TEMECULA VALLEY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY
A publication of the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce
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TEMECULA VALLEY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY A publication of the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce
HPNbooks A Division of Lammert Incorporated San Antonio, Texas
First Edition Copyright Š 2018 HPNbooks All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without permission in writing from the publisher. All inquiries should be addressed to HPNbooks, 11535 Galm Road, Suite 101, San Antonio, Texas, 78254. Phone (800) 749-9790, www.hpnbooks.com.
ISBN: 978-1-944891-55-8 Library of Congress: 2018954138 Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country author: Jann Gentry Annette Brown, Marketing a la carte contributing photographer: Jimmy Fu profile writers: Daphne Fletcher Joe Goodpasture designer: Jason Lively Cover Photographer: Chip Morton Photography HPNbooks chairman and chief executive officer: Jean-Claude Tenday publisher and chief creative officer: Bernard O’Connor president: Ron Lammert project managers: Bart B. Barica Daphne Fletcher Henry Hintermeister administration: Donna M. Mata Lori K. Smith Melissa G. Quinn Kristin T. Williamson book sales: Joe Neely production: Colin Hart Glenda Tarazon Krouse Craig Mitchell Christopher D. Sturdevant
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Evelyn Hart Tim Lippard Tony Quinn
TABLE OF CONTENTS Legacy Sponsors ..........................................................................................................4 Letter From the President ............................................................................................5 Foreword ......................................................................................................................6 Chapter 1 - This is Where We Came From ...................................................................8 Chapter 2 - This is How We Live ................................................................................28 Chapter 3 - This is How We Thrive.............................................................................48 Chapter 4 - This is How We Play ................................................................................68 Chapter 5 - This is Why Others Love Us ....................................................................88 Chapter 6 - This is Where We’re Going ....................................................................108 Partners in Progress .................................................................................................128 Partners Index ..........................................................................................................219 About the Author and Photographer........................................................................220 About the Contributing Photographer......................................................................221 CONTENTS 3
LEGACY SPONSORS Through their generous support, these companies helped to make this project possible.
Beshay Enterprises 41856 Ivy St. Suite 201 Rancon Group, Inc. 41391 Kalmia Street, Suite 200
Murrieta, CA 92562
858-688-2965
Murrieta, CA 92562
951-696-0600
La Pointe Wealth Management 28544 Old Town Front Street, Suite 201
Temecula, CA 9259 951-694-3537
LA Masters of fine jewelry 26780 Ynez Court Suite A Temecula, CA 92591 951-699-5719
Workman Constructors 27450 Road, Suite 210 Temecula, CA 92591 951-600-9587
Pechanga Resort Casino 45000 Pechanga Pkwy Temecula, CA 92592 951-770-2572
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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
Temecula Valley is a beautiful place to live, work and play. The area is rich with history and culture. These pages will display just some of its beauty and charm. I hope this book will inspire you to discover everything this valley has to offer. As the second largest Chamber in Riverside County, Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce represents more than 1,000 members exceeding 25,000 employees. Since the organization was formed in 1966, the Chamber has promoted business development and provided direct access to business and community leaders who share our economic, civic and social concerns. We are dedicated to regional prosperity by uniting the efforts of business, industrial and professional individuals to ensure an enhanced business climate. Our Chamber members are vital to making this community the vibrant, innovative and successful place it is. Please stop by our offices to say hello and find out more about us, or visit us online at Temecula.org. Sincerely, Alice Sullivan, IOM President/CEO Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce
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FOREWORD From ancient beginnings as the home of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, cattle ranchers, and ultimately land developers, the City of Temecula evolved into a thriving community because of the passion, determination and vision of its founding fathers. Growing from a region with vast open spaces and gently rolling hills, Temecula has become a successful and vibrant city that has remained, at heart, a small town where you meet friends in the grocery store and cheer for your neighbor’s children as they march in the parade. That small-town feel, the potential, and intrigue of what it could become is what brought me to Temecula. I began my career in Temecula in 1995 through an internship opportunity and have been privileged to work my way up through several departments to become City Manager. I feel extremely grateful to have been a part of our growth for over 22 years. First and foremost, Temecula is about families and that is why I am proud to call it home. The good news about a high quality of life in Temecula spread like wildfire and the City became one of the fastest growing cities in California. This explosive growth was daunting, but the leadership in Temecula was up to the challenge. I think our success today is a direct result of forward thinking, innovative ideas, a unique community
culture, and a trend of City Council leadership that works diligently to create/maintain a city that our residents can be proud of. Responses to citizen satisfaction surveys over the years continue to give the City high marks and also serve as a “gauge” for us to shift and pivot when needed or expected. In those early years the City Council knew that we would need to develop a revenue stream to make our dreams happen. We partnered with our local wineries and Pechanga Resort and Casino to promote the region, collaborate, and bring in tourism dollars. With respect to economic development efforts, we strategically recruited auto dealers and manufacturers to locate here. The City’s Promenade Mall, remains one of the highest performing malls and is continually reinventing the shopping experience. Without tax dollars from our thriving businesses and tourism industry, Temecula would be a very different city. After Old Town Temecula was flooded in 1993, the City commissioned a marketing study to find ways to revitalize the area. Virtually every recommendation in the study has now become a reality. The City invested several million dollars of redevelopment funds on major improvements in Old Town, strategically chose to make Old Town the civic heart of our City by locating a civic center complex
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including public parking and a Town Square element. This public investment then further sparked hundreds of millions of dollars in private development, investment and tourism. Old Town shops, restaurants and businesses are now crowded with visitors and residents alike. What is amazing about Temecula is the “Can Do Spirit� of our citizens. They are always ready to lend a helping hand. We are blessed with a wide variety of churches and nonprofit organizations whose members volunteer to help those less fortunate. These agencies provide support and regularly complement ongoing City efforts. Early in cityhood, citizens banded together to raise funds to build our Recreation Center; it continued more recently when they erected a statue of Ronald Reagan at our Sports Park. This spirit remains active today, wanting to see the high quality of life and desirous lifestyle maintained. I believe the future of the City of Temecula remains brighter than ever. Temecula is a very special and unique community, woven throughout is a quality of character of residents that exudes a civic pride. Also intertwined are business leaders that have chosen to operate and conduct commerce, further invigorating our local economic engine. It is my hope that this book will take you along on our humble journey from the past to the present day. May it serve as a reminder of those who have gone before us and to those who will come after us. Temecula is a special place to be cherished, nurtured and protected for our families. Aaron Adams City Manager City of Temecula
PHOTO BY JIMMY FU.
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Main Street bridge began construction in 1945. It was a vital part of developing the town, as it was the path over Murrieta Creek that made a way for the people to walk from the train station into town.
CHAPTER ONE THIS IS WHERE WE CAME FROM Long before the Spaniards arrived in 1797, the ancestors of the Pechanga Band of Luiseño American Indians hunted, gathered, and lived in Temecula. The Luiseño people believe that the world and all things were created at 'Éxva Teméeku. The name 'Éxva (EXH-vah) can be translated as a “place of sand” and Teméeku (The-MEH-koo) as “where there is sun.” The City name, Temecula, is derived from the word Teméeku. Native Americans created California’s early trails and the Spanish explorers and Franciscan missions followed these paths. What would become known as the Southern Emigrant Trail had passed through Temecula. First travelled by trappers, hunters and explorers, it later became a road for wagons and the primary route for tens of thousands of prospectors during the California Gold Rush.
Top, left: The quiet village of farmers and ranchers began to grow with the railroad in the late 1800s; however, after frequent washouts the operations ceased in 1935.
Top, right: Pictured here is a view of the west end of Main Street in Old Town Temecula, in the year 1898. There were no buildings in what is now called Old Town Temecula until the railroad was built in 1880.
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Above: With a new railroad depot in town, Temecula began to grow; more trade brought new businesses and more customers. Opposite: Here is a look north while on Old Town Front Street from the Main Street intersection.
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Business bustled on Main Street. The building on the left still stands today. It was built in 1891 entirely of fired brick. The building has been used as a general store, auto repair shop and antique business. It is known as “The Merc�.
Above: The bridge was rebuilt in 2014 to provide 10-foot wide pedestrian sidewalks, pedestrian view points for creekside and wildlife observation, landscape beautification and decorative streetlights.
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Swing Inn CafĂŠ opened in 1927 and to this day is still known for its popular breakfast menu. Though the name has changed a few times, the place is pretty much the same as it was in the days when cattle were driven past its front door.
PHOTO BY JIMMY FU.
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❖ PHOTO BY JIMMY FU.
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When California became part of the United States, delivering mail across the vast wilderness was a challenge. In 1858, Butterfield Overland Mail began to deliver mail between Missouri and California by stagecoach and Temecula was one of the stops. The route followed the Southern Emigrant Trail. Some of the old trails became the guide for modern day roads, such as Temecula Parkway. A portion of the original path runs through Vail Headquarters. In 1882 a rail line was completed in “New Town� Temecula, which is now called Old Town. The town became an important shipping point for cattle. Later, a series of floods washed out the tracks and the railroad was finally abandoned. The land around Temecula was owned and leased by various ranchers through the 1900s until a masterplanned community was developed in the mid-1960s, known as Rancho California. Later that decade the first Temecula Valley wine country pioneers purchased acreage and planted vineyards. When Rancho California incorporated in 1989 with a population of about 27,000, the citizens voted to retain the name of the original Native American village, Temecula.
Opened in 1914 as the 1st National Bank of Temecula, it served as a bank until 1943. The building reopened in 1965 as an antique shop then a Mexican restaurant that has been serving food since 1978. The vault is still intact today with its 18-inch thick walls, and it is even open for dining inside.
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Built in 1890s, the Welty Store was used as a general store with rooms upstairs for rent until 1933. It is located
The Ramona Inn contained a bar, pool tables, card tables, slot machines, a boxing ring and rooms to rent
on the corner of Main Street and Old Town Front Street.
upstairs with bulldog and badger fights out back. Many celebrities visited the “blind pig� at the Inn during Prohibition. The building was constructed in 1908 and was previously referred to as The Welty Building.
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The old Ramona Inn building is now home to Temecula Olive Oil Company, selling locally produced olive oil and balsamic vinegar blends as well as handmade, oil-based products.
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Above: Mount Palomar Winery opened in 1975. In this photo they are planting their first vines. The winery is still going strong today with a new tasting room and restaurant.
Opposite: Vince Cilurzo and his wife, Audrey, were the owners of the first commercial vineyard in Temecula Valley Wine Country in 1968. A newspaper ad about farmland for sale attracted them to the area and they immediately fell in love with the town upon arrival.
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Above: The oldest standing building in Temecula Valley is the Louis Wolf Store. It is located in Vail Headquarters, near the intersection of Temecula Parkway and Margarita Road. It is generally believed that Wolf built his store in 1868. Opposite: The original Wolf Store is now home to a coffee and ice cream shop. Historical Vail Headquarters has recently been renovated and is now a popular gathering place for dining, shopping, events and a weekly Farmer’s Market.
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Above: In 1969 two local historians, Tom Hudson and Sam Hicks, designed and created the “They Passed This Way” monument to memorialize pioneers who helped shape the community of Temecula.
Right: Built in 1917, the Temecula Chapel of Memories was the original St. Catherine’s Catholic Church. The Chapel is now a quaint addition to Old Town and is the venue for many memorable weddings and events. PHOTOS BY JIMMY FU.
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Windmills were commonplace in Temecula’s early days. It was a necessity then but windmills still adorn the valley today as a nod to its past.
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CHAPTER TWO THIS IS HOW WE LIVE Top left: The Temecula Valley Rose Society planted The Rose Haven Heritage Garden in 1991. It is a certified wildlife sanctuary and home to approximately 1,600 roses. The garden is located at the corner of Cabrillo Avenue and Jedediah Smith Road.
Temecula has grown from a small bedroom community to a regional center, all while maintaining a highly valued quality of life for its residents. There are approximately 3,000 businesses and 53,000 jobs in a population of just over 111,000. The City of Temecula is ranked one of America’s safest cities year after year. It has a top-notch school district, 40 parks, two public libraries, three community centers, two museums, 27 tennis courts and 7,000 acres of open space.
Top Right: The culinary scene is Temecula Valley’s newest attraction, specializing in fresh, and creative dishes using local ingredients. This dish is from Bluewater Grill.
Opposite: The Duck Pond is one of Temecula’s most visited parks. People like to stroll around the lake, picnic and fish. There are three focal points that contain public art. “Letters Home” Veteran’s Memorial features a statue of a soldier and actual letters written home by American military men and women from the battlefields. A 10-foot red torii gate marks the Japanese garden on the other end of the park. Across the pond sits two stainless steel tulips and beautiful tile work bracketing a statue of a mother and child on a bicycle. The Duck Pond is centrally located at the intersection of Rancho California Road and Ynez Road.
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PHOTO BY JIMMY FU.
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Above: Patricia Birdsall Sport Park is a 44-acre park with soccer fields, basketball courts, ball fields, barbeques, picnic areas and a playground.
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Opposite: Rancho Christian School provides many activities and programs to empower and engage their students.
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Above: Three Farmer’s Markets occur each week: Tuesday at Vail Headquarters, Wednesday at Promenade Temecula, and Saturday in Old Town Temecula. Each offers a variety of farm fresh and organic produce, flowers, plants, handmade items, baked goods, artisanal products, and food vendors.
Opposite: Local farms include berry, citrus, avocado, vegetables, poultry, cheese and much more. A couple of them are seasonal U-Pick Farms, like Temecula Berry Company.
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Top, left: There are numerous choices for nightlife in Temecula Valley, including live entertainment at The Merc, stage performances at the Old Town Community Theater, shows and concerts at Pechanga Resort & Casino, live music in wine country and restaurants throughout the valley.
Top, right: Bars and lounges feature craft cocktails with fresh herbs and juices and innovative creations.
Opposite: The Ale Trail is a popular route for tasting award-winning handcrafted beers. Microbreweries offer tastings, food, tours and a great place for friends to gather.
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Top, left: There’s a store for everything, from top brands to specialty items to handcrafted goods throughout Temecula Valley.
Top, right: Promenade Temecula offers an indoor-outdoor retail center that makes an ideal gathering place. There are great dining options, fountain areas for relaxing, a vineyard walk for strolling and a 15-screen movie theater and IMAX.
Opposite: Pechanga Resort & Casino nightlife includes gaming, dining, the Round Bar, Eagle’s Nest, Comedy Club and live shows.
