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Chad Mayes To Join Virtual Town Hall | Page B1
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Real Estate: Property Guide| Page C2
Thursday, March 26 - April 1, 2020
Weather: 80o/48o | Volume II | Issue XII
Ruiz seeks to force health care companies to pay for COVID-19 treatment
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C THE 7 ARTS
STRAIT ON - America’s Changing Life Styles: Part III
THE LOWRY COLUMN - Trump Didn’t Dictate Coronavirus Response
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See more on page B2 NOLI INDIAN SCHOOL
INVISIBLE BUGS
Hemet City leaders build stronghold in preparation for COVID-19 JAYME CASTRO | STAFF WRITER
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UPDATED NEWS: Mayor Russ Brown keeping informed of latest updates regarding COVID-19. | Photo by Jayme Castro
COMMUNITY BRIEFS
we’d be dealing with an earthquake or major fire . . . and here we are facing a pandemic.� To adapt to the nature of this pandemic, public safety services have been proceeding with caution and utilizing “social distancing� wherever possible. The manner in which police, fire and medical now operate have been modified: “What we’re having to do operationally is pare our services down to what is absolutely essential - police and fire at the top of the list - but even those two departments are having to change their operational activities. Before this happened, you could walk into the lobby of the police station and file a report – you can’t do that now. This is out of an abundance of caution for the health and safety of our city employees.� Also changing is the way dispatchers screen calls. They now ask particular questions of a caller; specifics about their health, questions not normally asked as a way to forewarn first responders of someone who may be contagious. Doing so enables them to respond with appropriate measures and safety equipment. With constant communication between Council, City Manager, Police Chief, Fire Chief and Emergency Services Coordinator, Mayor Brown sees Hemet being in an “enviable position,� especially in regard to Fire Chief, Scott Brown.
MOMENTS IN TIME
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ecently, I've had the opportunity to sit down with Mayor Russ Brown, and Mayor Pro Tem, Linda Krupa, to discuss Hemet’s state of emergency; what the city is doing in preparation for what seems the inevitable arrival of COVID-19; how public safety operations and our community are adapting to and practicing “social distancing.� It was comforting to learn that our city leaders have had experience in emergency situations. Mayor Brown has a 30-year background in law enforcement and has responded to disasters in his time serving the American Red Cross. Linda Krupa has seen disaster first-hand as she recalls the San Jacinto Flood of the early 1980’s when levees collapsed, and San Jacinto was under water; the area was a panic zone. She says, during that incident, “Within three weeks we could see that things were going to be back to normal. But this [pandemic] is a complete unknown.� But, preparing to navigate these new “uncharted waters� is exactly what our city leaders have been doing these past couple weeks. Last Monday, March 16th, City Council passed a resolution declaring a state of local emergency for the City of Hemet. Other surrounding cities quickly did the same: Beaumont and Menifee, respectively March 17th and 18th. At the time of this writing, Temecula has not declared a state of emergency. Mayor Brown says the decision was imperative as reports of cases at national, state and county levels increased. With his background, he believes in the importance of anticipating all possible outcomes and being proactive. Declaring a state of emergency places police, fire and emergency operation centers at peak operational mode to provide the best defense in dealing with the unpredictability associated with a pandemic. It also enhances the City’s ability to recover costs related to responding to and mitigating the emergency situation. “Who would have thought?� says Brown, “We’re always thinking
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“He’s one of three Fire Chiefs who serve on a 2 week-long rotational basis as Operational Area Coordinators for Riverside County and oversees mutual aid needs . . . so he’s constantly getting information from State Office of Emergency Services, Riverside County Health and CDC . . . and with a paramedic background he understands medical necessity. I’m personally very proud to say that we have leadership of that caliber, along with our Police Chief, Eddie Pust, and City Manager, Chris Lopez, serving our city - and the advice that they give.� I asked Mayor Brown what we can learn from this current state of emergency. He quickly pointed to the fact that we live in earthquake country and have always been advised to prepare to be self-sufficient for two weeks, with food, water and supplies. If everyone had heeded those recommendations, we likely could have prevented the “panic shopping� we’ve recently seen. “Remember the experience that you had when you went to the store to get something, and the shelves were empty? . . . We should all be prepared in advance and be considerate of other people,� Mayor Brown advocates. As businesses, schools and venues close and / or adapt to “social distancing,� the city’s revenues will be deeply affect-
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Noli students share talents and skills MIKE HILES | CONTRIBUTED
