what effect the time away from school during COVID has had on their children but are hopeful they will be able to get back on track this year.”

She said her class has begun learning how to count by twos and they had lots of questions.

“They are also very curious at this age,” she said.

Staff from Soboba Tribal Preschool will be hosting a Bingo fundraising event Wednesday, Feb. 22, so each student along with an adult can take an endof-the-year trip to Disneyland. A Bingo card and spaghetti dinner will be provided with the purchase

unless the pressure is raised, adding biomechanical stress.

Repairing the Glycocalyx

As explained by Kendrick, the glycocalyx layer resembles a lawn, with slippery filaments that stick up. Within this glycocalyx layer you have nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which produces nitric oxide (NO), and you have NO itself, as well as a number of other anticoagulant proteins. The glycocalyx is actually a potent anticoagulant layer, so it stops blood clots forming. If glycocalyx is damaged, your risk of blood clotting increases.

“It’s a very complicated layer,” Kendrick says. “It’s like a jungle full of things that say, ‘Don’t stick to this, stay away from this.’” Within it, you also have albumin, protein complex produced by the liver. Albumin contains the proteins that help maintain and repair the glycocalyx. A fact that most doctors are unaware of is that, if you have a low albumin level, you’re significantly more likely to die of heart disease.

The good news is that while the glycocalyx layer can be rapidly destroyed, it can also be rapidly repaired. (Experiments have shown that in an area where the glycocalyx has been completely stripped off, it can be completely repaired in a single second.) Supplements like chondroitin sulfate and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) can be helpful in this regard.

“If you try and explain that through the LDL mechanism, it just doesn’t work,” Kendrick says. “They have discovered that if you give chondroitin sulfate as a supplement, which normally is for arthritis and stuff like that, it reduces the risk of heart disease quite considerably. How do you explain that? Well, you can explain

that because you’re protecting your glycocalyx. These are the sort of things that make no sense if you like looking at the conventional ideas of heart disease, but are immediately and easily explained if you say, ‘We have to keep our glycocalyx healthy and we have to keep our endothelial cells underneath them healthy.

Otherwise they will be damaged and stripped off, and then we will get a blood clot, and if we keep getting blood clots at that point, we will end up with a plaque and eventually one of the blood clots on that plaque will kill you from a heart attack or a stroke.”

Blood flow restriction training

A lifestyle strategy that can help repair endothelial damage is blood flow restriction (BFR) training. In response to BFR, your body produces vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which acts as “fertilizer” for the endothelium.

You can learn the ins and outs of BFR in my free BFR report VEGF also induces the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO), a potent vasodilator, and it stimulates endothelial progenitor cells.

“NO protects the endothelium. It is anticoagulant — the most potent anticoagulant we have in the body. It’s really the magic molecule for cardiovascular health,” Kendrick says.

“At one time NO was known as Endothelial Derived Relaxation Factor (EDRF) NO was something no one believed could possibly exist in the human body. NO is actually a free radical. Everyone says free radicals are terribly damaging and unhealthy.

To that I reply, ‘Well, you may wish to know that the chemical that is the single most important protective chemical in the body for the cardiovascular system is

an incredibly free radical called nitric oxide.”

Some anticancer drugs are designed to block VEGF, as the tumor needs angiogenesis — which is the creation of new blood vessels that are required to provide sufficient ‘nutrients’ Without these new blood vessels, the tumor dies off. Unfortunately, if you block VEGF, you also block NO, which then raises your risk for heart disease.

“These drugs were almost removed from the market,” Kendrick says, “because despite their anticancer activity, they were procardiovascular disease to quite a scary degree.

[That’s why], if you are given bevacizumab or Avastin as an anticancer drug, they now give you angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors), which are blood pressure lowering tablets, and ACE inhibitors have a specific impact on bradykinin, which increases NO synthesis.”

Strategies to lower your thrombotic risk

In his book, “The Clot Thickens: The Enduring Mystery of Heart Disease,” Kendrick reviews many different strategies that can lower your disease risk. Here’s a short-list of examples covered in far greater depth in the book, as well as some of my own recommendations that I bring up in the interview:

Avoid unnecessary use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, aspirin and naproxen. While they effectively inhibit inflammation, they can cause platelet aggregation by blocking COX-2. In other words, they activate your blood clotting system, making blood clots more likely. Get plenty of sensible sun exposure. Sun exposure

triggers NO that helps dilate your blood vessels, lowering your blood pressure. NO also protects your endothelium, and increases mitochondrial melatonin to improve cellular energy production.

Avoid seed oils and processed foods. Seed oils are a primary source of the omega-6 fat called linoleic acid (LA), which I believe may be more harmful than sugar. Excessive intake is associated with most chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes. LA gets embedded in your cell membranes, causing oxidative stress, and can remain there for up to seven years. Oxidative linoleic acid metabolites (OXLAMs) are what’s causing the primary damage, including endothelial damage.

Lower your insulin and blood sugar levels. Simple strategies to accomplish this include timerestricted eating, eating a diet high in healthy fats and low in refined carbohydrates, significantly restricting your LA intake and getting regular exercise.

Address chronic stress, which raises both blood sugar and blood pressure, promotes blood clotting and impairs your repair systems. Cortisol, a key stress hormone, reduces endothelial cell production.

Quit smoking.

Dr. Joseph Mercola is the founder of Mercola.com. An osteopathic physician, bestselling author, and recipient of multiple awards in the field of natural health, his primary vision is to change the modern health paradigm by providing people with a valuable resource to help them take control of their health.

