The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle - June 23rd, 2022

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Senate Passes Historic Toxic Exposure Package with Ruiz’s Legislation | Page B1

Weather: 99o/65o | Volume IV | Issue XXV

A EDUCATION

Student Loan: Biden Could Eliminate This Much Debt

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C

REAL ESTATE | Page C2

Thursday, June 23 - 29, 2022

www.HSJChronicle.com |

B POLITICS

California EDD recovers more than $1 billion...

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D

HEALTH | Page D1

| $2.00 (Tax Incl.)

D HEALTH

Half a Billion Dollars for Housing and Services...

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HEMET, CA.

The Importance of Caring RUSTY STRAIT | SENIOR REPORTER

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t sits back from the street. As a matter of fact, one might not even notice it if he weren't looking for it. It is Valley Restart, one of the major shelters for homeless and down-and-out citizens. This week I had an opportunity to interview the Executive Director, Javier Lopez. He has only been at his job for nine months or so. A very modest man with the humility of a Saint, we got right to it. Q. How long have you been operating this place? A. Since August of last year. Q. Didn't this used to be the YMCA? A. No. The YMCA was at this location, but we did not replace it. It was here beside our operation. It was here from the 1980s until 1995, I believe. Q. Who did you replace here? A. Linda Rogers. She was head of Restart for eighteen years. I came on board with the intent of taking it to the next level, which is what we are trying to do. We've done a lot of rehabilitation to the building. Expanded our network throughout the city and community. We're looking forward to expanding our shelter space. We have six new pallet homes coming in soon, maybe next week.

The Ramona Bowl Amphitheatre won the top prize of $10,000 at the Soboba Foundation and Soboba Casino Resort 14th annual Lip Sync Contest for local nonprofits, June 17. | Photos courtesy of Robert A. Whitehead

SAN JACINTO, CA.

Soboba Lip Sync Contest Showcases Local Talent Javier H. Lopez, Executive Director of Valley Restart. | Photo by Rusty Strait.

We have separate stand-alone bathrooms and showers that will be located to the east here, next to the office. They come in prefab. We hope to expand that even further as we see a need for more housing for the homeless, especially the single males. Q. You cater mostly to families. A. Families with dependent children. We also accept a limited amount of single women - all for 90 days. These are folks who are ready to move into permanent housing. They've had hard times and just need a boost to get restarted. Q. What is your current ca-

pacity? A. Currently we have 15 bedrooms and 49 beds. Q. And the pallets? A. The pallets will add to our shelter space. Q. What's the average time people stay here. I'm sure they are not all 90 days? A. Most of them already have employment. Those who don't, we help them with employment or job placement leads. If they need resume help, we can assist them with that. You know families can be single males with children. We also provide case management throughout their stay. We have wrap-around services available because we are in close communication with businesses and churches and other community facilities. Q. Mental health? A. Oh yes. We are well connected with facilities that provide mental health and continuing health with Riverside County. We can also refer them to other areas if they are looking to locate elsewhere in the county. Also we have good relations with Work Force Development. Q. Like a living condition? A. Exactly and we feed them three meals a day. We also

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID HEMET, CA PERMIT NO. 69 92543-9998

Valley Restart in Hemet. | Photo by Rusty Strait.

See VALLEY RESTART on page A4

SOBOBA BAND OF LUISEÑO INDIANS | CONTRIBUTED

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rom relevant song choices to synchronized choreography and spot-on costuming, all 13 nonprofits vying for prize money at the Soboba Foundation & Soboba Casino Resort’s 14th annual Lip Sync Contest made an impact on the 600-plus guests in attendance. A spectacular buffet offering a variety of fresh foods lined the Event Center lobby. Guests enjoyed a feast of fine dining capped with an over-the-top dessert bar pleasing those with even the most discerning sweet tooth. The entertainment spectacular attracted an enthusiastic audience to the Soboba Casino Resort Event Center on June 17. Co-hosts Andrew Vallejos and Catherine “Cat” Modesto kept the show moving while soliciting comments from judges and others after each performance. Everyone was raving about the quality of the acts and had many positive things to say, even for those that were competing against the nonprofit they were there to support. “I really enjoyed the show behind the show,” Tony Davalos, who drove in from Cathedral City again this year to support the event, said. “Watching Andrew’s face as he reacts to things unfolding live on stage is so much fun. Between him and the acts themselves, it’s impossible to look away; thoroughly entertaining.” Returning judges Bella Da

Third place honors were taken by Boxing for Christ after their first-time performance at the annual Lip Sync Contest presented by the Soboba Foundation and Soboba Casino Resort.

Ball and Debby Alexander both are very well known in the Palm Springs area for their many community contributions. Soboba Tribal members Michelle Modesto and Joey Placencia have been involved with the competition in the past and know what it takes to engage the crowd in a fun and meaningful way. Joe Hallgren was the fifth judge. This year’s performers went into the competition vying for cash prizes that the Soboba Foundation members decided to double right before the show started, giving the groups even more incentive to pull out all the stops. Soboba Foundation President Dondi Silvas thought all the acts were well thought out with each organization bringing out their

See SOBOBA on page C4

KERN COUNTY, CA

2 boys allegedly killed by adoptive parents were illegally taken from mother, suit alleges GREGORY YEE | CONTRIBUTED

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he biological family of two boys who authorities say were killed by their adoptive parents have filed a federal lawsuit alleging civil rights violations and wrongful death. Ryan Dean and Dana Moorer, the boys' biological mother and grandmother, allege that the children were unlawfully taken from their mother and placed in the care of a couple who now face murder charges in their deaths. Authorities conspired with the adoptive parents "to deny plaintiffs' several requests to reunify their family with Cinsere and Classic Pettus before they were murdered," according to the lawsuit. Dean and Moorer are seeking $40 million in general damages. The case, filed Friday, comes

about three months after the Kern County district attorney's office charged the boys' adoptive parents , Trezell and Jacqueline West, with two counts of second-degree murder and felony child abuse, among other counts. Classic Pettus, 4, and Cinsere Pettus, 3, were reported missing from the couple's backyard in California City on Dec. 21, 2020. The Wests told investigators that the boys, who had been renamed Orrin and Orson West, vanished while playing in the yard, Kern County Dist. Atty. Cynthia Zimmer said. An investigation determined that the boys died three months before the Wests told investigators that they were missing, Zimmer said. Their bodies have not been

See KIDS on page C3

Ryan Dean, the biological mother of two young brothers who were killed while in a foster home, speaks during a news conference in San Francisco, Tuesday, June 21, 2022. Dean has filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Social Service and Kern County Human Services alleging the toddlers were unlawfully taken from her and placed with foster parents who are now charged with killing them. Looking on is her attorney Waukeen Q. McCoy. | AP Photo/Haven Daley

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