Valley News - November 25, 2022

Ault Staff Writer

The Murrieta City Council opted to join neighboring Temecula in issuing a strong criticism of Riverside County’s environmental impact report in the Winchester Community Expansion Plan following the Tuesday, Nov. 15, meeting.

Lady Broncos’ magical journey ends one win short of 2nd CIF State volleyball title

Ault Staff Writer

Menifee’s Central Park will be the location for the first ever “Shop the Block” pop-up event to support curated, incubator local business small business owners. It will be a chance for residents and visitors to acquire unique gifts for the holiday season on Saturday, Nov. 26.

Kindness closet benefits San Jacinto High School students

When several students at San Jacinto High School realized they had classmates who were financially challenged and/or homeless, they wanted to do something to help.

Enlisting the support of U.S. World History teacher Jesse Spriggs and Assistant Principal Bill Powell, a secluded area that had been utilized as a teachers’ break room and storage area was transformed into the Tiger Den. Since it was established, the benevolence closet has been a popular resource for new and gently used clothing items, shoes and outerwear.

Kyahanna Jones, who serves as manager of the Tiger Den, said her role is to check on the room almost every day to see if stock needs to be replenished or if she and other key students need to organize and straighten things up. Josh Ramirez, also a 16-year-old junior, oversees expansions by visiting other schools in the district to share the idea and help them set up guide-

Diane A. Rhodes

Special to Valley News

Lilliana Montes records a kill over Palos Verdes High School in CIF State SoCal Regional Final action. The Vista Murrieta High School girls volleyball team were first in the Southwestern league with a perfect 10-0 record this year but fell at the CIF State SoCal Regional Finals with a 3-1 loss versus Palos Verdes High School. See the story and more photos on page C-1. Valley News/Butch Owens photo

San Jacinto High School juniors Kyahanna Jones and Josh Ramirez organize clothing on racks made by welding students for the Tiger Den benevolence closet.

Valley News/Diane A. Rhodes photo

Tony

Murrieta Council joins others to criticize Winchester Community Plan

‘Shop the Block’ small business owner event coming to Menifee’s Central Park

Tony

Morongo provides 300,000 Thanksgiving meals for those in need

MORONGO INDIAN RESER

VATION – The Morongo Band of Mission Indians gave away a record 15,000 free turkeys this week to nonprofit groups, churches and charities across southwestern Riverside County and the Inland Empire as part of the Tribe’s 36th annual Thanksgiving Outreach Program.

The turkeys donated this year will provide nearly 300,000 holiday meals to families, older adults and veterans in need. Since the program began, Morongo has given away more than 175,000 turkeys, which in turn have provided an estimated 3.5 million holiday meals.

“Morongo launched our Thanks giving Outreach program more than three decades ago to help those struggling to put food on the table,” Morongo Tribal Chair Charles Martin said. “The last couple of years have presented unprecedented challenges for so many, and we are humbled to be in the position to help those in need.”

Tribal members and volunteers gathered at the Morongo Com munity Center Monday through Wednesday, Nov. 14-16, to dis tribute Thanksgiving turkeys to 116 nonprofit organizations, such as food pantries, churches, home less shelters, schools and veteran groups from across Southern Cali fornia.

Groups receiving turkeys hailed

from Banning, Beaumont, Riv erside, San Bernardino, Moreno Valley, Temecula, Menifee, Hemet, Murrieta, Los Angeles and other communities. The groups will use the turkeys to provide hot holiday meals to those in need or will dis tribute the birds in holiday meal gift baskets with additional side dishes to help feed thousands of people who otherwise would not enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner this year.

“The Coachella Valley Rescue Mission is busier than ever this year, and with the economy the way it is, we’ve had to double the amount of those we are providing food boxes to,” Darla Burkett, executive director of the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission, said. “We are so very grateful to the Morongo Band of Missions for their gener ous support in allowing us to feed hundreds of people in need this holiday season.”

Other nonprofit groups who received turkeys included the Los Angeles Rescue Mission in Los Angeles, Victory Outreach in Banning, St. Elizabeth of Hungary Food Pantry in Desert Hot Springs and Carol’s Kitchen in Beaumont among others.

For nearly four decades, thou sands of veterans and military families have benefited from the tribe’s Thanksgiving Outreach program with turkeys donated to local chapters of the Veterans of

Foreign Wars and other military support groups.

“Morongo’s generosity never ceas es to surprise our military families, especially during the holiday sea son,” Todd Sieja, president and CEO of the Western Eagle Foundation in Temecula, said. “Year after year, they help provide delicious thanksgiving meals for our veterans to enjoy and

share with their loved ones.”

The Healing & Hope for the Homeless in Los Angeles received 300 turkeys to help feed the home less this holiday.

“During this very difficult and uncertain time, Morongo’s com mitment to helping those who are less fortunate is always consistent,” Karen Collins, volunteer coordina

tor of the Healing & Hope for the Homeless, said. “We are so thankful for the 300 turkeys that Morongo has gifted to Healing & Hope for the Homeless for those in need of a warm and delicious holiday meal.”

Victor Archuleta, pastor of Vic tory Outreach Church in Banning, said the 300 turkeys provided by Morongo will help struggling fami lies enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner together

“Morongo’s Thanksgiving Out reach Program has been the gift that keeps on giving to the families in need across the San Gorgonio Pass,” Archuleta said. “The bless ing of a warm meal from Morongo provides a light of hope to many who are struggling.”

To receive turkeys, participating groups submitted applications to the Tribe and were notified over the summer that they had been selected. For organizations interested in re ceiving turkeys next Thanksgiving, applications for next year are due in spring 2023.

Submitted by Morongo Band of Mission Indians.

Patrick Depillars of the Western Eagle Foundation of Temecula loads 100 turkeys donated to the organization by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians. Valley News/Courtesy photos

Volunteer Jorge Zamora helps pack some of the 15,000 turkeys donated by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians.

Volunteers Desiree Lima of Banning and Sylvia Motschman of Murrieta help pack some of the 15,000 turkeys donated by the Morongo Band of Mission Indians.

Murrieta Council joins other city councils, planners to criticize Riverside County’s expanded Winchester Community Plan

Tony Ault Staff Writer

The Murrieta City Council opted to join neighboring Temecula in issuing a strong criticism of Riv erside County’s environmental impact report in the Winchester Community Expansion Plan fol lowing the Tuesday, Nov. 15, meeting.

A letter from Murrieta was to be sent to the county and the Riv erside Local Agency Formation Commission about the county’s submitted EIR report that failed to consider the negative economic and environmental impact such an expanded city northeast of Mur rieta would have if incorporated.

T he Winchester Community Plan EIR would see more 33,000 new homes built with accompa nying schools, industry and busi nesses in their own city located within Riverside County. The two major routes in and out of the pro posed city currently are Highway 79 Winchester Road and Newport Road, which both run through parts of Temecula and Menifee.

What the county originally planned was a smaller unincorpo rated Winchester community of about 12,500 homes with a town center, but it is now seeking to ex pand that proposed policy area and to include the annexation areas of French Valley and Harvest Valley north of Menifee. Both areas are connected by Highway 79 and the Domenigoni Expressway. Much of this expanded area is now in agricultural zones and where new homes are being built.

Murrieta and the other con cerned cities have been notified, and the county is seeking com ments from them. They will be making a review of those com ments before taking them to the planning commission for further study in the spring 2023. After that, it will go to the county Board of Supervisors for the final decision sometime next year.

Carl Stiehl, senior planner of Murrieta, who made the presenta tion said the city has sent letters to the county with their comments on the expansion plan along with the planners in the cities of Temecula and Menifee.

He cited Menifee’s letter that showed concern about the traffic impacts to their city from Scott and Newport roads, where hundreds of new homes are already being built, bringing major traffic impacts and increased fire coverage from their fire stations.

“Many are the same as ours,” Stiehl said, referring to other city planner’s comment letters.

They also shared that the new Liberty High School of Perris Union High School District is on the northeastern border of Menifee where many Menifee students at tend and is a strong area of influ ence for them.

He said Temecula’s comments differed, remarking on the county’s project descriptions, which were missing a lot of things; some exhib its which were somewhat confus ing and a long-standing agreement between Temecula and the county about road improvements along Highway 79. He said the project did not pay attention to those items.

Stiehl said Murrieta’s comment letter “identified there is a fire and safety issue out there along Scott Road where new homes would be built in that our fire station out there is closer than the county’s fire stations are in that area. We would anticipate that we (Murrieta Fire & Rescue) would get calls on Day 1

The map illustrates the Winchester community plan boundary.

when the first house is built.”

He said the county did not do a fire study in the EIR and they were missing out on public improve ments.

The planner also said the county got comment letters from the water and school board districts that would serve the area putting a higher burden on them. Other com ments came from the area Native Tribes and from environmental and habitat groups.

“You don’t want to get a com ment from them,” Stiehl said.

Comments came from four of the council with Mayor Jonathon Ingram with an excused absence.

Council member Lori Stone said, “Fire, public improvements, water, schools, tribes, environmental groups. It’s going to be very inter esting to see how this progresses. But more importantly it’s the local infrastructure. Our roads near the (Murrieta) Hot Springs, Clinton Keith, with 33,000 rooftops?”

She questioned Stiehl about the inadequate services in those areas as a result of the new homes.

State grant allocated to Sheriff’s Department to improve traffic safety

City News Service

Special to the Valley News

An $86,400 state grant will sup port traffic safety programs intended to reduce deaths and injuries in San Jacinto, it was announced Friday, Nov. 18.

The California Office of Traffic Safety funding was awarded to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Depart ment as part of a program to deter unsafe behavior on streets through out the community.

Our intent is to stop the most unlawful and dangerous behaviors that put people at risk and create an environment where everyone feels safe traveling,” Deputy Ray Cortez said.

The grant will be in effect through

September 2023.

According to sheriff’s officials, the grant will fund increased DUI checkpoints, patrols with a focus on stopping drivers suspected of being under the influence, increased patrols with a focus on distracted drivers and enforced operations with a focus on drivers behaving dangerously toward pedestrians and bicyclists.

Violations are anything that can cause crashes. This includes speed ing, failure to yield and misuse of turn lanes.

The grant will additionally pro vide enhanced training for deputies, recertification for performing stan dard road safety tests, including the standard field sobriety test, advanced roadside impaired driving enforce ment and a drug recognition expert.

“We won’t be able to accom modate the cars – ourselves, the freeway?” Stone said.

Stone hoped the three cities af fected would work with the county to come up with some solutions to those problems.

“I can’t even fathom 33,000 rooftops,” she said.

She told Stiehl she hoped all three cities would be “very aggres sive with the county” on the plan.

Murrieta City Manager Kim Summers interjected, saying she will be meeting with the other city managers on the county’s Win chester Community Plan plan EIR shortcomings next week.

The city council approved the expenditure of the $590,000 in federal Community Block Grant Funds to seven nonprofit organiza tions and for projects to improve pedestrian safety projects and provide more Americans with Disabilities street ramps. Under the guidelines of the Housing and

Urban Development program, CDBG allocation cities must use the money to improve housing and urban development for low to medium income residents.

The staff presented the sug gested expenditure of $383,500 fo r pedestrian and ADA safety projects in the city and $88,000 for the nonprofits, the remainder went to city costs for implementing the program at 20%.

The nonprofits who received the grants for 2022-2023 and the amounts included The Murrieta Food Pantry at $19,250; Assis tance League of Temecula Valley at $19,250 and SAFE Family Justice, Michelle’s Place, Boys & Girls Club, Alternative Inclusion and Oak Grove Center for $10,000 each.

The council also approved re quired state building code re quirements, taking away the city’s formerly required fencing around swimming pools, if other drowning

prevention measures are taken, such as splash alarms and pool covers.

The newly revised state fire prevention codes were approved by the council along with some chang es in the city’s fire codes including the cement driveway requirements for some rural homes, automatic gates and driveway widths from 29 feet down to 26 feet.

Earlier in the meeting, the Mur rieta Fire & Rescue Department recognized its 76th anniversary in Murrieta and took time to thank the city council for its support in building up the department over its many years of service. The Murrieta Firefighters Association presented each council member, City Manager Kim Summers and a retired fire chief encased fire department badges to hang on their office walls.

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

Valley News/Courtesy photo

LOCAL

Menifee City Council ponders launching street sweeping program next year

Tony Ault Staff Writer

The Menifee City Council fol lowing discussion gave the city staff a request to come back with a proposal to buy the city’s own street sweeper that could save the city almost half as much as the rental of an outside street sweeper.

The decision made at the Wednes day, Nov. 16, meeting would bring t he city’s streets sweeping cost down to $38.07 per sweeping mile instead of the $61.10 per sweeping mile it would cost to rent or lease a truck. The city has approximately 150 miles of streets or 325 curb miles per month it sweeps. Earlier this year, there was a problem with the ongoing street sweeping pro gram, and the city had to rent its own street sweeper at $12,500 per month, according to Nick Fidler, director of Menifee public works.

Riverside County also notified the city that it could no longer provide street sweeping services at $20.73 per mile to cities because of the much higher costs of labor. The

KINDNESS from page A-1

lines for similar rooms at their sites.

The remainder of the supporting students and volunteers maintain the area and include Jacquelyn Elorza-Ambriz, Lizeth AmbrizHernandez and Fatima Qandah.

Jones said the project started when a group of friends from the Students of Faith Club got together and discussed the needs of some of their classmates. Former school, family and community liaison

Carmina Camacho coordinated the collection of donated items from San Jacinto High School staff for students in need which were kept in a shipping container on campus. It continued for about two years until Jones and others expanded the project and created the 208-squarefoot Tiger Den. Available items are from the past collections as well as a more recent drive-thru com munity clothing drive the students organized and hosted.

Spriggs said the students who started this have a true heart for service.

“When they came to me and said what they wanted to do, I wanted to help them get some space and brought the idea to Mr. Powell,” Spriggs said.

When sorting through donated items, Jones said the most impor tant thing is the quality and not the style since everyone has their own opinion of what is chic or wearable. She said there are a lot of creative young people who can

current street sweeper rental agree ment is set to end Thursday, Dec. 1.

Fidler gave the city three options for the city to continue its street sweeping program: to continue the rental agreement; to buy its own street sweeper and to seek a contract with the county’s newer Clean Streets program.

The cost of the first option would be $66.10 per sweeping mile or $267,785 annually. The second option, which city staff recom mended, would include buying the street sweeper at $38.07 per mile or $148,889 annually. The third option with the county’s Clean Streets would cost $61.70 per mile or $236,769 annually.

The cost of the sweep sweeper would be around $280,000 and could be purchased with gas taxes or Community Facility District funds. He said under Option 2 the city might be able to purchase yet another street sweeper later and put the first one in reserve. A new ve hicle would keep the streets cleaner and could be maintained better with a reserve vehicle.

change things through sewing or other handiwork so that the item suits them perfectly.

“There is so much negativity in the world that when we see kids do ing something outside themselves, we want to get on board,” Powell said. “It’s a lot for kids to step up and do what they think is right. And the space was being under-utilized. Coach Walter Guzman had a lot to do with making this happen. There are a lot of good people here that have a heart for kids.”

Another teacher who contributes to the Tiger Den is Zachery Cain who has been teaching the welding program since it began four years ago as part of the school’s CTE department. It offers real world in dustry certifications that are on par, or greater than, certifications trade schools offer. The Tiger Den was in need of racks that could hold shirts and pants on the top and bottom.

“Being a welder, you get requests all the time to fix/build things,” Cain said. “As a class, we have aided the school and community members. At school, we built band carts for their live performances on the fields, we built soccer goals and fixed soccer goals and we built football sleds for pushing weights on the field. We have fixed main tenance and janitorial equipment, built rabbit cages and shelves for the AG program, fixed trailers for the homecoming parade, welded metal racks for graduation and much more. As long as we have time for it, my students are always willing to help.”

Cain said there were two main students, Keith Norman and Aiden Abendroth, who did the majority of the work with a few random stu dents helping here and there with small tasks. He said the students were glad to help out by building sturdy clothing racks.

“The idea was to make it simple, easy to move, big enough to hold a lot of clothes and sturdy,” Cain said. “After gathering the measure ments, they began to look for the proper metal. We decided to use angle iron and round tubing as the main metal. Keith and Aiden began to cut the metal or inform students to cut it for them. As the cuts were complete, a few students would deburr the metal and prep

“For me it’s a no brainer,” Coun cil member Matt Liesemeyer said. “The (current) street sweeper misses a lot of trash sometimes.”

The city would have more con trol as well, he said. The other council members agreed Option 2 would be the best and asked Fidler to come back with all the costs and details for that option at the next city council meeting Wednesday, Dec. 7.

In a follow up discussion, the council praised the city’s Neigh borhood Street Clean-up Program, including Adopt a Street, where residents from different neighbor hoods can volunteer to help the city clean up its streets that takes place on a citywide basis. The volunteers, including some middle and high school students, chip in with their parents’ supervision. The volunteers must all sign waivers to participate, are furnished reflective vests, pick-up sticks and gloves from the city that are returned. The program, according to Fidler, has been highly successful.

Two public hearings were con

ducted with the council adopting ne w Development Impact Fees that will take place beginning July 1, 2023, and re-adopting Menifee’s sixth cycle 2021 to 2029 Housing Element Update as required for state compliance. The Business In dustry Association and developers were earlier informed of the nomi nal fee increases and requirements for affordable housing.

They approved 16 consent items that were previously discussed in earlier meetings.

Cathy Growcock, a 20-year resi dent of Menifee at Bel Air Estates Mobile Home Park, was selected by Mayor Pro Tem Dean Deines for her outstanding service to others in her park and in the community and awarded this month’s Citizen of the Month award.

Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers was chosen for the Menifee Busi ness Spotlight for its many appear ances at nonprofit and sports events in the city and its efforts to be of service to others.

Michael Rinehart, youth pro grams coordinator of Menifee

Community Services, honored three Paloma High School seniors for their service to the commu nity and school, including Sophia Desirello as an All-Star Athlete, Caden Peterson as an Outstanding Academic and Katherine Schnei der as an Outstanding Citizen. All participated in many Community Services events helping others.

Later, Council member Bob Karwin congratulated the youth and heard about other things hap pening the Menifee in council. He commented that contrary to those who say “There is nothing to do in Menifee,” waving his pen, Menifee has a very large number of com munity events for every member of the city’s families, the schools, parks and churches as was reported during the public comment and presentations in the meeting.

“Don’t anyone say that,” he said.

The next regular Menifee City Council meeting will be held Mon day, Dec. 7.

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

it for welding which was done by grinding and cleaning the metal. Once the metal was prepped, Keith and Aiden did all the welding. They used squares, tape measures, levels and directed students how to put the metal while they welded it together. Once the project was completed, the students carried the racks over to the area.”

Jones said the racks have al lowed them to make the most out of the small space and are holding up under constant use.

Spriggs said, “These students have made this place look like a Marshalls.”

Most recently, the students have added hygiene items to a cabinet inside the Tiger Den, thanks to assistance by San Jacinto City Councilmember and pastor Brian Hawkins.

“I visited the campus over a month ago and a few students approached me to share about the Den,” Hawkins said. “I was excited to see the children’s heart for the community. I contacted our local Walmart to donate to our church so I could give to the youth at our school. They gave me a $250 shop

ping limit. I purchased the items and brought them over.”

Jones said basic hygiene is just as important as decent clothes.

“We are grateful to all the people who recognize what we are doing,” she said.

Students in need are told about the Tiger Den by teachers or adults in the office who know their finan cial situation. They accompany the students to the kindness closet to “shop” for what they need dur ing prep periods, after school and other times when it can be done discreetly. There is no limit as to what the students can take. Nadia Cova, who serves as the school’s family liaison also accompanies identified students, if asked.

“I let them take their time, and they always find something they want or need,” Cova said. “It’s the best; our students are doing an amazing job.”

Jones said her group strives to make the Tiger Den nice for their peers.

“It’s important to have a positive impact on our school and motivate students to come to school and to help them keep a positive outlook

on life,” she said.

The operation has been praised by many. Vanessa Gomez, Ed.D., SJUSD’s director of equity, said the student-driven project is so meaningful because it was an idea that came from the students.

“Listening to our students’ voice is critical when we are trying to find interventions to help the com munity and to ensure that we are addressing the needs of each and every student,” she said. “SJHS teachers, administrators and our family/community liaison jumped on board to support our students’ vision of helping each other by creating the Tiger Den. This is an example of equity in action.”

Jones said, “We get a lot of teachers telling us how excited the students are to get new items, and the teachers are grateful to us for what we do.”

Powell said this project goes beyond what is currently being seen as students who patronize the Tiger Den will be much more likely to give back in the future because someone took the time to reach out and give to them today.

San Jacinto High School’s student-driven Tiger Den is supported by staff, including from left, teacher Jesse Spriggs, Tiger Den manager Kyahanna Jones, expansion lead Josh Ramirez and Assistant Principal Bill Powell. Valley News/Diane A. Rhodes photos

Shoes in all sizes and designs are available for students who need them at the San Jacinto High School Tiger Den.

I couldn’t be

business partner, our wonderful customers who have supported us and most of all for the great country we live in where we can give our thanks to GOD without fear. I hope you all can enjoy this special day with family and friends! Blessings to you all!

theHolidays Valley Style!

Holiday Taste of Old Town returns to celebrate the season with foods from local restaurants

TEMECULA – Holiday Taste of Old Town returns Wednesday, Dec. 7, from 5-9 p.m. It is the first time the event has occurred since the COVID-19 pandemic. The festive evening expects to attract more than 200 people to stroll through Old Town Temecula, enjoying food samples

from participating Old Town restaurants and the holiday tradition for many families and friends.

Tickets are $30 per person presale before Dec. 1 and $35 per person from Dec. 1-6, then increase to $40 per person at the door while supplies last.

Proceeds go to the Old Town Temecula Association. Tickets are available at http://OldTownTemecula.org. The event will be held rain or shine.

During the event, the organization will be collecting food donations for Community Mission of Hope food bank.

Valley-Wide schedules holiday events

HEMET – Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District scheduled several holiday events for children and families to enjoy throughout the region in December.

A tree lighting will be held Friday, Dec. 2, at Regional Park, 901 W. Esplanade Ave., in San Jacinto. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with the lighting around 6 p.m., followed by a showing of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and free refreshments. Santa will be making a visit as well.

Breakfast with Santa will be featured from 8-10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, in the Sport Center at Regional Park, 901 W. Esplanade Ave., in San Jacinto. The cost is $3 per person, which

includes a pancake breakfast. Activities include children’s games and arts and crafts with drawings for a chance to win bikes and other prizes. The grand prize is a $600 Disney gift card donated by Friends of Valley-Wide Foundation. Tickets can be purchased at the Sport Center or Valle Vista Community Center.

Gingerbread House events will take over three ValleyWide locations: Wednesday, Dec. 7, from 5-7 p.m. at the French Valley Community Center, 31757 Browning St., in Murrieta; Thursday, Dec. 8, from 6-8 p.m. at the Marion V. Ashley Community Center, 25625 Briggs Road, in Menifee and Tuesday, Dec. 13, from 6-8

p.m. at the Valle Vista Community Center, 43935 Acacia Ave., in Hemet. Families will gather in the community centers and build their gingerbread houses. Tickets must be purchased in advance at the facilities, as kits are limited. None will be sold at the event. The cost is $3 per kit. Grinchmas will be held Wednesday, Dec. 14, from 5:307:30 p.m. at the Winchester Community Center, 32665 Haddock St., in Winchester. The free event will feature a visit from the Grinch, a show of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” raffles and refreshments.

Submitted by Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a canned or packaged food item, commercially packaged, unopened and within the expiration date or fresh produce from a local farm.

Participating shops located in Old Town will be open late for gift buying. Many of the

merchants are offering holiday treats, as well as special sales for the evening. The event provides a festive experience with holiday décor, lights and the spirit of the season.

Submitted by Old Town Temecula Association.

A classic cocktail toasts the season with a twist

TEMECULA – People indulge just a little bit more when the holidays arrive which may translate into enjoying an extra meal at a favorite neighborhood restaurant, buying one or two additional gifts to stash under the tree or hosting a gathering with close friends that stretches into the wee hours of the morning.

Some choose to indulge by sipping a cocktail while watching the snowflakes fall. A whiskey sour is a classic that can be given a makeover with some ingredients that are tailor-made for the holiday season. In this recipe for Rosemary Cranberry Whiskey Sour, courtesy of the editors of American Lifestyle, fragrant and flavorful fruit and herbs blend well with the tartness of the drink.

Rosemary Cranberry Whiskey Sour

Directions:

over medium heat, whisk together the sugar, water and rosemary. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, creating a syrup. Remove from the heat, strain to remove the rosemary and refrigerate. Fill a shaker with ice and pour in the whiskey, sour mix, simple syrup and cranberry juice. Shake and pour into ice-filled glasses.

Garnish with cranberries and rosemary before serving.

Tip: This recipe is great without the whiskey, as a classy, adult “zero proof” drink. You can make a big batch as a lovely punch and leave some cranberries and rosemary on the side for garnish.

Valley News/Metro Creative Graphics photo

Rose Haven Heritage Garden dedicates new Peace Garden in Temecula

The Temecula Valley Rose Society dedicates their new Peace Garden at the Rose Haven Heritage Garden in Temecula, Friday, Nov. 18. The Peace Garden features peace poles in participation with the May Peace Prevail on Earth International. Valley News/Shane Gibson photos

[Right] Musicians Bertram and Dorothy Barth perform relaxing music for guests under a new gazebo at the Temecula Valley Rose Society garden during a Peace Garden dedication.

[Left] Temecula Valley Rose Society Board President Virginia Boos welcomes guests to the new Peace Garden dedication at the Rose Haven Heritage Garden in Temecula.

[Right] Messages of peace are displayed on the six peace poles standing in the Peace Garden at the Rose Haven Heritage Garden in Temecula.

[Left] Donors who were a part in helping fund the Peace Garden, Austin Kekoa, center, with his wife Brandie, right, and niece Kayulani Miller attend the dedication ceremony at the Rose Haven Heritage Garden in Temecula.

Temecula Valley Rose Society member Peggy Benavides speaks about peace and the message of peace her father promoted during the Peace Garden dedication at the Rose Haven Heritage Garden.

Messages of peace are displayed on the peace poles in various languages at the Rose Haven Heritage Garden in Temecula.

Xeriscaping for the gardens of the future, Part 1

Boddaert Special to the Valley News

Welcome to the wave of xeri scaping, water-wise landscaping and drought-tolerant garden plan ning as we move into uncharted times.

Undoubtedly, the global climate has been tested by significant world challenges, evident from what we hear via the news media almost daily.

The world’s glaciers have been recessing for decades, rivers and lakes have gone dry, and heatwaves persist, along with wildfires, hur ricanes, tornadoes, cyclones, crop failures and water restrictions to our gardens. Need I say more?

Lake Mead and Lake Powell have fallen to alarming low water levels, a big part of the Southland’s water resource. The Central Valley, often referred to as the nation’s breadbasket, will be out of produc tion in many areas due to the lack of water

Huge white blankets are being laid over the foot of ancient ice glaciers in the Switzerland Alps to slow down the melting in the summer sun.

All these calamities are happen ing now, and it’s time to pull up our bootstraps, rethink our home’s future landscapes, and prepare for significant changes today and tomorrow in saving water.

Here in Southern California, we live in a semi-desert with a mild Mediterranean climate. This ideal climate has allowed us to bring various plants from similar environ ments to garnish and beautify our home’s exterior landscapes.

The art of xeriscaping and waterwise gardens has been around for some time, but it is more evident when we rethink conserving water in our gardens of today, tomorrow and beyond.

Xeriscaping combines the Greek prefix “zero,” which means dry or arid, with the word meaning “landscape.” This form of landscap ing can take many forms and will be how gardens are designed and implemented in the future.

This form of gardening is trendy in areas with minimal rainfall and ideal for individuals who also want a low-maintenance garden.

It goes far beyond cacti and grav el. Xeriscaping limits expansive lawns; 50% of your water bill can be attributed to watering the turf, and I call the grass the drunkard out in the garden.

Lush, verdant lawns might be a skeleton of the past, as they can be replaced with a low-watering

using alternative grasses, which have a valuable place in the future.

Drought-tolerant gardens can be beautiful and give seasonal color, texture, forms, perfume and unique shapes, lowering your water bill.

Recent years have brought the worst drought California has ever experienced, with a wide array of mandatory water cutbacks. Drought has been an issue in the Southwest for some time but increasingly across North America and around the globe, population growth and global warming are making water issues more focused on availability and long-range sustainability.

As water becomes more scarce, gardens will change, for we must adapt our attitudes about plant choices and gardening practices.

There are some misconceptions about drought-tolerant gardens: they look sparse, dry and brown and do not have a pleasing natural feeling, which is not valid.

Waterwise gardens can be even

more creative if designed well, incorporating plants not commonly used, including our California na tive plants. Nurseries are exploding today with an abundance of colorful waterwise jewels for our new sur roundings, and landscapes are now

referred to as boldscape-plants.

Horticulturists are exploring the globe for new introductions to the nursery industry, including plant exhibitions, and are always looking for new cultivars. We have been accustomed to

having annuals in our landscape plantings, but they are not condu cive to the amount of water they require.

The spectrum of color in droughttolerant gardens is grand with the proper plant selections. Remember, colors are also available, using sil vers, grays, and various shades of greens to enhance a garden setting.

O rganizing your landscape should start by asking yourself what you want your garden to say, for it’s like decorating the interior of your home but outside. The style of the home’s architecture will play a significant factor in the painting of the theme for your water-saving

garden.

This new recipe of xeriscaping has many integral components in its complexion, but we must make concessions in the overall big picture, with water as the leading ingredient to govern its makeup.

I will explore this gardening world in future stories, so stay tuned for exciting frontiers for all of us in caring for and nurturing the earth.

“Be a part of the change you want, for you are an important part of that change.”

Roger Boddaert is a landscape consultant who can help you at 760-728-4297

Roger

Drought-tolerant gardens can be beautiful and give seasonal color, texture, forms, perfume and unique shapes, lowering your water bill.

A dry streambed gives an illusion of water and a natural atmosphere.

The statue of a flowering pachypodium is like a sculpture in any garden.

Valley News/Roger Boddaert photos

A flowering bromeliad is very drought-tolerant.

Best Friends Animal Society offers tips to keep pets safe this Thanksgiving

LOS ANGELES – While it’s been a rough couple of years, as Thanksgiving and the holiday season approaches, there is so much to be grateful for, like the love of friends and family, including the dogs and cats in our families while navigating through tumultuous times.

To make sure it is a happy, healthy holiday Thanksgiving for all family members, Best Friends Animal Society has a list of safety precautions for your pets.

Say “no” to table scraps.

Too much rich, fatty food or simply new, unfamiliar foods can upset a pet’s stomach and even cause pancreatitis, which can be life-threatening. Pet owners and their guests should go easy on the table scraps no matter how your pooch is a master of puppy eyes.

Have no bones about it.

Poultry bones can break up or splinter in a pet’s stomach and be deadly, so dogs and cats should never be allowed to gnaw on them.

Instead, bones should be discarded in a closed trash can immediately.

Additionally, food-flavored items like plastic wrap, string, mesh or even a pop-up timer can smell tempting to curious pets and can cause injury to their stomachs if stolen and ingested, so make sure to toss them into the trash as soon as possible.

Cats and dogs deserve safe

treats, too.

Chocolate desserts often wash down a delicious dinner for us humans, but pet parents should remember chocolate is toxic for dogs and should be kept out of reach. Other common food items that can be poisonous to dogs include onions, raisins and grapes, which may be included in Thanksgiving staples such as stuffing, green bean casserole and more. To make your pet’s holiday meal special, there are many great recipes online for homemade dog and cat treats that are fun to make and healthy for pets.

If guests don’t follow the rules, put ‘em in the doghouse.

It’s a good idea to review the household pet safety rules with any guests, since well-meaning holiday visitors might not know the potential harm caused by slipping treats under the table. Instead, offer them the chance to hand out tasty pet treats or a fun toy.

“During this season of gratitude, it’s also important to remember others that aren’t as fortunate, including homeless dogs and cats,” Julie Castle, CEO at Best Friends Animal Society, said. “So many shelters are currently at or over capacity, so if you can foster or adopt a pet, the time to do so is now. Not only will you be saving a life, but you’ll also help America’s shelters to become no-kill by 2025.”

Best

Idyllwild grinding facility to operate two days per week

IDYLLWILD – As summer weather gives way to cooler temperatures, the winter schedule will soon be in effect for the Idyllwild Grinding Facility. Effective Dec. 1, 2022, the facility will be open Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed from noon to 1 p.m.

The facility is located at the 5,000-foot marker, one mile south of the Idyllwild transfer station on Highway 243. The site accepts wood waste affected by the bark beetle. Prohibited waste includes household waste, appliances, e-waste, metals, tires, burned debris and other hazardous waste,

explosive and medical wastes. Customers who use the facility pay a per-ton rate on prepaid accounts. For more information, contact the Riverside County Department of Waste Resources at 951-4863200 or visit http://www.rcwaste. org/Idyllwild-Grinding.

Submitted by Riverside County.

shelters from an estimated 17 million per year to around 355,000.

Best Friends runs lifesaving programs all across the country, as well as the nation’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary. Working collaboratively with a network of more than 4,000 animal welfare and

shelter partners, and community members nationwide, Best Friends is working to Save Them All. For more information, visit http:// bestfriends.org.

Submitted by Best Friends Animal Society.

Be smart. Be brave. Be informed. Be a Valley News subscriber. myvalleynews.com/subscribe

RAIN, WIND, AND FIRE...

“The three menaces to any chimney, fireplace, or stove.”

Every year there are over twenty thousand chimney / fireplace related house fires in the US alone. Losses to homes as a result of chimney fires, leaks, and wind damage exceeds one hundred million dollars annually in the US.

CHIMNEY SWEEPS, INC., one of the leading chimney repair and maintenance companies, is here to help protect you and your home from losses due to structural damage and chimney fires.

Family owned and operated and having been in business for over 30 years, Chimney Sweeps Inc. is a fully licensed and insured chimney contracting company (License # 976438) and they are certified with the National Chimney Sweep Guild and have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

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.

Kittens Zucchini and Pea express their Thanksgiving wishes. Valley News/Best Friends Animal Society photo

Friends Animal Society is a leading animal welfare organization working to end the killing of dogs and cats in America’s shelters by 2025. Founded in 1984, Best Friends is a pioneer in the no-kill movement and has helped reduce the number of animals killed in

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Nov. 26 – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Shop the Block Pop Up program in Menifee’s Central Park, 30628 Civic Center Drive. More than 40 vendors from small businesses in the community will be featured for holiday shopping opportunities. For more information, contact Menifee Economic Department at econdev@cityofmenifee.us or call 951-723-3751.

Nov. 28 – 7 p.m. Christmas Tree Lighting at the Pond in Temecula at Rancho California and Diaz roads is presented by the Temecula Community Services Department. Visit http://TemeculaCA.gov/ Events.