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oli Indian School students were busy before the school was temporarily closed due to recommendations surrounding the Coronavirus outbreak. In early March, AVID program students wrote stories, freshmen participated in mock job interviews and sophomores presented group projects. Students in middle and high school grades who are enrolled in the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program were tasked with creating a story about superheroes. After the stories were written and illustrated and put together in the form of a storybook, they visited the Soboba Tribal Preschool to share their tales. On March 3, middle school students Luisa Rivera, Paakishla Valenzuella, Damien Vega and Maritza Zaragoza visited all the classrooms to read to the young children. High School students visited on other days to do the same. “They were asked to create a story to highlight how anyone can make a difference after learning about young people who are superstars for their humanitarian advocacy,� said Elizabeth Alford LaCella, who teaches English and coordinates the AVID program. “They were asked to come up with a super strength such as saving our oceans from pollution and then present the message in a way that would be understandable at a pre-
school level.� Rivera’s story, “Paa’ila and Friends Recycle,� was about turtle friends of Sonny Island who found something shiny and colorful in the ocean where they lived. Paa’ila and friends told their schoolteacher, Miss Starfish, what they had found and she said if they found more they should remove it from the ocean. While taking the trash they found to the shore, a baby raccoon named Charlie agreed to help and found a big basket they could put the trash into. The story reflected how working together for a common goal can be fun if you do it with your friends – even new ones. Valenzuella created a story about a boy named Pablo who tries to make friends but is bullied because he is new to the town. But the next day he returned to the park and one of the boys sat with him and they got along fine. The other kids joined them, and they all became friends. The story showed that it only takes one person to show kindness towards another and then it will spread. Vega wrote about “The Plastic Bottle� and how a boy named Todd saw a plastic bottle floating down the river near his home and removed it because he knew it could harm the fish. After seeing this happen a few more times, Todd went in search of the source of the bottles. When he saw a man tossing them into the river, he explained why it was not a good
See SOBOBA on page A2
CHILDREN: Luisa Rivera shares her story about the importance of recycling with children at Soboba Tribal Preschool. | Photo courtesy of Soboba Band of LuiseĂąo Indians
Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District offers Virtual Recreation Resources As efforts continue to stem the spread of Covid-19, the Coronavirus, Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District is offering Virtual Recreation Resources on our website, gorecreation.org! It is a place for fun, education and resources through these unprecedented times. We are committed to ensuring that our residents have resources to maintain healthy lives, foster relationships and continue to make memorable experiences. The page will be updated with recreation ideas to keep individuals and families healthy, entertained and informed. Please note that we do not endorse or receive funds to advertise any of the third-party sites or services listed or referenced on this page. Follow @valleywiderec on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updates and to Get Active, Get Creative and Get Connected. If you have ideas or resources that you would like to share with the community, submit them to miranda@gorecreation.org.
Unity Valley Church Reschedules Spring Tea & Suspends Services In response to the national and state directives, Unity Valley Church has rescheduled the Spring Tea until September, date to be announced. Plans for a Fall Harvest Tea are already underway. Church services and related activities have been canceled through the end of March. For more information, please call 951-658-4290.
Golden Era Golf Course Tournaments As efforts continue to stem the spread of Covid-19, the Friday, March 20th fundraiser is canceled. All the Golden Era Golf Course events will be closed through April 30th. Thank you for your support and please stay safe at home.
On March 26, 1953
American medical researcher Dr. Jonas Salk announces that he has successfully tested a vaccine against poliomyelitis, the virus that causes the crippling disease of polio. In 1952 there were 58,000 new cases reported in the U.S., and more than 3,000 people died.
On March 27, 1939
The University of Oregon defeats Ohio State University to win the first-ever NCAA men's basketball tournament, now known as "March Madness."
On March 28, 1979
A pressure valve in a nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania fails to close, set-
ting off the worst accident in the history of the U.S. nuclear power industry. Safety devices would have prevented the crisis, but human operators misread readings and shut off the emergency water system.
On March 29, 1929
President Herbert Hoover has a phone installed at his desk in the Oval Office of the White House. Previously, Hoover had used a phone in the foyer outside the office.
On March 30, 1867
U.S. Secretary of State William Seward signs a treaty with Russia to buy Alaska for $7 million. Despite the bargain price of roughly 2 cents an acre, the Alaskan purchase was ridiculed as
"Seward's Folly" and "Seward's icebox."
On March 31, 1889 The Eiffel Tower is dedicated in Paris in a ceremony presided over by Gustave Eiffel, its designer, and French Prime Minister Pierre Tirard. At 984 feet, the Eiffel Tower remained the world's tallest man-made structure until the completion of the Chrysler Building in New York in 1930.
On April 1, 1970 President Richard Nixon signs legislation officially banning cigarette ads on television and radio. Nixon, who was an avid pipe smoker, supported the legislation at the increasing insistence of public health advocates.
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