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Top, left: Temecula Carriage Company offers romantic carriage rides year-round, however it’s extra special during the holiday season.
Top, right: Wine Country can be toured in a variety of ways to take in the full ambiance of the beautiful outdoors. Horse drawn trolley rides are just one way to explore wine country.
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Temecula Valley is distinguished by its rolling hills and open countryside. Each afternoon, a cool ocean breeze flows in from the west through the mountain range, ensuring cool evenings and mornings. During the winter season, the snow-capped peaks create a picturesque backdrop to the valley's panoramic vistas, creating breathtaking views. The region is known for its natural beauty, award-wining wineries and breweries, shopping experiences, farm-to-table dining, live entertainment, year-round festivals and events, outdoor recreation and mild climate.
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Above: Cycling throughout the valley is a popular way to get around. There are approximately 97 miles of bike lanes throughout the City, and close to 22 miles of multi-use trails. Opposite: Horse ranches can be found in both the City and wine country, with trails throughout the area. Many wineries have hitching posts for locals and those renting horses for a day ride. Green Acres Ranch offers rides to the public on their expansive wine country ranch.
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This page: Grapeseed Spa at South Coast Winery Resort is just one of the several options for those wanting to be pampered in luxury. Guests can indulge in wine inspired treatments, a saltwater pool and detoxifying sauna. Opposite: A relaxing afternoon at Robert Renzoni Vineyard & Winery.
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This Page: One of the most enjoyable ways to view Temecula is by a peaceful hot air balloon as you glide above the rolling hills and lush vineyards of the Temecula Valley. PHOTO BY JIMMY FU.
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Opposite Page: The Temecula Valley draws thousands of visitors to the annual 3-Day festival which includes dozens of colorful hot air balloons, top-notch entertainment and perfectly paired food and wine.
PHOTO BY JIMMY FU.
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Beauty and tranquility are waiting just around the corner, in beloved Temecula Valley Wine Country. PHOTO BY JIMMY FU.
PHOTO BY JIMMY FU.
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PHOTO BY JIMMY FU.
CHAPTER THREE THIS IS HOW WE THRIVE
Above: The Civic Center is a great, flexible indoor-outdoor space that provides opportunity for local businesses to meet, network and learn more about their industries.
Opposite: Temecula City Hall & Civic Center is the crown of the city, located in the heart of Old Town Temecula. The fountain in front gives honor to the Pechanga people that
With over 53,000 jobs within the city limits and many more nearby, Temecula is the job center for Southwest Riverside County. Strong industry fields include: biomedical/biotech/life sciences, technology, advanced manufacturing, tourism and retail. Over the past few years, Temecula has become home to more than a dozen technology-based companies. While retail, leisure-hospitality and education account for more than half of Temecula’s jobs; the influx of tech firms has pushed professional job numbers up to nearly twenty percent. Companies are attracted to Temecula for its quality of life; which includes award winning schools, higher education opportunities, a vast array of parks and trails, beautiful residential communities, and diverse shopping and dining. Temecula remains a premier city with all the amenities of city life, while still committed to the small town atmosphere that its residents value so highly.
first dwelled in the region and were admired for the beautiful handcrafted baskets.
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Temecula boasts a variety of office, commercial, and industrial space with prime locations and high visibility.
Opposite: For many companies, the work environment inside and out are a priority in order to create an inspiring and stimulating setting.
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PHOTO BY JIMMY FU.
PHOTO BY JIMMY FU.
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Temecula Valley Entrepreneur's Exchange is an award-winning Business Resource Center and technology incubator. The City of Temecula continues to invest in these services because they want to see local businesses grow and thrive. ABOVE: PHOTO BY JIMMY FU.
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The top five employers in the valley are Pechanga Resort & Casino, Temecula Valley Unified School District, Abbott, PHS Medline and Temecula Valley Hospital. The City continues its efforts to grow and sustain the economy of Temecula through business attraction, retention, workforce development, higher education, tourism and film. Strong partnerships thrive between the City of Temecula, Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce, Visit Temecula Valley, Small Business Development Center, Riverside County Economic Development Agency, Riverside County Workforce Development Agency and the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest California. These agencies leverage the assets and resources necessary to reinforce the market.
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Temecula Valley Hospital opened in 2013 with special services, advanced care and innovative technology. The special services combined with caring physicians and staff made this facility a welcome addition to the community.
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Residents of the Temecula Valley have access to several outstanding medical facilities, providing a comprehensive range of services..
Temecula’s industrial areas were thoughtfully developed, stimulating economic development, and engaging a sizeable workforce. PHOTOS BY JIMMY FU.
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Temecula houses numerous medical manufacturing facilities, providing jobs for a highly educated, skilled workforce.
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Temecula Valley Wine Country harvests approximately 2,500 acres of wine grapes, yielding about 8,100 tons and generating more than $12 million in grape sales. Only around eleven percent of the wine is distributed outside of the region because of the high volume of visitation to the wineries.
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Top, right: A lavender farm in wine country is open for early summer farm tours by appointment. Their retail store, Temecula Lavender Company, sells their handmade products year-round. Opposite: Grow Temecula Valley is an initiative dedicated to generating awareness, education and engagement around the value of local agriculture and its economic benefits. It aims to connect citizens, businesses, and growers in a local food chain, inspiring new habits to source local food first.
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Above: Certified Farmer's Markets invite everyone to share in their harvest. Opposite: Locally grown fruit and produce are abundant in Temecula Valley. Temecula Blueberry Company. PHOTO BY JIMMY FU.
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CHAPTER FOUR THIS IS HOW WE PLAY Temecula Valley is a place to come together and enjoy the beautiful outdoors. Families, couples and friends find fun activities for every season. Thousands come to enjoy great annual events like the Temecula Rod Run, Street Painting Festival, Western Days and the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival. Families play together during the harvest festivals every fall, finding their way through corn mazes, cheering during pig races and catching a train ride on the farm. The winter season brings parents and young ones to ice skate at Town Square Park, sip hot cocoa during the Electric Light Parade, make snowballs at Winter Wonderland and count down to the New Year at the Grape Drop.
Above: Year-round festivals and events include Temecula Rod Run, Annual Barrel Tasting, Chocolate Decadence & Pechanga Wine Festival, Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival, Temecula Art & Street Painting Festival, Pechanga Microbrew & Craft Brew Festival, Temecula Valley Wine Month, Old Town Temecula Outdoor Quilt Show, and Harvest Festivals.
Opposite: Citizens and visitors show their patriotism at the City of Temecula’s annual Fourth of July Parade in Old Town Temecula.
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Above: Festivals and events are great occasions to have fun with family and friends during every season of the year. Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival includes hot air balloon launches at sunrise, night glows in the evening, beer and wine tasting, and live concerts all weekend long. PHOTO BY JIMMY FU.
Opposite: All ages play at the annual Big Horse Feed Harvest Festival, home to the largest corn maze in Southern California. The festival includes duck races, gem mining, games, competitions, and the corn box.
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Autumnfest is a great time for families to play together. Peltzer Farms opens their farm every year for pumpkin picking, train rides, pig races, tractor collection viewing, and more.
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Arts and culture can be found at The Merc and the Old Town Community Theater with art displays, live music, dance performances and stage plays. Every generation enjoys the award-winning Children’s Museum, Pennypickle’s Workshop, and learning about local history at the Temecula Valley Museum. There are 40 parks to choose from that offer picnicking, ballpark fields, playgrounds, a splash pad, hockey rink, skate park, tennis courts, outdoor art, and more. Nearby lakes beckon hockey and boat rides and great hiking trails are around every corner.
This page: There's an abundance of playtime at Pechanga Resort & Casino: AAA Four Diamond accommodations, 4,000 slot, 154 table games, a poker room and off track betting, a 700-seat bingo facility, A-list concerts, a comedy club and a night club. PHOTO PROVIDED BY PECHANGA
Opposite: Every year businesses, clubs and organizations participate in the Electric Light Parade with lights, floats, choirs, horses and a lot of creativity to celebrate the holiday season.
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This page: Families and friends play in real snow at Pennypickle’s Winter Wonderland during a month long celebration of the holiday season. Opposite: The City of Temecula offers an outdoor ice skating rink at Town Square Park in Old Town Temecula every December. The sun may be shinning but it’s Winterfest in Southern California.
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This page: Families with little ones discover and explore award-winning Temecula Children’s Museum, Pennypickle’s Workshop. It’s the home of wacky Professor Pennypickle, where everything is a hands-on learning experience. Opposite: Nightlife includes live music in Wine Country, Old Town and Pechanga at night clubs, theaters, tasting rooms, restaurants, and speakeasies.
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This page: Baily’s Restaurant is a fun place for gathering with friends to hear bands and enjoy great food. Opposite: Popular outdoor sports are motocross, mountain bike riding, fishing, golfing, baseball, and soccer. Temecula Valley is an ideal setting with its sunny skies, fresh air and open space.
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Groups of friends find plenty to do between golfing, shopping, live music, wine or beer tasting, cooking or painting classes, and tours. Whether its outdoors, upscale or down to earth play—there is something for everyone! Couples rekindle their romance floating in a hot air balloon over the vineyards, taking a carriage ride through wine country, golfing among scenic views and relaxing with a couple’s massage. The nightlife options are plentiful with great restaurants and things to do like trying their luck at a card table or on the slots, tasting craft cocktails and dancing to live entertainment.
This page: Journey at Pechanga is an award-winning, championship golf course with spectacular views of the valley. There are five pristine golf courses to choose from, designed for all levels of play. Opposite: Many local wineries create memorable events at harvest time and the holidays.
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This page: Horse trails and ranches spread throughout Temecula Valley Wine Country. The public is welcome to horseback ride on the windy paths or rent a horse at any of the several companies in Wine Country, like Green Acres Ranch pictured here. Opposite: Couples competing in a game of bocce ball at Robert Renzoni Vineyard & Winery show there is more to do than just taste wine.
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Top left: Thousands of acres entice outdoor lovers with trails from novice to experienced hikers. With an average of 276 sunny days per year in Temecula Valley, almost any day is good for a hike. Top right: Special treats of indulgence to be shared with friends can be found throughout the region like this bake shop, Truly Madly Sweetly at Promenade Temecula. Opposite: Couple’s can unwind together during a duo massage at Spa Pechanga or Grapeseed Spa. Both offer luxury experiences with specialty treatments. PHOTO PROVIDED BY PECHANGA
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Welcoming nearly three million visitors each year, picturesque Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country reports an economic travel impact of $712 million. Temecula Valley tourism continues to help fuel and strengthen the local economy, foster prosperity, and provide ever-increasing jobs and earnings in the leisure and hospitality sector.
Top left: One of the many activities available is electric bike tours in wine country. This is a fun way to explore and wine taste.
Top right: Wine Country begins to grow its vines in early spring and its fruit is ready for harvest August through September.
Opposite: One of the most popular events is the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival.
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This page: Travelers stay in Temecula Valley resorts, branded hotels, boutique inns, and vacation rentals. This is one of the more than one hundred vacation rentals available for overnight stay. Opposite: Imagine waking up to rows of vineyards just outside your door. This couple enjoys the morning sunshine with breakfast on their villa patio at South Coast Winery & Resort.
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This page: There are five golf courses within Temecula Valley, all with beautiful open views and each offers something for every level of play.
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Pechanga Resort pampers its guests with first-class service in-room and throughout the property. Its new $300 million expansion provides more rooms, more dining, a new Spa Pechanga, more space, and spectacular pool experiences. PHOTOS PROVIDED BY PECHANGA
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Old Town Temecula’s post office was established in 1859, making it an official town. The archway on the north and south ends of Old Town depict it’s historical past.
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❖ PHOTOS BY JIMMY FU.
Many quaint and historic buildings fill the 12-blocks of Old Town with shopping, dining, entertainment, and countless events. PHOTOS BY JIMMY FU.
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Located within minutes of each other are three distinctive attractions: Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country, Old Town Temecula, and Pechanga Resort & Casino. Each has its acclaimed chefs, live entertainment, incredible venues, and exceptional people. Every day travelers from around the world are discovering the beauty, lifestyle, and treasures of the land. Temecula Valley has the charm and authenticity of a boutique destination while enhanced by the people and relaxed spirit synonymous with Southern California. Visitors taste, tour and stay at this hidden gem, while passionate dreamers and driven entrepreneurs call it home.
Right: Small, independent stores sell artisanal products, apparel, antiques, specialty items and more. Temecula Olive Oil is always a favorite with free tastings every day. Opposite: Many local restaurants offer innovative farm-to-table dining, serving locally-sourced foods, ranging from simple to extraordinary.
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❖ PHOTOS BY JIMMY FU.
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PHOTOS BY JIMMY FU.
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Above: The Temecula Valley Museum has something to offer history buffs, researchers, and curious minds. Informative and fun exhibits represent life in the valley through its eras and cultures.
Opposite: Temecula Valley is a picturesque location for visiting all of Southern California, two to three nights are ideal for experiencing everything the destination has to offer.
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CHAPTER SIX THIS IS WHERE WE’RE GOING While protecting and preserving our vast natural beauty, honoring our historic past, and enhancing our community, the residents of Temecula envision a dynamic community that will become a vibrant, modern City with a small town atmosphere.
TOP, LEFT: PHOTO BY JIMMY FU.
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Both residents and visitors can enjoy an ever-growing number of recreational and service activities. In addition to ballooning, there is horseback riding, electric and non-electric bikes, vineyard runs, concerts, painting classes, cooking classes, wine blending classes, yoga and fitness.
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Temecula Valley, is the Heart of Southern California Wine Country. The number of wineries in Temecula’s wine country has doubled over the last twenty years, with 40 wineries currently in operation. Many new wineries and vineyards are in the planning stage. A recently approved plan will allow an additional 120 wineries to begin operating in Temecula.
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Right: The Truax Building is one of the newer additions to Old Town. This mixed-use building’s turn-of-the-century architecture is just one of the several buildings to fill the vacant lots left in Old Town. More professional and retail buildings will be breaking ground, as well as more lodging options. PHOTO BY JIMMY FU.
Opposite: Temecula has proven to be the perfect place for families to grow and thrive. Master planned communities provide many enjoyable amenities.
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Several of the wineries are developing into attractions in their own rights and are headed to become destinations within a destination; like Wilson Creek Winery, South Coast Winery Resort & Spa, Ponte Winery, and Carter Estate Winery.