Dec. 2 – 7 p.m. Santa’s Electric Light Parade in Temecula will begin at Del Rio road and go through Old Town Temecula, presented by the Temecula Community Services Department. Visit http://TemeculaCA.gov/Events.

Dec. 3 – 8 p.m. Menifee Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place at Mt. San Jacinto College’s Menifee campus, 28237 La Piedra Road. Details are available in Hello Menifee on the city website.

Dec. 3 – 5 p.m. The Hemet and San Jacinto Candyland Christmas Parade route will begin on Gilbert Street and Florida Avenue and go east to Santa Fe Street through downtown Hemet and end at Weston Park with holiday activities.

Dec. 15 – 5 p.m. The Temecula on Ice grand opening will take place on Main Street in Old Town Temecula. Follow @TemeculaParksAndRec on social media and visit http://TemeculaCA.gov/ TCSD.

ONGOING – 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, at 951-672-6777 or 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 at 33280 Newport Road in Winchester, Saturdays and Sundays only. Entry at the small local swap meet is 50 cents, and anyone under age 10 is free admission. No dogs allowed.

ONGOING – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Every Sunday, Murrieta Village 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

Nov. 24 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Valle Vista Assembly of God, 26089 Girard Street, in Hemet will host a free Thanksgiving dinner for the Hemet and San Jacinto community at the church. Dinners may be picked up by driving through or seating and tables will be available for anyone who wants to eat here. For more information, call or text the church at 951-927-6868.

Nov. 24 – Free Thanksgiving dinner will be offered in three seating sessions at the Kay Ceniceros Senior Center, 29995 Evans Road, in Menifee. Reservations are a must; call 951-672-9873.

Nov. 25 to Dec. 6 – 8 p.m. Brewen’s Empire Trolley Holiday Lights Tour offers champagne or sparkling cider and cookies during a tour of the decorated homes in the Inland Empire including Banbridge Circle. Tickets are $45 per adult, $25 for children and free for under 2 years. Tours depart from the Temecula Civic Center. For dates, times and reservations, call 951-235-2983.

Nov. 25 to Dec. 14 – The 17th annual Santa’s Workshop and Spark of Love Toy Drive begins collecting new unwrapped toys or sports equipment for newborn to 17 year olds to help a child in need. Call Debbie Manion at 951206-2722 for details. Qualified by Menifee Community Cupboard and Thrift Shop.

Nov. 25 – 3 p.m. Attend the Overstocked Bins grand opening at the Lake Elsinore Outlets, 17600 Collier Ave., Suite B119, in Lake Elsinore for many bargains.

Nov. 27 – 1-3 p.m. The Nutcracker is presented by Inland Valley Classical Ballet in the Old Town Community Theater, 42051 Main St., in Temecula. Find information and purchase tickets at http://Temeculatheater.org. Dec. 1 – 7-11 p.m. Check out Skate Night Thursday for Adults

at Epic Entertainment, 39809 Avenida Acacias, in Murrieta. Pay at the skating rink door: $15 to $18 with skate rental. Dec. 2 to Dec. 11 – 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. See “A Christmas Carol,” a presentation of the Dickens classic for tots to adults, from Temecula Valley Players in the Old Town Temecula Theater, 42051 Main St., in Temecula. Tickets are $18 to $24 online or at the box office. Visit http://Temeculatheater.org. Dec. 7 – 6:30-8 p.m. Sun City Community Drum Circle meets the first Wednesday each month at Center for Spiritual Living Menifee Valley, 26805 Murrieta Road in Sun City. Bring an instrument or borrow one with a $5 donation recommended. All are welcome.

ONGOING – Want to help deployed American troops remotely? Shop for their most needed items without leaving home for 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/military-care-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

Pala Casino Spa Resort presents Sara Evans Dec. 3

PALA – Pala Casino Spa Resort will present multi-platinum entertainer Sara Evans Saturday, Dec. 3, performing live indoors at the Events Center.

As the fifth most-played female artist on country radio in nearly the last two decades – Sara Evan’s five No. 1 singles include “No Place That Far,” “Suds In The Bucket, “A Real Fine Place To Start,” “Born to Fly” and “A Little Bit Stronger,” which spent two weeks in the top spot and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Sara Evans earned the prestigious Academy of Country Music Top Female vocalist accolade as well as numerous American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Country Music Association, CMT

and Grammy Awards nominations.

In addition, the CMA awarded Video of the Year honors for her hit chart-topping single, “Born to Fly” from her landmark doubleplatinum album of the same name. Evans’ discography also includes the platinum-selling studio albums “Real Fine Place” and “Restless” as well as the gold-certified projects “Stronger” and “No Place That Far.”

Sara Evans continued to forge her bold, creative path with “Copy That,” which opened at No. 1 on the iTunes Country chart, released on her own Born To Fly Records May 15, 2020. The 13-song collection, spanning six decades, showcased her distinctive creative stamp on some of the most iconic songs in country and pop music,

songs that have inspired her life and career, as well as shining a spotlight on some little-known gems. “Copy That” follows her critically acclaimed “Words,” which debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart in 2017. Last year brought album and touring collaborations with her children, Avery and Olivia Barker, for The Barker Family Band.

The show will start at 8 p.m. Reserved tickets are $45, and general admission tickets are $25. This show is just one of a lineup of headliner and tribute concerts that will be held at the indoor Events Center, with tickets on sale now for all events.

Tickets are on sale now, with no service charge, at the Pala Box Office, http://www.palacasino.com

Sara Evans will perform at the Events

Resort Saturday, Dec. 3.

and 877-946-7252. Tickets are also available at http://www.etix.com and 800-514-3849.

Movie review: ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’

film is handled perfectly. The rest of the film is… less perfect.

In 2018, “Black Panther” became the biggest hit of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It even made more at the domestic box office than that year’s “Avengers: Infinity War.” Since then, King T’challa, played by Chadwick Boseman, of the African kingdom of Wakanda died at the hand of Thanos, came back in “Avengers: Endgame” and died permanently of an unspecified illness. It of course mirrors Boseman’s real-life death in 2020.

The opening of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is dedicated to T’challa – and Boseman’s – death and the celebration of his life. Yes, the Marvel logo is Boseman-centric, but it opts for a quiet, reverent tone rather than the call to cheer that was Stan Lee’s tribute at the beginning of “Captain Marvel” in 2019. Nothing wrong with either approach, they’re just respectful in different ways. This portion of the

A year after T’challa’s death, Wakanda is still thriving thanks to the strong leadership of his mother Ramonda, played by Angela Bassett. A sequence where she makes a stern speech at the United Nations with the help of military leader Okoye, played by Danai Gurira, is the best post-T’challa scene in the movie and is even garnering Bassett some Oscar talk. There’s still some unease because Wakanda no longer has the sovereign hero Black Panther around to protect it.

Ramonda would like her daughter Princess Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, to pick up where T’challa left off, but Shuri wants only to bury herself in scientific research so Wakanda can survive without an antiquated superhero.

Danger rears its head in the form of Namor, played by Tenoch Huerta, ruler of the undersea kingdom of Talokan. Talokan is the only other place on Earth with access to

vibranium, the element that allows Wakanda to be so technologically advanced. Namor orders Ramonda and Shuri to assassinate Rari Williams, played by Dominique Thorne, a teenage scientist with the ability to expose Talokan’s existence to the world. Failure to do so will lead to Talokan declaring war on Wakanda and then on the rest of the world. Namor’s plan doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, as Talokan doesn’t seem to have a terribly strong military once they lose the element of surprise, but for purposes of this movie, Wakanda has to find a way to fend off Namor and the rest of Talokan, with lives of important characters hanging in the balance.

Ramonda and Shuri even have to enlist the help of Nakia, played by Lupita N’yongo, the former lover of T’challa, to help with the effort, because she’s an expert in languages. The mission doesn’t need Nakia nearly as much as the movie needs Oscar-winner N’yongo. And if you

think there’s little reason to have her in the movie, wait until you see the flimsy reasoning behind another cameo late in the movie. It pains me to say it, but the forced cameo is where the movie lost me. Or if not there, then definitely a moment in a climactic battle that brings to mind one of the most laughable scenes in a rival superhero franchise.

For all its importance in saying goodbye to Chadwick Boseman, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is a below-average MCU installment. Wakanda really is one of the greatest worlds within the MCU, which makes it all the more glaring that it’s in danger from the cramped, primitive-looking Talokan. Also, if Wakanda was really going to defend itself without a Black Panther, the protector’s name wouldn’t be right there in the title. We know we’re getting a new Black Panther, no need to spend so much time playing coy. I’m in no hurry to return to Wakanda after this movie.

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-the-wheel instruction or a California driver’s permit. Contact 951-723-3880 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.

Grade: C

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, action and some language. Its running time is 161 minutes.

Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@ nyu.edu.

Bob Garver

Special to the Valley News

Center at Pala Casino Spa

Valley News/Courtesy photo

Submitted by Pala Casino Spa Resort.

Valley News/Courtesy photo

Trot for a Cause 5K brings victory to the Menifee Community Pantry

and medals presented.

Nearly 200 people registered to take part in the Menifee Trot for a Cause 5K run at the new Paloma Wash Pedestrian Trail and Menifee Central Park to collect food for the Menifee Community Pantry Nov. 19. Donated nonperishable foods were the only admission.

For many of the entrants, it was the first time they had run or biked the asphalted and lighted trail. The 2-1/2 mile long Paloma Wash was built by the city with the approval of the Riverside County Flood Control Agency.

T-shirts and number labels were given out with each food donation at the beginning of the 5K. The run ended with leaves thrown about

Alicia Moriarty of Menifee, winner of the Trot for a Cause in a 17.13 minute run, said of the event, “It was really fun. It was well organized and it was a fam ily event.” She was hugging her son and husband Matthew, who also finished the 5K. She said fol lowing the race there was a lot to do and good healthy exercise like rock climbing for children and adults. There also were potato sack races, Dorf Ball battles and a huge bounce house. For the little ones, there was a large Lego block building in the park.

Adding to the invitation to good health in the Trot for a Cause were vendors from West Coast Dental, Riverside University Health Sys tem, Neighborhood Health Care,

Riverside University’s Oral Health Care and the Lincoln Heritage Fu neral Advantage, all with informa tion and healthy gifts.

Menifee Mayor Bill Zimmer man appeared at the event al though not running in the 5K with Menifee Parks, Recreation and Trails commissioner David Faust.

Many boxes of food were col lected from the participants for the food pantry that serves needy people in the community through out the year. The City of Menifee hosted the event, the first of its kind on the Paloma Wash Trail.

The trial, built earlier this year for the people of the city, provides nighttime solar lights and exercise platforms along the way. It can be used free of charge by runners, walkers and cyclists.

Tony Ault Staff Writer

Alicia Moriarty of Menifee comes in to win first place in the Nov. 19 Trot for a Cause 5K on Menifee’s Paloma Wash Trail.

Jose Buenrostro with his wife Mary and son Benjamin, 5, all completed the Trot for a Cause 5K run for the benefit of the Menifee Community Pantry.

Liam Hartsell, 9, can’t help himself in brushing this little plush dragon’s mouth at the Riverside University Oral Health Booth at the Trot for a Cause in Menifee. Watching is his mother, Marcia Hartsell and sister Mia, 6, who also tried her best at dragon tooth brushing.

Children in plastic Dorf Balls have fun on Central Park’s lawn after the Trot for a Cause 5K, held next to the park, was nearing its end.

Large Lego blocks on the lawn of Menifee’s Central Park keep these little ones busy at the Trot for a Cause event that helped collect food items for the Community Pantry.

Menifee Mayor Bill Zimmerman, center, poses with Trot for a Cause participants, from left Denise Becerra, Monica Becerra, Maria Cabral and Maria Mendoza. Zimmerman told the group about other events happening in the city that day.

This climbing rock exhibit is conquered by Nathanial Clark, 12, who made it to the top without falling at the Menifee Trot for a Cause in Central Park. His sister and relatives were to take the climbing challenge later. Nathaniel earlier took part in the Trot for a Cause 5K.

Valley News/Tony Ault photos

Temecula celebrates 15th annual Ralph Love Plein Air Competition artists

Sarnowski Intern Writer

Temecula’s monthly Art Off The Walls featured artwork from the 15th annual Ralph Love Plein Air Competition Friday, Nov. 4, at The Gallery at the Merc in Old Town Temecula. In conjunction with the event, the Temecula Com munity Services Department also launched the Old Town Temecula Street Piano Experience. A piano was placed in front of Temecula’s Olive Oil Company at the corner of Old Town Front and Main streets. The community was invited to come play.

Temecula artist Ralph Love was a self-taught artist, teacher, musician and minister. He gar nered a reputation for his plein air paintings, many of which de picted California landscapes and the Grand Canyon. Love resided in Temecula for 33 years, and he founded the Art Shack in 1957, where he taught both local artists and students to master their craft. The annual art competition in his name features live landscape paint ing, meant to recreate his artistic process and in recognition of his legacy as a painter who enriched the community.

The art show taking place inside the lot on Main Street offers local artists the chance to showcase and discuss their work, including Bonnie Martland, Ines Miller’s “Timeless Memories Art,” Wan dervan Photography, Kave Paint ings, and Isabel Marlencita Sagasti Lemus, whose business Instagram is “corkdivine.”

This

Third place was awarded to Nestor Sanchez for his piece, “Hot Air Balloons at Sunrise.” Sanchez explained that he started taking artwork seriously in high school and chose to pursue the arts after becoming a senior. He said that when it comes to the business of making art, an artist should make whatever they want but not isolate themselves to a certain subject. When discussing how he finds inspiration for a piece, he said that beauty can be found in all sorts of things. If something attracts him, then he’ll want to paint it.

In doing this competition, San chez was pushed to engage with the area, which still remains new to him, he said. He heard about Temecula’s hot air balloons and decided to reference them for his painting. He viewed them upclose, interacted with those who oversee them and watched the balloons launch.

Two painters were awarded second place: Bryant Nelson’s “Cruzin Main” and Joyce Trinh’s “Emigrant Office.” Nelson started painting in 1983, and grew up sketching and creating portraits and receiving formal training from many teachers. He said he enjoys doing oil paintings, especially those of cowboys and Indians. This year was his first submission to the

competition with a watercolor. He parked near 1909 Temecula and across the street from The Bank Plates & Pours. Nelson said a car similar to those seen during the Temecula Rod Run moved into view. He aimed to encompass the aspects of Old Town and the Rod Run, he said.

Nelson’s wife, Barbara Nelson, earned first place for her piece, “Temecula City Hall at Sunrise.” She has been an art instructor for 25 years and has been participating in the competition for nearly a de cade. Nelson said she aimed to cre ate something with a different art style for this year’s competition. She started with a paper collage, tearing up little pieces of paper of varying colors. She went to the fourth floor of the Truax Build ing in Old Town Temecula and watched the sun come up against City Hall, she said.

“It blazed with this beauti ful yellow light. So, I started to quickly tear my pieces of paper and put them on the canvas and glued them down with a gel. The result is first prize,” she said.

The 18 and Under Award was given to Antonela Skelin for her painting, “Mrs. Knott’s Church.” The Best of Show or City Purchase award was given to Vicki Pend erson for her painting, “Church Winery View.” The paintings will be available for viewing until Sunday, Nov. 27, at The Merc. For hours and more information, visit https://temeculaca.gov/1227/ Galleries.

Ava

Bella Carson, recreation leader for Arts, Culture and Entertain

ment team with Temecula’s Com munity Services Department’s, oversaw the event and welcomed everyone who was in attendance. Live music for the event was provided by musicians Martin Stamper and Darren Pritchard.

year’s competition winners were announced by City Council member Maryann Edwards.

Ava Sarnowski can be reached by email at valleystaff@reeder media.com.

“Hot Air Balloons at Sunrise,” painted by Nestor Sanchez, won third place at the 15th annual Ralph Love Plein Air competition.

Valley News/Shawna Sarnowski photos

Barbara Nelson, right, is presented her first place certificate by Temecula city Councilwoman Maryann Edwards.

The winners from the 15th annual Ralph Love Plein Air Competition include Barbara Nelson, left, Bryant Nelson, center, and Nestor Sanchez, right.

“Cruizin’ Main” by Bryant Nelson was one of the two second place winners for the competition.

First place was awarded to “Temecula City Hall at Sunrise,” painted by Barbara Nelson.

Second place was also awarded to “Emigrant Office,” painted by Joyce Trinh.

Best of Show was awarded to Vicki Pederson’s piece, “Churon Winery View.”

The 18 and Under Award was given to Antonela Skelin for her painting “Mrs. Knott’s Church.”

Temecula Community Services Department launched the Old Town Temecula Street Piano Experience where a piano placed in front of Temecula’s Olive Oil Company is available for anyone in the community to play.

Optum helps Temecula patients learn the steps to live a healthier 2023

TEMECULA – Temecula resi dents aged 65+ came out for a special OptumHealth Care Solu tions patient appreciation health

fair at the Pechanga Resort Casino Friday, Oct. 18. Optum doctors and care teams provided health screen ings such as annual wellness and

their numbers and healthy ranges for blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol and body weight. Care providers stressed the importance of exercise, movement and being active. The classes highlighted how fiber, foot care, label reading and knowing about sodium, cho

lesterol and healthy fats can help you live a healthier life.

More than 250 patients attended the health fair. They enjoyed meet ing new friends, eating healthy snacks and door prizes.

Submitted by OptumHealth Care Solutions.

Riverside County recognizes in-home caregivers at November appreciation events

RIVERSIDE COUNTY – Home caregiver Jennifer Gautschi attend ed a drive-thru appreciation event Wednesday morning, Nov. 16, for caregivers outside the Riverside County Workforce Development Center in Indio.

