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Bloomberg test different paths | Page B1
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Weather: 71o/42o | Volume I | Issue XXIX
Real Estate: Property Guide| Page C5
Thursday, Dec. 19 - Dec. 25, 2019
B POLITICS
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NOTICIAS EN ESPAÑOL! | Pág. E 1
www.HSJChronicle.com |
D SPORTS
C VALLEY BEAT
Hemet City Council New Mayor, but same council
American Legion Post 53 Cline tribute wows Legionaries
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| $2.00 (Tax Incl.)
Outside Sports Leonard team to help Clippers
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SOBOBA FOUNDATION
"Soboba Gives Back!" Toy Drive wraps up MIKE HILES | CONTRIBUTED
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fter five days of collecting toys at the Soboba Casino Resort Event Center, members of the Soboba Foundation were able to present local nonprofits with more than 5,300 toys to distribute through various community programs. More than 300 volunteers were scheduled for two-hour shifts for each of the eighthour days of the annual "Soboba Gives Back!" Toy Drive, accepting a $20-plus toy in exchange for $40 in free slot play. Soboba Tribal Member Joey Placencia volunteered for double shifts on four of the days and worked six hours on the final day. He has been a regular participant for the past five years. “My mother Doris, aunt Tara, cousin Tatiana, aunt Maria and uncle Pat also volunteered their time,” he said. “I do a ton of charity events. I was raised in a charitable
TOYS: Several elves helped sort and stack the toys that arrived at the SJUSD warehouse after being passed along a human chain of about 300 community members during the annual “Unstuff the Bus” event on Dec. 9. More than 1,000 toys were donated to the district from the annual Soboba Gives Back! Toy Drive. | All Photos courtesy of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians spirit and my family has always given its time to various causes for as long as I can remember." In past years, the event was
CALRTA DIVISION 33
CalRTA President addresses members
Stresses Leadership, Membership, Advocacy SUE BREYER | CONTRIBUTED
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SPEECH: Dr. Jim Mahoney, CalRTA President. | Photo by Sue Breyer
COMMUNITY BRIEFS
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID HEMET, CA PERMIT NO. 69 92543-9998
See TEACHERS on page B2
MOMENTS IN TIME
ddressing a group of 60 California Retired Teachers Association members and guests at their Division 33 holiday luncheon on Tuesday, December 10 at the Seven Hills Members Club in Hemet, Dr. Jim Mahoney, state president of the 40,000 strong organization, stressed the importance of leadership, membership and advocacy in an effort to support both working and re-
held outdoors on the walkway leading up to the old casino’s entrance. This year, volunteers got to be indoors at the new facility and toys
were stored in neighboring meeting rooms for scheduled pick-ups each week. About 50 organizations were recipients of this year’s
event. The Hemet Preschool was a new addition but there were many regulars that benefit from this program each year, including VIP Tots,
VETERANS
COMMUNITY
MARK LENTINE | EDITOR
RUSTY STRAIT | SENIOR WRITER
Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians and Mt. San Jacinto College’s CARE and Phi Theta Kappa programs. San Jacinto Unified School District counts on the Soboba Foundation to provide enough toys to bring a happy Christmas to 400 underserved families throughout the district’s eight elementary schools. Due to the volume of gifts involved, each year arrangements are made to fill a Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians’ bus with more than 1,000 toys which is unloaded during an “Unstuff the Bus” community event. This was the 12th year SJUSD has participated in the toy drive and the fourth year it was held at the district’s warehouse, where about 300 community volunteers met on Dec. 9 to unstuff the bus and store all the toys inside the district’s warehouse. It took about an hour for all the toys to be passed along the double rows of helpers to reach the hands of
See SOBOBA on page A5
Hemet honors the late The gift of better mobility this Christmas Rick Truskowski
“I