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of each $10 ticket. Additional Bingo cards will be available for purchase. Note that all attendees will have to show identification at the access gate before making

their way to the Soboba Sports Complex. Doors will open at 5 p.m. For tickets or more information, call 951-487-8732.

It may be painful to think about your funeral, but it doesn’t have to be painful to pay for it.

Kindergartner Kenai Silvas shows off the “100 Days Brighter” hat he colored and decorated on the 100th day of school.

Luciano Marquez stays busy counting out 100 cereal loops onto a sheet and stringing 100 of them onto a string of yarn to make a necklace, while wearing a shirt with 100 pom poms attached to it during the 100th day of class. Valley News/Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians photos

After the students counted out 10 different snack items into groups of 10, they were put into a sealed bag to take home as 100th Day Trail Mix.

Cahuilla Band of Indians donates $14,000 to Little Red Schoolhouse roof repair project

Diane Sieker Staff Writer

The Cahuilla Band of Indians presented the Anza Civic Improvement League with a check for $14,000 for the Little Red Schoolhouse roof replacement project Saturday, Feb. 4.

Cahuilla Tribal Council Member BobbyRay Esparza and Tribal Council Secretary Steven Leash Jr. pledged $14,000 from the Tribe to ACIL board members. The generous gift will be used to replace the aging roof on the historic Little Red Schoolhouse in Minor Park.

According to ACIL, research showed that replacement of the building’s roof could be accomplished at a cost of $14,000.

The Cahuilla Band of Indians came through with the entire amount required.

“Although I cannot thank the Cahuilla Tribe enough for their generous donation, I would like to give Mr. Steven Leash a special thank you for the inspiration and guidance that made this all happen,” ACIL director Charles Cadwell Sr. said.

The historic Little Red Schoolhouse, located in the heart of Anza, is more than 100 years old and still serving the residents of the rural mountain community.

“What most people don’t know is that Minor Park is a privately owned piece of land and it doesn’t receive any funds from any government type of entity,” ACIL director Tabitha Dawes said. “All of the funds come from community members.”

The original Hamilton School, now referred to as the Little Red Schoolhouse, was built in 1914 as a one-room school. Located on the southwest corner of State Highway 371 and Contreras Road, the small wooden building is the centerpiece of Minor Park and managed by the Anza Civic Improvement League, a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation.

The school was constructed on land donated by George Turner

Wandering sheep visit Anza Valley Community Library

and the property was to be returned to his family when no longer used as a school. The building was built during the spring of 1914 and was completed in September of that year.

When Cahuilla Road became State Highway 71 in 1964, the traffic was deemed to be too heavy and the school site was condemned by California as dangerous. Since the School District could not find any members of the Turner family to return the parcel to, the original school and land were auctioned off in 1964. The highest bidder was James Minor, who then gave the land and the building to the Anza Civic Improvement League.

Many public elections, church and Sunday school classes, holiday group gatherings, potlucks and celebrations were held at the Little Red Schoolhouse and still are.

In November 1991, an historical marker was placed in front of the Hamilton School as The Little Red Schoolhouse was known as at the time by the Billy Holcomb Chapter 1069 of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus, or Clampers for short.

The Clampers are dedicated to the history of the old west, especially old mining areas and have placed more than 150 plaques at historical sites all over California, Arizona and Nevada.

The plaque has been moved from the original location on the grounds to closer to the road, where it remains today.

In November 2020, the red building received a new coat of paint, applied by ACIL board members and volunteers.

The mission of the ACIL is to restore, manage and enhance the Little Red Schoolhouse and Minor Park in partnership with the public, for the enjoyment of present and future generations, according to the League’s website. Both the park and the schoolhouse are available to rent see SCHOOLHOUSE, page D-2

Livestock guardian dogs protect Anza’a ranches

While these hunters fully recognize humans as the apex predator and fear and respect humans for the most part, most people are unable to patrol their ranches 24 hours a day. Fencing and other physical deterrents help, but sometimes the job of protecting helpless animal residents falls on one special “hero,” the livestock see SHEEP, page D-3 see DOGS, page D-4

Diane Sieker Staff Writer

Predators abound in the Anza Valley, just waiting for their chance to make a meal of a farmer’s poultry and other small animals. Domestic livestock such as sheep and goats can fall victim to predation from various wild and even domesticated animals, such as coyotes, bobcats, raccoons, skunks, weasels,

mountain lions

Diane Sieker Staff Writer Mary may have had a little lamb, whose fleece was black as coal, but the Anza Valley

Community Library had a whole flock of fluffy, multi-colored sheep visit the grounds Saturday, Feb. 4. The wayward flock, owned by a local rancher, has been in the social media spotlight in recent

weeks. According to neighbors, the shepherd does not gather his flock, but rather releases them daily to feed on the rich grasses

From left, back row, Jazmyn McCammon, Tribal Council Secretary Steven Leash Jr. and Robyn Garrison.

From left, front row, Charles Cadwell Sr., Tribal Council Member BobbyRay Esparza, Cindy Watson and Tabitha Dawes hold the $14,000 check presented by the Cahuilla Band of Indians to the Anza Civic Improvement League for roof repairs needed at the historic Little Red Schoolhouse in Anza Saturday, Feb. 4. Anza Valley Outlook/Diane Sieker photo

A small flock of sheep show up in the Anza Valley Community Library parking lot Saturday, Feb. 4. Anza Valley Outlook/Courtesy photo

Madison, the Great Pyrenees livestock guardian dog, takes good care of her sheep in Aguanga. Anza Valley Outlook/Diane Sieker photo and stray dogs.