As she drove along, she picked up a bag of groceries, personal pro tective equipment and won a raffle prize. Gautschi, who has been her son’s caregiver for the past eight years, was grateful to receive the gifts from the different vendors.

“Today we are celebrating the month of caregiving,” Gautschi said. “I am so excited. This will really help. I really appreciate everything the community does

for us because it is tough putting yourself aside to care for someone else.”

Gautschi is one of over 34,000 caregivers in Riverside County who tend to more than 40,000 older adults and individuals with disabilities in the In-Home Sup portive Services program or IHSS. IHSS is a statewide program that provides services to eligible resi dents so they may live safely and independently in their own homes.

During the contactless events in Indio and Moreno Valley, over 500 caregivers received fresh grocer ies, gift cards and other tokens of appreciation.

Hosted by the Riverside County

Department of Public Social Ser vices, Office on Aging, Founda tion on Aging and the In-Home Supportive Services Advisory Committee, the drive-thru re source fairs took place this week during National Family Caregivers Month, which is celebrated each November.

“Caregiving is a nearly universal experience, and it is a heroic act of love,” Tiffany Nelson, supervising program specialist for the public authority at DPSS, said. “We are grateful to our caregiver heroes that work around the clock to ensure that our most vulnerable residents live healthily and with dignity in their homes.”

The Public Authority manages a registry that matches Riverside County residents enrolled in the IHSS program with a trusted inhome caregiver.

Nelson added that more of these everyday heroes are needed for the registry, especially in Anza, Blythe, Idyllwild and the Coach ella Valley.

Interested persons at least 18 years of age can apply for care giving positions at https://bit.ly/ APPLY4RIVPAREGISTRY or by calling 888-960-4477. Hourly pay is currently $15.50 and will increase to $16.50, Jan. 1, 2023. No experience is required. Submitted by Riverside County.

Wildomar woman selected in ImageFIRST’s HeroesFIRST contest

was smiling at the same time. Amy is the heart and soul of Midwest Surgery Center, and we are truly honored to have the opportunity to nominate her for the HeroesFIRST contest.”

The remaining five finalists and runners-up will also be awarded a cash prize of $500 for their work, including Susan Alexander of The

Reading Hospital SurgiCenter at Spring Ridge in Reading, Pennsylva nia, in the northeast region; Brenda Peters of Volusia Endoscopy & Sur gery Center in Ormond Beach, Flor ida, in the southeast region; Patricia Divers of Baylor Scott & White Sur gicare Centennial in Frisco, Texas, in the southwest region; Katherine Lunn of North Shore Surgical Suites

in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, in the midwest region and Ginny Ogle of Pacific Medical Ambulatory Surgical Center in Seattle, Washington, in the western region.

If winners prefer, their cash prize can be transferred into an equivalent donation made to a charity of their choice.

Submitted by ImageFIRST.

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. – Im

ageFIRST Healthcare Laundry Specialists announced the five win ners of their second annual Heroes

FIRST Contest – where ImageFIRST associates recognize exceptional health care heroes who go above and beyond to positively impact the lives of their patients. After receiv ing over 450 nominations from the ImageFIRST Service Team, 10 regional health care heroes were chosen as finalists. Votes were cast by the public on the contest’s website for the regional Hero who inspired them the most.

Following the nationwide vote, the hero in each of five regions that received the most votes received a $1,500 grand prize, including Lisa Malzone of Advanced Vascular As sociates in Morristown, New Jersey, for the northeast region; Etha Weems

of Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Newnan, Georgia, for the southeast region; Robin Hutto of SKI Vascular Center in Peoria, Ari zona, for the southwest region; Amy Howe of Midwest Surgery Center in Woodbury, Minnesota, for the midwest region and Nancy Aragon of Murrieta Valley Surgery Center in Wildomar for the western region.

There were many heartwarming stories throughout the contest for ImageFIRST associates and their customers. The Minnesota team’s nominee Amy Howe was voted one of the five winners.

“Our Hero Amy lives the mean ing of ‘going above and beyond,’” Ed Patula, an ImageFIRST district service manager in Minnesota, said. “When we were letting Amy know why she was selected, there wasn’t a dry eye in the crowd, yet everyone

Are you struggling with

OptumHealth Care Solutions hosts an appreciation health fair for Temecula patients at Pechanga Resort Casino, Friday, Oct. 18.

Valley News/Courtesy photos

blood pressure checks and helped Medicare Advantage patients set goals to live a healthier 2023 – all to help the Temecula community live stronger, healthier lives. Health care professionals pro vided educational classes designed to help patients better understand

Caregiver Jennifer Gautschi attends Riverside County’s caregiver appreciation event in Indio Wednesday, Nov. 16. Valley News/Courtesy photo

The 2022 winners of the HeroesFIRST contest includes Murrieta Valley Surgery Center’s Nancy Aragon, left, of Wildomar. Valley News/Courtesy photo

Review of all things real estate: Veterans Day and the VA loan

an administrative discharge. Even if a person has used their VA loan eligibility in the past, the program is continually being modified so I’d invite everyone to read this short article to get updated; some of the changes may surprise you.

putting money down. Loan limit “guidelines” can be confusing and, as there is contradictory information on the internet, my strongest recom mendation is to contact a local VA loan officer for which I have several great ones to recommend.

scenario. It means no down pay ment and no closing costs if it can be negotiated with the seller to pro vide closing costs credit in escrow.

Although Veterans Day was cel ebrated earlier this month, it’s never too late to thank veterans for their service to our great nation. Whether a veteran served three years or 30+ years, all gave some and some gave all; our great nation owes a debt of gratitude for all veterans’ contribu tions.

That said, it’s a great segue to a discussion about the Veterans Af fairs loan for military active duty, reserves and veterans who served honorably and were discharged with

The VA program was created to level the playing field to help get military members and veterans into homes because it can be difficult for those who serve to meet the require ments for other mortgage products. The biggest single benefit of this program is that qualified borrowers can purchase a home without hav ing to put money down, and that’s a tremendous financial advantage.

One of the biggest changes is that there are no longer loan limits for the program, there are now “guide lines.” Previously each state and county had separate limits, but now it’s whatever a mortgage loan officer can approve considering income, debt, assets; all the normal items taken into account when qualifying loan applicants.

Veterans with their full entitle ment can borrow as much as a lender is willing to lend them, all without

VA loans are for primary resi dence purchase only, and the VA borrower cannot pay for the termite inspection. The VA will send out a VA inspector/appraiser who will identify certain repairs that must be accomplished before closing the transaction, but those repairs are negotiable between seller and buyer.

Other features are favorable inter est rates compared to conventional financing; up to a quarter point better, because the federal govern ment is guaranteeing the VA loan as a benefit to veterans and to protect the lenders. Because of the Federal Loan Guarantee, there is zero pri vate mortgage insurance required, which saves the borrower a lot of money over the life of the loan.

The VA loan is generally defined as a zero down payment program, and the current market conditions can be conducive for a VA-No-No

Since houses for sale are starting to experience longer market times as prices and mortgage interest rates remain high, sellers have become more amenable to providing buyers with purchase incentives.

A VA loan can be reutilized once the current loan is paid off, but un less there is a service-connected disability, the reutilization rates can be quite expensive, sometimes beyond 3.3% of the loan amount.

For this reason, my VA expert loan officer will sometimes recommend a conventional loan if the VA buyer has at least some cash to put toward the purchase. The VA loan can be also assumed by non-VA qualified buyers but beware, the VA qualified borrower who made the original loan remains responsible for the loan. From personal experience I would not recommend this course of action.

Interest Rate Reduction Refi nance Loan is a streamlined refi nance of an existing VA loan with

Countywide home prices stall, sales plummet in October

City News Service Special to Valley News

Sales of existing homes in Riv erside County dropped by double digits last month, while the median price of a single-family home was virtually unchanged, the Califor

nia Association of Realtors said recently.

In October, home sales county wide were down 19.2% compared to September and were off 42% compared to a year ago, according to CAR.

The association’s Unsold Inven

tory Index for October indicated that the median time a property was on the market in the county before it sold was 28 days. State wide, it was 23 days.

“While October’s sales and price results were weaker than what we’ve experienced in the

past couple of years and could slow further in the upcoming offseason, the market bottom could be in sight,” CAR President Jennifer Branchini said. “Homes are still selling relatively quickly at 23 days on the market. One in four homes is selling above list price

very little documentation required which, when rates become more favorable, will become a highly sought-after product. Unlike the expensive reutilization rates for using the VA loan for subsequent purchases, the IRRRL only costs around half a point.

Lastly, for the purposes of this article, surviving spouses may qualify to use the VA loan if the VA qualified borrower died or is severely disabled due to a serviceconnected cause. Visit http://www. VA.gov/housing-assistance/ for an initial look to determine qualifica tion, then get in touch with a local expert VA loan officer.

The purpose of this article is to identify some of the wavetops of the benefits of the VA loan. It is not, however, meant to be totally inclu sive of this subject because, while I have assisted multiple buyers to purchase their homes with VA loans, I am not a subject matter expert on VA loans. For that level of expertise, I urgently recommend interested parties contact a local VA mortgage loan expert. Feel free to contact me for recommendations.

due to limited inventory, and with median price growth remaining positive in four of the five price segments, home prices are holding up reasonably well.”

The median home price county wide in October was $599,990, compared to $600,000 in Septem ber, according to CAR.

On a year-over-year level, the price was 3.4% higher; in October 2021, the median price of an ex isting single-family property was $580,000, data showed.

Statewide, the median price last month was $801,190, compared to $821,680 in September – down 2.5%. In October 2021, the state wide median price was $798,440, reflecting an anemic year-overyear rise of .3%.

The median represents the point at which half of homes sell above a price, and the other half below it.

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving when holiday gift buying begins. Sales offering big discounts lure customers into stores, often beginning in the early hours of the morning.

Why is it called Black Friday? Many retailers report some of their highest profits on Black Friday. The black portion of the name, “Black Friday” relates to businesses re cording their losses in red ink and gains in black. This tradition lives on in modern accounting software, hence the name.

Unfortunately, Black Friday is a day when shoppers may become victims of crimes and injuries. Unfortunately, crime is on the rise. California’s violent crime rate in creased by 6.0% in 2020 to 2021.

We should all be alert and aware of people and the surroundings around us and our vehicles.

Situational awareness means but is not limited to parking in a loca tion that is closest to the store or mall if shopping when it is dark; parking near light and being care ful of other motorists as they may be distracted by a variety of things.

Purses should be worn in a way that is close to the body and difficult to snatch. If carrying a wallet, it should be kept in the front pocket or the inside pocket of a coat or jacket.

Carrying too many bags may also prove dangerous in many ways.

If possible, leave children at home during Black Friday. The crowds of people can easily over whelm a child who may get hurt or become lost. If you must bring a child, it is important to hold onto small children to avoid separation.

Identify and know where fire and emergency exits are in stores, malls and dining establishments.

If you’re sick, do everyone a favor and stay home. Bring hand sanitizers to help combat germs.

Put away cell phones so you are completely aware of your surround ings, be cognizant and courteous of others.

Most importantly, be patient and be kind. Now that’s a bargain.

Bob Hillery CR Properties

Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna Special to the Valley News

Lady Broncos’ magical journey ends one win short of 2nd CIF State volleyball title

No. 4 – Vista Murrieta (23-11): 18-20-25-16=1

No. 2 – Palos Verdes (23-8): 25-25-20-25=3

“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened,” noted children’s author Dr. Seuss said.

What ended on a chilly Tuesday night was a journey that will make the Vista Murrieta High School girls’ volleyball class of 2023 among our area’s most decorated senior classes in recent history.

Claire Little, Zoe Horner, Mikayla Marich, Skylar Darr, Mallory Villareal, Lauren Ly, Bridget Robarts and Dailin Leong were part of a class that won three consecutive Southwestern League championships along with a 2019 CIF-State title as freshmen and this year’s CIF-SS division two championship.

They’ll be mentioned in the same breath as Chaparral High

School’s class of 2004 who made back-to-back CIF-SS finals appearances with a win in 2003; Calvary Murrieta High School’s class of 2008 that made three straight section title matches and won two from 2006-2008; Hemet High School class of 2013 that made four straight section finals and won three times, along with Linfield Christian High School’s class of 2019, which won back-toback section titles after not having made the playoffs in nine previous seasons.

“I can’t be sad. I’m so proud of these girls for the run they took us on. It’s a testament to the way they train,” Broncos coach Ed Taitano said. “If I take away anything from this run it’s that we need to be better conditioned to handle the length of the season when you get this far. We have the right kind of student-athlete here, the right kind of attitude, and the right kind see VOLLEYBALL, page C-2

MSJC Football wins second straight conference title

JP Raineri Sports Editor

The Mt. San Jacinto College Eagles’ football team put up 14 points in the third quarter to earn a comeback victory over visiting Pasadena City College Saturday, Nov. 12. The win concluded their regular season, going unbeaten in league play as they earned their second straight American Mountain League Conference title.

MSJC finished the season with an overall record of 9-1; they were 5-0 in American Mountain League play. The expectation is that the Eagles will be awarded a berth in the American Division Championship Bowl for the second consecutive year, the official announcement will be made in the next few days.

The Eagle offense took a while to get warmed up Saturday. During the first half, the Lancer defense was trying to send a message, one that proved to be a test for a team that entered the contest averaging over 40 points per game. MSJC fell behind 3-0 late in the first quarter after a 35-yard Pasadena City field goal. The Eagles would not score their first points of the game until there was 7 minutes, 56 seconds left to play before the half.

Jaylen Magee capped off a nine play 54-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run, a failed extra point left the score at 6-3.

Just before halftime, the Lancers retook the lead as they put together a 14 play 87-yard drive that took 6:38 off the clock, which ended with a 1-yard TD run by Caleb Gardner. MSJC blocked the extra

point and sent the game to halftime at 9-6.

The Eagles took the lead for good with 2:23 left to play in the third quarter when Magee scored his second touchdown of the day on a 7-yard run. This time, the extra point was good, and MSJC led 13-9. On the ensuing Pasadena possession, Naisir Morrow recov-

ered a Lancer fumble on their 10yard line to set up a short field. It took just two plays for the Eagles to score, when Robert Coleman hooked up with Jevin Dorsey on a 4-yard touchdown pass that extended the lead to 20-9.

Pasadena would score with 11:26 to play in the game, cutting the lead to 20-17, but the Eagle de-

fense was solid the rest of the way.

MSJC put the game away with 1:15 to go when Magee scored his third TD of the day on a 5-yard run.

Coleman finished his day throwing for 175 yards and rushing for a team best 74, Magee had 43 total yards on the ground and 36 receiving yards to go along with his three touchdowns,

On

Mt. San Jacinto College finishes the football season with an overall record of 9-1, going 5-0 in the American Mountain League conference, which should get them into the American Division Championship Bowl for the second consecutive year. See story on page C-1. Valley News/MSJC courtesy photo

Derryl Trujillo Sports Writer

defense, another huge game by Steven Bradshaw led the way as he finished with 12 total tackles. Quentin Evans had his best game of the season as he made 11 tackles while Demond Young made 9 stops. Nathan Ortiz had a sack for the Eagles defense, which

Vista Murrieta High School is CIF State SoCal Regional girls’ volleyball runners-up.

Valley News/Butch Owens photo

Claire Little (14) powers the ball past Palos Verdes High School defenders in the CIF State SoCal Regional Finals Tuesday, Nov. 15. Valley News/Butch Owens photo

Preseason basketball tournaments underway as holiday break approaches

JP Raineri Sports Editor

The transition to winter sports is always a fast one, and that means the high school basketball season is underway, as well as soccer, girls water polo, cheerleading/ traditional competitive and wrestling. To get things started coverage wise, the basketball season kicked off this past week with a trio of tournaments. The Battlezone tournament hosted by Centennial High School featured two local area teams, including Rancho Christian, who were ranked No. 9 in the recent Division 2A CIF Southern Section coaches’ polls (Nov. 7 release), and Great Oak.

The Veterans Week tournament hosted by Norco is where Vista Murrieta took part, and the Big Daddy Tournament featured local

area participants Chaparral (ranked No. 4 in Division 2AA), Heritage, Liberty and Orange Vista.

Battlezone updates, prior to this article going to print for the holiday week, saw Great Oak fall to Rancho Christian 78-47 in their first matchup of pool play.

Saturday action pitted Rancho Christian (1-0) vs. St. Bernard (Playa del Rey) and King-Drew (Los Angeles) vs. Great Oak (1-1). Info for those games is available online.

Vista Murrieta was 2-1 in the Veterans Week tournament, taking wins over Indian Springs, 53-51 and Wilson, 59-44, but fell to Fairmont Prep 38-36 heading into the weekend. The Broncos had one final game against Redlands East Valley to wrap up their bracket. Info for that game is available online.

As for the Big Daddy Tournament, Chaparral (2-1)

were 1-1 in pool play at last glance, Heritage was also 1-1 in pool play, Liberty was 2-0, and Orange Vista was 0-1. The championship bracket ran through last weekend, with updates available online.

Tournaments taking place over the Thanksgiving weekend include the Cage Classic at Linfield Christian School and the Titan Turkey Shootout, taking place at Colony High School. Temecula Valley and Elsinore will be playing in the Cage Classic, and Rancho Verde will be at the Titan Turkey Shootout. Article contributions made by Action Captures Media Group.

All stats, schedules, photos, and scores, are supplied by local high school athletic directors, MaxPreps, CIF-SS offices, contributing writers/photographers and countless fans of the games via social media. To submit any additions or corrections to the

of school support to make this a regular thing here.”