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Temecula Valley Unified School District is creating opportunities to explore a variety of industries by providing students with real life environments and hands-on experiences. This professional, commercial kitchen at Temecula Valley High School is just one example of the investments that have been made to help students reach their full potential.
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Temecula’s residents and families are the heart of Temecula, they keep us moving forward. Temecula gets a rating of 82 out of 100 for livability. Beautiful weather, numerous local amenities, a stable housing market and high graduation rates continue to make Temecula a wonderful place to work, play and call home. Centrally located to numerous industrial hubs, Temecula remains one of the most unique and culturally diverse cities in Southern California. Civic leaders foster strong economic growth and a positive business environment that enables the sustained economic success of the region.
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The business community continues to grow as the region attracts more technology-based and cutting edge companies. Temecula's highly skilled and diversified workforce continues to provide our city with a competitive advantage. NaturVet employees pictured with Scott Garmon, CEO.
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PHOTO BY JIMMY FU.
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Old Traditions and New Opportunities was the slogan chosen when the city incorporated in 1989. Those words still hold true today as the two blend respectfully. The Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce continues to pave the way for a growing regional economy. Since 1966 our activites, programs, and initiatives all serve one purpose - to make Temecula a better place to live, work, and play.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF JANN GENTRY.
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PARTNERS IN PROGRESS
Companies and civic entities whose businesses, products, and legacies c o n t i n u e t o s h a p e t h e f u t u r e o f Te m e c u l a Va l l e y. Sharing the Heritage .........................................................................................................130
Quality of Life ......................................................................................................146 The Marketplace ...................................................................................................166 B u i l d i n g a G re a t e r Te m e c u l a Va l l e y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 2
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PHOTO COURTESY OF JANN GENTRY.
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SHARING THE HERITAGE
Historic profiles of businesses, organizations, and families that have c o n t r i b u t e d t o t h e d e v e l o p m e n t a n d c o n t i n u e d g r o w t h o f Te m e c u l a Va l l e y. L a P o i n t e We a l t h M a n a g e m e n t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 2 T h e R a n c o n G ro u p , I n c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 6
E u ro p a V i l l a g e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 8 R J ’s S i z z l i n S t e e r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 0 R a n c h o C a l i f o r n i a Wa t e r D i s t r i c t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 2 K e c k I n s u r a n c e A g e n c y, I n c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 4 C i t y o f Te m e c u l a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 5
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LA POINTE WEALTH MANAGEMENT
Archway welcomes you to Old Town Temecula.
“People tend to be overly optimistic and then overly pessimistic.”
It seems David La Pointe was destined to become a financial advisor. David remembers buying his first stock when he was in the sixth grade (Braniff International.) His mom let him buy the stock with his hard earned paper route money to teach him the lesson of why NOT to buy stocks. That backfired on her in a big way! He subscribed to the Wall Street Journal when he was only twelve years old and he has been reading it ever since. David admits to being a bit of a geek, but also admits that he was always interested in the news that affected the economy. David’s desire to help others with investment advice was triggered by a childhood incident in which a salesman came to his home and sold his mother—a single mom with three children—a promoted real estate scheme in Adelanto, California (try finding that on a map.) “That investment, which turned out to be completely unsuited for my mom, taught me that there are those out there who will try to take advantage of people,” he says. “There are some that will sell anything for a quick buck and I feel the average person needs to be protected from salespeople like that.” David earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree with an emphasis on finance from Cal State University, Fullerton, but when he graduated the economy was terrible and the financial industry was not hiring any new people. The only field that was actively growing at the time was the energy industry and David found a job with Dresser Industries (now Halliburton) where he worked in the relatively new field of hydraulic fracturing. It was booming! Everyone was so optimistic. In fact, overly optimistic. Soon, however, he discovered the boom-and-bust cycle of the energy industry. Boom and Bust. Overly optimistic and then overly pessimistic. A cycle that repeats itself to this very day. During the energy bust of 1985, David went back to college and earned his Master’s degree in business
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from Pepperdine University in Malibu. When he graduated in January 1987, he found a job in the financial industry. However, he soon discovered that the financial industry was prone to the same cycle of economic boom and bust. “Everyone was overly optimistic about the stock markets, but by October 1987, everyone was overly pessimistic,” he recalls. Again, the same cycles. “What this taught me was that the average person doesn’t have the discipline to temper their emotions when it comes to fear and greed,” David explains. “People tend to buy when the news is good, and sell when the news is bad. We all know you should buy low and sell high, but people actually tend to do the opposite of that.” David established La Pointe Wealth Management in Temecula in 1987 and has now provided financial advice to a diverse segment of investors for more than thirty years. When the business first started, it consisted of David, a friend from college, and a secretary. They worked out of an office so small they referred to it as a shoebox. In 1989, as he was trying to grow the business, David decided it made sense to talk with as many people as
possible and to whoever would listen. This led to a very popular radio program called Money Matters that ran for more than thirteen years. On the program, David shared his philosophy about investing and many who agreed with his ideas became clients. “We were blessed with clients who believed in us and reached out to us,” David says. “These were clients who wanted and needed our help. We are very fortunate that many of them are still clients today. In some cases, we are helping the fourth generation of family members.” In 2003, David’s wife, Karen, joined the practice to help make sure the growing firm could provide its clients with a level of service and quality the area had never seen before. Prior to joining the group, Karen had extensive experience in the care of others, having served as a Critical Care Nurse and a mother to nine. She graduated from Azusa Pacific University with her Bachelors of Science in Nursing in 1981 and achieved her board certification in Critical Nursing (C.C.R.N.) in 1983. She spent thirty years working
in many areas of Nursing, such as ICU/Trauma, Definitive Observation Unit (DOU), as well as education and case management. After years of caring for her patients’ medical needs, Karen transitioned into caring for the financial needs of others when she joined La Pointe Wealth Management. Additional staff was added as La Pointe Wealth Management continued to grow, but when the real estate crash happened in 2007-2008, the stock markets were in turmoil. La Pointe, however, met the challenge by actually increasing staff and office size, moving into new offices in ‘Old Town Temecula.’ “We were well known, well respected and successful,” David explains. “We enjoyed our community and had raised our families here. We wanted to ensure that our values, ethics and expertise continued into the future, so we found like-minded advisors who share our ethics and investment philosophy and asked them to join our practice. As a result, we have grown even more and have positioned the business to grow and continue beyond ourselves. “Our team cares deeply about the well-being of its clients and demonstrates this through continuing education, diligent market research, effective collaboration and personal service. We enjoy what we do and our work is meaningful.” Today, La Pointe Wealth Management provides its clients with premier investment advice and services, using independent, objective research and non-proprietary products. La Pointe’s process, developed over four decades of investing, is sound and solid and clients benefit from the team’s dedication to building wealth. La Pointe defines its client’s goals, identifies where they are today, and provides recommendations for the future. Once implemented the professionals at La Pointe Wealth Management monitor and track each client’s progress, communicating potential opportunities and working personally with each client to revise and refine along the way.
Above: David La Pointe.
Left: The current office of La Pointe Wealth Management.
“We enjoy what we do and our work is meaningful.”
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Bottom: La Pointe donates use of their pop up and candy station for local tournaments.
La Pointe Wealth Management is complemented by the resources of LPL Financial, the nation’s largest independent broker/dealer, based on total revenue.* LPL provides La Pointe with access to non-proprietary investment vehicles, objective financial services, and powerful research and technology. This relationship empowers La Pointe to serve its clients with well informed, objective guidance. Among the advantages of being independent is that La Pointe Wealth Management has no obligation to investment product providers or home office quotas that may lead to a conflict of interest. La Pointe’s team of dedicated individuals work together with a disciplined approach to investments, responsible risk management and a never ending analysis and monitoring of the business cycle to help its clients now and into the future. La Pointe Wealth Management strives to provide a proper balance by putting things in perspective and paying attention to trends and emotions that tend to affect and create the never-ending business cycle.
“That’s our job and we do it well.”
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David prides himself on a client-centered approach that aligns with your needs, your timeframe and your goals. In addition to objective and independent investment advice, David and Karen’s goal is to ensure that strong ethics are the cornerstone of La Pointe Wealth Management, where a caring team of more than a dozen knowledgeable professionals work together to provide a high level of personal service and attention throughout the wealth management process. La Pointe Wealth Management believes investing should not be an end in itself, but rather a means to help their clients meet their goals. What matters most is that your financial portfolio enables you to live the life you have envisioned. “We strive to help you simplify the demands of managing your wealth and pursue your vision of the future,” David explains. That is our job and we do it well. We firmly believe in giving back to our community and to those in need. Karen is the primary driver of the firm’s charitable pursuits. She is a founding board member of the organization Charity for Charity, a nonprofit, which grants wishes to those in the community who are facing enormous health or physical challenges. She is part of the “wish brigade” and continues to serve on the advisory board.
In 2017, Karen and David were privileged to be honored by Charity for Charity as recipients of the Jerry Delisle Heart of Our Mission Award. Charity for Charity started as a small idea in 2006 and has now grown to one of the premier charitable events in the valley. We are proud to lend a hand to Safe Alternatives for Everyone, (S.A.F.E.) which helps shelter victims of domestic abuse and builds safe futures for families who live with abuse and violence. David is an advisory board member to S.A.F.E. In 2017, Karen received the Torch Bearer Award from Women Organizing Women (W.O.W.) whose mission is to help Women in need. They partner with other organizations such as Oak Grove to offer mentoring programs and offer additional women support services in the United States and Africa. We proudly support the nonprofit Project Touch, which serves our communities’ homeless and The Rose Again Foundation that nurtures orphaned, foster children and children that have “timed-out” of the foster care system. Karen is privileged to hold a current positon on the Board of Governors at Temecula Valley Hospital. Her role is
to oversee the safety and quality of services that are provided at the hospital and is honored to represent Temecula Valley Hospital to the community it serves. La Pointe Wealth Management sponsors the Thompson/Tansky Memorial Golf Tournament as well as many other charitable golf tournaments that raise money for various worthwhile causes in the Temecula Valley. We are quick to donate our pop up and candy station at the various locations for these tournaments. La Pointe Wealth Management has grown to the point that it is looking to build a new, even larger building where they can continue to provide services, education and sponsorship of charitable events. We consider it a privilege to offer our office—free of charge—as a meeting place for charitable events that help the community. We stand firm in our commitment to “Invest in Others”.
Above: The future office of La Pointe Wealth Management.
Bottom: La Pointe Wealth Management’s Community Outreach Volunteers wearing the shirts of organizations which they sponsor.
Integrity. Experience. Results. “Main Street, not Wall Street”
David La Pointe is a Registered Principal with, and securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. La Pointe Wealth Management is a separate entity from LPL Financial. *As reported by Financial Planning Magazine, June 1996-2017, based on total revenue. SHARING THE HERITAGE 135
RANCON GROUP, INC.
Top: 1973 Ground breaking of Rancon Group’s headquarters.
Below: Dan Stephenson, Rancon’s Founder and Chairman.
When Dan Stephenson, founder and chairman, of the Rancon Group, Inc, first arrived in town in 1968, there were few houses, some small local business, no traffic signals, and horses with riders could regularly be seen riding up and down the streets of Old Town Temecula. Dan looked at the soaring mountains, the lush green valleys, the misty mornings with temperate nights, the wide-open spaces and realized he had found his destiny. In the land business, location is everything and Dan knew Highway 395 was slated to become Interstate 15 and Kaiser Development Company had purchased the largest cattle ranch in California, the Vail Ranch. Their plan was to create a country community, Rancho California. Dan was familiar with exploding growth. He was accustomed to being a part of a “start-up” community. He grew-up in the San Fernando Valley in the early 1950s before it was “The Valley.” His teen and young adult years were spent in Orange County. There were no high rises, no John Wayne Airport; no one called it the “OC.” A small amount of time spent in the Temecula Valley and Dan quickly recognized this beautiful, unique area was in the path of progress that would link San Diego to Los Angeles. Within a one-hour drive you could be in Orange County, Riverside, Big Bear, Palm Springs, or at the beach. A new megalopolis was waiting to be developed and Dan wanted to be a part of this. Not just the development, but also for the preservation of the open space and lifestyle that so attracted Dan in the first place. In 1971, Dan formed Rancho Consultants, now known as Rancon. Since then, Rancon has worked closely with investors, government officials, developers, financial partners, banks, tenants, business and community leaders to develop some of the region’s most well-known projects. The name Rancon has become synonymous with real estate sales and quality land and building developments in the Southwest Riverside County. Rancon is one of the oldest and most wellrespected companies in the area and their history parallels
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that of the residential and commercial development that has occurred in the Temecula Valley, considered one of the most dynamic and fastest growing regions in the United States. Rancon has developed teams of highly skilled professionals. Each is dedicated to creating mutually beneficial relationships with landowners, investors, financial institutions and the brokerage community. They offer a complement of real estate development and management services geared to meet the needs of a fast-changing marketplace. Their wide variety of services include: real estate brokerage, investment partnerships, property acquisition, escrow and asset management services, marketing and sales. Well regarded for their experience in horizontal development and entitlement process, Rancon also handles zone changes, engineering and other land improvements to enhance a property’s value. Additionally, the company has been responsible for over two million square feet of vertical development of office, retail, restaurants and industrial projects. A flagship commercial center is Tri-City Corporate in San Bernardino. Many retail shopping centers and commercial buildings in Temecula and Murrieta have been developed by Rancon, including the 314,000 square-foot shopping center, Village Walk. Since the beginning, Dan has been conscientious in preserving the original master-planned country community of Rancho California. He is adamant about promoting and preserving quality of life through development and protecting the open space of the Valley. Because of this, he has worked closely with
the City of Temecula and Riverside County staff to ensure growth was implemented as originally envisioned. He was successful in the creation of the Southwest Riverside County Regional Parks District. He has worked closely with Riverside County, wine growers, equestrian groups, hikers and bikers to develop a functional and cohesive hiking/biking/equestrian trail system. With his wife, Beverly, they have given liberally to local organizations supporting arts, culture, sports and education programs. They were major donors for the building of the Old Town Temecula Community Theater and CRC Amphitheater. Their philanthropy also extends to nonprofits that provide services to the needy and distressed in our area. It may take a village to raise a child, but a community is built upon the dedicated vision of its developers. For over forty-seven years, Dan and Rancon Group have been proud to be part of the visionaries and enforcers to ensure Temecula Valley retains the “country feeling and open spaces” that inspired him so many years ago. Time Line: • 1971: Dan founded Rancho Consultants, specializing in forming investment partnerships to buy and sell properties in Rancho California. • 1971: Rancho Consultants Real Estate Corporation was incorporated. Now known as Rancon Real Estate, the firm currently employs over 150 agents and staff. Rancon Real Estate is one of the oldest and most successful real estate brokerage firms in the Inland Empire. • Early 1970s: La Cresta, a 6,000-acre ranch estate community, was successfully developed by Rancho Consultants. Large acreage estates were linked by riding and walking trails. Rancon then developed La Cresta Highlands, a 1,500-acre estate ranch community and Santa Rosa West, a 700-acre estate ranch community. Today, these mature communities are considered the premier ranch properties in the Temecula Valley.
