River Springs Charter senior helps her classmates, A-3
VALLEY
Menifee’s Got Talent attracts crowd of over 500, A-10
Rein in prom expenses, B-10
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NEWS
April 18 – 24, 2014
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Section
www.myvalleynews.com
Volume 14, Issue 16
Temecula autism facility attempts to help parents, children with important skill Alex Groves Staff Writer
Murrieta resident Corie Maue, from the TV show ‘Cupcake Wars’, takes on one of the challenges during the 2014 Reality Rally in Old Town Temecula.
Shane Gibson photo
Racing through Temecula
Reality Rally brings in big bucks for local nonprofit Kim Harris Special to the Valley News Like most weekends, the streets in historic downtown Temecula were packed this past Saturday, April 12. The usual Saturday shoppers and sightseers got the treat of their lives around noon though, when 120 reality TV stars along with their teammates took to the streets in an Amazing Race style event to raise money for Michelle’s Place Breast Cancer Resource Center during the fourth annual Reality Rally. The brainchild of Survivor Gabon contestant Gillian Larson, the event boasted reality star power from a variety of shows including
Hell’s Kitchen, Beauty and the Mole, and EJ Snyder from Naked Geek, Big Brother, The Amazing and Afraid took the time to sign autographs and chat with fans prior Race and of course, Survivor. The stars came out on their to the start of the race. Each star had to raise a minimum own dime to support the cause, of $400 to parraising money to compete in “I have to take my hat off and ticipate in the which the race, take bow in gratitude to everybody event included chalpart in the first ever Celebrity who basically took my jungle lenges such as bull riding Chef’s Showvision out of my head and case and get up have made it such an amazing at the Stampede, rock close and perreality.” – Gillian Larson climbing on sonal with fans the grounds of during a Meet and Greet held on the grounds of City Hall and a mental challenge at The Merc. City Hall Saturday morning. Final numbers for money raised Stars such as Richard Hatch, the winner of the inaugural season of are not yet available as the fundraisSurvivor, Alex Jacobs from The ing continues until April 30.
“We make an impact and we make a difference in many people’s lives,” said Larson. “The final donation amount will be later down the road when I can finish tying it up.” Larson said she is grateful to the participants, volunteers, and organizations who put on the challenges and production team alike. “As always I am in awe how so many people take this on as an event for them to produce; they all jumped on this opportunity and make it happen.” Larson said. “I have a production team of 50 who each have a part in the entire event that they take on and make it their
see RALLY, page A-6
Members of community work together to better Treeline Memorial at Ronald Reagan Sports Park Alex Groves Staff Writer
Doug Blois of the Kiwanis Club moves dirt and prepares the ground for the new bench to be set. Shane Gibson photo
Ronald Reagan Sport Park’s Treeline Memorial had a minor facelift over the past two weekends as volunteers associated with Kiwanis Club of Temecula worked to replace a vandalized park bench and made improvements to the walking path beneath the trees. The memorial and the park were both efforts that Kiwanis Club Member Doug Blois has been a part of. Long before the city took control of the park and its operations, Blois was among a group of several other individuals who decided to make the park a reality.
Blois saw the project through to completion and was still there in 2002 as it continued to blossom into a place where Temecula youth and area residents commonly gathered. It was around that time that he originated the idea for a memorial treeline area. “It’s basically a memorial park where people can plant trees in memory of their loved ones and then they put a little plaque on the ground right in front of the tree,” Blois said. Over the years members of the community have been able to honor a loved one by planting a tree in
see MEMORIAL, page A-7
City, two groups to serve Temecula’s needy as they tackle “growing homeless problem” Tim O’Leary Staff Writer Temecula has joined its largest church and a decades-old nonprofit group to serve the needy and work to eliminate what city officials see as the “growing homeless problem.” The ambitious effort – to be based in a social services facility the city owns in Old Town – is being launched as Temecula sharpens its approach toward homelessness. “This is a full-court press,” Councilman Mike Naggar said during a recent hearing on how the city can help those who want to get off the streets and deter those who don’t. The new program will unfold while Temecula’s homeless population appears to be rising. The increase in Temecula homelessness
is occurring despite a reported 31 percent decline in homelessness throughout Riverside County. Naggar took a more aggressive stance on homelessness at an April 8 hearing than his council
colleagues. He said the city should make Temecula “a very uncomfortable place” for transients or homeless residents who won’t work to improve their living condition. Naggar added that Temecula
must avoid becoming “a magnet” for transients from Riverside or other elsewhere who seek social services that aren’t available in their areas. Council members concurred that steps must be taken, possibly through a public awareness program, to discourage residents from giving money to panhandlers who seek donations at freeway ramps or other locations. They agreed that law enforcement sweeps, which could include the use of a helicopter, may be used to target homeless encampments and enforce trespassing, public intoxication and other laws and ordinances. The complexity of the tasks ahead was noted at the hearing by Mayor Maryann Edwards and Scott
see HOMELESS, page A-3
Many parents with young children often worry about the safety of those children; it’s not uncommon for parents to have talks with their kids to develop a plan in case they should get separated. But what can parents do if their child has a disorder such as autism, where the tendency to wander may be more severe and the child’s ability to navigate the situation may be mitigated? The Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) in Temecula has been coming up with a game plan for worried parents that involves coming up with a strategy with their children for where to go and who to talk to if they should get lost and from there it’s practice, practice, practice, according to autism expert Amberlyn Frey. Frey said she’s been with CARD for a total of six years and that she started as a behavioral therapist but is now a board certified behavioral analyst who works day in and day out with children who have autism. Frey and others who work at one of CARD’s 26 locations often utilize a practice called Applied Behavioral Analysis. The practice is to identify troublesome behaviors – such as wandering – and devise practical solutions to
see FACILITY, page A-7
Home & Garden
Orange blossoms waft through the air The heady scent of orange blossoms are wafting through the air this month, as the many trees and groves found locally move into peak blooming season.
see page B-8
Health
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month Ann Harkins, CEO of The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) and Keli Wilson, AlertID founder, are teaming up to create awareness and support victims during Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
see page B-5
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