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White House open to ‘Problem Solvers’ compromise | Page B1
Weather: 101o/67o | Volume II | Issue XXXVII
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Real Estate: Property Guide| Page C2
Thursday, September 17 - 23, 2020
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Soboba gets Proactive to Prevent Wildfires
Hemet Rotary 9/11 tribute
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EDUCATION | Page D1
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C VALLEY BEAT
Proclamation on National Hispanic Heritage Month
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HEMET CITY COUNCIL
Joe Males - Candidate for Hemet City Council - District Four RUSTY STRAIT | SENIOR WRITER
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interviewed Joe Males, Commander of the American Legion Post 53 in his Hemet offices on one of our city's hot and humid days. While I was sweltering, Joe seemed as calm and cool as a cucumber. I would know why. He is very organized and seems to know the meaning and intent of every word spoken. From my viewpoint, he is a very organized and determined person.
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Q. In your opinion, what does the city of Hemet need? A. Take a good look at Hemet. This city needs someone who can lead it into prosperity. There are the homeless everywhere, drugs and gangs. They need a strong leader and I know what I'm going to get out there and make necessary changes. I want our city to be different. I want it to be like it used to be where the elderly can go out into the street without being afraid that someone is going to mug them. I don't want somebody else's son to be murdered on
SAN JACINTO
San Jacinto Valley Students Honored DIANE RHODES | CONTRIBUTED
JOE MALES: Commander of the American Legion Post 53. | Photo by Rusty Strait. a parking lot like mine was. NOTE: Joe's son, a U.S. Marine, was stabbed to death on the parking lot next to the old Elite Night Club on downtown Harvard Street and no one has ever been arrested for his murder. Q. How long have you lived in Hemet? A. Fifteen years. Q. When did you decide you ought to get involved with the Council? A. It has often crossed my mind and especially after my son was murdered in the middle of town. I get along with everyone. I don't push my weight around. I can work with anyone despite our political affiliations. I have a heart that wants to be associated with good people. I love people and that's it. The death of my son nearly killed me. I was at that time recovering from a liver transplant in October. I wished it had been me that died, not my son. I was a wreck. After 4 years in the Marine Corps, a veteran of the Persian Gulf War, coming back to his home to die the way he did. I have great empathy for families who lost a husband or son in war. Q. What do you think can be done about the ever-increasing homeless situation in Hemet? A. We can't just whisk them off
to another city and ignore them. We have other groups around here who work with the homeless. We need to put money into something, maybe buying a building exclusively for that purpose and creating beds for them. However, housing alone will not solve the problem. Many of them need mental care. I'd like to meet with the hospital and see how we could partner in getting treatment for the mentally ill. I'd like to see us also sit down with those folks who are currently working with the homeless and see what ideas they have. I'm not someone who only comes up with ideas. I like to get people to sit down with me and talk and figure out what we can do when everybody contributes his or her piece to come to a joint solution where we all pitch in. It should be a community solution because it is a community problem. Q. What could the city council have done that they haven't? A. My feelings are that some of them are more interested in something else. We need to stop prioritizing. Everyone has to be on the same page at the same time. It continues to be worse because everyone isn't working together. If they worked diligently at trying to get problems resolved,
See JOE MALES on page B4
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he Hemet/San Jacinto Student of the Month program began its eighth year of recognizing local seniors for demonstrating character, integrity, love of learning, involvement in school activities, athletics and community service. Students are nominated by teachers or other school personnel for making a difference in their home, school and community. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s limitations regarding public gatherings, the event was held virtually on Sept. 10. More than 50 participants logged into the Zoom meeting where students shared their stories and sponsors and administrators offered their support. Program founder and meeting hostess Karena Zermeno also represented Altura Credit Union, one of the sponsors. Seven outstanding students were introduced after the Pledge of Allegiance was led by San Jacinto Unified School District’s Vincent Record and an opening prayer was given by Pastor Jeff Johnson of San Jacinto Assembly of God church. Johnson said circumstances are forcing people to become more creative and develop things they wouldn’t normally have had to, and these students are no exception. September’s students of the month from Hemet Unified
School District schools were Aurora Thomson, Alyssa Hamlett, Krishna Koka, Drake Colice and Vanessa Hinojosa Contreras. San Jacinto Unified students were Kayla Walton and Priscella Ahumada. Aurora Thomson, from the Academy of Innovation was cited for her positive attitude, hard work on her studies and her dedication to others as ASB president. Hamilton High School Principal Jeff Franks said his school’s honoree, Alyssa Hamlett, doesn’t let anything stand in her way. She feels her biggest contribution at home is assisting her U.S. Marine Corps veteran father with his daily living needs due to injuries he suffered in an overseas tour of duty and also tutoring her younger brother in math. “A significant life lesson I’ve learned is to adapt and overcome,” Alyssa said. Hemet High School’s Krishna Koka was singled out for this honor by his teacher and coach, James Walsh. After the death of his beloved grandmother in his junior year, Krishna said it reaffirmed his desire to become a doctor and to return to the community to serve after he completes medical school. Mountain View High School honoree Kayla Walton was nominated by her English teacher, Tia Gaither.