ANZA’S UPCOMING EVENTS

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.

Regular Happenings

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 “Hamilton-Museum-and-RanchFoundation.”

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 951751-1462 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 post-traumatic 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.

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 951-763-4226.

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 951-551-2826.

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 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. 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.

Bible Studies

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 951-7630856.

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 951-7631111.

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 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.

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 951-763-4439 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 951928-1248. 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.

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 909-7027902. 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 951-403-4940. 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 951-763-5611 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 951-663-6763.

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 951-282-4267.

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.

SCHOOLHOUSE from page D-1

for meetings and events. Members may credit 100% of their current membership dues toward rental fees during the same time period. Membership is $15 a person per year, $25 for a couple or $50 for a business. These dues go directly to maintaining the park and schoolhouse, plus funding community events.

To learn more about upcoming ACIL events, visit them at www.facebook.com/ AnzaCivicImprovementLeague or at www.anzacivic.org , write PO Box 391000, Anza, CA 92539, call 951-330-4411 or email anzacivic@gmail.com

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

Coyote breeding season can endanger pets

Diane Sieker Staff Writer

The wily and intelligent coyote is perpetually on the hunt, and pet owners should be aware that increased interaction with coyotes may occur in the coming weeks. While coyote predation is part of living in the country, sometimes attacks on pets and livestock can escalate, especially during the wild canines’ breeding season.

Coyotes pair up and mate December through February. During this time, coyotes may go after smaller dogs that they perceive as potential competitors or possibly as threats to their own offspring. Additionally, increased activity and the need to feed puppies also results in heightened hunting activity and the targeting of pets and livestock as easy prey. Coyotes can and do live in any habitat, including suburbs and cities. These predators are very common in the local mountain communities. The howling and yipping of these wild canines can be heard most evenings. The sound signals coyotes on the hunt, coordinating the killing of prey. Coyotes typically feed on rabbits, rodents, birds and reptiles, as well as carrion and road kill. They will hunt larger prey such as deer, focusing on sick, young, weak or wounded animals.

Poultry, lambs, goats, piglets, cats and dogs can be included on the menu as well. Livestock guardian dogs can protect the farms from these fierce hunters, but owners should be aware that their dogs must be up-to-date on vaccinations for diseases, as coyotes carry illnesses that can easily be transmitted to working dogs or family pets and people.

“Coyotes carry rabies,” Jill Holt, a longtime dog expert and trainer, said. “Lately they’re getting very bold and aggressive. Make sure your animals are vaccinated and report any interaction with coyotes to Riverside County Animal Services. If there is any chance that your dogs may come into contact with coyotes, please, please, make sure their distemper, rabies and other vaccinations are

SHEEP from page D-1

and weeds in the Hill St. and Mitchell Road neighborhood. Saturday afternoon found the gentle group of animals inside the library parking lot gates, causing quite a stir.

“It’s sheepish that even sheep can find the library,” Library Associate Chantel Yarrow quipped.

There were concerns that the wooly visitors might get trapped inside the facility when the gates were closed and locked later that afternoon. But the sheep eventually found their way out of the fenced parking lot and off to greener pastures.

“The groundskeepers are working overtime,” Anza resident Vince Belleville said.

The Anza Valley Community Library continues to provide books, services and inspiration to the mountain communities. The facility is a joint-use public library, located inside Hamilton High School, but a completely separate entity. It is part of the Riverside County Library System.

Don’t have a library card? Go to www.rivlib. net to sign up online for free.

For more information, please call the library at 951-763-4216 or visit them at www.facebook. com/AnzaLibrary.

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

up-to-date. Coyotes carry many diseases.”

Besides rabies, coyotes can also carry canine distemper, toxoplasmosis, Lyme disease, mange, canine hepatitis and leptospirosis, as well as parasites such as mites, ticks, fleas, hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms and flukes.

Discourage coyotes from hunting around your home by following these suggestions:

Never feed coyotes; even throwing a dead chicken over the fence will attract them to your property. Pick up and securely dispose of garbage. Canine-proof containers are advised.

Keep pets inside your home or barn at night and do not leave pet food and water outside to attract the famously opportunistic hunters.

Deploy net-wire or electric fencing to keep coyotes away from vulnerable livestock such as lambs and birds. These hunters can rip through chain link fences and climb six-foot high fences with ease. Protect farm animals in coyote proof pens or shelters at night when coyotes are most likely to be on the hunt. Remove rabbit and rodent habitat that provides homes to the natural prey of coyotes, such as wood or brush piles.

When hiking or walking, keep dogs on short non-retractable leashes and don’t venture near the edge of brushy areas. Coyotes can lay in wait to snatch a dog.

Coyotes are most active at dawn and dusk. If someone sees a coyote out in the wild, they can make themselves appear larger by waving or yelling. Typically, the coyote will run away. If it doesn’t move away, it may be near its den. If that’s the case, it is advised to keep facing the animal and gradually back away.

Coyotes will face any odds to protect their young and mates. During this sensitive time, take all precautions to protect your furry and feathered friends from coyote predation or attack.

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

Anza Valley Outlook/Joshua Wilking photo on Unsplash

A group of sheep graze alongside the walkways at the Anza Community Library Saturday, Feb. 4.

Anza Valley Outlook/Courtesy photo

[Right] The sheep stay in close contact as they nibble on weeds at the Anza Community Library Saturday, Feb. 4.

Anza Valley Outlook/ Courtesy photo

Caltrans work progressing on startup of safety barriers on State Route 79 in San Jacinto

Motorists on State Route 79, at the beginning of Lamb Canyon leading into Banning from San Jacinto, will find Caltrans crews placing k-rails to safely begin their work constructing a median concrete barrier and rumble strips. Weather permitting.