Lauren Ly’s kill in set one closed an early Bronco deficit to 3 points at 11-8 before Palos Verdes’ Meg Walsh rattled off three straight aces – two of which just toppled over the net – to put the Sea Queens up 15-8. Kaci Demaria, who missed the last two matches due to illness, recorded a kill to end it with a 2518 win.

After a kill by Tatum Lane pushed the Sea Queens to a 13-7 lead in set two, Vista Murrieta responded with a 6-0 run to level the set at 13 with Little accounting for 4 kills. The Broncos actually had a late lead on a combination block between Little and Katrina Catalan, which put them up 20-18, but Palos Verdes closed on a 7-0 run to win 25-20 and take the 2-0 lead. Molly Labreche had the set ending kill.

Back-to-back aces from Darr, plus a combination block between Little and Katalan, pushed Vista Murrieta to an early 18-12 lead in set 3. Then, Megan Herbert’s kill got the Broncos to the red zone with a 20-15 lead, while Madison Pulsipher and Liliana Montes combined on a block to end a 25-20

Vista Murrieta win.

“It was pretty disappointing to let that second set get away from

us like it did, but we refocused and found a way to finish off the third by getting them to play at our pace,” Little said. “These girls have a bright future and I’ll be following them from afar next year.”

Walsh’s third ace of the evening gave Palos Verdes a 14-7 lead midway through the fourth set and Vista Murrieta was never able to

string together a rally. A Melanie Tilles’ kill sent the Sea Queens to Friday’s CIF State championship match.

Little, a BYU signee, finished her three years at Vista Murrieta with 1,438 career kills which is 475 from the area career record shared by Tesa Oaks (Woodcrest Christian/CBU) and Krista Van

Sant (Redlands East Valley/ University of Washington). The remaining roster, aside from those listed in the article, included: Nicolette Noble, Charlotte Underwood, Miliani Villareal and McKenna Bishop.

Derryl Trujillo can be reached via email at socaltrekkie@gmail. com

AnzA VAlley

AnzA VAlley

Vista Murrieta High School’s Lauren Ly goes up for a block as Madison Pulsipher (11) preps for recovery in their CIF State SoCal Regional Final matchup against Palos Verdes High School. Valley News/Butch Owens photos

Katrina Catalan and Claire Little go up for a block against Palos Verdes High School in the CIF State SoCal Regional Finals.

As she gets set to head off to Brigham Young University in the fall, Claire Little (14), finished her three years at Vista Murrieta High School with 1,438 career kills.

Heritage player Aiden Deleon (10) takes a shot during the Big Daddy Basketball Tournament.

Liberty’s Isiah Tiggett (3) goes up for the shot in last weekend’s Big Daddy Basketball Tournament. Valley News/Action Captures Media Group photos

VOLLEYBALL from page C-1

Paloma Valley’s Tyler Kessinger (11) drives the lane in their season opening non-conference win against Tahquitz, 85-35. schedule or stats, please email sports@reedermedia.com JP Raineri can be reached by email at jp@reedermedia.com

Lake Elsinore Storm awarded prestigious postseason awards following historic 2022 season

JP Raineri Sports Editor

With a historic, and triumphant season behind them, the Lake Elsinore Storm were recently awarded three highly touted postseason accolades. Two players were named California League allstars, Marcos Castañon and James Wood, while head coach Eric Junge was named the California League Manager of the Year.

In 2022, Lake Elsinore went 7755, led the California League South Division, went to the playoffs, and brought home the first California League championship since 2011. The Storm did this all under the guidance of Junge while also seeing the first no-hitter in Lake Elsinore’s history and posting a .583 winning percentage despite over 40 roster changes throughout the year.

Junge began his 2021 season as El Paso’s pitching coach before taking over as manager for the Chihuahuas in mid-August for the remainder of the season. The 2022 season marked his 10th year with the San Diego Padres organization, serving as pitching coordinator from 2019-2021, pitching instructor from 20152017, and an advanced scout

with the major league club from 2013-2014.

As for the California League all-stars, third baseman Marcos Castañon was named the league’s best third baseman and outfielder James Wood was named the Prospect of the Year.

Castañon led the team in home runs (23) while playing 117 games

in 2022. He finished with a slash line of .261/.397/.485 and an OPS of .882. He also contributed 85 RBIs, 25 doubles, and premier defense at his position.

Following a season of high production and movement, Wood saw himself succeed in 50 games with the Lake Elsinore Storm where he achieved an OPS

of 1.054.

More

Peterson steps down as Vista Murrieta head football coach

JP Raineri Sports Editor

After 20 years of coaching football at Vista Murrieta High School, Head Coach Eric Peterson announced Tuesday, Nov. 15, that he is stepping down from his role.

Peterson took over the program in 2018 after David Olsen stepped down and helped the Broncos and their families through the COVID-19 years.

Olsen took over after Vista Murrieta’s longtime, and only coach since the school opened, Coley Candaele resigned in 2015. Peterson was on staff through the Olsen years, ultimately taking over when he felt the time was right.

As head coach, Peterson led the Broncos to two Southwestern League Championships and four CIF Playoff appearances. During his overall time with the Vista Murrieta football program, Peterson saw the Broncos take

home one CIF Championship in 2011, win 13 Southwestern League Championships, make it to the CIF Finals seven times and helped guide the team to 18 CIF Southern Section playoff appearances.

Despite Vista Murrieta making it to the postseason this year, in the newly formed BIG West Upper Division, they also posted a below .500 season at 5-6. As a program, they haven’t had a losing season since their opening year in 20042005 when they went 4-6.

In a letter to the program, Peterson cited the desire to spend more time with his family as one of the major reasons he was calling it quits. The full letter is posted below:

“Dear Bronco football families, “Twenty years of coaching at VMHS has flown by in what seems like a blink of an eye. It has afforded me the opportunity to be part of some extremely rewarding experiences. I have worked with gifted studentathletes, coached with great staffs

and walked alongside the best parents a coach could ever ask for. It has truly been a pleasure and an honor to serve in this capacity. At this time, I am stepping away from coaching to spend more time with my family.

“The program has tremendous athletes, parents and community support moving forward. The administration is working on a transition plan to hire a great new head coach to lead the program. I remain committed to the continued success of all Broncos and am available to provide any support that is needed.

“Thank you for all of your assistance, care, and support of the program.

“Blessings to you all and Go Broncos.”

“I want to thank Coach Peterson for his dedication to our Bronco family,” Vista Murrieta Athletic Director Carl Galloway said. “He was instrumental in successfully

guiding and growing our football program through COVID. His leadership, motivation and collaboration helped foster a winning program.”

Galloway also said the search for

online at www.stormbaseball.

Article

JP Raineri can be reached by email at sports@reedermedia. com

JP Raineri can be reached by email at sports@reedermedia.com

Prep Football: San Jacinto advances, Rancho Verde falls in semifinals Tigers looking to be last team standing

JP Raineri Sports Editor

One local prep football team, San Jacinto (Division 6), and one semi-local team, Rancho Verde (Division 8), went into their CIF Southern Section semifinals round Friday, Nov. 18, but only one came out victorious.

San Jacinto (11-2), coming off a seven-game win streak, went into the semifinal round looking to advance to the finals for the fourth time ever, and first time since 2018. Calabasas (8-5), who advanced to the semifinals with a 35-14 win over Ramona, was looking to ruin the Tigers plans.

On their home field, San Jacinto stuck to the running game against the Coyotes, which paid off, especially with seconds winding down in the fourth quarter. Tiger

running back Malachi Brown scored with 20 seconds remaining, which was followed by QB Dereun Dortch, who ran in the twopoint conversion as San Jacinto rallied for a 15-14 victory over Calabasas, advancing them to the CIF-Southern Section Division 6 Finals.

Dortch totaled more than 150 all-purpose yards in the second half as San Jacinto (11-2 overall) won its eighth consecutive game overall. The Tigers will now get set to play Orange High School in the championship game this week. Details on time and location were still pending prior to this article going to print.

In their Division 8 matchup, Rancho Verde (5-8) was looking for a victory over Lakewood (8-5) in order to reach the section finals for the eighth time and first time

since 2018. The Mustangs beat top-seeded Brentwood to open the postseason and advanced to the semifinals with a 53-25 victory over Elsinore last week. Landon Debruyn, who passed for 275 yards and four touchdowns last week, was looking to help carry Rancho Verde, but the Lancers held off a late threat to secure a 24-19 victory.

Rancho Verde’s offense was on fire in the first half with Debruyn throwing for three touchdowns, giving the Mustangs a 19-10 halftime lead. Lakewood’s defense stepped up in the second half, coming up with three crucial quarterback sacks on the Mustangs final drive. Despite coming up five yards and one play short of defeating the Lancers, Rancho Verde had a great season after dropping their first five games.

Lakewood will play in the Division 8 Finals this week against Northwood, who defeated Vista

del Lago 41-14.

All stats, schedules, photos, and scores, are supplied by local high school athletic directors, MaxPreps, CIF-SS offices, contributing writers/photographers and countless fans of the games

via social media. To submit any additions or corrections to the schedule or stats, please email sports@reedermedia.com

JP Raineri can be reached by email at jp@reedermedia.com

made 7.5 total plays for negative yardage.

The league championship was the second in a row for the Eagles, who last year shared the title with Pasadena and Grossmont, Saturday also avenged a 28-26 loss last season to the Lancers.

MSJC

MSJCAthletics.com

Article contributions made by the MSJC Athletics Department.

JP Raineri can be reached by email at sports@reedermedia. com.

Following the trade deadline, he was moved in a large deal that sent Juan Soto to San Diego. Wood was an integral part of the Storm’s first-half success that clinched their place in the playoffs.

information about the California League champion Lake Elsinore Storm can be found

com.

contributions were given by Lake Elsinore Storm Media Representative Justin Jett.

Head coach Eric Junge was named the California League Manager of the Year following a successful season that led to the first championship since 2011.

Marcos Castañon was named an all-star and the California League’s best third baseman.

Outfielder James Wood was also named a California League all-star and the Prospect of the Year. Valley News/Courtesy photos

will be making their third straight Bowl appearance. Details will be announced on http://www.

for announce ments regarding the Bowl game.

Vista Murrieta High School’s head football coach Eric Peterson announced he is resigning after 20 years of coaching for the Broncos. Valley News/Sarah Files photo

a new head coach will take place in the coming months, with hopes to have something finalized shortly after the new year.

San Jacinto advanced past their CIF Southern Section Division 6 football semifinal game with a 15-14 win over Calabasas Friday, Nov. 18, at San Jacinto High School. Valley News/SJHS courtesy photo

The MSJC football team completes a perfect 5-0 conference season Saturday, Nov. 12, with a 27-17 win over Pasadena City College.

Valley News/Austin Schmidt-MSJC

EDUCATION

Lake Elsinore area students honored in November

Diane A. Rhodes Special to Valley News

The Lake Elsinore Valley Chamber of Commerce Student of the Month program, celebrating its 27th season of honoring students who make a difference, held its most recent recognition on Nov. 8 at the Lakeside High School Lancer Round Table Café. Lunch was prepared and served by members of the Lakeside Culinary Academy.

Chamber president and CEO Kim Joseph Cousins, serving as emcee, welcomed everyone to the local high school recognition program which acknowledges and honors college- or trade school bound seniors for their character, love of learning and commitment to academics in addition to participation in athletics, school activities and community service. It also commends them on their ability to persevere and overcome difficult life circumstances, all in a setting that honors God, country, family, community and free enterprise.

Large bags filled with gifts, certificates of recognition and much more donated by the program’s sponsors were given to the award recipients. Each student received a medallion and 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.

November’s students of the month are Elsinore High School’s Alycia Moody and Charles Wales, Lakeside High School’s Allegra Ayvazian and Connor McEvilly, Ortega High School’s Anaya Arbuthnot and Temescal Canyon High School’s Alexis Garcia and Thomas Siroky.

Alycia Moody Alycia Moody was chosen to represent Elsinore High School because of her “outstanding, intellectual ability” and more. She boasts a 4.42 GPA, is a Black Student Union leader, plays varsity softball and is on the Public Health Pathway. Principal Robbin Hamilton said Alycia has an enthusiasm for Elsinore to make it better and creates a culture of inclusivity on campus.

“Some respectable and distinctive traits that I carry are my hard work, compassion and integrity,” Alycia said. “I plan to attend a four-year university and proceed to medical school with the career goal of becoming an anesthesiologist. A significant life lesson I learned is that we should not fear the future and what it has in store for us.”

Her mother said that when Alycia was in first grade, she wrote a letter to then-president Barack Obama who responded by telling her to “aim for the stars” and that her generation is being relied upon to one day lead this country. Alycia really took that message to heart in everything that she did and has always been a straight-A student.

Charles Wales

Principal Hamilton introduced Charles Wales as an outstanding student-athlete and great leader. He is serving as ASB president, is captain of the water polo team and carries a 4.39 GPA.

“Everything I’ve done, everything that’s shaped me has been right in front of me,” Charles said. “It’s always been my community, whether it be in school with ASB or countless hours outside of school dedicated to water polo.”

He coaches youth water polo and was proud to take his team to the Junior Olympics which he said was an honor and great experience for him as well as the young athletes.

Nominating teacher Crystal Hofman said what sets Charles apart from other students, aside from his character and confidence, is his genuine, sincere, servant leadership style that his peers look up to. “His energy is contagious and positive,” she said.

Allegra Ayvazian

Allegra Ayvazian from Lakeside High School serves in many leadership capacities including being a member of Girls Who Code, National Honor Society, Media Club and the girls’ tennis team. She plans to major in political science at college with a minor in economics before entering law school. Her career goal is to practice business or family law.

“I’m proud of myself for overcoming obstacles in my life to become the student I am today,” Allegra said. “The biggest contribution I’ve made to my school is serving as a role model for students that are struggling to keep up with their classes. One example of that would be becoming the first special ed student at Lakeside to take advanced classes and to go to a four-year university after high school. My challenging work and dedication created opportunities for future special ed students who want to carry on my legacy through their high school career.”

Oscar Banuelos is the teacher who nominated Allegra and said the amazing young woman, “has helped remind me why I went into the teaching profession, it was to make a positive difference in kids’ lives.”

Conner McElvilly Lakeside Assistant Principal Jason

Eldridge said Connor McEvilly has excelled in Advanced Placement courses since his freshman year, is captain of the water polo and swim teams, is Chess Club president and a member of NHS and Future Leaders. He coaches youth sports at the Elsinore Aquatics Club. He has a 4.46 GPA and plans to attend UC, Santa Barbara or Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo to pursue civil or architectural engineering.

“He represents Lakeside with dignity and class and is one of the most respectful, focused and dedicated students that I have ever met,” Eldridge said.

Connor said the sport of water polo has taught him to “do what you love, go for what you want and the success will come.” He has learned to make the most of every opportunity that comes his way.

Anaya Arbuthnot Anaya Arbuthnot was singled out at Ortega High School for this month’s honor. Principal Greg Cleave said, “All of our journeys in life are not a straight path and sometimes we require an alternate route to get to our destination. So that’s why we exist at Ortega High School.”

Set to graduate early in December, Anaya said she faced many obstacles in life but the one that stands out the most is an incident that completely changed her life. It was when she was medically diagnosed in 2021 with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures and peripheral neuropathy in her left arm, the result of a 2019 car accident. Her first major PNES episode took more than three days to be diagnosed and was found to be

caused by the trauma of her paternal grandparents and great aunt passing away two years earlier as well as stress from the ongoing pandemic.

“That was the start of a very long and very scary journey but I learned to cope with it, thanks to help from my family,” she said.

Nominating teacher Lucia Ruvalcaba said Anaya challenged and elevated her class. “As an English teacher, I always consider it my goal to teach my students to use their voice and use the power of language to find their voice.

I’m indebted to Anaya because she raised my expectation of what it means to have an empowered voice as a student. She is the bar to me on what that looks like, not only in my classroom but on our campus.”

Alexis Garcia

Alexis Garcia was introduced by Temescal Canyon High principal Joshua Hill as a four-year scholarathlete in softball, ASB treasurer, NHS member and longtime AVID student. She plans to major in biology or pre-med while playing softball at the next level with the goal of becoming an OB-GYN.

“It’s always been my dream to become a doctor,” Alexis said, adding that her family has faced hardships the past two years, including deaths and illnesses. She said being involved with AVID and ASB has allowed her to be a viable member of her school community.

Thomas Siroky

Thomas Siroky has made the most of his time at Temescal Canyon High by being a member of the Titan Engineering Academy, working at Titan TV and playing basketball

Gathering of the People celebrates all cultures

Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians Special to the Valley News

When the Four Directions Native American Club at San Jacinto High School began planning its first annual Gathering of the People, it was decided the event should celebrate all cultures. Delia L. Vazquez, the Native American School, Family & Community Liaison for San Jacinto Unified School District for nearly three years, said the parents she works with decided to include other cultures.

“In a meeting with our Native American Parent Advisory Council, parents stayed to talk and voiced they would like to do an event for the students during the month of November which is Native American Heritage Month,” Vazquez said. “The parent council said that the Four Directions club could invite other cultural clubs to be included in the event. One of our parents, Tara Placencia, said, ‘That is how we are as Native People, we are welcoming people.’ It was beautiful that the welcoming and multicultural aspect came from our parents.”

Four Directions Native American Club President Su’la Arviso of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians said club members agreed to invite other campus clubs to join them to share their cultures and club goals.

The free event was held at the school’s courtyard where there was plenty of room for guests to sit and view the many cultural exhibitions and to make their way around the perimeter to visit with various club and vendor booths.

“We always had the idea in the back of our minds that we wanted to host a day where everybody’s culture could be celebrated,” Su’la, 17, said.

