HS Track & Field: Great Oak sweeps Division 1 CIF Finals, B-1
Studio 54 Disco dance party coming to Fazeli Cellars, C-5
VALLEY
NEWS
May 27 – June 2, 2016
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Section
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Volume 16, Issue 22
Temecula Balloon & Wine Festival soars to new heights
Local
CMI named as general contractor for hotel Paul Bandong STAFF WRITER
After a thorough and comprehensive selection process, Truax Development has chosen Connelly Mansell, Inc. as the design build general contractor for the Truax Hotel Project. see page A-5
Local
California could legalize recreational marijuana Jacob Preal VALLEY NEWS INTERN
California may be legalizing recreational marijuana with a Nov. 8 ballot. The “Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act” received more than 600,000 signatures to qualify the initiative for the November ballot.
Hot air balloons drift just above Avensole Winery in Temecula’s Wine Country May 21.
Tony Ault WRITER
see page A-7
Despite the mostly unseasonal weather, thousands flocked to the annual Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival at Lake Skinner May 20-22 to hear top entertainment, enjoy good wine and delicious food.
Wine Country
Cougar Vineyard and Winery offers boutique experience
The only thing missing in this year’s festival was one of its top attractions, the hot air balloons that because of the wind were unable to get off the ground much to the disappointment to those attending. The only save for the spectators expecting the balloon glows and the skies dotted with colorful balloons during the festival was Sunday
morning when more than a dozen hot air balloons lifted off as the weather and wind began to clear. The Friday and Saturday night “balloon glows” were canceled due to the winds gusting at 10 to 20 mph. Balloon launches are always determined by the wind, its direction and the pilot’s discretion. A disappointment to all, but
Shane Gibson photo
the pilots, so not to completely disappoint, Friday night circled their chase vehicles loaded with the balloon baskets and propane burners. Then, in cadence with the stage blasting out Star Trek music, fired their burners lighting up the night sky. Children wrapped
see FESTIVAL, page A-6
City managers predict new boom to rumble through southwest Riverside county Tim O’Leary STAFF WRITER
Ashley Ludwig WRITER
Aglianico. Falanghina. Lambrusca di Allesandria. These are just a few of the Italian varietal grapes grown on the Cougar Vineyard and Winery that have gotten noticed by both southern California wine lovers and Italian wine.
VALLEY NEWS
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID FALLBROOK, CA PERMIT #499
see page C-3
Brace yourself, Southwest Riverside County, another massive development boom is about to rumble through the region. That represented the good news at a wide-ranging forum of top local government leaders last week. “I think you’re hearing the same thing throughout the region,” Rick Dudley, Murrieta city manager, said. “It is going gangbusters.” But all the news wasn’t good. The five managers admitted their cities will struggle financially to provide the police, fire, traffic circulation and other basic services sought by the flood of new residents, workers and tourists. Much has changed in a mere
few years, the city managers agreed. The crippling “Great Recession,” a sharp downturn that hit in 2008 and gripped the area for nearly five years, has faded into a distant memory. And gone are the border clashes where neighboring cities battled over tax-rich retail, office and tourism-related projects. “There aren’t any wars going on,” Robert Johnson, Menifee city manager, told his rapt listeners. He described his colleagues as “a phenomenal team of city managers” who see the area as a region rather than distinct empires. The competition – if it can be called that – is far more tongue in
see MANAGERS, page A-4
SRCAR Vice President of Government Affairs Gene Wunderlich (center), welcomes a group of realtors to the Breakfast with the City Managers open forum at the SRCAR office in Murrieta May 20. Five city managers from the cities of Temecula, Murrieta, Wildomar, Lake Elsinore and Menifee attended the event to discuss upcoming community projects and new developments to help realtors educate their clients the benefits of buying in the area. Shane Gibson photo
Murrieta Council hears possible solution to its growing homeless population Tony Ault WRITER
A possible solution to help the growing number of homeless in Murrieta and surrounding Southwest Riverside County was offered in a presentation to the Murrieta City Council Tuesday, May 17, by Murrieta’s assistant to the city manager Brian Ambrose. Ambrose told the council he was proud to report the city that has seen a growing number of homeless, has entered into a partnership with a group called “Solutions for Change” out of Vista, California, through the Community Mission of Hope, simply called CMoH. Murrieta already is a partner with the group. CMoH was originally a collaborative effort to help the homeless
see CITY COUNCIL, page A-3
Murrieta Mayor Randon Lane holds a pet chicken in front of the City Hall brought by the children of the Mustangs 4-H Club to show that chickens, that are not now permitted in the city’s residential zones, are pets just like dogs and cats. Talking with the mayor about their feathery pets are: Mia Henwood, 7, Autumn Stewart, 5, and Bianca Stewart, 5. Tony Ault photo