Temecula Valley News, May 14, 2021

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Arrivals and departures at T.H.E. Center in Hemet, B-4

Southwestern League tennis finals wrap up at Murrieta Valley Tennis Club, C-1

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Subscribe online at myvalleynews.com/subscribe SERVING TEMECULA , MURRIETA , L AKE E LSINOR E , M ENIFEE , WILDOMAR , H EMET, SAN JACINTO May 14 – 20, 2021

Local Menifee Capital Improvement Projects prioritized

VISI T

T HE NEW

AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES

myvalleynews.com

Volume 21, Issue 20

Acceptance blooms at community garden in Murrieta

Tony Ault STAFF WRITER

Menifee City Council, in a continuing workshop May 5, prioritized a number of Capital Improvement Projects it sees will be coming in the 2021/2022 budget. see page A-2

Local Proposed budget presented to Murrieta Council Diane A. Rhodes SPECIAL TO VALLEY NEWS

Murrieta City Council members heard a Budget Workshop update from the city’s Finance Director Javier Carcamo and Jennifer Terry, Sr. Financial Analyst on the drafted operating budget for fiscal years 2021/22 and 2022/23 during its regular meeting May 6. see page A-3

Kateri Zamastil waters plants at the Seeds for Cultivating Inclusion, A Community Farming Project garden in Murrieta. The garden started as an adult transition program for individuals with special needs to learn vocational skills that they can use in a working environment. Valley News/Shane Gibson photo

Diane A. Rhodes SPECIAL TO VALLEY NEWS

Seeds for Cultivating Inclusion, A Community Farming Project, were planted in 2015 when a hand-

ful of mothers who had children with special needs wanted to create a space that could provide day programs for special needs adults. Julia Carona, Samantha Morton, Doreen Camerota and Laura Va-

lencia knew that all too often adults with special needs do not get the opportunity to reach their full potential. Garden Director Mary Ann Tams said the parents worked together on a plan where clients

could learn something useful and potentially marketable. “Through a good relationship with the city of Murrieta, (the see GARDEN, page A-4

Murrieta TikToker Offers A Connection for Others

Education Murrieta Valley High students mean business Diane A. Rhodes SPECIAL TO THE VALLEY NEWS

A Virtual Enterprise team from Murrieta Valley High School placed second at the National Business Plan competition. The Havlu team, led by student CEO Isabella Dadseresht, competed among 310 teams nationwide. see page B-7

INDEX

Diane A. Rhodes SPECIAL TO VALLEY NEWS

When Jody DeSimone, known online as Girlgraphix, posted a 45-second video on her TikTok account in March, she did not expect for it to go viral and become an all-consuming mission for her. She invited her followers to contact her if they needed a friend or someone to simply check in on them from time to time and thousands of TikTokers have taken her up on that offer. “I am meant to connect with people and remind them who they are, what they are worth, and how to connect deeper within themselves,” she said. “I came here to love anyone willing to accept it as hard as humanly possible.” DeSimone is responding to approximately 200 messages a day via text and phone calls but vows to get back to each person who Murrieta TikToker Jody DeSimone, who created a video that has gone viral, reminds others of their worth.

see CONNECTION, page A-3

Valley News/Courtesy photo

Anza Valley Outlook ......AVO-1 Business ............................... B-4

Hemet senior named Gates Scholar

Business Directory............... C-8

Diane A. Rhodes SPECIAL TO VALLEY NEWS

Calendar of Events .............. B-2

Western Center Academy senior Byron Gonzalez is one of 300 outstanding students nationwide chosen to receive The Gates Scholarship from nearly 35,000 applicants. He was at his part-time job at Little Caesars Pizza when he got the news from the Gates Foundation. “I checked my phone on break and then I looked at my emails. I thought I was dreaming so I ran to the bathroom to scream and jump,” he said. “I told my mom on her birthday as a surprise so it was nice to see her shock knowing that my parents will not have to pay for anything. I was always stressed about that but now I am living the dream.” The email said that in addition to funding the undergraduate education for the Class of 2021 Gates Scholars, the scholarship

Classifieds ............................ C-7 Education ............................ B-7 Entertainment ..................... B-1 Faith ..................................... C-8 Health .................................. C-4 Home & Garden .................. B-6 Local .................................... A-1 National News ..................... C-7 Opinion................................. C-5 Pets ..................................... C-5 Regional News ..................... C-6 Sports ................................... C-1 Academy senior Byron Gonzalez has been named as a Class of 2021 Gates Scholar. Valley News/Courtesy photo

see SCHOLAR, page A-6


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