• Early 1980s: Rancho Consultants (now Rancon) built headquarters in Old Town Temecula in the Rancon Plaza. • The 1980s: Rancon began publicly-syndicating land partnerships, which grew and evolved into large public limited partnerships. Rancon then commenced acquiring land and constructing buildings throughout Southwest Riverside County, including the Temecula Valley. These partnerships built Temecula’s first shopping center, Winchester Square, along with numerous office buildings on Jefferson Avenue. Rancon funds financed a major industrial park in Temecula and developed the first master-planned community in Murrieta, Alta Murrieta. • Early 1990s: With the real estate market in a downturn, Dan saw an opportunity to form several small partnerships and purchase distressed portfolios, the largest being a $300,000,000 note from R.T.C. One of the acquired properties included in the R.T.C. portfolio, was Copper Canyon, a 600-acre residential community in Murrieta. • 2007: Rancon Group formed several investment entities to acquire acreage in Temecula Wine Country. They purchased 330 acres at the entrance to Wine Country. They entitled 290 for vineyard estate residential, known as Europa Vineyard Estates, and the other forty acres to create a winery resort, known as Europa Village. • 2011: Europa Village opened Prelude. This temporary facility includes a 3,200 square-foot tasting room with a wine cave, veranda and gardens. They also purchased Loma Vista Bed and Breakfast calling it The Inn at Europa, adding ten guest rooms to the Europa Village name. • 2017: Grading began on the Europa Village vision. Old World architecture consisting of 3 European style wineries, 60-unit destination resort, 3 restaurants, Italian market, retail and a world class spa, will gracefully adorn the hills of Europa in the Temecula Valley Wine Country.
Rancon’s headquarters is located at 41391 Kalmia Street, Suite 200 in Murrieta.
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EUROPA VILLAGE
Top: The Inn at Europa welcomes guests for a unique experience.
Below: Europa Village is designed to bring three of the world’s famous wine regions to beautiful Temecula Valley.
Whether sipping Merlot on the slopes in the French Alps after a day of skiing, drinking Chianti at a Castello in Siena or relaxing with a Tempranillo from Pamplona after running with the bulls, Chairman and Founder of the Rancon Group, Dan Stephenson, has long enjoyed the lifestyles and culture of Europe. The seed of a dream to bring his love of the European experience to the Temecula Valley was born in early 1970s when he first explored the European countryside. It was nurtured throughout the 1980s and 1990s, when he further experienced the wines and foods and lived the cultures of France, Spain and Italy. Then in 2007, he found the “good earth” where the seed could be planted, when Dan and eighty local investors formed a company to purchase 330 acres in the burgeoning Temecula Valley Wine Country. There, among the rolling hills, the idyllic climate, and fertile earth, his vision to create a world-class wine country resort unlike any other in the United States was born. This vision is now Europa Village. Even with the land purchase in 2007, it was four more years before the idyllic lifestyle Stephenson hoped to emulate came to fruition. In 2011, Prelude, the original wine tasting
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facility, opened its doors. Since opening Prelude, Europa Village has grown rapidly and has become one of the most visited wineries in Temecula Valley Wine Country. In the early days, staff at Europa Village served approximately 200 guests each week. Since those humble beginnings, the numbers have grown dramatically to more than 1,000 each week and sometimes over 2,000, with numbers growing each year. Helping further the success of Europa Village was the purchase of the Inn at Europa Village (formerly known as Loma Vista B&B.) Renovated and remastered under the concerting eye of the Innkeepers—Executive Chef Dean Thomas and his wife, Nicole—the charming and luxurious ten-room inn enjoys a ninety percent occupancy rate and was recently recognized by Travel Zoo as one of the “Top 20 Best Deals in Southern California.” As one of the oldest B&Bs in Wine Country, the Inn is considered the “grand dame” in the region and enjoys an excellent reputation for its warm hospitality and great breakfasts, including a number one rating from Trip Advisors, surpassing all Bed & Breakfasts in Temecula Wine Country. Now, Europa Village is on the verge of a new adventure with the expansion and completion of the vision. The new facilities will create a network of three distinct wineries that
will share the ambiance of Old World Europe while recreating the characteristics and culture of each country. In creating these European country villages, the design and development team has worked tirelessly to carefully craft the casual, intimate environment that makes the current facilities so popular. Their comprehensive approach was to design high-quality, authentic architecture and landscape designs, yet retain a relaxed lifestyle while ensuring no detail is overlooked. Each location will provide multiple settings for weddings, parties, corporate events and more. In C’est la Vie Wine Chateau, the French offering, guests can visit the town square, browse in boutique retail shops, sip wine at a sidewalk cafe, have a crepe or enjoy Bistro dining and, of course, have wine tastings in the Chateau. From any of the Provence designed, flat-style accommodations, guests enjoy the view of either the gardens or the town square from their own private French balcony. Strolling through the hacienda-styled Bolero Cellars, guests are transported to Spain. They may relax in its covered plazas while dining or wine tasting. Or, they can meander through covered walkways while strains of Spanish guitars and water trickling from fountains invites them to
stop and enjoy. The ten fully-appointed, guest casitas each have their own private courtyard gardens where an intimate afternoon enjoying wine and each other can be spent. Vienza is the Italian village. It incorporates a wine cave, gardens and an amphitheater. For dining, there is the pizza kitchen and an Italian market, olive oil and balsamic vinegar tastings. The lodging will offer forty luxurious guest suites with concierge, dining, pool and cabana service and a European-style spa and boutique retail shops. The ambiance and the dream of Europa Village would be nothing without quality wines. Planting and production began in 2007. Beginning with six different wines, Europa Village now produces forty-seven different wines in the style of their represented countries. They offer many different varietals as well as blends and more offerings are planned for the future, as wells as a microbrewery. Continuing the attitude of excellence and Old World values is seen in every step of the wine-making. For Europa Village, being a world-class resort, having fine quality wines and service is not complete without being a good neighbor. Entrenched in the community, Europa Village, supports a myriad of local charities with donations of wine and sponsorship of events. Europa Village offers staff volunteers and yearly provides more than $50,000 in charitable donations/sponsorships. The Europa Village future is bright and the original founders’ mission and vision has now come to life. Come, be transformed by the thematic surroundings, a slower pace of life and experience the joys of great wine, good conversations and farm-to-table cuisine. Enjoy the resort with a day of wine tasting, a night of entertainment or spend a week of discovering new wines, exploring food pairings, entertainment, shopping, wine education classes, cooking classes, tours of the wine cave or relaxing at the full-service spa. For this is Europa Village.
Above: Rows and rows of grapes, which are harvested every August.
Bottom: Enjoying the evening at the Inn at Europa Village in the beautiful California night.
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RJ’S SIZZLIN STEER
Top: Owner Bob Fernandes, in 1987, working in the kitchen.
Below: Bob and Cindy at Temecula grand opening March 1987.
For over thirty years, one of the most popular restaurants in the Murrieta Valley has been RJ’s Sizzlin Steer, featuring fine family dining at affordable prices in a beautifully, friendly atmosphere. The full service steakhouse and bar serves quality steaks, seafood, smoked meats, salads, and sandwiches for lunch and dinner, seven days a week. The restaurant offers two large outdoor patios, twelve large-screen televisions, and is perfect for private parties. In the late 1980s, Temecula (then known as Rancho, California) was beginning to grow and was in dire need of restaurants. At the time, Tony and Vangie Fernandes, who owned Tony’s Spunky Steer in Chino, were looking for a second location to be operated by their son, Bob, and his wife, Cindy. The family saw the beautiful Temecula Valley as the perfect opportunity to open their new location. Bob and Cindy actually camped out with a number to stake a claim for a hard-to-find new tract home and moved to Temecula to operate the new restaurant, which was called Tony’s Spunky Steer. The restaurant was a hit from the very beginning, with lines of hungry customers waiting for a Stockyard steak dinner served on a sizzling hot platter with apple dumpling for
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dessert. The half-fried chicken dinner served with all the fixins, including dessert, was available for $2.49. Bob and Cindy, then in their early twenties, worked hard to establish the restaurant by providing friendly service and quality food. Vangie taught her daughter-in-law everything she knew about bookkeeping, the finances and the restaurant industry. Bob ran the kitchen and Tony, known for his ‘gift of gab’, loved to sit with his guests for a few minutes and tell a favorite joke or story. Before long, the restaurant was one of the most popular in the valley. Bob and Cindy’s son, Robert, Jr., known as RJ, was born in 1989. Tragically, Bob was killed in an auto accident only five days after his son’s birth. With Tony and Vangie’s loving support, Cindy continued to operate the restaurant. Little RJ was literally raised in the restaurant and liked to follow the servers and talk with the customers. It was obvious he had inherited a ‘gift of gab’ from his father and grandfather. Cindy purchased the partnership in 2000 and renamed the restaurant RJ’s Sizzlin Steer in honor of RJ’s father and grandfather who had worked hard for many years earlier to establish the restaurants. Cindy remarried in 2001 to Matt Shoup, who had a beautiful daughter of his own, Hayley. Together they had a son, Verik, in 2005.
In 2006, Matt and Cindy decided to relocate the restaurant to Murrieta and build from the ground up, utilizing Matt’s background in construction. Cindy, Matt, managers, cooks, servers and many new employees never missed a beat and the Murrieta location opened at 41401 Kalmia Street in June 2006. Meanwhile, RJ completed high school and attended culinary school, tapping into the family heritage. RJ is passionate about his menu, the community, mentoring youth, and the future of RJ’s Sizzlin Steer. RJ’s offers a large menu of mouthwatering selections, ranging from quality juicy steaks, fresh seafood, burgers, salads and sandwiches making the restaurant affordable to those on a budget or those with a more discriminating taste. RJ’s also serves a seasonal Sunday Brunch, popular Happy Hour and bar menu. Customers include young and old, families, business leaders, and city employees. RJ’s is also host to many wedding rehearsals, showers, anniversaries, and large parties. RJ’s offers a personalized catering menu to fit any need or budget. RJ’s now has more than fifty employees, many of whom have been with the restaurant for more than twenty years.
After serving the community for over thirty years, RJ’s takes great pride in being very active in all areas of its hometown. Ten percent of the restaurant’s income is given back to the community through fundraiser events, gift card donations, nonprofit events and feeding the homeless. For ten years, RJ’s has partnered with Project TOUCH in serving the homeless community. The restaurant also partners with local churches to provide meals and gifts during the holidays and supports young people through school athletic and academic programs. “It is extremely humbling and gratifying to be a part of the community for three generations,’ says RJ. “Many customers dine with us and reminisce about eating at the restaurant when they were young and now enjoy dining at “RJ’s” with their children and grandchildren. Others remember their first job experience working at the restaurant and making lifelong friends. “RJ’s Sizzlin Steer’s future is about growth and development,” he continues. “We have a desire to see young people in our business and communities develop and thrive. We love to help and assist local businesses and future entrepreneurs. Our business plan for the future is to tap into all of our potential for growth, focusing primarily on creating a special experience for our customers, our staff, and the community.” To learn more about RJ’s Sizzlin Steer, and to check out the menu, visit their website at www.rjssizzlinsteer.com.
Top: Matt and Cindy Shoup with their children R.J., Hayley, and Verik 2008 at the restaurant.
Above: Tony Fernandes with grandson, R.J. (Spunky and Lil Spunky).
Bottom: R.J. on the line in Murrieta 2017.
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RANCHO CALIFORNIA WATER DISTRICT
Rancho California Water District (RCWD) is a local, independent “Special District,” organized on August 16, 1965, operating pursuant to the California Water District Law, Division 13 of the California Water Code. Because a wide range of general and special acts exist in state law, water special districts are governed by a large number of distinct statutory authorizations, which allows the District to provide designated water services. RCWD’s seven-member governing body, the board of directors, is directly elected by the voters for a fixed term of four years and are responsible for setting policy and decision-making. Legally a “political subdivision of the state.” RCWD operates in an open and public environment. The District’s responsible fiscal management and planning provide the financial means to ensure reliable water and wastewater system operations. From its inception in a one-room wooden building to its present facility, RCWD continues to plan for and meet the everchanging water needs of a growing and diverse community. Conserving and managing the area’s unique water resources are essential to the continued viability of the community. RCWD’s implementation of an Integrated Resources Plan (IRP), a
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roadmap for long-term resource planning, examines all possible supply-side and demand-side management opportunities to meet its customers’ needs in an economical and sustainable manner. The IRP addresses issues such as imported water supply availability, system capacity constraints, rising imported water costs, water quality issues and recycled water. RCWD maintains a complex system with 970 miles of pipeline and facilities to deliver high-quality water safely and reliably to 150,000 people. Because some of the water mains, reservoirs and equipment are over fifty years old, they require more preventive maintenance and upgrades to keep the system functioning efficiently and avoid expensive breaks and repairs. Over the last few years and in response to our region’s historic drought and water supply restrictions, RCWD realized we needed to engage our customers in long-term efficiency solutions. MyWaterTracker is a digital platform that enables our customers to visually see and track their water use on a day-by-day basis and compare this to their individual water budgets. No longer do our customers have to wait thirty days to get their bill and try to determine how much water
they have used. Now they can simply log onto the website at their convenience and see how much water they have used each day and each hour. They can also compare their use to the previous month. RCWD gets its water from three main sources: groundwater, recycled water, and imported water. Approximately sixtyfive percent of the District’s water supply is from imported water from the Colorado River and the California Bay Delta with five percent being recycled water. Recycled water is used for irrigation of golf courses and large landscape areas. Recycled water helps save groundwater and imported water for household use. Approximately thirty percent of the District’s water supply is groundwater. The TemeculaMurrieta groundwater basin is an important source of supply and a valuable economic asset to RCWD’s groundwater: • Partially insulates customers from imported water price increases; • Provides high quality water to customers; • Provides a reliable water source during drought times; and • Significantly less expensive than imported water. RCWD is committed to protecting the availability and quality of its groundwater resources. RCWD is working with
and encouraging other local land use and regulatory agencies to require use of sewer systems for large commercial and ancillary (resort, dining, hotel) developments in order to protect the quality of our groundwater by: • RCWD continues to monitor the quality and quantity of the groundwater; • RCWD approved a Groundwater Protection Policy; and • RCWD has made significant investments in our groundwater recharge and well production program, which has enabled the District to better manage the groundwater basin RCWD is lucky to have a substantial groundwater supply. This local source is our most reliable and costs about five times less than imported water from Northern California and the Colorado River. Rancho California Water District is working for you and serving the community with pride. SHARING THE HERITAGE 143
KECK INSURANCE AGENCY, INC.
