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VALLEY BEAT: Tributes Continue to Replace The Originals | Page C1
Weather: 27o/11o | Volume III | Issue XLI
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REAL ESTATE | Page C2
Thursday, October 14 - 20, 2021
B POLITICS
Joe Males Sails Into Council Election Full Speed Ahead
See more on page B1
www.HSJChronicle.com |
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HEALTH | Page D1
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D EDUCATION
B OPINION
Congress must help fix teacher shortage
Even James Bond Can’t Stop the Streaming Trend
See more on page B2
See more on page D4
4-0 TAKES IT
SAN JACINTO, CA.
Hemet City Council Meeting Ponderous But Productive
Diana Borden Dead After Car Collision at State Street
RUSTY STRAIT | SENIOR REPORTER
RIVERSIDE COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT | CONTRIBUTED
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he Hemet City Council met Tuesday evening and, as almost always, plodded along at a slow and tedious pace. However, this meeting produced an interesting agenda with actions that are beneficial to our community. In particular, the Cannabis Resolution passed 4-0 after an often lively give and take. But first, the routine and mundane. Coming out of the closed session, the meeting began a few minutes past 7:00 PM. The invocation was given by Mayor Karlee Meyer and the pledge of allegiance by Council-
man Lilienthal. One item from the closed session was without action and the other was inconclusive at this time. Laurie Caine, Eddie George and Matt McPherson spoke on the “favoritism” shown to Simon Chu, a downtown property owner, specifically about his lack of permits; his properties and the old Gibbel Building at the corner of State Street and Florida Avenue, which, to date, has no roof and stands as a sore in the center of town. One of Simon’s new tenants on Harvard Street countered with
See CITY COUNCIL on page A4
MEETING: The Hemet City Council in session on Tuesday, October 12, 2021. | Photo taken by Rusty Strait via Zoom
SAN JACINTO, CA.
Soboba is Starting to Spread Holiday Cheer SOBOBA BAND OF LUISEÑO INDIANS | CONTRIBUTED
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID HEMET, CA PERMIT NO. 69 92543-9998
he Soboba Foundation, in collaboration with Soboba Casino Resort, is getting ready for its annual Soboba Gives Back! Toy Drive event. Each year, toys are collected by volunteers who sort and count them for distribution to organizations that request help for community children in need. From noon to 8 p.m. on Nov. 9, 16, 23 and 30 plus Dec. 7, a toy valued at $20 with a receipt can be taken to the Soboba Casino Resort Event Center to be exchanged for a $40 Free Slot Play voucher. Despite the pandemic shutdowns and slowdowns of 2020, Soboba Foundation members hosted its signature event but didn’t receive nearly as many toys as it had in the previous 10 years. Organizers are hoping this year will be bigger and brighter than it has been in the past. And deserving recipients are hopeful as well. Last year’s drive collected 4,100 toys, the lowest amount in the history of the event. Planning early,
TOYS: Thousands of toys collected during the Soboba Gives Back! Toy Drive in 2017 are stored for safe keeping before being distributed to deserving nonprofits and community organizations. | Photo courtesy of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians.
expectations are high to exceed 5,000 this year, enough to provide for the groups that depend on this assistance each holiday season. The
toy drive has allowed as many as 50 nonprofits and child-based groups to present toys to young families each year.
Soboba Foundation President Dondi Silvas acknowledges that
See SOBOBA on page B3
73-year-old Diana Borden lost her life Thursday morning following a car collision on State Street near Community College Drive. The incident happened around 6:15 a.m. on October 7, in the area around Community College Drive and State Street. Authorities said two vehicles collided at the San Jacinto intersection under unknown circumstances. Firefighters responded at the scene and extricated one person trapped in one of the vehicle. The person, tragically, died at the scene. Authorities identified the victim as Diana Borden, of San Jacinto. Meanwhile, medics transported one other person to a local hospital with moderate injuries. Furthermore, officials closed the area surrounding the crash for a few hours for cleanup and investigation. An active investigation is currently underway. There are no words that can repair the shattered hearts and sadness felt during this sensitive time. Heartfelt thoughts and sympathy go out to Diana Borden’s family and friends. Losing a loved one in an accident can have devastating effects on the emotional and financial well-being of those left behind. Let the wrongful death attorneys at Sweet James help you during this trying time. With 20 years of experience in the field, they know what it takes to help you win your case. All of them at Sweet James strongly believe each client’s case is unique and deserves full individual attention. They will fight to achieve the justice and compensation that you and your family deserve. Call them today at (800) 975-3435 for a free and confidential case evaluation. They are available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week through email, text, and online chat. Click here to request a police report.
CALIFORNIA STATE
In Cases of Sexual Assault, Clothing Can No Longer Be Used as Evidence of Consent Under New California Law JONATHAN LINDEN | KVCR
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ssembly Bill 939, the Denim Day Act of 2021, was co-authored by Assemblymember Sabrina Cervantes and signed by Governor Newsom on Oct. 5. Cervantes district includes the cities of Corona, Eastvale, Jurupa Valley, and the west side of Riverside. In my 11-minute interview with the assemblymember, she spoke of her motivations to write the bill and shared other bills she authored that Governor Newsom signed. In her press release, Cervantes says the bill fulfills the promise of Denim Day. She said, “AB 939 makes the principle behind Denim Day a reality in California by guaranteeing that clothing can never, ever, provide consent.” Denim Day is a yearly event that is recognized around the work. The day was initiated as a reminder of a controversial 1998
Under a new California Law, the way a sexual assault victim is dressed can no longer be used as evidence of consent in a trial ruling by the Italian Supreme Court. They ruled that the rape survivor consented to the actions based on the fact that she was wearing tight jeans. The ruling would go on to be overturned by the court in 2008. Cervantes added, “The enactment of the Denim Day Act of 2021 helps to create an environment in which survivors feel empowered to report any sexual assault that they endured. We must do all that we can to protect survivors when they seek justice and not make them face a criminal justice system that wrongly blames or re-traumatizes them.” Cervantes had three other bills she authored signed by Governor Newsom: AB-764, AB-746, and AB-1477.
BUILDING: California State Capital. | Paul Sableman/Flickr Creative Commons.