Their work will take place Monday through Friday from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m during the nighttime hours when there is usually less traffic. As it begins, all work will take place in the median behind the k-rails. Crews will perform trench paving operations that will include sawcutting, breaking existing asphalt, and excavating for the installation of a new drainage pipe. CHP will be on site to assist with traffic safety. As a result, there will be occasional intermittent lane closures during the evenings for construction staging purposes.

HEMET Crosstown Electrical and Data Inc. of Irwindale and contracted by Caltrans will soon begin work on a $1.3 million safety project on Florida Ave. in the City of Hemet.

The project will modify and upgrade a traffic signal, reconstruct and upgrade sidewalks, curb ramps and driveways to current Americans with Disabilities Act standards at the intersection of Latham and Florida avenues.

Crews will be working at the intersection with hours of operation Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. with intermittent lane closures in each direction taking place daily and possibly changing weekly. There will be no full closures.The project is expected to be completed this spring.

BANNING

Caltrans is working 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 at 8th St. in the City of Banning.

The crews continue working on landscaping and irrigation facilities in and near the I-10 from .25 miles west of 8th St. to S. San Gorgonio Ave. Rain may affect work schedules from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily. Ramps and shoulders may be intermittently closed to ensure the safety of the crew. There also will be occasional intermittent lane closures during evenings for construction staging purposes.

Although most of the work on Route 60 truck lanes going west from Banning through the Badlands to Moreno Valley has been completed by Riverside County Transportation Commission and Caltrans, some night time closures may still take place on the eastbound truck lane and middle lane until Feb. 9 from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. It runs from Gilman Springs Road to Jack Rabbit Trail

in the Badlands. The closure will allow crews to safely make concrete repairs. Allow extra travel time through this area and possibly in the coming days.

LAKE ELSINORE

Caltrans contractors are still working on State Route 74 that begins in eastern Lake Elsinore from Monte Vista Street at the Riverside County border to the Orange County border. Crews are forming rebar, pouring, excavation and barrier work in various locations throughout the project zone. Weather permitting.

During daytime hours, contractors may be working from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and may require one-way lane closures. The closures will run approximately from The Candy Store on the upper highway to the Orange County line. Signage indicating closure zones will be placed ahead of the work area. A flagging operation will assist in traffic control.

Caltrans advises drivers using

the highway to plan their route carefully because there could be long waits and delays due to construction operations. Please wait for the designated flagging operation to guide you through the closure zone. Please obey all posted signs and traffic instructions, including the flagging operations, as CHP will be on location and citing any offenders.

DESERT AREA

Coffman Specialties Inc., in partnership with Caltrans, begins the I-10 Desert Rehab Project. The project includes approximately 13 miles of pavement rehabilitation, the addition of an eastbound truck climbing lane and safety improvements on the highly traveled Interstate 10.

The project parameters are approximately 1.8 miles east of the Dillon Road interchange to two miles east of the Cactus City Rest area.

Tony Ault can be reached at tault@reedermedia.com

Emergency Management Department earns EMAP accreditation, only second in state

RIVERSIDE – Riverside

County’s Emergency Management

Department became the second county emergency management program in the state to earn the highest level of accreditation from the Emergency Management Accreditation Program. The accreditation from EMAP recognizes the ability of emergency management programs to bring together personnel, resources and communications across disciplines to prepare for and respond to

emergencies. The accreditation also evaluates programs’ ability to evaluate and measure their capabilities.

In the EMAP accreditation letter, Chair Angee Morgan said, “We applaud the county of Riverside’s leadership and congratulate you on your commitment to achieve accreditation. More importantly, we recognize the dedication to the safety and security of the residents that it represents.”

The emergency management

program uses the accreditation to prove the capabilities of their disaster preparedness and response systems. Accreditation is valid for five years and the program must maintain compliance with EMAP’s standards and is reassessed to maintain accredited status.

“To be one of two local government programs in the state, and one of 43 in the country to achieve EMAP accreditation is a serious accomplishment,” county Board of Supervisors Chair Kevin

Riverside County updates road standards

Joe Naiman

Special to the Valley News

Riverside County road standards had not been updated since November 2007. Two January 2023 Riverside County Board of Supervisors votes updated several sections in the county ordinance relating to county road standards. The introduction and first reading of the ordinance was approved on a 5-0 vote Tuesday, Jan. 24. A 5-0 vote Tuesday, Jan. 31, approved the second reading and adoption of the revised ordinance. The Jan. 24 action also found the changes categorically exempt from California Environmental Quality Act review.

Riverside County Ordinance

No. 461 establishes county road standards and county standard specifications used for the design, construction and inspection of public roadways in the county’s unincorporated areas. The county’s Transportation Department updated the standards for board consideration. The updates reflect

DOGS from page D-1

guardian dog or LGD for short.

With their ancient protective instincts, these dogs can successfully reduce predation on livestock. Though common elsewhere for centuries, LGDs have only been used consistently in the US since the late 1970s. However, their popularity continues to grow.

The most common LGD breeds are Great Pyrenees, Anatolian Shepherd, Komandor, Maremma, Karakachan, Ovtcharka, Karst, Tatra, Kuvasz and Akbash. These dogs have been bred for thousands of years to protect the farmers’ or shepherds’ animals.