Top: Dan and Dodie Keck.
Below: Dan Keck Sr.
Serving the insurance needs of Temecula Valley businesses and residents for over 28 years, the Keck Insurance Agency, Inc., is an independent broker and one-stop shop, offering a wide variety of insurance, including auto, home, business, health and life products and services. Dan and Dodie Keck are a husband-wife team and second-generation owners of the business, originally in Orange County and founded by Dan’s father in 1972. Dan graduated from San Jose State University, where he played water polo on scholarship. Following college, he worked a decade for United Parcel Service before returning to the business he had grown up with as a life agent with Prudential Insurance. He relocated to Temecula in 1989 and, in 1992, assumed ownership of Keck Insurance. His was one of the first independent family-owned insurance agencies in town at a time when Temecula had a population of 28,000 and one traffic light. Dan met his wife, Dodie, in the late 1980s when both were employed by Prudential. They married in 1992 and she joined both the Keck family and family business in that same year. An integral member of the firm ever since, Dodie oversees the home/auto insurance division, manages the office, and makes certain that every client’s insurance needs are met appropriately and satisfactorily. The expertise of Keck Insurance is drawn from a staff of well-trained, knowledgeable and personable insurance professionals, with a combined 83 years of industry experience. Their qualifications are key to ensuring that every client’s insurance requirements are not only achieved, but are individually tailored to them. The agency’s goal is to provide personalized service and help each client save money on their insurance. “Our big emphasis is on service,” says Dan. “We provide very personal service and treat all clients like family.” Family, faith and community are Dan and Dodie’s highest priorities and they treat clients with the same caliber of kinship, care and responsibility.
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A coach for children’s local soccer, basketball and Little League, Dan is personally committed to the Temecula Valley, which is both his home and the home base of his family business. As a past member of the Sunrise Rotary, he played a key role in the fundraising and construction of Rotary Park. Dodie also cherishes family and friendships, and when she is not in the office, she loves to cook and entertain. Her idea of getting away from it all is to read or work in her garden. The Kecks have made significant contributions of both time and money toward a variety of civic causes, including improvements to the Chaparral High School football stadium, Temecula Valley Museum, and the Temecula Valley Old Town Theater. Dan also serves on the Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity–Inland Valley. To honor Dan’s father and Keck Insurance founder for his military service in WWII, the family contributed a brick to the Veteran’s Memorial located at the Temecula Duck Pond and Veteran Memorial. As Temecula Valley continues to grow and thrive, the Kecks will continue to insure the community and the future citizens who will make their homes and enterprises here. Stephen, one of Dan and Dodie’s three sons, has become part of the family business while attending San Diego State University. The Kecks look forward to the day when Keck Insurance Agency becomes a third-generation family-owned company.
Old Traditions, New Opportunities—this is the staple that encompasses the fullness of what the City of Temecula builds its core values on as its history, culture and vision for the future continues to shape its focus and direction. Since its early beginnings, the Temecula Valley has always been a place where the combination of mild climate and beautiful rolling hills have attracted human settlement. The hillsides were the home of the Temecula Indians, the first residents of the area. Ancestors of the Temecula Indians were in this area as early as 900 A.D. The native people from here to the coast who shared the same language and culture became commonly known as the Luiseños, because many of their villages were once under the influence of Mission San Luis Rey. Following a host of events throughout the 1800s and 1900s, there was a shift that led to the making of land grants in the mid-1840s. Temecula also became the shipping point for grain and cattle, which was an important economic transition. The last years of the 1960s and early 1970s witnessed the beginnings of dramatic change in the Temecula Valley. Engineers, contractors, heavy-equipment operators and real estate agents became prevalent. The Kaiser Land Development Company marketed the valley’s attractions actively. Soon, the area became known as Rancho California. Many land sales were accomplished by means of limited partnership syndications, which helped to spread awareness of the area. One side effect of this high-profile development was a second tier real estate boom in land suitable for avocado groves and grape vineyards on the east side of the valley. The value of this land skyrocketed. The late 1970s then brought changes that included new restaurants and retail. By the 1980s the I-15 corridor between Los Angeles County and San Diego was completed leading to the subdivision land boom. When Rancho California incorporated in
CITY OF TEMECULA
December 1989, the citizens voted to officially name their city “Temecula.” Today, the City of Temecula is a community filled with booming retail and tourism, and is voted one of the best cities to raise a family and one of the top safest cities in the nation. It provides culture, innovation and a regional economic center for Southwest Riverside County while retaining its small town feel and character. Temecula continues to value old traditions and expand to new opportunities as it strives to support quality of life in every aspect.
Top: Temecula Railroad Station in the 1800s.
Below: Temecula City Hall today. .
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PHOTO COURTESY OF JANN GENTRY.
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QUALITY OF LIFE Healthcare providers, foundations, universities, and other institutions that contribute to the q u a l i t y o f l i f e i n Te m e c u l a Va l l e y C a l i f o r n i a S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y S a n M a rc o s a t Te m e c u l a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 4 8 Te m e c u l a Va l l e y H o s p i t a l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 0 V i s i t Te m e c u l a Va l l e y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 2 O a k G ro v e C e n t e r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 4 Te m e c u l a Va l l e y C h a m b e r o f C o m m e rc e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 6 Loma Linda University Medical Center—Murrieta ..................................................................157 Te m e c u l a Va l l e y U n i f i e d S c h o o l D i s t r i c t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 8 H a b i t a t f o r H u m a n i t y I n l a n d Va l l e y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 9 Charity for Charity ...........................................................................................................160 Boys & Girls Club of Southwest County ................................................................................161 Murrieta Rotary Club ........................................................................................................162 O p t i o n s a n d O p p r i t u n i t i e s T h e C h o i c e P ro g r a m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6 3 Murrieta Counceling Center ...............................................................................................164 D r. D a v e C u t t s , D D S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6 5
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CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS AT TEMECULA
Top: In 2014, Dr. Roger Schultz, superintendent and president of Mt. San Jacinto College, and Dr. Karen Haynes, president of California State University San Marcos, signed an agreement to create a 2+2 pathway in which students can earn an associate degree and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in four years, guaranteed.
Below: Community involvement is at the heart of the CSUSM at Temecula experience. In 2016, students and staff celebrated César Chávez Day through service projects with Habitat for Humanity.
Marine veteran Natalie Morales is determined to earn her bachelor’s and master’s degrees by using the three years of education benefits available to her through the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Thanks to innovative programming at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) at Temecula, she is right on schedule. With guaranteed classes and time to graduation in the cohort format offered at the Temecula campus, Morales earned her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology: Health Science Option in May 2017. An internship as part of the program ignited her interest in public health, and she is now completing a Master of Public Health on the San Marcos campus. “I want to set an example for my daughter and for my son that you can persevere and accomplish your goals,” Morales says. CSUSM at Temecula is the only public university in Southwest Riverside County offering upper-division bachelor’s degree programs as well as professional development certificates, personal enrichment programs and customized training programs for area businesses. The campus provides local access to a premier education, and the cohort structure (students who progress as a group) ensures that students get the classes they need to graduate on schedule. The CSUSM at Temecula campus was established in 2008 at the Paul Goldring Garrett Institute for Higher Learning and a cohort of forty students comprised the first class of the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in the new facility. By 2010 the campus had outgrown its original location and a grand reopening marked the move to its present site, a former elementary school on Margarita Road. With eight classrooms, a nursing skills lab, a simulation lab complete with medical mannequins, a biology lab and a training room for kinesiology, CSUSM at Temecula launched a Bachelor of Science in
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Kinesiology: Health Science Option in 2010, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 2012 and a Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Justice Studies in 2015. For Brenda Anguiano, the proximity and the program structure offered at CSUSM at Temecula made it possible for her to finally complete her twenty-three-year journey toward a degree. As a Temecula-area business owner, she needed a program that was nearby and that meshed with her schedule. “I loved that fact that it was two days a week,” says Anguiano, who earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 2016. “And then, five semesters and I would be done.” In 2014, CSUSM at Temecula, Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) and the city of Temecula celebrated the opening of the Temecula Higher Education Center, a joint education facility dedicated to the study of business. At the ribboncutting in Temecula’s former City Hall, CSUSM at Temecula and MSJC announced a 2+2 guaranteed pathway degree in which students can earn an associate degree at MSJC and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at CSUSM at Temecula in four years, guaranteed, if they meet all of the academic requirements.
True to its mission to provide education programs that uniquely serve the region, CSUSM at Temecula launched the Environmental Leadership Institute in 2011 and the Environmental Leadership Academy in 2012. The institute serves as a resource for environmental planning, analysis, assessments, policy and education for emerging environmental leaders and practitioners. The academy brings together community and government leaders, industry professionals and concerned citizens in a four-month program that gives participants the tools to develop a deeper understanding of the environmental issues affecting our quality of life. “That’s the strength of the academy, that we have representation across all segments of the industry,” says Matt Rahn, Environmental Leadership Institute director/research faculty. “I always felt that a lot of our issues could be more easily resolved if we sat down with a cup of coffee and talked, rather than getting our policymakers and lawyers involved.” Business and professional development programs at CSUSM at Temecula rotate according to the current needs of the region and have included professional certificates in meeting and event planning, hospitality, business emergency preparedness planning, wedding planning and more. Taught by CSUSM faculty or industry experts, the certificate programs
are short-term and provide skills that are immediately applicable on the job or necessary to break into a new career. Staff and students at CSUSM at Temecula serve the community through causes and organizations such as the Temecula Education Foundation, area chambers of commerce, the Economic Development Coalition, Visit Temecula, Temecula Wine Growers Association, Valley Young Professionals and Habitat for Humanity. As a satellite campus of CSUSM and a part of the twentythree-campus California State University system, CSUSM at Temecula shares an unwavering commitment to student success and to meeting the lifelong educational needs of the community. The campus combines the academic strengths of a large university with the personal interactions possible in a smaller institution as students from diverse backgrounds work closely with faculty who are active scholars in their academic disciplines. In the coming years, CSUSM at Temecula will continue to expand access to an excellent and affordable education, and to contribute to the ongoing intellectual, civic, economic and cultural life of Southwest Riverside County. To learn more, visit the school’s website at www.csusm.edu/temecula.
Top: The Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at the Margarita Road campus is a cohort-based, twenty-four-month program. The average GPA for students in this rigorous degree is 3.468.
Bottom: CSUSM at Temecula is the only public university in Southwest Riverside County offering upper-division bachelor’s degrees. This young satellite campus for California State University San Marcos counts more than 600 alumni from its four degree programs. Additional offerings include professional development certificates, personal enrichment programs and customized training programs for area businesses.
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TEMECULA VALLEY HOSPITAL
On October 14, 2013, Temecula Valley Hospital opened as a center for healing with a soothing environment that has peaceful scenic views, natural light, and spacious, comfortable lounges. As the only hospital in Temecula, the facility was a welcome addition to the community. Temecula Valley Hospital has 300 affiliated physicians, over 700 employees and 170 volunteers, and offers the community a comprehensive range of services similar to hospitals in large metropolitan areas. When Temecula Valley Hospital was built, it was designed for future expansion to help accommodate the area’s continued growth. Its thirty-seven-acre campus can accommodate additional expansion as community needs grow. In fact, in April 2017, the hospital broke ground on a first-floor expansion project for additional space of over 28,000 square feet, further expanding the facility’s cardiac, neurosciences and surgical services. Temecula Valley Hospital offers many services to the community: • Cardiology Services: Along with a wide range of diagnostic imaging and outpatient services, Temecula Valley Hospital offers major specialty services that include open-heart surgery through a clinical collaboration with University of California San Diego Health. The hospital is also designated as a STEMI receiving center and stroke ready hospital by the Riverside and San Diego County Emergency Medical Services Agencies, and The Joint Commission has designated the hospital as an advanced primary stroke center. In addition to those distinctions, the Chest Pain Center at Temecula Valley Hospital is nationally recognized by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care for meeting or exceeding national care standards for acute cardiac medicine.
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• Advanced Primary Stroke Center: Temecula Valley Hospital earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® and has been recognized by the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association for advanced primary stroke center certification for their commitment to stroke and neurological care. The hospital’s dedicated stroke program helps to ensure that stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines based on the latest scientific evidence, fostering better outcomes for stroke patients in the surrounding Temecula area. • Emergency Care Services: The emergency department at Temecula Valley Hospital is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide area residents with the emergency and urgent medical care they need, when they need it. A team of emergency medicine physicians, registered nurses and specially trained staff work in cooperation with other in-house specialists to provide high-quality treatment as quickly as possible. • Intensive Care Services: Temecula Valley Hospital partners with UC San Diego Health to provide on-site Intensive Care physician coverage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the twenty-bed intensive care unit. The critical care board-certified physicians and experienced nurses are specially trained to provide high quality care for the most severely ill patients. Temecula Valley Hospital offers a comprehensive range of additional specialty care services that bring quality care to the community: • Gastroenterology: Digestive system problems such as abdominal pain, acid reflux or heartburn, irregular bowel movements, and indigestion are some of the signs and symptoms treated by gastroenterologists. Physicians may use a variety of lab tests, imaging tests and health screenings to determine a diagnosis and treatment.