Four Directions club members and their Tribal affiliations are President Su’la Arviso, Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians; Vice President Rhianna Salgado, Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians/Cahuilla Band of Indians; Secretary Reese Elliott, Woodsinatee Tlingit; Treasurer Andrew Valazquez, Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians; Member-atLarge So’a Nelson, Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians and Members Roslyn Valenzeulla and Jocie Yepa, both from the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians.

Su’la said planning began the first week of school with the main challenge being with scheduling all the singers and dancers to be there on the same day since they were coming from many different areas outside of the San Jacinto Valley.

Four Directions club members collaborated with adults to assist with organizing the different groups that presented cultural exhibitions.

The main planning committee included SJUSD staff Vince Record; Richard Burton, Four Directions club adviser; Delia Vazquez and Native American Parent Advisory Council members Geneva Mojado, who is also the Soboba Tribal Council Vice Chair; Alishia Falcon; Melissa Vera Arviso; Tara Placencia and Rhonda Valenzuella. Additionally, there was assistance from SJUSD staff Autumn Clark and Dawn Lawrence to bring the event to fruition.

“We had to plan for everything from logistics to safety, to inclusion with it being a first-time event,” Vazquez said. “It was all very important, and we wanted to make sure we got it right.”

Alyssa Angarita is president of San Jacinto High’s MEChA club, which promotes higher education, culture and history among Latino students. Her group offered crafts,

face painting and Dia de los Muertos activities.

SJUSD African-American Advisory Council member Sheila Blythe is the school, family & community liaison at the district’s Family Engagement Center and also serves as the adviser for the AfricanAmerican Advisory Council. She was at the event to support members of the Black Student Union who were sharing details about their club. She works alongside the club so they know there is an adult supporting them beyond the high school.

“This is a great event for connecting our students and bringing unity to our community,” Blythe said. “I’m excited to be out here.”

BSU President Brooklyn McGruder and member Journee Jones said the club has grown over the years and currently has at least 30 members. Journee said the group comes together to share ideas and discuss issues. Brooklyn said the club’s mission is to give students a safe place to go on campus so they don’t feel alone and know they have a voice.

“It helps for them to know that you’re in their corner,” Brooklyn said.

Throughout the event, music and cultural exhibitions took center stage. Visitors got to enjoy the Red Tail Spirit Singers and Dancers, Wayne Nelson with Intertribal Bird Singers, Morongo Bird Singers, Black Student Union, SJHS Ballet Folklorico Club, Cahuilla Bird Singers, Vanessa Brown of the Pauma Drum Group, Agua Bird Singers, Hula Halua o’Kealonilani Dance and Torres Martinez Bird Singers.

When the Intertribal Bird Singers, led by Wayne Nelson, shared some

and baseball. He is also active with his youth group at Canyon Lake Community Church. He wants to study mechanical engineering in college and hopes to work as part of the Baja Racing Competition Team someday. He is looking toward a career in engineering and then perhaps as a teacher and a coach.

“I’ve been playing sports since I was five, specifically basketball since the age of six,” Thomas said. “My dad and big brother were my first coaches. When we lost my brother, he had just started playing varsity basketball at Temescal Canyon and I knew that I wanted to become just like him, a fierce competitor but also a positive member of the team.”

He said the important life lessons he has learned that will carry him through college and beyond come mostly from his coaches and teachers. He learned he had to work extremely hard to win a starting position because nothing ever comes easy. He learned how to become confident and believe in himself, not just on the court but in life. He learned the value of attitude, effort and respect and that it’s okay to play a small role if it’s helping out the team.

In closing remarks, Cousins said, “We are in the month of Thanksgiving, and I think we can give thanks for these students and commend them on their outstanding achievements.”

For more information on the program, please contact Kim Joseph Cousins at 951-245-8848.

Recipients of the Lake Elsinore Valley Chamber of Commerce Student of the Month award for November are, standing from left, Thomas Siroky, Charles Wales and Connor McEvilly; seated from left, Alexis Garcia, Alycia Moody, Allegra Ayvazian and Anaya Arbuthnot. Valley News/Courtesy photo

Four Directors Native American Club President Su’la Arviso demonstrates the Northern Fancy Shawl, or Butterfly Dance, during the first Gathering of the People hosted by her club at San Jacinto High School, Saturday, Nov. 5. Valley News/Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians photos

Assemblymember James C. Ramos presents members of the Four Directors Native American Club with a Certificate of Recognition for organizing the first Gathering of the People cultural event.

Menifee Valley, Perris chambers honor students in October

Diane A. Rhodes Special to Valley News

The Menifee Valley and Perris Valley Chambers of Commerce Student of the Month program honored local high school seniors at its most recent recognition breakfast Friday, Oct. 11, at the Perris Sizzler, 91 W. Nuevo Road.

Sally Myers, founder of the nonprofit program, welcomed everyone to the local high school recognition program which honors seniors for their character, their love of learning and how these students juggle numerous activities such as campus events, athletics and/or community service. It also commends them on how they have persevered through challenging life circumstances, all in a setting that honors God, their country, community, family and free enterprise.

“This is a special program because we all come together to honor these students for how they have made a difference and for their passions in life,” Myers said. “It is just such a joy for myself and our many sponsors to come each month and be able to hear these authentic stories, where our students get to speak from their hearts as well as their principals, teachers and parents.”

Award recipients received gift bags filled with certificates of recognition, gift cards to local merchants and much more which were donated by the program’s sponsors. 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.

October’s students of the month are Heritage High School’s Said Castaneda, Paloma High School’s Meagan Macatangay, Perris High School’s Jasmine Lomeli and Perris Lake High School’s Emmanuel Garduno.

Said Castaneda

Castaneda was chosen to represent Heritage High School by more than one staff member. He is a school site council member and has been a Link Crew leader for two years, where he puts his heart and soul into his role. Link Crew is a leadership, mentoring and support program. Link Crew matches

freshmen with junior and senior leaders who support, encourage and connect with their freshmen team to help them be successful in high school. Castaneda, who plans to major in math at college, regularly tutors the younger students in the program. He was described as having a heart for service and leadership.

Castaneda is thankful for the support he gets from his family, school and community. He wants to attend University of California Irvine or University of California Riverside to pursue a math-related career.

“I hope the skills I’ve learned outside of class will help me in my future,” he said. “My involvement has taught me leadership and great character but the biggest thing I learned in life is to not waste any opportunity.”

Megan Macatangay

Macatangay was singled out at Paloma High School. Principal Jennifer Thomasian shared that she had been a recipient of a Student of the Month award in 1999 when she was a senior at Murrieta Valley High School.

“As a fellow Student of the Month, I want to welcome you to the network, the family,” she told this month’s honorees. “Each of you has the “it” factor that makes you stand out. Now you are part of that network which includes doctors, lawyers, business owners and principals. My hope for you, which I did not understand at 17, is that you go out, learn more and get new skills, but return and give back to the community that helped raise you.”

Nominated by teacher Dennis Raymond who has had Macatangay is his Advanced Placement U.S. History and AP Economics classes and is adviser for the Asian Culture Club where Macatangay serves as president.

“The club is more complete with her as a leader and has grown under her leadership,” he said.

Macatangay was described as a perfect example of how students can balance all their extracurriculars while maintaining high marks in academics. She has a 4.3 GPA and ranks seventh in her graduating class. She has taken 12 AP, honors and Dual Enrollment classes and is in her fourth year as a biomedical pathway student. She is president of the Student Youth

‘Shop the Block’ small business owner event coming to Menifee’s Central Park Honoring Small Business Saturday

Ault Staff Writer

Menifee’s Central Park will be the location for the first ever “Shop the Block” pop-up event to support curated, incubator local business small business owners. It will be a chance for residents and visitors to acquire unique gifts for the holiday season on Saturday, Nov. 26.

The event at Central Park, 30268 Civic Plaza Dr., will take place from 10 a.m.to 3 p.m. with vendors lined up and down the block. Made Local has hosted other Menifee favorite events, such as the City co-hosted Foodie Friday and the Menifee Trading Post. For Shop the Block, Made Local has been working hard with the small business community to bring a wide variety of highly sought after goods for shoppers to enjoy and pre plan for their holiday needs.

Honoring “Small Business Saturday,” Shop the Block brings community members together in a family-friendly environment while supporting the local economy and empowering the small business community, according to Menifee city officials.

The City encourages residents

and visitors alike to shop local from a variety of homegrown vendors including local goods, handcrafted items, exceptional merchandise, delightful snacks, and more.

Shoppers will also have a wide selection of local food vendors at their fingertips, serving fresh and delicious eats while enjoying live entertainment throughout the event.

“Menifee’s Shop the Block event is a fantastic demonstration of what our business community has to offer the region,” Menifee Economic Development Director Gina Gonzalez said. “We consider their success our community’s success, and we cannot wait to showcase the unique talents in our city and our support for local businesses this Small Business Saturday.”

For more information on Menifee’s Economic Development Department and the “Shop the Block” event, please visit www. menifeebusiness.com , email EconDev@cityofmenifee.us , or call 951-672- 6777. For vendor information, please contact Made Local at www.madelocalmarket. org

Recipients of the Menifee Valley/Perris Valley Chamber of Commerce Student of the

seated from left, Said Castaneda, Meagan Macatangay, Emmanuel Garduno and

founder Sally Myers, far left, and many school and community

Leaders of Menifee, ASB treasurer and vice president of the National Honor Society, Interact Club and Hospital Occupation Students of America. She leads two different dance crews on campus and is a consistent member of the California Scholarship Federation. She had a seasonal job this summer as a Community Services leader with the city.

When it comes to paying it forward, she been an active member of Youth Leaders of Menifee since her sophomore year, participates in an afterschool program for children at the Lazy Creek Recreation Center and is part of the Senior Tech Talk team, working with senior citizens at the Kay Ceniceros Senior Center. She wants to attend University of California Irvine as a nursing major.

“I plan to work as an RN to pay for medical school where I will specialize in pediatric neonatology,” Macatangay said. Jasmine Lomeli

Lomeli was introduced by Perris High School Principal Juan Santos as a model student. Her 4.92 GPA puts her in the top 10 of her senior class, and she is active in ASB as its secretary and AVID. She is Youth Advisory Committee representative for Perris. YAC is a professional youth leadership and mentorship organization focused on civic engagement and

community service. YAC members participate and coordinate various informational, educational and fun activities that promote the youth of the Perris community. Additionally, members network with other City YAC groups and collaborate on regional leadership summits and trainings.

Lomeli said being an ASB member all four years of high school has taught her time management skills and how to be more confident speaking in public. She hopes to attend Stanford University to major in human biology as a pre-med path to becoming a doctor.

Emmanuel Garduno

“Manny” Garduno was commended for his work at Perris Lake High School where Principal Lee Alfred said he has changed the culture of the campus. Being an outstanding example to others is important in this world and Garduno was described as an anchor at the school that is a little different than traditional campuses. Born and raised in Long Beach, Garduno and his family moved to Lake Elsinore in 2019. He said he likes playing video games, watching basketball, going to movies and reading. He hopes to become a marine biologist and enlist in the U.S. Navy.

“A lesson I have been taught by teachers and family is hard work and dedication can get you

anywhere in life,” he said.

An example of that is overcoming the obstacle of not being on track to graduate on time but after transferring to Perris Lake High School and working hard, he expects to earn his diploma in December. He cited a quote from one of his role models, Kobe Bryant: “Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses.”

Garduno also thanked nominating teacher Carol Stern for all her time, effort and dedication to making him a better student.

“She has left a mark on my life that I will take with me through life,” he said.

In closing, Myers said the takeaway she had about the students being honored could be summed up in a few words. Lomeli, one-of-akind; Castaneda, humble; Garduno, benevolent, and Macatangay, grace and enthusiasm.

September Student of the Month honorees were Brianna Zuri Marin, California Military Institute; Braydon Alan McIntosh, Paloma Valley High School; Abigail Irene Nering, Perris High School, and Mary Jennifer Villegas, Heritage High School.

For more information on the program, contact Sarah Rico at 951-943-6369, ext. 80103, or sarah.rico@puhsd.org

Month award for October are,

Jasmine Lomeli with program

supporters. Valley News/Courtesy photo

Tony

Don’t overlook importance of cash

If you’re an investor, you no doubt pay a great deal of attention to your stocks, bonds and mutual funds. But you shouldn’t forget another key element of your financial strategy: cash.

Cash is part of any financial strategy and investment portfolio, but how much have you thought about the different uses of cash, and how much you really need?

Consider these four key purposes: Unexpected expenses and emergencies – If you face an interruption in employment, you need an extensive home repair or you encounter an unplanned medical expense, you may need access to cash. If you’re not retired, it’s a good idea to have three to six months of living expenses in cash, possibly supplemented by access to a line of credit. If you’re already retired, keeping up to three months

GATHERING from page C-4

social songs, they were joined by dancers from the Four Directions Club as well as Tribal members who were attending the event.

Assemblyman James C. Ramos, who also chairs the California Legislative Native American Caucus, joined them before presenting Four Directions club members with a California Legislature Assembly certificate of recognition for “furthering the education of the Native American people, through

of living expenses in cash, possibly supplemented by a credit line, is a good rule of thumb.

Specific short-term savings goals – You may have some goals you want to meet within the next year or two, such as a wedding, a

history and traditional songs, that still carries forward today and is celebrated at the first Gathering of the People.”

Ramos, a lifelong resident of the San Manuel Indian Reservation in San Bernardino County, is a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe and became the first California Native American to serve in the California State Assembly, when he was elected in 2018.

Providing a strong voice for all Native Americans, since he took office Ramos has introduced 20

vacation or the purchase of a new car. And since you have a little more time to meet these needs than you would for an emergency, you might consider using a money market account or a short-term certificate of deposit (CD), in addition to your other savings vehicles.

Everyday spending – You’ll always need cash to provide for your day-to-day spending needs, such as your mortgage, other debts, groceries, utilities, entertainment and so on. If you haven’t already done so, you might want to create a budget, which could help highlight areas in which you can reduce spending to free up funds for investing in long-term goals. If you’re still working, keeping one to two months’ worth of living expenses in a liquid account may be sufficient, but if you’re retired, you may need up to 12 months of

Assembly bills related to Native American issues that have been signed into law by the governor, six of which were passed in 2022. Recently, he oversaw passage of Assembly Bill 1314, or the Feather Alert, which adds a missing Indigenous person to the existing emergency notification system that informs law enforcement and media about missing children. They include Amber Alert, and older adults, Silver Alert.

Most notably, Assembly Bill 1703, known as the California Indian Education Act, will encourage school districts, county offices of education and charter schools to form California Indian education task forces with California Tribes local to their regions to discuss issues of mutual concern and submit materials to be considered for inclusion in the model curriculum by their school districts.

“Some members of this (Four Directions) club traveled to Sacramento and testified in support of AB 1703 and helped me lobby it through the Assembly and Senate. So, at a young age they are already engaged in the political system,” Ramos said. “We need to stand side-by-side to address the issues that are still plaguing our people. It’s by working together that we are moving our voices forward in the state of California.”

Vazquez said it was a highlight and honor to have Assemblyman Ramos as a guest to the event.

“It was so nice to see him share the stage with our students and hear the encouraging words he had for them,” she said. “He joined in with the Bird Singers and I know he made an impact in their lives.”

Local food vendors were happy to share their fare with guests at the event. Isai Coronado owns Coronado BBQ and Catering and was smoking his own meat on site, saying it takes 16 hours for brisket and 8-9 hours for pulled pork to be just right. He has attended many events at the Soboba Indian Reservation since he opened about a year ago.

Verdie Dennis was sharing delicacies from her Queens of Cobbler shop on Main Street in San Jacinto. She brought samples of her everyday favorites that customers

living expenses, which you can adjust to accommodate outside sources, such as Social Security or a pension.

Source of investment – You can look at cash as an investment source in two different ways. First, cash can be considered its own distinct asset class, and because it typically behaves differently from other asset classes, it can provide some diversification to a portfolio containing stocks and bonds. (Keep in mind, though, that diversification can’t guarantee profits or protect against all losses.)

And second, the cash in your portfolio could be used as part of a systematic investing strategy in which you put set amounts of money at regular intervals into investment vehicles that are appropriate for your goals and risk tolerance.

Clearly, cash is an important part of planning for the future, but there can be too much of a good thing. While cash may seem like a perpetual safe harbor from the stormy investment seas, it is not without risk. If you hold too much cash, you could underfund your longer-term investments, the ones with the growth potential you need to reach some of your most important goals, such as a comfortable retirement.

Put your cash to work. By using it wisely, you can add a valuable element to your financial picture.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor, Darion Haggerty, who can be contacted at 951-695-8844.

enjoy such as peach and apple caramel cobblers but also had banana pudding for sale. She teased that she has holiday specials coming up soon at the almost one-year-old store but she also caters events.

Frybread Kitchen, owned and operated by Soboba Tribal members, was serving up Indian tacos and frybread favorites throughout the day and Peralta’s Kettle Korn was also getting a steady stream of hungry visitors. Tacos la Patrona parked its taco truck in the courtyard, Panda Produce offered cut fruit and more and the Eagle Brew Coffee Crew served up seasonal blends.

“We set up our coffee station at all the San Jacinto and Hemet football games, as well as private events,” Eagle Brew owner Kyle Martin said.

He grew up in San Jacinto and enjoys attending local farmer’s markets and events such as this one to connect with past and present friends and acquaintances. He said the “crew” in his company’s name refers to his customers that he likes to post about on his Instagram page @eaglebrewcoffeecrew.

“One of the special moments of the day for me was when we took a group picture and Geneva Mojado called for all the clubs to join in,” Vazquez said. “It was in the afternoon and the sun was shining and you could feel the warmth and elation from all those students rushing to get in the picture. It felt like we accomplished something special at that moment.”