Whether against coyotes or packs of marauding dogs, LGDs are the best predator protection available. Guardian dogs reduce

advances in technology, implement public safety improvements, ensure compliance with current state and federal regulations and clarify local requirements for the county road system. The updates include improved access for persons with disabilities, improved water quality, reduced energy consumption, reduced road maintenance costs and prolonged service life of the county road system.

The updates change the type of street lights from high-pressure sodium vapor to light-emitting diode to utilize the most recent technologies for the reduction of energy consumption costs. A standard for solar-powered flashing beacons and radar feedback signs was added to take advantage of advances in solar power technology to reduce the costs of installation, maintenance and energy consumption associated with wired equipment. Vehicle detection methods which used vehicle detection loops cut into the pavement have been

predation in three main ways: territorial exclusion, disruption and confrontation.

Territorial exclusion is particularly important for protection against other canid predators. Canines, whether wild or domestic, use scent from scent glands, urine and feces, to mark the boundaries of their territory. Other canids, even of different species, recognize these boundaries and tend to seek unoccupied areas rather than risk invading another’s territory. The very presence of LGDs accomplishes this goal, as they mark the ranch or home as theirs.

Disruption is aggressive behavior such as barking and posturing that falls short of direct physical confrontation. LGDs are famous for their deep, menacing

replaced with video radar vehicle detection cameras to utilize the latest technologies and to reduce maintenance costs associated with the re-installation of loops after the repair or maintenance of the road pavement. Battery backup to traffic signals was added to improve traffic safety in the event of a power outage.

A series of standard drawings for full trash capture devices designed to remove trash at stormwater catch basins has been added to improve the quality of water which reaches downstream water bodies. Standards for riprap around stormwater facilities were added to reduce soil erosion from impacting downstream water quality and to reduce maintenance costs associated with repairing dirt slopes and cleaning deposited soils from downstream facilities.

Additional information ensures that the county’s pedestrian facilities such as sidewalks, curb ramps, crosswalks and pedestrian signals will meet or exceed the accessibility standards

barking. They are warning the neighborhood that they are on patrol and to stay away. Confrontation comes into play when predators are not dissuaded by exclusion or disruption. These dogs are not afraid to engage physically when needed. Properly reared guardian dogs are exposed to livestock from birth. They do not regard livestock animals as competition for territory but rather an extension of their pack. LGDs work best in pairs. A neutered/spayed male-female team works well together. An older dog works well with a younger, less-experienced animal, teaching the pup how to refine its instincts and control the playful behavior that can result in injured or dead livestock.

Jeffries for the First District said.

“Riverside County residents can take comfort in knowing that our emergency management program is among the best in the nation.”

“This was a comprehensive process that the team worked on extensively, all while managing a significant actual disasters, including a pandemic, fires and floods,” Bruce Barton, director of the Emergency Management Department, said. “I’m incredibly proud of our EMD team.”

established by the American with Disabilities Act and the California Building Code. The updates also reduced the maximum design slopes of accessible pedestrian routes, including sidewalks and curb ramps, to accommodate construction tolerance; the slope of a curb ramp has been reduced from the state and federal maximum of 8.33% to 7.5% and the cross slope of an accessible pedestrian route has been reduced from the state and federal maximum of 2% to 1.5%. The Case A curb ramp geometry was modified to provide more room for pedestrian access around traffic signal equipment, and other standards were added for curb ramp configurations. The requirement for grooves around the perimeter of a curb ramp was removed to be consistent with updated California Building Code standards which took effect in 2015. A bicycle-safe drainage grate detail was added to improve safety for bicyclists.

A new standard for the safety edge treatment of the outer edge

It is not advised to run two intact females or two intact males together, as there can be breeding and dominance issues.

Denise Squires raises goats, sheep and poultry. Her ranch is a smorgasbord for local predators.

“We have two Great Pyrenees half siblings, a male and a female,” she said. “We had an Anatolian shepherd, she passed away at age 15 a couple of years ago. The Pyrs are about nine months old. They have been reared outside and have never been inside. They have plenty of places out of the weather but prefer to spend their nights patrolling for predators and their days sleeping. While they are friendly and socialized, they are very protective and guard the perimeter fence lines all night. One thing you need to get used to

The accreditation process evaluates compliance in 66 critical areas, including planning, resource management, training, corrective actions, communications and administration. EMAP is the only accreditation process for emergency management programs. For more information on EMAP accreditation, visit https://EMAP. org Submitted by Riverside County.

of roadways was added to improve vehicle recovery and traffic safety. The gutter depression of curbopening catch basins was changed from 3 inches to 4 inches to decrease the dip at the outer edge of the roadway to increase road safety. The standard cross gutter width was increased from 10 feet to 12 feet to protect the adjacent asphalt pavement surface from water damage and to reduce maintenance costs.

The intersection geometry for urban, arterial, major and secondary highways was revised by replacing curved transitions with straight transitions on the outer curb alignment, which will provide a wider pavement width for motorists and simplify construction. The changes also updated, clarified and added design requirements for corner sight distance design requirements, street name sign placement and traffic signal equipment.

Joe Naiman can be reached by email at jnaiman@reedermedia. com

is the barking. In time you learn to tune in to barking that really needs your attention, like when coyotes are slinking around.”

Livestock guardian dogs stay outside with the stock, living, eating and interacting with the herds. They take their jobs very seriously. Recently, these dogs have been in the public eye, found still protecting their wandering flocks after devastating wildfires.

Famous for their loyalty and willingness to take care of the vulnerable animals on the ranch, these dogs are the heroes of the valley, barking their defiance nightly to the hunters slinking about in the dark.

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

Tony Ault Staff Writer

Ukrainian in Illinois says, ‘I love America!’