• Orthopedics: In addition to bone fractures and breaks, the hospital offers treatments ranging from total hip and knee replacements; to spine, foot and hand surgeries; to minimally invasive lumbar decompressions; and many others. • Surgical Services: The surgery department’s mission at Temecula Valley Hospital is to provide medically advanced, high-quality surgical services for all patients. The surgical expertise includes management of the most common ailments and includes minimally invasive procedures. Inpatient and outpatient surgical services are available to address a wide range of treatment areas. • Other Services: Temecula Valley Hospital also offers nutritional services through specialized menus and registered dieticians; palliative care that provides support during serious illness; and bloodless medicine options to honor religious beliefs tied to blood transfusions. Temecula Valley Hospital is dedicated to the community and passionate about being involved in activities and efforts for the City of Temecula and its surrounding areas. Some of the activities that Temecula Valley Hospital participates in include: • Heart Walk: Employees, volunteers and families raise funds for the American Heart Association by recruiting donors to sponsor them in the annual Heart Walk held at Lake Skinner, California. • Temecula Health and Wellness Fair: Clinical staff donates their time to provide free health screenings (blood pressure, lipid panel, and glucose) as well as providing community education on topics such as heart health, stroke, and nutrition. • Women’s Heart Health Event: Clinical staff provides education on heart disease, heart health, CPR, and stroke awareness. • Aphasia Support Group: This stroke support group provides education at monthly gatherings.
• Rose Again Foundation: Hospital staff collects and donates gifts for local orphaned and foster children over the holidays. • Jacob’s House: Employees donate needed items and funds to provide housing for families who have loved ones in the hospital and cannot afford other accommodations. • Support for Underprivileged Patients: Employees donate items throughout the year to support less-fortunate patients who come through the hospital. • TVH Volunteers: The hospital’s robust volunteer program enables community members to enjoy meaningful volunteer work within the community. Temecula Valley Hospital—“your community hospital”— is a vibrant and active participant in the community of Temecula and its surrounding areas. The hospital is dedicated to serving the healthcare needs of community members with a focus on patient centered, family sensitive care. For information on everything Temecula Valley Hospital has to offer, visit www.temeculavalleyhospital.com or call 855-859-5202 to make an appointment. Disclaimer: Physicians are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Temecula Valley Hospital. The hospital shall not be liable for actions or treatments providedby physicians. QUALITY OF LIFE 151
VISIT TEMECULA VALLEY
Temecula Valley welcomes nearly 3-million visitors from around the world annually. Visit Temecula Valley (VTV) is the region’s official tourism marketing organization and resource for visitors to Southern California Wine Country. VTV owns the official tourism site at visittemeculavalley.com providing up-to-date visitor information on events, restaurants, things to do, and lodging. A subdivision of VTV is Film Temecula, a resource, and permitting office for all filming within the City of Temecula. As a nonprofit organization, VTV promotes Temecula Valley as a year-round travel destination, located in
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the center of Southern California. The business is primarily funded by an assessment through overnight occupancy within the City of Temecula and Temecula Wine Country. In addition, the City of Temecula Pechanga Resort Casino, and tourism members contribute to the annual budget. The main tourism attractions marketed through the organization are Temecula Valley Wine Country, Old Town Temecula, Pechanga Resort Casino, and large scale special events and festivals. Visiting can fill several days with activities like wine tasting, golf, breweries, shopping, dining,
agriculture, hot air balloon flights, horseback riding, gaming, spa, and much more. Tourism to Temecula Valley brings more than $720-million in travel spending, which is a fifty-five percent increase since the inception of VTV in 2004. The tourism industry is a large part if Temecula’s economy it supports nearly 7,500 employees in the valley, which is a forty-two percent increase since it
began. The destination continues to announce new hotels, restaurants, wineries, and tourism-related businesses each year. Travelers can find directions and information about what there is to see and do at the Visitor Center, located in Old Town Temecula at 28690 Mercedes Street, adjacent to the parking structure or by visiting the website at www.visittemeculavalley.com. QUALITY OF LIFE 153
OAK GROVE CENTER
Top: Oak Grove Center’s catering class.
Below: One of four signature events, Rock the Oaks, to raise funds for Oak Grove Center.
Oak Grove Center is a twenty-four hour nonprofit residential, educational and treatment center for children and youth throughout California with psychological emotional, and behavioral problems and special needs. The mission of Oak Grove Center is to rebuild the lives of at-risk children and their families through education, healing, restoring relationships, building character and instilling hope— Empowering Success*Transforming Lives. Oak Grove was founded in 1989 by a psychiatrist, psychologist and educator and evolved into a nonprofit in 1992. At this time, Oak Grove became more involved in the local community and began to expand its Board of Directors. In the early days, the culture of Oak Grove reflected a ‘correctional’ model. This changed over time into a therapeutic, relationship oriented program, which incorporates advanced training and a focus on trauma informed care designed to equip youth with coping skills and strategies to avoid self harm, engage in problem solving and positive relationships. Today, Oak Grove has a well-established Work Ability (WAI) program and culinary internship, which allows the youth identified with special education needs to gain work experience and participate in activities that promote independence, including self-advocacy, independent living, college and career preparation, and community involvement or leisure activities. Various internships have been added that also enhance the students hands-on learning experiences in a variety of fields including Culinary, Gardening, and Vehicle Maintenance. “At Oak Grove, we believe in children and their ability to grow, heal, recover and rise above the challenges they face,” explains Tammy Wilson, CEO of Oak Grove. “Our mission is to rebuild the lives of at-risk children and their families through educating, healing, restoring relationships, building character and instilling hope. We believe that the work we do today builds a better tomorrow and that this is accomplished though outstanding school and therapy programs, a talented
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clinical team, and a dedicated staff that is committed to maintaining a positive, reinforcing and holistic environment designed to engender change in the lives of children.” Oak Grove provides a wide range of enrichment programs including an expansive arts program that focuses on multiple genres of arts and sports activities. Services include residential treatment provided for those 8 to 18 and a nonpublic school that is WASC accredited for children and youth ages 5 to 21. Oak Grove added an autism program in 2007, which has continued to grow. There is also Partial Hospitalization, Intensive Outpatient, Wraparound and Recovery Programs. Oak Grove Center is licensed as a Short Term Residential Treatment Program. Oak Grove’s arts program began in 2005 and grew from a small music class to a full blown Arts Program including Visual Arts, Dance, Culinary Arts, Video, Drama, Martial Arts, Storytelling, Performing Arts and more. The Arts provide healing opportunities for youth who have faced abuse and trauma, students gain confidence and self-esteem is enhanced. Oak Grove measures success in a variety of ways due to the population served. Oak Grove ensures that students are
meeting academic expectations through demonstration of passing classes, attainment of credits, positive attendance, and improvements in behavior, social skills, and self-advocacy. Over the last three years, both school programs have demonstrated high success rates in those areas. These success rates are especially significant for Oak Grove’s population as the majority have demonstrated a pattern of failure in these areas prior to placement to such a degree that more restrictive level of placement was warranted. Students have been able to experience success at Oak Grove, which has resulted in positive transitions back into district programs. With the help of Oak Grove’s programs, residents and students leave equipped to perform well in their daily lives. Oak Grove often has past residents and students return to visit and tell their own stories of how they were able to succeed and improve their lives after treatment. We enjoy hearing the success stories with adults who are now parents and say “the cycle of abuse stopped with me” as well as others who are serving in professions, trades, and the military, leading successful lives. Oak Grove Center’s main campus is located in Murrieta and offers all levels of care. Oak Grove also operates a nonpublic school campus in Perris, Oak Grove at the Ranch, and
provides community-based services in Bermuda Dunes, Oak Grove and the Desert. Oak Grove has grown from a staff of fewer than 100 providing residential treatment and school services for 76 youth to a staff of 374 providing services to 1,500 youths each year. Oak Grove is the second largest employer in Murrieta and is highly involved in the health of the community and its youth by treating and educating some of the most vulnerable children who have special needs and/or are at risk. Oak Grove Center is a member of both the Temecula and Murrieta Chambers of Commerce and key staff members serve on a number of committees and forums with other nonprofits and community organizations. Four signature events each year—Rock the Oaks, Evening Under the Oaks, Oak Grove Golf Classic-So-Cal Chef Open and Murrieta Rod Run—help provide funding for the arts, sports, recreation, culinary and educational, vocational programs as well as the fund for children without families. To learn more about the Oak Grove Center, including how to serve on a committee with one of the signature events, check the website at www.oakgrovecenter.org.
Top: Oak Grove science students.
Bottom: Oak Grove’s dance team performs Phantom of the Opera.
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TEMECULA VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Temcula Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Temecula is one of the most picturesque and historic communities in Southern California. The history of Temecula is rich and varied. Incorporated as a city in 1989, Temecula is well known for its historic Old Town, championship golf courses, a climate perfect for serene and beautiful hot-air ballooning adventures and includes top-tier accommodations and dining. Branded as Southern California Wine Country, Temecula boasts award-winning wineries nestled in 3,000 acres of picturesque wine country. Our unique micro-climate creates the ideal environment for growing grapes and producing high quality wines. Temecula offers its residents award-winning schools, beautiful residential communities, diverse shopping/dining options, higher educational opportunities, and a vast array of parks and trails. In additional to being a great place to live, Temecula is a business-friendly community. Temecula boasts access to California’s vibrant economic and research sectors, providing platforms for start-up companies and vast opportunities for economic development. Rated one of the top twenty least expensive cities to do business in California by the Kosmont-Rose Institute, Temecula remains the ideal city for relocating, expanding, and developing a new project in Southern California. As the leading business organization in the Temecula Valley, the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce (TVCC) works tirelessly to promote business development and give their members direct access to business and community leaders who share their economic, civic and social concerns. The TVCC prides themselves on being an advocate for business, and is dedicated to regional prosperity by informing members of the latest business trends. The Chamber unites the efforts of business, industrial and professional individuals to ensure an enhanced business climate, harnessing the
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tremendous potential of the private enterprise system and enabling its members to accomplish collectively what no one could do individually. Founded in 1966, the TVCC has long been an integral part of development of the Temecula Valley. In 1990 the TVCC founded the Economic Development Corporation and in 1998, founded the Tourism Council. As the business community continued to grow in Temecula, the Chamber saw the need to help their business members develop a common voice to speak to local and state government and formed the Southwest California Legislative Council. To further support a specific, but very important business sector, the TVCC launched the Southwest California Manufacturing Council in 2013. With a vision of advancing manufacturing success in the region, the Council includes representation from a diverse and expansive group of the area’s manufacturing sector. The mission of the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce is and always has been to promote positive economic growth while protecting the environment for all businesses and to support the programs, which preserve and improve the quality of life for the entire community.
Loma Linda University Medical Center–Murrieta is the fulfillment of a vision to create a world-class community hospital to continue the teachings and healing ministry of Jesus Christ. In 2010, a Wall Street Journal report identified the Murrieta–Temecula region as one of the most underserved communities in the nation for healthcare, citing an alarmingly low hospital bed-to-population ration. The report bolstered a group of dedicated physicians and community members to form Physicians Hospital of Murrieta, LLC (PHM). The group purchased a tract of land between Scott and Clinton Keith Roads in Murrieta, hired an architect, and began construction of a new facility. During the construction, PHM began searching for a regional healthcare partner and learned that Loma Linda University Health (LLUH) was looking more closely at the Murrieta– Temecula region. The two organizations formed a for profit joint venture and moved forward under the name of Loma Linda University Medical Center–Murrieta. LLUH subsequently purchased the shares from PHM and the new hospital became part of the Loma Linda University Health System. Later, LLUMC-Murrieta became a faith-based, nonprofit institution, fully owned and operated by Loma Linda University Health The 106-bed hospital, opened in 2011, brings together the expertise of a teaching hospital with the personal feel of a community hospital in a calm and healing environment.
Since it opened, LLUMC-Murrieta has served more than 45,000 patients. The main hospital and its adjacent Professional Office Building work in tandem to meet a wide spectrum of the inpatient and outpatient healthcare needs of a fast-growing region of nearly 800,000 people. Key specialties provided by LLUMC-Murrieta include cardiovascular services, women’s health, cancer care, orthopedics, spine care, NICU, wound care, and hyperbaric medicine. The comprehensive heart program offers adult patients unmatched expertise from leading cardiac experts with convenient access. Services include a heart attack receiving center and certified chest pain center; three state-of-the-art digital catheterization labs; interventional care for coronary artery disease, aneurysms and heath failure; treatment for atrial fibrillation and other heart rhythm disorders; and cardiac rehabilitation. Women’s health programs include a diagnostic imaging center and an all-private family birthing center with 24-hour family visits and the only hospital-based lactation support services in the region. A new six-bed, Level II neonatal intensive care unit is scheduled to open in late 2017. LLUMC-Murrieta is developing a more comprehensive range of cancer care services to help patients navigate treatments, surgery and recovery. The current program has a Tumor Registry to help patients in developing a better plan for their unique needs. The hospital’s total joint replacement program utilizes the most advanced surgical and nonsurgical techniques to eliminate or relieve knee, shoulder, and hip pain. In the decades to come, Loma Linda University Medical Center–Murrieta will continue to build on its vision of innovating excellence in Christ-centered healthcare by emphasizing the values of teamwork, wholeness, integrity, compassion, and excellence.
LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER– MURRIETA
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TEMECULA VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Top: Temecula Chamber of Commerce Students of the Year. We greatly appreciate our partnership with the local community, Chamber and Sally Myers for spearheading this twenty-six year program.
Below: Students at Jackson Elementary School work with technology through the Bring Your Own Device Program.
Profile Provided by Hamel Contractors.
The Temecula Valley Unified School District (TVUSD) is located in Riverside County. The District covers 213 square miles—north to French Valley, south to the Riverside County line, east to Vail Lake, and, west to the Temecula city limit. The District began operations as a unified school district in 1989. Currently, there are 17 elementary schools, 6 middle schools, 3 comprehensive high schools, 1 continuation high school, 1 independent study high school, 1 virtual school, 2 charter schools, and 1 adult school in the District for a total of 32 schools. The District also conducts a childcare program called BASES at various elementary school sites. The District employs 2,953 certificated and classified employees. The District’s enrollment is 27,700 students in grades Kindergarten through twelfth grade. TVUSD is known as a top performing school district in Riverside County and California. Significant accomplishments include: • Highest A-G (college prep courses) completion rate in Riverside County; • One of the highest graduation rates in Riverside County; • Highest in Riverside County for standardized tests; • Seventy percent of TVUSD graduates attend a two- or four-year college upon high school graduation; • High Schools Ranked within the 2018 US News Best Schools List; • Four California Green Ribbon Schools—Great Oak High School, Rancho Vista High School, Ysabel Barnett Elementary, and Paloma Elementary; and • Eight Gold Ribbon Schools—Crowne Hill Elementary, Bella Vista Middle School, Gardner Middle School, Temecula Middle School, Vail Ranch Middle School, Temecula Valley High School, Chaparral High School, and Great Oak High School.