’m thrilled,” said veteran Johnny Sandoval. “I never expected this,” said Sandoval before choking up. A group of caring organizations, lead by the Gosch Auto Group teamed up and made sure that veteran Sandoval had the mobility he needed to live a full life. Kory Foster, Service Director for Gosch Auto Group said, “Today’s event went very well. I was really pleased at all the people that were here, and at all the organizations that came together. And we are proud that we could be the host of this great
CHARLOT GYMNASTICS
O SPEECH: Sandy Dee speaks to the crowd celebrating Sandoval's new scooter at Gosch Ford. | Photo by Mark Lentine. event. We’re going to put a case with a wheelchair out on
See VETERANS on page A2
n Saturday December 15th, the City of Hemet honored the memory Rick Truskowski, by dedicating a plaque in his name beneath a Christmas Tree he helped donate to the community. Mayor pro-tem Linda Krupa and friends of Rick's were laudatory in their comments regarding the kind of man Rick was, and how dedicated he always was he was to family and children and love his adopted city. Yours truly spoke as well. The plaque was donated
HEMET WEST
Extra Practice Session - For children 6 years old up to 18 years old and is open to the public. The kids have full access to the gym and the equipment. Coaches will be on the floor to make sure they are using the equipment safely, but it is not a normal structured gymnastics class. Dec. 20 & 27, 2019 from 7 pm to 9 pm. Pop N Play - Open to the public for children 5 and under every Wednesday. The kids have full access to the gym in a safe and fun environment. A coach will be on the floor to make sure the kids are using the equipment safely and for younger kids, the parents can go out on the floor with them. Dec. 25 & Jan. 1, 2019, 10:15 AM - 11:15 AM. 1102 S. State St. Suite 5, San Jacinto, CA. More info: (951) 487-1200. http://charlotgym.com
Cribbage - Monday, Dec. 20 & 23, from 1 PM – 3 PM. Living Center, Library, 5001 W Florida Ave.
On Dec. 19, 1843
juries suffered not in battle, but from a freak car accident less than two weeks earlier. He was 60.
Charles Dickens' classic story "A Christmas Carol" is published. Dickens was sent to work in a factory at age 12 when his father was thrown into debtors' prison.
On Dec. 20, 1963
More than two years after the Berlin Wall was constructed by East Germany to prevent its citizens from fleeing its communist regime, nearly 4,000 West Berliners are given one-day passes to cross into East Berlin to visit relatives.
On Dec. 21, 1945
Gen. George Patton, commander of the U.S. 3rd Army during World War II, dies from in-
HOLIDAY IN THE PIAZZA
Thu, Dec 19, 1:00 – 2:30 PM Western Center Academy, 2345 Searl Pkwy. FREE event for all students. Drinks & yummies will be provided. Will occur the last hour of school before the winter recess. Music & Photo area with props for students to enjoy.
PAINT WITH DOTTIE
Fri, Dec 20, 6 PM – 8 PM Applebee's Grill + Bar, 2515 W Florida Ave. The snowman all lit up in Hemet for all ages welcome paint night, at family friendly Applebees with
On Dec. 22, 1864
Union Gen. William Sherman presents the city of Savannah, Georgia, to President Abraham Lincoln. Sherman captured the key Confederate port after his famous March to the Sea from Atlanta.
On Dec. 23, 1888
Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, suffering from severe depression, cuts off the lower part of his left ear with a razor. He later documented the event in a painting titled "Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear."
WIDOW: Carolyn Truskowski at the memorial plaque for Husband Rick. | Photo by Mark Lentine.
by attorney Dave Angeloff and Marcus Menjivar to honor Bob Consultation, a
See MEMORIAL on page A7
great food and drink specials, don't want to miss out. Everything is included all you have to do is show up and have a great time. Led Lights included.
MCWANE’S PHOTOS WITH SANTA
Fri, Dec. 20 @ 4 pm – 7 pm. McWane Family Funeral Home, 350 N San Jacinto St. Free. Santa is coming to McWane’s! Come take a FREE picture with him. (951) 658-9497.
ASSEMBLYMAN CHAD MAYES
Mon, Dec 23, 10 AM – 2 PM City of Hemet - City Hall, 445 E Florida Ave,
See COMMUNITY BRIEFS on page A7
On Dec. 24, 1851
A fire sweeps through the Library of Congress and destroys two-thirds of Thomas Jefferson's personal literary collection. Jefferson had sold his personal library of 6,487 books to Congress after the British burned the Congressional library in 1814.
On Dec. 25, 1962
"To Kill a Mockingbird," a film based on the novel by Harper Lee, opens in theaters for the first time. The Great Depression-era story of racial injustice and the loss of childhood innocence is told from the perspective of a young Alabama girl named Scout Finch.