See STUDENTS on page D2
RIVERSIDE
Third round of business assistance grant applications to open Sept. 16 with expanded eligibility RIVERSIDE COUNTY CONTACT | CONTRIBUTOR
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n Wednesday (Sept. 16), the third round of applications for the business assistance grant opened and will run through October 30, or until funds are exhausted. Expanded eligibility in round three includes recipients of Paycheck Protection
MOMENTS IN TIME
Q. What most qualifies you for the office of councilman? A. What qualifies me is my ability to lead. I believe everything I've ever been involved with, I have been a leader. I learn quick. In the Marine Corps, except for Lance Corporal, I got all my promotions meritoriously from the Marine Corps Commandant because of my leadership. I have owned my own business for 22 years. I was CEO, CFO, Salesman and Marketing Director. I had 7 employees. I made sure they were paid, had insurance and were taken care of. I arrived here at the Legion, and after two months, I became First Vice-Commander. Now I am the Commander. This post was in shambles. It was terrible with no money in the bank. They were talking about closing the place down. Now we have tens of thousands of dollars in the bank and had it not been for COVID-19, we would be doing even better.
Photo by Creative Industries Media Group.
Program (PPP) loans of $75,000 and under. Over $30 million has been awarded to more than 3,000 Riverside County small businesses through the COVID-19 business assistance grant program. The program was approved by the County of Riverside Board of Supervisors June 2 using $45 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and
On Sept. 17, 1787
The Constitution of the United States is signed by 38 of 41 delegates present at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. It would not become binding until it was ratified by nine of the 13 states. New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it.
On Sept. 18, 1793
George Washington lays the cornerstone to the United States Capitol building. It would take nearly a century to complete, as architects came and went, the British set fire to it and it was called into use during the Civil War.
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On Sept. 19, 1969
President Richard Nixon announces the can-
Economic Security Act (CARES) grant funding to aid small businesses enduring hardships due to the coronavirus pandemic. Eligible businesses for the business assistance grant include private for-profit businesses that have experienced a financial hardship as a result of COVID-19,
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cellation of the draft calls for November and December. He reduced the call-up by 50,000 men as part of his program of turning the war over to the South Vietnamese.
On Sept. 20, 1973
In a highly publicized "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match, top women's player Billie Jean King, 29, beats Bobby Riggs, 55, a former No. 1 ranked men's player. Riggs had boasted that women were inferior, and that even at his age he could beat any female player. King beat Riggs 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.
On Sept. 21, 1942
The B-29 Superfortress makes its debut flight in Seattle. The long-range heavy bomber contained a
APPLICATIONS: Two other small business programs launched to help local businesses with reopening. | Photo by Freepik.
pilot console in the rear, in the event the front pilot was knocked out of commission.
On Sept. 22, 1953
The first four-level (or "stack") interchange in the world opens in Los Angeles at the intersection of the Harbor, Hollywood, Pasadena and Santa Ana freeways, 32 lanes of traffic weaving in eight directions at once.
On Sept. 23, 1908
A game between the New York Giants and Chicago Cubs ends in 1-1 tie after a controversial call at second base. The officials ruled that Giants first baseman Fred Merkle was out because he failed to touch second base, a call that has been disputed ever since.
Locations in the Inland Empire: Riverside, Menifee, Hemet, Temecula, Ontario, San Bernardino, Banning
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