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High-Quality Teaching and Learning for All. Inspiring Excellence. Impacting the Future. TVUSD’s goal is to prepare students for college and career. To accomplish this, we continue to shift instructional practices to meet the needs of our twenty-first century learners. Our focus involves an emphasis on critical thinking and collaboration, new textbook adoptions in English Language Arts and Mathematics, implementation of Next Generation Science Standards, greater utilization of technology, and providing students access to courses of rigor such as AP, Dual Enrollment, and IB. Another important strand in preparing students for the future is to offer courses in Career Technical Education (CTE.) These courses allow us to partner with the local business community, provide internships, and real-life experience in the workplace. Currently, TVUSD is developing the following pathways: • Health Science and Medical Technologies; • Information and Communication Technologies; • Arts Media and Entertainment–video media arts, digital and, production and managerial arts; • Building and Construction; • Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation; • Education, Child Development and Family Services; • Fashion and Interior Design; • Engineering and Architecture; • Retail Sales and Marketing; • Transportation; • Business; and • Manufacturing and Product Design.
The health of a community is defined, in part, by the strength of the nonprofit community. Philanthropic organizations provide support to many of the social challenges we face as a society. They serve as a catalyst for goodwill and compassion and that, in turn, supports individuals and families in need and the community at large. Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley (HFHIV) provides solutions to the affordable housing crisis we face locally and throughout the world. HFHIV is an ecumenical Christian organization with the conviction that everyone should have a decent place to live as a matter of conscience and action for all. HFHIV was founded in 1991 with a mission to provide affordable homeownership opportunities and to improve living conditions for challenged income families in Southwest Riverside County. HFHIV serves Temecula, Murrieta, Wildomar, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, and Perris. HFHIV provides a “Hand up, not a Hand out!” A Habitat home is a strong foundation for a family, an opportunity on which they can build a better life. Strong and
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stable homes help build strong and stable communities. Habitat for Humanity furthers the mission to eliminate substandard housing by building and repairing homes for families, veterans, and seniors impacted by challenging incomes and poverty cycles. In addition, HFHIV has two Restore locations located in Temecula and Lake Elsinore that offers the community affordable home repair materials, volunteer opportunities, and raises funds and awareness. “Our homes are foundational to everything!” said Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley’s Executive Director Tammy Marine. “Our living conditions are directly tied to health, success and community involvement. Through shelter, we empower. Everyone deserves a decent, place to live.” Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley invites companies, organizations and indivuals to get involved in the movement. Collaborative partnerships are key to the organization’s success and provide an immense gain to all who get involved. Find out how at www.habitativ.org or call us at (951) 296-3362.
Top: The Arvizu/Ramos family stands proudly in front of their new home in Perris during a House Dedication Ceremony in August 2017.
Bottom: A Habitat homeowner gives back by helping to build a new Habitat family’s home.
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CHARITY FOR CHARITY
Charity for Charity is unique among Temecula Valley support organizations because its focus is on the individual. Each year, Charity for Charity selects three people—an adult, a young adult, and a child with either a life threatening illness or traumatic injury and fulfills their special wishes. The three individuals selected each year are honored with the fulfillment of their special wishes at the annual gala, Stars of the Valley event. Among the wishes made real by Charity for Charity are a family Disney cruise, golf with Ricky Fowler, the movie premiere of Miracles from Heaven and an afterparty trip to Paris, a Mediterranean cruise, and attending an NFL football game as the guest of the team. Other wishes fulfilled include a ride in a tank at Camp Pendleton, lunch and sparring with MMA legend Dan Henderson, a new automobile and an electronic prosthetic hand. Charity for Charity officials have learned that the lives of their beneficiaries are incredibly affected by the organization and its method of support. Recipients say Charity for Charity gives hope when there is none, and their selection not only fulfilled their wishes, but changed their lives. Charity for Charity also encourages the community and its citizens with scholarships for local high school seniors who demonstrate a passion for helping others. More than twenty scholarships have been provided over the past few years.
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Purposeful and meaningful community awards are presented by Charity for Charity at its annual Stars of the Valley event, a gala Golden Globes-styled event. These awards encourage Temecula Valley residents to be ‘stand-outs’ for selfless acts. Charity for Charity’s primary source of income comes from the generous supporters of the yearly Stars of the Valley event, where wishes are granted and locals are honored for their contributions to the community. More than 500 guests will enjoy this year’s event at the Pechanga Resort & Casino. The organization also raises income throughout the year by holding smaller fundraising events, including the 10K day when Charity volunteers drive all over town collecting contributions of $100 or more from businesses and individuals. Another popular event is an exclusive Dinner/Concert at the Poggio Leano Estate. The percentage of Charity for Charity’s gross revenues that are spent directly on its missions is 100 percent. All funds taken in by the organization go back to the mission of making a significant difference in the lives of those with special wishes in the community and inspiring others to accomplish incredible things. Charity for Charity looks forward to many more years of ‘making a significant difference’ in the lives of others.
The Boys & Girls Club of Southwest County provides academic support, sports, arts, S.T.E.M., career readiness, and leadership programs through before and after-school programs and day camps at its three site locations in Temecula, Murrieta, and Lake Elsinore. The mission of the Boys & Girls Club of Southwest County is to inspire and enable all young people to realize their full potential as educated, responsible, caring, and productive citizens. Every day before and after school, Boys & Girls Club of Southwest County delivers the nationally tested and time proven Formula for Impact, a recipe that has ensured thousands of youth in Temecula, Murrieta, and Lake Elsinore have had the opportunity to fully realize their greatest potential. The Formula for Impact is as follows—The Youth Who Need Us Most + Outcome Driven Club Experience=The 3 Priority Outcomes of Academic Success, Good Character & Citizenship, and Healthy Lifestyles. In 1990 a small group of community leaders realized the need for a safe place for children to go before and after school. The first Boys & Girls Club of Southwest County was started at Margarita Middle School in Temecula, California, offering after-school programs to middle school children. The Club expanded to a facility in Old Town Temecula in 1994. Three years later, the Club expanded to Murrieta on the campus of
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Shivela Middle School, offering sports clinics after school, and later in 1998, to a permanent double-wide modular site at the California Oaks Sports Park. Some years later, the Club expanded to the City of Lake Elsinore, currently located at the Lakeland Village Community Center. In June of 2006, the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians built the 5,500square-foot flagship Pechanga Great Oak Clubhouse at Kent Hintergardt Park in Temecula’s beautiful Redhawk community. Every day, there are thousands of kids and teens across the cities of Temecula, Murrieta, Lake Elsinore, and the neighboring communities, with nowhere to go before or after school. This is where Boys & Girls Club of Southwest County comes in. At Boys & Girls Club of Southwest County, Temecula kids not only have a safe, positive place to go, but a place where they will receive mentorship from a caring, professional adult, and opportunities they may not receive at home or school. Serving as the critical puzzle piece, between home and school, Boys & Girls Club of Southwest County offers Club members life-changing programs and services, including exposure to once in a lifetime opportunities such as Lakers Sports Camps, or performing onstage to a crowd of hundreds, participating at a premiere vocal talent search event held at Pechanga Resort Casino.
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MURRIETA ROTARY CLUB
Bottom: Student winner of the Speech Contest is flanked by Judges Dennis McCarbery, Sandy Rosenstein and Paul Evenson.
This page was dontated by Law Offices of Hitzeman & Evenson, APC.
Rotary brings together a global network of volunteers who dedicate their time and talent to tackle the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. The Rotary connects 1.2 million members from more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work impacts lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. The Murrieta Rotary Club was formed in 1992 by a gathering of community-minded people. It was charted through the Temecula Noon Club and has served the community for over twenty-five years. Rotary has five avenues of service: Vocational, Community, International, New Generations (Youth), and Club Service. Vocational Service encourages Rotarians to serve others through their vocations and to practice high ethical standards. This is accomplished through: scholarships to graduating seniors in our local schools; a music competition with cash rewards; vocational service awards program to recognize professionals in our community who dedicate their
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careers to serving others; the Four-Way speech contest; and the annual Veterans Day Lunch. Community Service seeks to improve the lives of the people within our own community. This is accomplished by: the annual Special Needs Dance for special needs adults; Child Spree, a back-to-school shopping experience for disadvantaged children; Thanksgiving dinner where Rotarians partner with the local high school to feed about 2,000 people during the holiday; Murrieta Through Time project for preserving the history of our town; Teacher service grants; Literacy programs; and the Field of Honor. The flagship program and main fundraiser for the club, the Field of Honor places over 2,000 flags in Town Square Park in honor of our military and first responders in a weeklong tribute to others who have dedicated themselves to Service Above Self. International projects expand Rotary’s humanitarian reach, and include our Sister Club program with the Rotary Club of La Paz, Mexico; helping a remote village in Uganda—Oduoro Village—with a fresh water supply; and Children’s Health Projects, which sends professionals to impoverished areas of the world to assist with dental work. New Generations programs are aimed at students with whom our future lies. Rotary participates in RYLA— Rotary Youth Leadership Awards; PRYDE—Personal Rotary Youth Development Experience; Model UN—a conference that gives students an inside look at the workings of the United Nations; and Student of the Month program, which recognizes students who make amazing strides to overcome difficulties and better themselves. Club Service is the running of the club itself, which meets every Monday (excluding holidays). Some fifty members attend the meetings filled with fun and good works and are marked with dedication to our community and our country. Please feel welcomed to join us at any time.
Through hard work and sheer determination, James Cooley managed to escape the bleak poverty of his youth to become a well educated individual, the owner of his own successful business and a leader who has now dedicated his life to paving the way for the next generation of achievers. James was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His mother sent him at an early age to Graham, Alabama, to live with relatives. In Alabama, his new home had no indoor bathroom facilities, no running water, or electricity, but what he received was unconditional love and compassion during his five-anda-half years living in Alabama. This was a major lesson learned that would pave James’ path and direction for his life. James rejoined his mother and siblings by returning to Chattanooga, but the family still lived in a drab public housing project where gunfire was a daily occurrence. However, the lessons he learned from his stay in Alabama, the encouragement of his eighth-grade teacher, his “Can Do” attitude to ‘believe in yourself’, inspired James to work for a better life. Deciding the military was his best option out of poverty, he joined the U.S. Navy as an enlisted man and worked his way up to obtain the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer (E-9). After fifteen years, he was commissioned as a Navy officer. He served an additional eight years and achieved the rank of Lieutenant (LT/03E). Along the way, he earned a Masters degree in Public Administration (MPA) from Central Michigan University and completed ten additional Masters Certificate programs including an Executive MBA from the University of Notre Dame Mendoza School of Business. After retiring from the Navy, James continued to work for the Department of Defense in the aerospace industry and eventually started his own company as a government contractor. He was always eager to help others improve their lives. Through the Navy, he produced and hosted forty-seven television shows titled Cooley’s Fitness Tips. He was the recipient of one of the Thousand Points of Light awards from
OPTIONS & OPPORTUNITIES: THE CHOICE PROGRAM JC COOLEY FOUNDATION President George H. Bush for helping to create the nation’s first breakfast tutoring program for underprivileged children. To provide opportunities for others, James established the JC Cooley Foundation in 2014. This foundation is a nonprofit (501C3) called Options & Opportunities: The Choice Program, which provides leadership training, guidance, direction, and mentoring to youth and communities. James’ wife, Michelle, and retired business owner and real estate executive, Don Dickinson, were instrumental in the development of the program. Working with local and nationwide youth through schools, churches, Boys & Girls Clubs, outreach centers, and businesses, the JC Cooley Foundation provides seminars on how to overcome obstacles and become successful. The JC Cooley Foundation has provided over $25,000 in scholarships to help students throughout California attend college. A dynamic motivational speaker, James has inspired thousands through his speaking tours, seminars, and YouTube presentations. He is in great demand as a speaker for major corporations, the military, Rotary Clubs, Boys & Girls Clubs, churches, and many other organizations for his inspirational speaking and leadership seminars. James’ vision is to develop his foundation into one of the top nonprofit organizations and serve the entire globe by providing training, direction, leadership, and inspiration for the next generation of leaders.
Above: James Cooley.
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MURRIETA COUNSELING CENTER Murrieta Counseling Center is located 29995 Technology Drive, Suite 103.
At an age when most have retired to a life of leisure, Dr. Ronald Morgan continues his life-long effort to help those with personal and behavior problems. After more than twenty-five years as a psychologist in correctional facilities and twenty-seven years in private practice, Dr. Morgan established the Murrieta Counseling Center in 2017 and continues to see patients five days a week and often far into the night. Dr. Morgan feels this dedication and desire to help those with problems was triggered by his father, who was a minister. After growing up in Kansas, Dr. Morgan earned his B.S. Degree from Sterling College, followed by a Master’s Degree from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. After working as a correctional counselor at a Community Treatment Center in Kansas City, and a nineteen-month stint in the U.S. Army, he became a caseworker at the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. This experience inspired him to work with inmates in the criminal justice system and he decided to become a psychologist. He returned to
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school and earned an Ed.S. Degree from the University of Colorado in Boulder, followed by an Ed.D degree. His work in the corrections system continued in 1971 at the Federal Youth Center in Englewood, Colorado, where he provided case work for about eighty incarcerated youths. Dr. Morgan’s career brought him to California in 1974 where he became Unit Manager and assisted in opening the Federal Correctional Institution in Pleasanton. He later helped provide mental health services for Community Mental Health in South Lake Tahoe. He completed his fellowship by working at Orange County Juvenile Court Evaluation and Guidance Unit and Orangewood Children’s Home. He was a Psychologist at Heman G. Stark Youth Training Center in Chino where he conducted a study on “Child Abuse and Subsequent Involvement in Violent vs. Nonviolent Offenses.” He has also served as a criminal justice consultant for defense attorneys and provided alternate sentencing reports for consideration by state and federal courts. He opened a private practice in Corona in 1991, providing psychotherapy. Dr. Morgan has also served as Mental Health Program Supervisor for the California Department of Corrections and served as Senior Psychologist, Supervisor, supervising a staff of Psychologists and Psychiatric Social Workers providing direct services to individuals on parole. At age seventy-two, Dr. Morgan has no intention of slowing down. “My main mission is to help people feel better,” he explains. “Most of the people I see are in some sort of distress and I try to help them be happier.” He works with patients who have problems with anxiety, anger management, depression and other problems, including sex offenders and victims of sexual abuse. Murrieta Counseling Center is located at 29995 Technology Drive, Suite 103, in Murrieta.