Darion Haggerty Valley News/Courtesy photo

Edward Jones, Member SIPC

Assemblymember James C. Ramos, far right, participates in a cultural presentation with Wayne Nelson and the Intertribal Bird Singers at San Jacinto High School.

Members of Red Tail Spirit, based in the San Jacinto Valley and an integral part of the annual “Ramona” outdoor play, shared social songs during the event.

Valley News/Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians photos

Hamilton Elementary School hosts annual Military Appreciation Day Nov. 10

Sieker Staff Writer

Hamilton Elementary School staff, students and the Parent Teacher Student Association hosted their annual Military Appreciation Day breakfast and celebration to honor local veterans and military members Thursday, Nov. 10.

A pancake and sausage breakfast was served to the vets and their families by school staff, PTSA members and Girl Scouts. After the meal, the guests moved into the multimedia room for the main event.

After the Pledge of Allegiance, special performances and presentations honored the guests. Music teacher Lovina Leon directed the band in patriotic musical anthems, and several different classes sang songs that enhanced the veterans pride.

The vets were also treated to specially made gifts of patriotically colored candies in decorative jars made by the Hamilton National Honor Society members.

“I want to thank all the veterans that came to help us celebrate Military Appreciation Day,” PTSA member and veteran Don Salazar said. “I want to thank the Hamilton PTSA Executive Board and the Girl Scouts for coming in at 7 a.m. to set up and serve our veterans

From The Heart annual holiday dinner raises funds for Christmas gifts

Sieker Staff Writer

The From The Heart Christian Women’s Ministries presented their annual holiday dinner Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Anza Community Hall. Attendance was there for a good cause, which is hundreds of Christmas gifts for deserving families in the local mountain communities.

Supporters and friends of the children’s charity organization filled the venue with donations and good cheer.

Helpings of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, dinner rolls, green beans with pearl onions, dressing, chunky cranberry sauce and pie were placed upon plates by volunteering Hamilton High School students and the Barajas family’s young men.

The dinner provided a time to socialize with FTH members, volunteers, friends and neighbors.

Patrons perused the tables full of donated gifts for the raffle

Anza seventh grader crochets memorial to beloved cat

Writer

Anza seventh-grader Sawyer Edmisten took it upon herself to create an artistic rendition of the Hawk Watch Winery’s mascot Zoro the cat, who had died recently. She felt the calling to memorialize the well-loved feline and donate her crocheted art to the winery.

“I custom-made a crocheted Zoro in memory of Hawk Watch Winery’s cat that passed away,” the 12-year-old said. “I went off pictures to get as close as possible, since I personally never met him. My mom said he was very important to the winery owners and all their customers.”

According to online reviews, Hawk Watch Winery, located in Warner Springs, is a popular

destination, offering magnificent views, friendly staff and wellrespected wines, according to guests.

“We were absolutely blown away by her kindness and thoughtfulness. What a sweet young lady. Thanks so much Sawyer for such an amazing gift,” owners Mike and Lisa Schnell said on social media.

“Sawyer, who, with her bare hands and compassionate heart, built our crocheted Zoro for no other reason other than to soothe our aching hearts after his passing.”

Always active, Edmisten also excels at cross country running and track, riding her horse and learning to jump on horseback. She loves her fancy Polish chickens and she’s a Lance Corporal in the Young Marines with her older brother Hunter.

“Sawyer learned to crochet from a former co-worker when she used to go to work with me,” her mother Janene Edmisten explained. “After finishing her homework she would watch my friend make these wonderful things from yarn. She started the craft with small crochet projects. Crocheting comes easy to her which is hard for me to understand because yarn is not my friend. Everything she learns she picks up quickly and usually excels

CROCHET, page D-4

cat.

Anza Valley Outlook/Courtesy photo

and crossed their fingers to be the one to win the grand prize television. Raffle prizes ranged from gift certificates, art, wreaths, gift baskets, flower arrangements and the prize of prizes, the 50inch TV. Winners were allowed to choose their gift from the table. Ethan Barajas won the television, to applause from all in the room.

“This is a huge fundraiser for From the Heart,” event organizer and promoter Christina James said. “The money raised from this dinner goes toward our Christmas Kids gift event. Last year we served 545 local children with Christmas gifts. This year we have 572 kids that have signed up for Christmas gifts so far.”

“We are so beyond grateful for the support,” James said. “The need is here, and it’s going to be here for a while. We are grateful for continued support; there are so many families that need help from

from Anza Valley Outlook

Diane

Marine Bryan Duenaz with son Zeus and wife Claudia take part in the festivities at the Hamilton Elementary School annual Military Appreciation Day Thursday, Nov. 10. Their younger son Odin is not pictured.

Anza Valley Outlook/Diane Sieker photo

Diane

Emcee Christina James and her young helper run the raffle at the From the Heart Christian Women’s Ministries’ annual holiday dinner Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Anza Community Hall. Anza Valley Outlook/Diane Sieker photo

Diane Sieker Staff

Sawyer Edmisten exhibits her crocheted likeness of the Hawk Watch Winery’s mascot, Zoro the

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 “HamiltonMuseum-and-Ranch-Foundation.”

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.

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.

study on the 2nd and 3rd Sundays from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. On Monday evenings, from 6:00 to 8:00 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 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 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.

Estates. For more information, call Ginny Kinser at 909-702-7902.

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 951763-5611 for information.

ANZA VALLEY OUTLOOK

Editorial STEPHANIE PARK, Copy Editor

J.P.

Advertising

Production KARINA RAMOS YOUNG, Art Director FOREST RHODES, Production Assistant SAMANTHA GORMAN, Graphic Artist Digital Services MARIO MORALES

ANZA VALLEY OUTLOOK MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. BOX 391353, Anza, CA 92539 PHONE: (760) 723-7319 PHONE: (951) 763-5510 FAX: (760) 723-9606

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 posttraumatic 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 951763-4226.

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 951-5512826.

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

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 951-763-1111.

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 9:00 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 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. and Bible

How to quit the gossiping

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 951-928-1248. 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

FAITH

about people behind their backs? Especially when we hate it when people talk about us behind our backs. It’s a crazy cycle.

I believe it’s a sneaky tool our enemy, the devil, uses to cause division in our families, churches and friendships. We need to fight against it in every area of our life.

If you, like me, have been guilty of gossiping a time or two or if it’s an ongoing problem, here are three steps you can take to quit gossiping.

Don’t be a gossip.

Well, how about that, Captain Obvious? Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of this point. Sometimes the most obvious answer is the absolute best.

For you, quitting the gossip might be extremely difficult. Maybe talking about others behind

their backs is the primary subject of most of your conversations and if you stop, you might not have anything to talk about.

It might help you to know that God hates gossip. The Bible said, “There are six things the Lord hates – no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family,” in Proverbs 6:16-19.

A “person who sows discord in a family” is a gossip. God hates it. I bet your family and friends hate it too. It’s time to stop adding logs to the fire. The Bible said, “Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down,” in Proverbs 26:20.

Let go of jealousy and pride.

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 951-2824267.

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.

These two issues are often the root of the gossiping problem.

It’s rooted in jealousy because we are bothered that others have what we think we should.

It’s rooted in pride because we elevate ourselves above other people in the way they live.

The Bible said, “If you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind,” in James 3:14-16.

Gossip has caused more disorder

JULIE REEDER, Publisher MALINA GUGEL, Distribution

Zachary Elliott Special to the Valley News

It’s said that some people will believe anything if it’s whispered to them. Do you find that to be true? I often do, especially when it comes to gossip. Why are we often prone to talk

Radio station announces Light Up The Valley Christmas decoration contest

Sieker Staff Writer

KOYT 97.1 FM Anza Community Broadcasting has announced its third annual Light Up The Valley Holiday Light Decoration Contest.

“Get in the holiday spirit and help your local radio station by entering our contest. Let’s make this holiday season in the Anza Valley merry and bright,” KOYT president and programming chair Erinne Roscoe said.

The contest will include two categories, Residential and Business/Organization. Prizes will be awarded to the winners with $250 for first place, $100 for second place and $50 for third in each category for a total of $800 in prizes.

The cost to enter is a $15 donation for residential and $20 for business/organization entries.

All contest entries must be within the Anza, Terwilliger, Lake Riverside Estates or upper Aguanga areas and homeowners must be willing to allow the community to drive by their displays. The KOYT judges recognize that there may be areas where community members may not wish to drive since some dirt roads can be hazardous, and this will not affect the judging of the entry. All entries will be listed on the Light Up The Valley drive-thru map available to the public.

Santa and the KOYT Koyotes will get together to decide their favorite displays. The entry deadline is Tuesday, Dec. 6. All

displays must be complete by Saturday, Dec. 10 for judging and lighted every night from 5 until 9 p.m. until Christmas night, Sunday, Dec. 25.

The drive-thru event will occur Saturday, Dec. 17 and Sunday, Dec. 18. KOYT 97.1 FM will play on-air holiday music, descriptions of the entries and judging results for the listening audience.

“All entries will be listed on a map that will be distributed before the event. If you do not want your address listed, we cannot accept your entry. Please decorate safely and make sure that you are following all safety and fire precautions,” Roscoe said. “Come on mountain folks, let’s get into the holiday cheer and light this valley up this season. All entry donations

go directly to your all-volunteer 501(c)3 nonprofit, communitypowered radio station,” Roscoe said.

The mission of the Anza Community Broadcasting KOYT 97.1 FM radio is to provide an inclusive public broadcasting forum to educate, inform and entertain the local community and the general public.

To sign up for the contest, visit https://koyt971.org/light-up-thevalley-2022.

For more information about the radio station, call 951-7635698, email info@koyt971.org or visit them at www.facebook.com/ koyt97.1 or https://koyt971.org.

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

DINNER from page D-1 and a haircut. Almost 600 children will benefit from the Christmas toy giveaway this year.

our community.”

The From The Heart Christian Women’s Ministries raises funds to buy Christmas gifts, fill and give away backpacks to school children and assist those local children that may be disadvantaged, focusing on families and children in need in the mountain communities of Anza, Aguanga, Mountain Center and Idyllwild.

According to James, at the first From the Heart Christmas hosted for the children, they served 13 children. The first back-to-school backpack giveaway helped six students with backpacks and school-related goodies.

“Every year it gets bigger,” she said. Now the organization gives out over 300 loaded backpacks, as well as a pair of new shoes, socks

Fundraising events are held throughout the year to help collect money to aid these worthy causes. Rummage sales, luncheons, raffles and of course, the annual From the Heart holiday dinner.

To learn more about From The Heart Christian Women’s Ministries, please visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ groups/115200731856938/about/ or write to: From The Heart Christian Women’s Ministries, P.O. Box 391224, Anza, CA 92539. Diane Sieker can be reached by email at dsieker@reedermedia. com

Diane

Cahuilla Mountain Market receives third place in the Light Up The Valley Christmas decoration contest in 2021 in the business category.

Anza Valley Outlook/Courtesy photo

Tables are piled high with donated gifts for the raffle at the From the Heart Christian Women’s Ministries’ annual holiday dinner Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Anza Community Hall. Anza Valley Outlook/Diane Sieker photos

High school students and Barajas family boys serve a hearty Thanksgiving meal at the annual From the Heart Christian Women’s Ministries’ holiday dinner.

Jeremy Parsons and his wife Monica, along with their little nephew, look forward to the raffle drawings at the From the Heart Christian Women’s Ministries’ annual holiday dinner at the Anza Community Hall.

Lorraine Elmore shows off her raffle prize at the From the Heart Christian Women’s Ministries’ annual holiday dinner, Nov. 12.

MILITARY from page D-1 and families a pancake breakfast.”

Seventeen men and women were honored at the special event, including World War II veteran Cosme Heredia.

“This was the best assembly I’ve been to at Hamilton Elementary,” proud grandmother Sandra Merems, who joined her brother, veteran Joe David Trevino, said. “I loved the band; great job Bobcats.”

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

CROCHET from page D-1

at whatever she attempts. She is a very competitive and determined young lady.”

Besides crafting and the other slew of interesting activities, young Edmisten also lends a hand with family ranch chores.

“Outside she helps with feeding, cleaning stalls, grooming and bathing animals and working with and training basic obedience and commands with the guardian livestock dogs. And of course she pitches in when rocks need to be moved and recently learned to drive the tractor,” her mother said.

Crocheting a comforting depiction of a beloved and muchmissed feline is the start for this talented young lady. The love she shared has impacted many at the winery and beyond.

To see more of Sawyer Edmisten’s art, please click https://www.facebook.com/ SawyerStitches1.

Hawk Watch Winery may be reached at www.facebook.com/ hawkwatchwinery or on the web at hawkwatchwinery.com.

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

ANZA LOCAL

Veteran John Diggins enjoys a hearty breakfast with his young sidekick at the Hamilton Elementary School annual Military Appreciation Day, Nov. 10. Anza Valley Outlook/Diane Sieker photos

Anza Electric Cooperative staff Don Downing, left, Heather Newman and Jose Rozo have a pancake breakfast at the Hamilton Elementary School annual Military Appreciation Day.

Veteran Chad Szopinski and his youngster prepare for the assembly that will take place after the pancake breakfast at the Hamilton Elementary School annual Military Appreciation Day.

Joe David Trevino and his sister Sandra Merems watch the assembly performances at the Hamilton Elementary School annual Military Appreciation Day.

Sofia Salazar reads a poem to the vets while her parents record the moment at the Hamilton Elementary School annual Military Appreciation Day.

Several groups of children sing songs for the veterans at the Hamilton Elementary School annual Military Appreciation Day Thursday, Nov. 10.

Band teacher Lovina Leon directs the band in patriotic musical anthems for the veterans at Hamilton Elementary School’s annual Military Appreciation Day.

Attending veterans are honored at the Hamilton Elementary School annual Military Appreciation Day.

World War II veteran Cosme Heredia thoroughly enjoys the honors bestowed upon him at Hamilton Elementary School’s annual Military Appreciation Day.

Seventh grader Sawyer Edmisten succeeds in capturing the look of the Hawk Watch Winery’s mascot, Zoro the cat.

A picture of the cherished and popular cat is what seventh-grader Sawyer Edmisten uses to create her crocheted art.

Anza Valley

photos

Caltrans highway projects slowing or holding for Thanksgiving weekend

Tony Ault Staff Writer

While most California Department of Transportation and other highway projects in the Valley News circulation area continue their work, much of it will not be taking place on Thanksgiving weekend from Nov. 24 through Nov. 27.

Continuing the Caltrans work from Nov. 28 will be rebar forming, pouring and excavation and barrier work on State Route 74 (Ortega Highway) from the Riverside and Orange County border to Monte Vista Street just

west of Lake Elsinore. There will be one-way lane closures from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. These closures will run approx. from The Candy Store 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 asks motorists to please wait for the designated flagging operation to guide you through the closure zone and obey all posted signs and traffic instructions, including the flagging operations, as CHP will be on location and citing any offenders. There will be no nightly full lane closures over

Kennedy/Jenks given EMWD contracts for Wine Country sewer design

Joe Naiman Writer

The Eastern Municipal Water District board approved two design contracts with Kennedy/Jenks Consultants for EMWD’s Wine Country sewer projects.

The board’s 5-0 vote Nov. 2 approved a $469,209 contract with Kennedy/Jenks Consultants, which is based in San Francisco and has offices in San Diego and Murrieta, for the preliminary design of the Southern Wine Country Sewer Project and a $312,806 contract with same company for the preliminary design of the Northern Wine Country Sewer Project. The board action authorized EMWD general manager Joe Mouawad or his designee to execute contracts with other necessary consultants and with suppliers. The board vote also approved $1,041,615 of total appropriations which budgets $90,000 for an environmental consultant, $40,000 for utility investigations, $113,600 for engineering branch labor, and $16,000 for grant management along with the $782,015 for the two Kennedy/Jenks contracts.

In April 2019, Eastern selected West Yost Associates to prepare the Southern Wine Country Infrastructure Phasing Plan Study. That study considered an approach to implement sewer service in an incremental manner and included evaluation of potential areas in Southern Wine Country which would likely connect to a future sewer collection system, updated flow projections, an optimized sewer system layout, and alternatives to extend sewer service into the area. Planning-level cost estimates were prepared for the alternatives to allow EMWD flexibility in the future, based on sequencing and timing of development.

The 2019 study provides guidance to address developer inquiries, develops a framework to explore funding strategies and provides flexibility to respond to the development community. The study will be utilized as guidance to develop funding strategies and enable ongoing coordination with the County of Riverside, the Rancho California Water District and the Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Not all of the growth will require new infrastructure. Eastern believes that capacity for between 3,000 and 3,700 equivalent dwelling units is available in the Temecula Parkway Trunk Sewer. The phasing plan will also optimize infrastructure alignment in the Southern Wine Country area. EMWD will attempt to consolidate and reduce the number of lift stations required to serve the area, which will reduce the total cost, and will identify sites for potential lift stations. An incremental phased approach to extend the sewer infrastructure will be developed, and updated cost estimates will be prepared.

The Northern Area Phase I facilities were completed in 2015. The planning efforts for Phase II and for the Southern Area have been completed; construction of those facilities is currently contingent upon securing external funding.

The Northern Wine Country Sewer Rancho California Road Phase II project will plan, design, construct, operate and maintain

4,300 feet of 12-inch diameter sewer main and 9,700 feet of 8-inch sewer main and will also install laterals to property lines along Rancho California Road, Glen Oaks Road, Warren Road and East Benton Road. The project will extend an existing sewer line which currently runs along Rancho California Road between Butterfield Stage Road and Monte Del Oro Road. The sewer project will reduce the number of septic systems leaching into groundwater and thus improve water quality. The total estimated cost of the project is $8.6 million.