Judith Bell Special to the Valley News

Alexander Hranchenko, 36, escaped from the horrors of war last October as he made his way from his village in the Kmerson region of the Ukraine to Wheeling, IL, a northern suburb of Chicago.

“I wanted to stay and fight. However, my life was not fully my own as I needed to save my family.” Alex did so by getting his parents and sister’s family and dog to Slovakia.

“I found a house for my family and then decided with my family safe from the war, I could go to America.”

Alex found shelter for his wife and 13-year-old daughter, Victoria,

with friends in Poland the previous spring. He had been in touch with a friend and a friend of a friend to get sponsorship through “United for Ukraine” an American government program. His friend lived in Wheeling and that’s where Alex settled. In Ukraine Alex built a delivery service. He became the customer service representative for a bakery as well as the right hand man for the owner. As Alex had been driving since he was 18 (the legal age in the Ukraine) he became a taxi driver in Chicago. He is waiting for his temporary license to become finalized so that he can become licensed for over-the- road driving.

“The training is relatively short and it allows me to earn a better income

which I can use to support my family’s needs,” Alex said.

The beginnings of the war are vivid in Alex’s mind.

“On February 23 [2022] the war started at 4 a.m. By 8 a.m., Russian soldiers occupied my village. We didn’t have time to make any weapons to defend ourselves. As guns are not permitted in Ukraine as they are in America, there was little to be done.

“At 5 am that morning, a friend called who lived 5 miles from Crimea where Russian troops had been stationed since 2014. I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to go and save them. Then I thought about the active hostilities that were happening and thought it best to stay at home. I did the right

thing. When things calmed down, I saw lots of civilian cars with dead people in them. They had been shot by Russian soldiers during the offensive movements.”

Today, Alex knows that Russian soldiers are living in his family’s houses. Still he is grateful his parents are ok. They both have jobs working with the elderly. He also has come to realize that even as a youngster he liked America.

“I liked the culture…the music, the films, YouTube, Facebook, and American-style football.” Alex was a team member of an Americanstyle football team that traveled in Ukraine until 2017.

“The war pushed me here,” he concluded. “And I do love America.”

China accuses US of indiscriminate use of force over balloon

Emily Wang Fujiyama Associated Press

BEIJING — China on Monday accused the United States of indiscriminate use of force when the American military shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon Saturday, saying that had “seriously impacted and damaged both sides’ efforts and progress in stabilizing Sino-U.S. relations.”

The U.S. shot down a balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America. China insisted the flyover was an accident involving a civilian aircraft.

Vice Foreign Minister Xie Feng said he lodged a formal complaint with the U.S. Embassy on Sunday over the “U.S. attack on a Chinese civilian unmanned airship by military force.

“However, the United States turned a deaf ear and insisted on indiscriminate use of force against the civilian airship that was about to leave the United States airspace, which obviously overreacted and seriously violated the spirit of international law and international practice,” Xie said.

The presence of the balloon in the skies above the U.S. dealt a severe blow to already strained U.S.-Chinese relations that have been in a downward spiral for years. It prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to abruptly cancel a high-stakes Beijing trip aimed at easing tensions.

Xie repeated China’s insistence

that the balloon was a Chinese civil unmanned airship that blew into U.S. mistake, calling it “an accidental incident caused by force majeure.”

China would “resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, resolutely safeguard China’s interests and dignity and reserve the right to make further necessary responses,” he said.

U.S. President Joe Biden issued the shootdown order after he was advised that the best times for the operation would be when it was over water, U.S. officials said. Military officials determined that

bringing down the balloon over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet (18,000 meters) would pose an undue risk to people on the ground.

“What the U.S. has done has seriously impacted and damaged both sides’ efforts and progress in stabilizing Sino-U.S. relations since the Bali meeting,” Xie said, referring to the recent meeting between Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Indonesia that many hoped would create positive momentum for improving ties that have spiraled to their lowest level in years.

The sides are at odds over a range of issues from trade to human rights, but Beijing is most sensitive over alleged violations by the U.S. and others of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Beijing strongly protests military sales to Taiwan and visits by foreign politicians to the island, which it claims as Chinese territory to be recovered by force if necessary.

It reacted to a 2022 visit by thenU.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi by firing missiles over the island and staging threatening military drills seen as a rehearsal for an invasion or blockade. Beijing also cut off discussion with the U.S. on issues including climate change that are unrelated to military tensions.

Last week, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson warned Pelosi’s successor, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, not to travel Taiwan, implying China’s response would

be equally vociferous.

“China will firmly defend its sovereignty, security and development interests,” Mao Ning said. McCarthy said China had no right to dictate where and when he could travel.

China also objects when foreign military surveillance planes fly off its coast in international airspace and when U.S. and other foreign warships pass through the Taiwan Strait, accusing them of being actively provocative.

In 2001, a U.S. Navy plane conducting routine surveillance near the Chinese coast collided with a Chinese fighter plane, killing the Chinese fighter pilot and damaging the American plane, which was forced to make an emergency landing at a China naval airbase on the southern Chinese island province of Hainan.

China detained the 24-member U.S. Navy aircrew for 10 days until the U.S. expressed regret over the Chinese pilot’s death and for landing at the base without permission.

The South China Sea is another major source of tension. China claims the strategically key sea virtually in its entirety and protests when U.S. Navy ships sail past Chinese military features there.

At a news conference Friday with his South Korean counterpart, Blinken said “the presence of this surveillance balloon over the United States in our skies is a clear violation of our sovereignty, a clear violation of international

law, and clearly unacceptable. And we’ve made that clear to China.”

