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California leaders vow to protect abortion in constitution | Page B1
Weather: 91o/56o | Volume IV | Issue XVIII
A COMMUNITY
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REAL ESTATE | Page C2
Thursday, May 5 - 11, 2022
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Protector of Citizen Rights - A Flawed Institution
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TEACHER GRANTS
VETERANS | Page D1
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D VETERANS
B OPINION
SOBOBA: ‘Face the Waste’ at Earth Day Event
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Honor Flight 2022: Three days of pride and patriotism
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HEMET, CA.
Five Local Teachers are Lucky CalRTA Grant Winners
EMWD and Lake Hemet Water District Present an Overview of Purified Water Funds to Purchase Classroom Supplies Replenishment Program SUE BREYER | CONTRIBUTED
RUSTY STRAIT | SENIOR REPORTER
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he students of five local teachers will see some new gadgets, games and gizmos in their classrooms before the school year ends, thanks to the California Retired Teachers Association’s State and Division 33 Teacher Grant programs. The names of four lucky $100 grant winners were randomly drawn at Division 33’s recent membership luncheon on April 12th. A fifth name was selected in early March in a CalRTAstatewide drawing. The Division 33 $100 grant recipients were Darian Benzango, a Kindergarten teacher at Cawston Elementary School in Hemet; Kaeli Trask, a 7th grade English Language Arts (ELA) teacher at Thompson Middle School in Murrieta; Alicia Gee, a third grade teacher with the Menifee Virtual School in Menifee; and Lee Jones, a student government teacher at Tahquitz High School in Hemet. Hemet’s McSweeny Elementary School Transitional Kindergarten teacher, Dawn Jackson, received one of CalRTA’s 40 state $100 Teacher Grants in a drawing held March 11th and was surprised to find out
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KAELI TRASK: Thompson Middle School, Murrieta. | Contributed Photo
I am beyond thrilled I was chosen as one of the CalRTA Teacher Grant Winners”
See EMWD on page A4
KAELI TRASK, THOMPSON MIDDLE SCHOOL, MURRIETA
that she would receive another “matching” $100 from Division 33, a $200 windfall for her and her students. She plans to use the money to purchase some much-needed hands on activities to reinforce her students’ fine motor skills, letter recognition
Fallon Richards and Sierra Jackson. | Contributed Photos.
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID HEMET, CA PERMIT NO. 69 92543-9998
ot a day goes by in Hemet that somebody doesn’t complain about the water. Not enough of it. Tastes funny. Why do they keep raising the price? You got a complaint - well, here is your chance to get answers from the guys who control the water hereabouts: Eastern Municipal Water District and Lake Hemet Municipal Water District. There will be two presentations, sponsored by the Hemet Heritage Foundation and Hemet Museum. As the flyer attached to this story indicates: Part 1: EMWD will give the first pre-
sentation, conducted by Kevin Pearson, Eastern Municipal Water District Public Affairs Office who will discuss the latest on California’s ongoing drought condition. He will also be available to answer your ten thousand questions. Maybe not that many, but you get the idea. Part 2: Lake Hemet Municipal Water District General Manager Mike Gow will be on hand to give an update on their recent and upcoming water projects on the eastern end of the Valley. He will also be available to sift through your questions to provide answers you need without any trimmings. Nothing watered down.
and science knowledge. Darian Benzango is currently taking the LETRS course (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) – and will use her $100 check to purchase phonemic awareness games and hands on activities for her kinder students! “Thank you so much! It was very exciting to find out I was this month’s winner,” Benzango exclaimed after receiving her award notification. Seventh grade ELA teacher Kaeli Trask was also excited at her selection. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am beyond thrilled I was chosen as one of the CalRTA Teacher Grant Winners this past month. The $100 grant will allow me to purchase Calming Fluorescent Light Filters to dim the harsh classroom lights for my students, and a large collection of golf pencils -- my students are constantly in need, and these provide a quick
Monday, May 9, 2022• 7pm
EMWD - Overview of Purified Water Replenishment Program Kevin Pearson, Eastern Municipal Water District Public Affairs Officer, will discuss the latest on California’s ongoing drought conditions ✓ 1ST IN A SERIES OF TWO WATER DISTRICT PRESENTATIONS ✓ 2ND WILL FEATURE LAKE HEMET MWD UPDATE BY GENERAL MANAGER MIKE GOW JUNE 13 ✓ CONCESSIONS OPEN ✓ GREAT RAFFLE PRIZES ✓ HEMET MUSEUM UPDATE
Location: Historic Hemet Theatre, 216 E. Florida Ave. For more information, call (951) 634-4952 Visit the Hemet Museum Friday – Sunday, 11 am to 3 pm Location: NW Corner of State & Florida at Santa Fe Depot. Meetings are held the second Monday of the month at 7 pm at the Historic Hemet Theatre
See GRANT WINNERS on page A4
HEMET, CA.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Dr. Ruiz Secures Federal Funding Possible Charges Against Suspect to Provide Broadband Access for of Killing East Hemet Resident RIVERSIDE COUNTY SHERIFF’S said deputies were called to the loNative American Families DEPARTMENT | CONTRIBUTED cation immediately afterward and KELLY O’KEEFFE | CONTRIBUTED
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n April 29th, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) announced a $320,000 federal grant from the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians to provide local Native American families access to quality internet access. The federal grant is part of the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program and will help to connect 17 unserved households with qualifying broadband service. Dr. Ruiz, who voted to pass the funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructures Law, worked with the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians to secure this much-needed
funding. “The pandemic showed us why it is so important to have internet for education, health care, and commerce,” said Dr. Ruiz. “Not having internet puts families at a disadvantage, which leads to education, health, and economic disparities for underserved communities. This federal funding is important to me, the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, and the families, who for the first time, will have access to the internet. I’m glad for them and to have been a part of these efforts.” BACKGROUND The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program, funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, makes $980 mil-
See BRADBAND ACCESS on page A4
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elony charges may be filed Wednesday against a man suspected of gunning down a 37-year-old East Hemet resident and leading law enforcement on a brief pursuit. Bryan Paul Goetter, 43, of East Hemet was arrested and booked into the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside Friday night on suspicion of murder. He’s being held in lieu of $1 million bail. According to Sgt. Richard Carroll of the Riverside County Sheriff ’s Department, at about 11 a.m. Friday, Goetter was involved in an unspecified confrontation with Matthew A. Lunsford, who was inside a parked vehicle at the intersection of Collegian Way and Dartmouth Street. During the encounter, the suspect allegedly pulled a gun and shot the victim, Carroll said. He
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found Lunsford dead in the car. “Several witnesses reported seeing a vehicle fleeing the scene,” the sergeant said. “The California Highway Patrol was notified of the vehicle description, and shortly after, a CHP officer located the vehicle.” Carroll said a brief pursuit ensued, but Goetter stopped and surrendered without further incident. A possible motive for the attack was not disclosed. According to public records, Goetter and Lunsford once occupied the same property in the 41300 block of Collegian Way, but it was unclear whether they were sharing the residence at the time of the alleged shooting. The Riverside County District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case. Goetter has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.