The Southern Wine Country Sewer De Portola Road/Anza Road project will provide 9,900 feet of 15-inch gravity sewer main, 10,300 feet of 12-inch gravity sewer main, 3,000-feet of 10-inch gravity sewer main, and laterals to property lines along Anza Road and De Portola Road. The total estimated cost is $10.3 million.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 included $350 billion of Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds allocations for eligible state, territorial, tribal and local governments. The funding addresses the public health emergency and economic impacts of the coronavirus epidemic and can be utilized for four eligible categories: mitigation of negative economic impacts, premium pay for eligible workers performing essential work, provision of government services lost revenue would have eliminated, and necessary infrastructure investments including water, sewer and broadband. The Riverside County Board of Supervisors has allocated $82 million for infrastructure which provides for $15 million per supervisorial district and $7 million for the Broadband Affordability Program.

On May 17 the county supervisors allocated $10,571,200 of that for three Eastern Municipal Water District capital improvements. The funding will provide $5,011,200 for the Northern Wine Country Sewer Rancho California Road Phase II project, $4,120,000 for the Southern Wine Country Sewer De Portola Road/Anza Road infrastructure and $1,440,000 for the Mission Canyon II pump station replacement which will provide a new pump station located at the Mission Canyon II Booster Station along with 3,200 feet of new pipe. Eastern Municipal Water District will administer, construct and maintain the sewer projects, and the funding agreement will allow the district to be reimbursed by the county. All ARPA funds must be obligated by Dec. 31, 2024 and spent by Dec. 31, 2026.

Kennedy/Jenks is among the engineering consultants competitively selected to be on EMWD’s on-call list. Kennedy/ Jenks has completed similar EMWD projects, so EMWD staff requested and negotiated a scope of work and fee proposal. The contracts are separate so that each project can be invoiced to the county separately. On-call consultants will also perform field investigations, environmental due diligence and utility location tasks.

Eastern and Kennedy/Jenks expect completion of the preliminary design by June 2023 and completion of final design by Feb. 2024. The construction is expected to be complete by Nov. 2025.

the Thanksgiving weekend.

For up-to-date information and to sign up for commuter alerts, please go to the website dot.ca.gov and SR-74 Ortega Widening Project. To stay on top of roadwork in the Inland Empire, go to Caltrans District 8 and sign up for commuter alerts.

Caltrans is ready to begin a $2 million project to rehabilitate existing planting, landscaping and upgrade of irrigation facilities to current water efficient technology and provide erosion control on Interstate 10 at 8th Street in Banning.

The project was awarded to

Diversified Landscape Co. of Wildomar. Crews will place construction signage in and around the construction zone. Drivers can expect nighttime lane and ramp closures on the I-10 from .25 miles west of 8th Street to S. San Gorgonio Ave. as tree trimming takes place. Fines could be doubled in those construction zones.

There will be weeknight lane closures on Interstate 15 for the $22.8 million project to do the slab replacements, mill and overlay ramps and shoulders and perform profile grinding from Ontario Ave. in Corona to State Route 60

in Eastvale. All work is weather permitting from Nov. 28 through Dec. 1. Hours are from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. nightly. Affected segments will be I-15 northbound from Ontario Ave. to SR-60, Corona to Eastvale, and the southbound lanes from SR-60 to Cantu-Galleano Road, Eastvale to Corona. Caltrans says at least one lane will remain open to traffic. The project should be complete by the end of the year.

Thanksgiving weekend work may also slow on Menifee, Temecula and Wildomar highways.

Tony Ault can be reached at tault@reedermedia.com

Riverside State of the County to draw local leaders, businesses, nonprofits, residents together

RIVERSIDE COUNTY –

Following a three-year hiatus, the 2022 Riverside County State of the County event in Cabazon, will bring hundreds of stakeholders together to discuss Riverside County’s growth and opportunities as a premier destination for business investment. Other key drivers of Riverside County’s strong regional economy include job growth, high quality of life, as well as the tourism and hospitality industries.

The State of the County event will be held Tuesday, Dec. 8, at the Morongo Resort in Cabazon from 8 a.m. through 11 a.m., with speeches on Riverside County’s outlook delivered by board Chair Jeff Hewitt, Supervisor Karen Spiegel and Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. The master of ceremonies

will be county CEO Jeff Van Wagenen. The event also includes networking opportunities and an expo of businesses and services.

“Riverside County is the fastest growing county in Southern California,” Hewitt said. “With a booming population and an emerging tech ecosystem, we are the premier location in Southern California for business investments.

The State of the County event is a central gathering to share our tremendous growth and outlook for all of our businesses, nonprofits and residents to see.”

Typically an annual event, the last State of the County event was held in 2018 and rescheduled the last two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The recent 2020 Census data

confirms what we’ve known for years,” Van Wagenen said. “We believe our rapid growth is proof that we’re doing something right as more people choose to live and work here. We are growing by 30,000 people every year – that’s like adding a city the size of Desert Hot Springs, Norco or Wildomar every year. We are optimistic that our population growth will also pave the way for new and increased funding that provide for critically important services to our residents.”

Visit http://Stateof RiversideCounty.eventbrite.com to register for tickets. Advanced tickets are $50 per person. Tickets on the day of the event will be $65 per person.

Submitted by Riverside County.

RCWD board approves grant application resolution

Joe Naiman Writer

The Rancho California Water District board approved a resolution seeking state Department of Water Resources grants for three projects.

The board’s 7-0 vote Thursday, Nov. 10, adopted a resolution for the grant applications to DWR for Integrated Regional Water Management implementation funding. The grants would help fund a watershed partnership which would promote conservation, a groundwater banking feasibility study and an intertie with Western Municipal Water District infrastructure. If DWR awards the full amount of all three grants, the funding would provide $2,636,888.

Prop. 50 voted in In November 2002, the state’s voters approved Proposition 50, which authorized the spending of $3.4 billion for projects involving freshwater and coastal resources. Chapter 8 of Proposition 50 authorized up to $500 million for Integrated Regional Water Management planning and implementation grants. The November 2014 election included the passage of Proposition 1, which allocates $510 million for IRWM projects. DWR does not issue the entire amount of IRWM funding in one grant application process but utilizes rounds of grant applications and awards. The grants sought in the Nov. 10 resolution would be from Proposition 1 funding. An equal match from the local

GOSSIP from page D-2

and evil in relationships, families and churches than just about anything. It’s severed relations and cut deep wounds into the hearts of many. All because of our personal ego.

It’s not God’s kind of wisdom. “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness,” in James 3:17-18. That’s how we should act.

agency is required under the grant conditions.

The grant for the Save Our Water Save Our Watershed Partnership program would be for $500,000 with the RCWD match being provided from turf replacement funding received from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The program would be a regional partnership between Rancho and the Riverside County Flood Control and Water Conservation District and would be designed to conserve water and reduce surface runoff through implementation of landscape transformations. The elements of the program would include the collaborative development of public outreach materials between the two agencies, personalized technical assistance to water users in the form of landscape design assistance and concierge services and enhanced financial incentives for turf replacement.

A feasibility study

The groundwater banking feasibility study would be a decision support tool for potential groundwater banking in the Temecula Valley Groundwater Basin. The study would identify alternatives for maximizing the groundwater storage capacity of the basin. Additional sources of supply including well production, recharge, extraction and enhanced indirect potable reuse with brine disposal which could be used for groundwater banking would be evaluated. The study would also allow the district to gain a better

Celebrate the wins of others.

If you want to keep gossip, jealousy and pride out of your life, celebrating the wins of others is the one main ingredient, the special sauce and the secret recipe.

The Bible said we are to “rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” in Romans 12:15.

Do you know what that means? It means we celebrate the good things going on in someone else’s life. We get excited about their success, not jealous. We start talking about people in a positive and encouraging way.

And if something drastic

understanding of how further development of the basin’s storage capacity would influence and impact operation of the Pauba and Upper Mesa hydrologic subunits. The study would include basin-wide groundwater modeling and physical testing with the results being used to identify cost-effective sources of additional water supply for groundwater banking, to determine viable locations for groundwater recharge and to specify the size, location, phasing and cost of the additional infrastructure required to extract and convey the recovered water both within the RCWD service area and throughout the region. The $1,068,444 match if the full grant amount is awarded would be provided by the RCWD Capital Improvement Program budget.

Intertie planned

The RCWD-Western intertie and pipeline project would construct an intertie and associated pipeline in Western’s Murrieta Service Area. Western has a Murrieta Facilities Master Plan, and the initial design places the intertie at the intersection of Kalmia Street and Adams Avenue. The intertie is anticipated to include a 5,600 gallons per minute connection, and approximately 4,000 feet of pipelines would be upsized. Western’s Capital Improvement Program budget would provide the $1,068,444 match if the full $1,068,444 grant request amount is awarded.

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

happens in their life or they make a terrible decision, we care enough to mourn for them. But we don’t talk like they deserved it.

When you start to share in the wins and losses of others in a godly way, it leaves no time for gossip. Try it; it will change every relationship you have.

Zachary Elliott is the lead pastor of Fusion Christian Church in Temecula. For more information, visit https://www. fusionchristianchurch.com, http:// www.encouragementtoday.tv or find them on Instagram.

OPINION

We

thankful for our nonprofits which are crucial to Valley News

Julie Reeder Publisher

There are hundreds of local nonprofit organizations and we are so thankful for all the work they do. Local organizations are helping the hungry, the seniors, the veterans, the physically, mentally, and emotionally challenged, youth, businesses, the animals, artists, and our parks and open spaces. There’s literally something for everyone and much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving Season. If you are new to town, we

encourage you to find a nonprofit organization that is interesting to you. You may find something that’s fun and fulfilling and a great way to meet like-minded friends.

In support of our nonprofits, Valley News would like to remind these local groups that they may submit a press release with one or two photos each month at no cost. We consider this an important part of the Valley News. The work our nonprofits do is crucial to who we are as a community. They enrich our culture.

Press releases help keep your

organization top of mind for local residents who may be looking for somewhere to volunteer or donate. It also connects you with people all year long who may attend your fundraisers.

Valley News readers are statistically better educated. They are stable, conscientious and community minded with discretionary income. They care about and are connected with their community, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to connect with them!

In addition, it’s not just print!

Writer returns to fold after journey through the Valley

from Temecula’s glory days. That was when a growth-choked and traffic-snarled burg in southwest Riverside County was anchored by a cadre of volunteers who latched onto a huge parcel of developerdonated land.

Those hearty souls – with just their tractors, wheelbarrows and shovels – soon carved out a glorious sports park. That park still serves the community and it is now topped by an amazing library that is named after one of Temecula’s most dedicated, deceased public servants.

My return to the chaotic and confusing world of community journalism has now forced me to relearn many of my profession’s guiding truths.

and won a couple of mid-level professional awards. At one paper I was picked as its employee of the year and my former spouse and I won an all-expense-paid trip to Maui.

Our Facebook reach with both Village and Valley News was over 700,000 last month, so if you need to reach the masses too, we can help you.

If you need guidelines for writing a press release, or suggestions on how to take a “snappy photo” or how to submit it, just send a request to valleyeditor@reedermedia. com

We will be happy to accommodate you.

Thank you for the work you do to make our community a great place to live, work and playl!

Committee. I have served as a deacon at one church, a trustee at another and a key usher in three Christian congregations.

Tim O’Leary Special to the Valley News

Hello, dear reader. It is wonderful, yet a bit daunting, to walk again in your midst. The good Lord has carried me through the Valley of the Shadow, and now I am back, either to your pleasure or your chagrin.

A few of you may remember me

Along the way, those young pioneers coalesced their far-flung unincorporated community into a shining, model city.

Most of you have never heard my name. Some of you may curse it.

Thus, it is with my deepest humility and thanks that I again sit in front of my computer to write something other than terse and barely understandable emails.

I must be transparent, clear and honest in all that I say and all that I do. I must disclose any and all potential conflicts of interest. I must listen and not speak. I must use the dictionary rather than spell-check. I must use short words rather than long ones. I must use the period instead of the comma. I must be pleasant, kind and courteous instead of being obnoxious or aggressive. I must honor and respect everyone regardless of their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, personal beliefs or political preferences. I must be trustworthy and responsive.

I desire to reach out to you and ask that you do the same to me. I have worked in this crazy but beautiful industry for 42 years now and have written for six newspapers, several magazines

I have been married twice for a total of 45 years, and I have a son who lives in Nashville. Since my arrival in Southern California, I first lived in Quail Valley and now I live in Fallbrook. My second wife took me to 57 countries, including some of those places several times and on one sojourn that turned into a trip around the world in one hop.

I was the last president of Fallbrook’s Reche Club, which over an eight-decade span played an instrumental role in protecting and preserving Fallbrook’s historic one-room schoolhouse. I have served on the boards of Fallbrook’s Senior Center and the Fallbrook Historical Society. I served two stints – one long and one short – on the Rainbow Municipal Water District’s Communication

COURTS & CRIMES

The last decade I have spent as a spousal caregiver to a beautiful, talented woman who is battling cruel dementia and recently moved to a care facility in Boston, where she is near her large, loving family. I will visit her regularly as long as she can recognize my face or remember my name or my voice.

I shall continue to heal from a total health collapse that landed me in an ICU room for eight days and on a medical/surgical floor for another two.

Finally, I pray that you will welcome me back to these pages. Now it’s time for me to roll up my sleeves and get to work again. Let’s have some fun, dear readers. And together let’s learn about and from each other and our amazing communities. May we all enjoy the ride.

Convicted DUI offender charged with killing deputy and his daughter in wreck

Bales is charged with DUI resulting in great bodily injury and a sentence-enhancing great bodily injury allegation.

The defendant is recovering from his injuries in the sheriff’s infirmary operated by the Riverside University Health System in Moreno Valley. He was not medically cleared to make a scheduled court appearance at the Banning Justice Center Thursday. Superior Court Judge Mark Singerton postponed Bales’ arraignment to Nov. 28.

The defendant is being held on $2 million bail.

transferred to the Palm Desert Station and the following year transferred back to the Indio Jail.”

Jacks attained the rank of corporal in March.

Funeral arrangements were pending.

According to CHP Officer Jason Montez, the collision happened just after 9 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13, on Gilman Springs Road just east of Bridge Street.

in lanes, according to the CHP representative.

County fire paramedics arrived a short time later and pronounced Jacks and his daughter dead at the scene.

Bales and his passenger, identified by the CHP only as a 45-year-old Moreno Valley man, were taken to the county medical center for treatment of major injuries.

City News Service

Special to Valley News

A DUI offender with multiple convictions and accused of killing an off-duty Riverside County sheriff’s deputy and his 19-yearold daughter in a driving under the influence wreck north of San Jacinto was charged Thursday,

Nov. 17, with two counts of second-degree murder.

Scott Brandon Bales, 47, of Moreno Valley was arrested Sunday, Nov. 13, following the collision that claimed the lives of sheriff’s Cpl. Daniel Jacks Jr., 45, and his daughter, Hannah Jacks, both of San Jacinto.

Along with the murder counts,

In a statement released Monday, the sheriff’s department expressed its collective sadness over the two deaths, noting that Jacks had been a deputy for 14 years.

“Cpl. Jacks began his service with the department on Sept. 2, 2008,” the agency said. “After graduating the (sheriff’s) academy, he was assigned to the Indio Jail. In May 2014, he was

Montez said that Bales was at the wheel of a Chevrolet Silverado with a front-seat passenger going westbound on Gilman Springs when Jacks’ Honda Insight approached from the opposite direction on the twolane corridor, where there is no barrier forming a center median, only double yellow lines.

Montez alleged that Bales’ pickup “crossed over the divided highway and traveled into the eastbound traffic lane.”

The Chevy slammed headon into the Honda, after which both vehicles came to a stop

“Bales was determined to be under the influence of an alcoholic beverage at the time of the crash,” Montez said.

According to court records, the defendant has three prior DUI convictions – in 2009, 2011 and 2015. The last one was a felony conviction.

Under California law, a convicted DUI offender who is aware of the risks of drinking and driving and who causes someone’s death because of it can be charged with murder.

City News Service

Special to the Valley News

A motorist was killed and another injured in a two-vehicle collision Friday, Nov. 18 in Nuevo.

The crash happened about 5:25 p.m. on the Ramona Expressway, just west of Lakeview Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol.

CHP officials said a Ford SUV and a Nissan sedan impacted in the eastbound lanes, but the circumstances weren’t immediately clear.

The Nissan spun into the center divider during the collision, trapping the motorist.

The SUV driver suffered unspecified minor to moderate

injuries, according to reports from the scene.

Riverside County Fire Department crews reached the location minutes later and initiated an extrication of the victim in the Nissan. Paramedics attempted to render aid, however, the motorist was pronounced dead at the scene shortly before 6 p.m.

The SUV driver was taken to a hospital for treatment.

CHP officers shut down both sides of the expressway to conduct a preliminary investigation and begin clearing the wreckage.

Because of damage to the road, county Department of Transportation inspectors were requested to assess whether repairs were immediately needed.

BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION. THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE). I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS COPY IS A CORRECT COPY OF THE ORIGINAL STATEMENT ON FILE IN MY OFFICE. PETER ALDANA RIVERSIDE COUNTY CLERK. LEGAL: 3728 PUBLISHED: November 25, December 2, 9, 16, 2022

Daniel Jacks Jr., 45, and Hannah Jacks, 20, both of San Jacinto, were fatally injured Sunday, Nov. 13, on Gilman Springs Road. Valley News. RCSD courtesy photo

One killed, another injured in two-vehicle collision in Nuevo

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