“Any country that has its airspace violated in this way I think would respond similarly, and I can only imagine what the reaction would be in China if they were on the other end,” Blinken said.

China’s weather balloon excuse should be dismissed outright, said Oriana Skylar Mastro, an expert on Chinese military affairs and foreign policy at Stanford University.

“This is like a standard thing that countries often say about surveillance assets,” Mastro said.

China may have made a mistake and lost control of the balloon, but is was unlikely to have been a deliberate attempt to disrupt Blinken’s visit, Mastro said.

For the U.S. administration, the decision to go public and then shoot down the balloon marks a break from its usual approach of dealing with Beijing on such matters privately, possibly in hopes of changing China’s future behavior.

However, Mastro said, it was unlikely that Beijing would respond positively.

“They’re probably going to dismiss that and continue on as things have been. So I don’t see a really clear pathway to improved relations in the foreseeable future.”

AP journalist Tian Macleod Ji contributed from Bangkok.

Alexander Hranchenko Valley News/Courtesy photos

Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, President of the People’s Republic of China, Chairman of the Central Military Commission. Valley News/Courtesy photo

A collection of photographs by Hranchenko depict scenes of Ukraine before the war.

Investing in our youth for the sake of Democracy

Julie Reeder Publisher

Last week I had the privilege of participating in Career Day for Potter Jr. High students in Fallbrook. I talked to over 100 students about journalism and publishing. I love working with young people. That’s one of the reasons we will soon, God willing, announce our nonprofit, to further the work we’ve been doing for over 20 years with interns. The newspaper business has many opportunities for mentoring, whether it’s in writing and journalism, graphic design, marketing, bookkeeping,

administration, photography or video production. There is a great variety of skills to learn.

In addition to encouraging students to limit their hours of daily entertainment on TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, we talked about how the Chinese students’ TikToks are different from the ones in America. In China, it’s reported that they are not just goofy videos like in the U.S.A., but that they are science, engineering, literature, history, etc., giving their students an edge for competition in the world. Then we talked about critical thinking, journalism, free speech and the freedom of the press.

We talked about the need for a First Amendment and how no government will ever voluntarily disclose its own crimes. For that, we need brave sources who have firsthand evidence, a free press and brave publishers who are willing to bring information to the people to whom it belongs. That is the definition of speaking truth to power and that’s the reason for the First Amendment, the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press. We talked about censorship and how our citizens have the right to information. They have the right to both sides of an argument,

so they can make their own decisions. We even talked about regulatory capture.

We talked about how the founding fathers, coming from Monarchies, understood how our primary and first and foremost right had to be the ability to talk, have public discourse, and have the freedom to discuss things openly, including government business and corruption. Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1786, “our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.”

We talked about how everyone is biased in one way or another, but the journalist’s job is to tell

the truth, hopefully from more than one side and we talked about how knowledge is power.

We talked about how Reporters Without Borders reports at least 360 people worldwide are currently imprisoned for their work in journalism. They are, like Julian Assange, in prison for publishing or telling the truth. Truths that were embarrassing for the government. What we did not talk about, were the things that were in those Wikileaks. That’s a different conversation. We are excited to announce soon our nonprofit to further our mentorship program.

Senator Seyarto introduces crime victims’ rights bill package

went unmet.

Valley News/Courtesy photo

SACRAMENTO – Senator Kelly Seyarto (R-Murrieta) has introduced his 2023 Crime Victims’ Rights bill package to

provide survivors with support and resources to recover.

The first bill, SB 86, would build on Marsy’s Law, passed by voters in 2008, that ensures that victims of crime have equal rights on the same level as those accused and convicted of crimes.

SB 86 would expand the resources available to crime victims by mandating a website where they can easily access information about their constitutional rights and connect to an attorney who can guide them through the complex legal process involved in criminal cases.

“While California has some of the broadest crime victims’ rights in the United States, without guidance, many victims struggle to understand these rights and the complicated legal process

which they often face alone,” said Senator Seyarto. “This bill will make the information easier to access, providing clarity and relief to those dealing with trauma.”

A second bill, SB 221, will grant a tax credit to those who provide housing at below-market rates to nonprofits that assist survivors of domestic violence.

According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, between 22 and 57 percent of women and children are homeless due to domestic violence. On average, women wait more than ten years to access stable housing, and while the California Office of Emergency Services Domestic Violence Assistance Program provided over 600,000 nights in shelters in 2019-20, nearly 28,000 requests for shelters

“With nonprofits struggling to provide housing for domestic violence survivors, creating an incentive structure for these partnerships will help close the gap,” said Senator Seyarto. “Our state’s high cost rental markets are a barrier to getting survivors into secure housing, and this bill will be an important piece of starting to rectify that.”

For information on resources, notification of an appeal, or notification on a case the Attorney General’s Office is prosecuting, the California Victims’ Service Unit can be contacted at (877) 433-9069 or by email at VictimServices@ doj.ca.gov

The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 800799-7233. For more information,

COURTS & CRIMES

Wildomar man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, domestic violence

City

News

Service

Special to Valley News

A man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and domestic violence in Wildomar, authorities said.

Deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department’s Lake Elsinore station responded to a domestic violence call in the 33000 block of Mountain View Avenue on

Thursday Feb. 2, and identified the suspect as Juan Carlos Perez, 30, of Wildomar.

Authorities allege Perez strangled the victim and used a firearm during the altercation. The victim sustained moderate injuries and was treated at the scene by medical personnel, according to the sheriff’s department.

Perez was arrested Friday, Feb. 3 after authorities served a search warrant at his residence and

allegedly found evidence related to the crime including a firearm which was seized.

Perez was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, domestic violence and various other felony charges, the sheriff’s department reported.

Anyone with additional information about the alleged crimes is encouraged to contact Deputy Sanchez at 951-245-3300.

Driver killed, passengers injured in headon collision between car, bus

City News Service

Special to the Valley News

A 28-year-old motorist was killed and multiple people were injured in a head-on collision between a Riverside Transit Agency bus and sports car in Menifee Tuesday, Jan. 31, authorities said.

Mauricio Mendez of Chino was fatally injured at about 3:15 p.m. Tuesday at the intersection of Ethanac and Matthews roads, according to the Menifee Police Department.

Lt. Denise Keith said Mendez was at the wheel of a Ford Mustang going west on Matthews Road,

where witnesses observed him weaving in and out of traffic lanes as he approached the intersection, apparently to go around slower vehicles.

Keith said an RTA bus loaded with an unconfirmed number of passengers was going eastbound on Matthews Road when the Mustang appeared directly in front of it. The bus driver was unable to maneuver out of the Mustang’s path, and the two vehicles impacted, police said.

Mendez was pronounced dead at the scene by Riverside County Fire Department paramedics 15 minutes later. He was the only one in the car.

“Multiple passengers on the RTA bus suffered minor to moderate injuries,” Keith said. The victims were treated at the scene, with some taken to a regional trauma center for further evaluation and treatment.

“The Menifee Police Department sends our condolences to the family of the deceased and a quick recovery to the injured RTA passengers,” Keith said.

The crash remains under investigation.

Anyone with information about the accident was asked to contact the police department’s Traffic Bureau at 951-723-1690.

Why should you read your Bible?

The American Bible Society, 26 million Americans stopped reading their Bibles last year, which is terrible, because it also means that 26 million Americans stopped reaping the benefits of God’s word in their life.

Don’t let that be you. Instead, here are three powerful reasons you should be reading your Bible. It’s given to us by God, not by man.

Zachary Elliott Special to the Valley News

Imagine you were standing in front of God, and he asked, “Hey, did you get a chance to read my book?” What would you say?

“Cough, cough, well, I was really busy watching ‘The Bachelor,’ ‘ESPN’ and ‘The Office.’”

According to research by

I guess it’s easy for some to have a carefree attitude toward the scriptures. That’s because they forget who wrote it. We must remember that “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work,” in 2 Timothy

3:16-17.

Christians don’t believe that some of the Bible is God’s inspired word. We believe it is all inspired by God.

“Above all, you must understand t hat no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit,” in 2 Peter 1:19-21.

The Scriptures point us to Jesus.

The Bible is not a book just for book’s sake. It’s not some piece of fiction we toss out when we are done. It takes us somewhere – to Jesus.

Jesus said, “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal

visit thehotline.org.

Senator Kelly Seyarto, R-Murrieta, represents California’s 32nd Senate District, which includes the cities and communities of Aguanga, Anza, Borrego Springs, Canyon Lake, Cathedral City, Chino Hills, Corona, Desert Edge, Desert Hot Springs, El Sobrante, French Valley, Good Hope, Hemet, Homeland, Idyllwild, Julian, La Cresta, Lake Elsinore, Lake Mathews, Lakeland Village, Menifee, Mead Valley, Meadowbrook, Murrieta, Norco, Palm Springs, Sage, Sky Valley, Riverside, Temecula, Temescal Valley, Thousand Palms, Valle Vista, Whitewater, Wildomar, Winchester, Woodcrest, and Yorba Linda.

Woman charged with shooting man during dispute in Menifee

City News Service

Special to the Valley News

A 46-year-old woman accused of shooting an acquaintance during a domestic dispute at her Menifee home was charged Wednesday, Feb. 1, with attempted murder and other offenses.

Jobana Secilia Machuca was arrested Friday, Jan. 27, following a Menifee Police Department investigation at her residence in the 29000 block of Farbo Court, near Pelion Road.

Along with attempted murder, Machuca is charged with assault with a semiautomatic firearm resulting in great bodily injury and a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a gun in the commission of a felony.

She pleaded not guilty during an arraignment Wednesday afternoon before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Elaine Kiefer, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Feb. 9, at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.

The defendant is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning. According to Menifee police Lt. Paul Barbieri, about 6:20 p.m. Friday, Machuca and the victim, identified only as an adult male acquaintance, were involved in an unspecified squabble that culminated in the defendant grabbing a handgun and allegedly leveling it at him.

Barbieri alleged that Machuca fired a single shot that struck the man in the “left side of his upper torso.”

Witnesses called 911, and officers and paramedics reached the location within a few minutes. According to the lieutenant, Machuca was immediately taken into custody without incident, and the victim was transported to a regional trauma center for treatment of the wound, from which he’s still recovering.

Machuca has no documented previous felony convictions in Riverside County.

life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life,” in John 5:39-40.

When you read your Bible, and I hope you do, think of it like God’s giant arrow pointing us to his son Jesus, and ultimately to himself.

God tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth,” in John 1:1, 14.

It changes you from the inside out.

It must start in your heart if you’re going to experience a good, positive change in your life. And that’s exactly where God’s word begins its work.

God uses his word to penetrate the deep areas of our life and heart and remove what doesn’t belong there. The Bible says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any doubleedged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart,” in Hebrews 4:12.

God doesn’t like sharing your heart. Especially with your sin and destructive behavior, and thoughts. That’s why we need his word. It removes the junk that never belonged there.

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.

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Julie Reeder Publisher