Mature adults who are fifty-plus and want a doctor who combines advanced training and experience in dentures, cosmetics and implants, travel from all over Southern California to see the founder of this one-of-a-kind Adult Dentistry specialty practice, Dr. Dave Cutts, DDS. With more than thirty years’ experience, Dr. Cutts is one of only a handful of dentists with extensive training and experience in complete mouth reconstruction, which combines highly advanced cosmetic, denture and surgical/implant skills. Dr. Cutts has successfully performed more than 8,000 anesthesia and sedation cases and over 5,000 implants. His purpose is to treat each patient the way he himself would like to be treated. To accomplish this, Dr. Cutts listens carefully, provides a clear simple treatment recommendation, and works tirelessly to satisfy or surpass expectations for each patient. “I try to give every patient several different options on handling their particular problem. There is no “selling” in our practice—we just lay out the options and do whatever it is that fits in that person’s life. “We also make it our daily crusade to be on time! Our mission is to provide the highest level dental care in an atmosphere of complete trust,” says Dr. Cutts. “Our goal with each patient is to listen carefully and once we fully understand what they want, to provide the right treatment that fits their needs and life circumstances. And then we guarantee our work. We call this ‘Peace of Mind Dentistry.’” Adult services provided by Dr. Cutts and his team are: • New set of teeth in one day—With the All-on-4 treatment, Dr. Cutts can get you a new set of gorgeous teeth in one visit. • Dr. Cutts offers non-removable dentures with dental implants. No more grandma’s teeth on the nightstand. You can have a permanent set of teeth. • Replace a missing tooth or multiple teeth with dental implants. With a ninety-five percent success rate, it is the preferred method for tooth replacement.
• Achieve the dazzling, healthy new smile you deserve with— the results can improve your life professionally and socially. Dr. Cutts is a graduate of Loma Linda University and volunteered as a clinical instructor in the school’s Department of Oral Surgery. He has trained under the leading clinicians in implants, complex crown and bridge cases and cosmetic dentistry, and is widely known for his extensive experience in complex and sedation dentistry. Dr. Cutts also lectures and mentors other dentists. All four of Dr Cutts’ daughters work in the front officeDarcie, Daina, Dannielle, and Demie—and they love working in their family business! Dr Cutts and his wife, Debby, were married twenty-six years ago and discovered Temecula—called Rancho California then—on their honeymoon while driving over the “back way” from La Quinta in the desert, over the mountains to Del Mar. “We fell in love with the valley immediately as we drove down old Highway 79 in the softly falling spring rain, past Galway Downs and the horse country with not a house in sight until we got close to the freeway! We came back to visit many times in the following year and knew this was the place we wanted to raise our family!” Dr. Cutts has been an active contributor to the development of the Southwest County communities. He is a speaker and mentor for regional dental study clubs, helps in sports coaching, and sponsors social programs that instill moral values in children. As a former high school science teacher, he has contributed to numerous school programs, including personally founding and running the Temecula Literacy Program with Debby. Dr. Dave Cutts’ Center for Adult Dentistry is located at 42057 Margarita Road, Suite 101 in Temecula, California To learn more about the servuces provided by Dr. Cutts, check the website at www.drcuttsadultdentistry.com or call 951-852-7869.
DR. DAVE CUTTS, DDS CENTER FOR ADULT DENTISTRY Dr. Dave Cutts, DDS.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF JANN GENTRY.
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THE MARKETPLACE R e t a i l a n d c o m m e r c i a l e s t a b l i s h m e n t s o f f e r t h e p e o p l e o f Te m e c u l a Va l l e y a n i m p r e s s i v e v a r i e t y o f c h o i c e s Pechanga Resort Casino .....................................................................................................168 Beshay Enterprises ............................................................................................................172 LA Masters of Fine Jewelry .................................................................................................176 Jann Gentry Photography ...................................................................................................179 Law Offices of Hitzeman & Evenson, APC .............................................................................180 Te m e c u l a Va l l e y To y o t a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 2 New Day Solar .................................................................................................................184 Rosenstein & Associates .....................................................................................................186 F a b o z z i & M i l l e r, A P C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 8 8 David Neault Associates, Inc. .............................................................................................190 C r a i g D a v i s F a m i l y I n s u r a n c e A g e n c y, I n c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 2 SCEGA Gymnastics ...........................................................................................................193 Gershon Bachus Vinters .....................................................................................................194 P a r a d i s e C h e v ro l e t C a d i l l a c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 5 JC Resorts .......................................................................................................................196 Rancho California Inn .......................................................................................................197 A l l i a n c e P ro p a n e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 9 8 Lammert Inc ....................................................................................................................199
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PECHANGA RESORT CASINO
Top: Now the largest resort/casino on the West Coast, Pechanga Resort Casino's major expansion added 568 AAA Four Diamond hotel rooms and suites, a 4.5-acre pool complex, two additional restaurants, a two-level luxury spa with fitness and yoga studio, and another 68,000 square feet of meeting and event space including the 40,000-square-foot Pechanga Summit.
Bottom: Lobby Bar & Grill, a California bistro and bar serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
All the excitement of Las Vegas, plus everything needed for an ultimate Casino experience, is available right here in the Temecula Valley at the Pechanga Resort Casino. Guests rave about Pechanga, saying it rivals the best in Las Vegas, Nevada; Macau, China; or Singapore. At this luxurious resort you will find a casino floor larger than any in Las Vegas, lavish guest rooms and suites, a toprated golf course, fabulous food and entertainment, and meeting and convention space for groups large or small. Pechanga Resort Casino is a Native American Casino located on the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indian Reservation in Temecula. The $262 million resort and casino first opened its doors in June 2002. The resort, designed to highlight the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians’ culture, included an 85,000-square-foot casino, a 1,200-seat showroom, and a 14-story hotel with 522 rooms. The resort also included a 38,800-square-foot convention center, 200-seat cabaret lounge, Eagle’s Nest Lounge and 7 restaurants. A 100,000-square-foot expansion was opened in November 2004 adding additional gaming space, a highlimit gaming area, a food court area, a non-smoking fiftyfour table poker room, Kelsey’s, a sports-themed restaurant, and a 14,000-square-foot night club.
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Pechanga Resort Casino is the Temecula Valley’s number one employer with 4,750 employees, and is the third largest private employer in Riverside County. Pechanga has the largest casino floor in California, totaling 200,000 square feet—larger than the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It features 4,500 Vegas-style slot machines, as well as a large non-smoking casino floor area with a poker room, OTB and Bingo. Smoking and nonsmoking slots/tables fluctuate frequently, an ultra-modern 700-seat bingo facility and 14,700-square-foot High Limit Gaming Area with High Limit Salon and private gaming rooms. Guests may choose from among 4,500 state-of-the-art reels, video reels, keno and video poker machines while enjoying the convenience of Pechanga’s easy ticketing system and numerous redemption kiosks. Winning is always in the air, with more jackpots and more action for players of all levels. Whether you are a first timer, a sometimes player, or an experienced hand, Pechanga’s vast array of table games offers winning times for all. Pechanga offers more than 150 table games (not including poker), as well as the most Mystery Card Roulette and Double-Deck Blackjack tables of any casino on the West Coast. Plus, Pechanga’s knowledgeable,
friendly staff is always available to help you have the best time ever. In March 2018, Pechanga held the grand opening to its $300 million resort expansion with a construction time of just over two years. The massive project included an additional 568 hotel rooms and suites; a 25,000-square foot stand alone luxury spa; a 4.5-acre pool complex; two restaurants; and another 70,000-square feet of meeting and event space. Luxury accommodations await you at Pechanga. The luxuriously appointed rooms and suites in the Casino Tower and Resort Tower will make your visit to Pechanga one to remember. The Casino Tower features mountain, valley or golf course views. The Four-Diamond, 500-square foot Deluxe Rooms are equipped with either one California King or two Queen beds. Deluxe rooms also feature custom made Italian furniture throughout, floor-to-ceiling windows and extra amenities to make your stay one of total comfort. Also available in the Casino Tower are Queen rooms, one and two-bedroom suites and an intimate 430-square foot studio spa that will become your private hideaway with a spa tub for two, one queen bed, LCD television, double-chaise,
and iHome docking station. The full bath features an oversized master tub, glass encased shower, plus his-and-hers sinks and double vanity. Pechanga’s new Resort Tower deluxe rooms offer up to 400-square feet of relaxation on another level. Available with two queen beds or one king bed, all rooms provide top-ofthe-line amenities, including bath products, Keurig coffee makers, latest technology and inputs and more. Junior suites are also available in the Resort Tower. Floor to ceiling windows on two sides of the Resort Tower’s corner suites offer some of the most amazing views in Southern California. The rolling Temecula hills and Journey at Pechanga golf course or the twinkling lights of the Temecula Valley can be your views in one of the contemporary 650square foot suites. Featuring a 55-inch flat screen television in the bedroom, 65-inch flat screen in the living room and many other AAA Four Diamond amenities, you will know you are staying in approachable, comfortable elegance. The new Spa Pechanga invites guests to check their stress at the door of the two-story luxury Featuring seventeen treatment rooms, full hair, nail and make-up salon, private cabanas, two hydro therapy pools, and a dedicated outdoor spa pool. The emphasis is on the utilizing Native healing botanicals. Dining options galore are available at Pechanga. You can explore a wide variety of dining options, from fine dining to casual dining to on-the-go fare. You will also enjoy a variety of bars and lounges. Pechanga’s newest dining option is the Lobby Bar & Grill, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The California style bistro uses only fresh, sustainable, locally sourced ingredients, all blended together in a flavorful fusion of American, Mexican and Asian-inspired fare that pleases the palate and stimulates the senses. Chef Jose Mendoza has taken the California bistro concept to another level, using items grown in the rich Temecula Valley soil to create a menu that is both inspiring
Top: Pechanga's new Atrium, which bridges the Casino Tower and new Resort Tower, is the perfect meshing of Native American and Modern architecture.
Above: Form meets function as the lights and sights of the Temecula Valley greet Pechanga guests in the resort's new Atrium.
Left: Pechanga offers guests approachable luxury with subtle elements of the Tribe's Native heritage woven into architectural and resort experiences.
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Above: Whether you are a first-timer, a sometimes player, or an experienced hand, Pechanga's vast array of table games offers winning times for all.
Top: Spa Pechanga features a newly expanded Fitness Center with cardio equipment, free weights, exercise machines and fitness classes include yoga and boot camp.
Right: Pechanga offers AAA Four Diamond hotel rooms and suites with floor to ceiling windows offering some of the most amazing views in Southern California.
and inviting, including numerous vegetarian dishes and handcrafted cocktails infused with local fruits and herbs. Also added with Pechanga’s $300 million expansion was The Coveside Grill. Filled with healthy fare and food perfect for kid palates. The Coveside Grill satisfies guests’ taste. For a meal to remember, visit Pechanga’s Great Oak Steakhouse. This AAA Four Diamond restaurant offers sumptuous 100 percent prime Black Angus beef and many other creatively inspired dishes. The Steakhouse has been recognized by the editors of Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast magazines for its exceptional wine list. Another popular fine dining option is the Umi Sushi & Oyster Bar. Umi means ‘sea’ in Japanese and you will discover sushi, sashimi, onigiri rolls, oysters on the half shell, seafood platters, specialty cocktails and more in this amazing, interactive restaurant. In Paisano’s Restaurant, the “New World, Old World” atmosphere fuses generational family cooking and Italian varietals with the best wines from California, Oregon and Washington amidst ambience reminiscent of an Italian village. It is the perfect place for family, friends, or business. At Journey’s End, you may enjoy a delicious breakfast or lunch alongside breathtaking views of Pechanga’s premier golf course and the surrounding Temecula Valley.
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The Pechanga Café, open twenty-four hours, is known for its delectable comfort food. Menu selections range from lighter fare such as soups and salads, to hearty dinners. Save room for one of the mouth-watering dessert selections, all served around the clock. The adventurous diner will love the Pan-Asian fusion of authentic dishes and live gaming in Bamboo, an innovative restaurant incorporating an Asian table pit. You will enjoy dishes prepared in the national style of Korea, Vietnam, and China, amid a fast-paced noodle bar featuring exotic native drinks. At the delicious Blazing Noodles, Pechanga has struck a perfect balance of authentic Chinese and Thai cuisine and western dining favorites. You will love the modern, inviting ambience of this newly remodeled dining room, open daily for lunch and dinner. With two levels of bars at Pechanga, you can feel the true heartbeat of the casino while enjoying daily drink specials, ample seating and live DJs. Once solely a sports bar, the new Kelsey’s has re-opened as an upscale American pub serving high-quality barbeque. Of course, you can enjoy your favorite games on the bigscreen televisions. You may enjoy a coffee or glass of wine at
Blends Coffee & Wine Bar with plenty of phone and device chargers, located right off the hotel lobby. The Round Bar features two levels, multiple flat screens televisions, comfortable seating and a cool vibe to meet friends. It is easily found below the towering stained-glass beacon adorned with oak and eagle art. At Pechanga’s Temptation Food Walk, guests may enjoy a wide variety of international dining options to savor with friends and family or to take on-the-go. In-room dining with an extensive menu is available twenty-four hours daily. Live entertainment at Pechanga is world class, presented in grand and intimate venues where every seat feels like front row. Tickets for all Pechanga shows, boxing events and comedy club performances are available from the box office located next to the theater entrance. You can take the elevator from the hotel lobby to the top floor and step out to the Eagle’s Nest Lounge and Nightclub. Enjoy dance music in an incredible space with sweeping panoramas of the twinkling city lights and the Temecula wine country. Guests also enjoy the laughs delivered by comedy’s most hilarious and original voices in The Comedy Club at
Pechanga. The Comedy Club will introduce you to the comedy circuit’s biggest stars, as well as the up-and-comers. From rock to pop and jazz to country, as well as the best in stand-up, the Pechanga Theater ranks among the top Southern California performance venues. Bigger and better performances and events get hosted at the Temecula resort with addition of the Pechanga Summit. The 40,000-square foot events center. Whether your plans include a meeting for 50, a wedding for 100, a banquet for 1,000 or a concert for the ages, the Pechanga Summit, also gives you everything you need to bring your event to life. As the largest casino resort on the west coast, Pechanga Resort Casino is nestled in Temecula’s picturesque Southern California wine country and offers the ultimate destination setting as the winner of AAA’s Four Diamond Award every year since opening in 2002. Visit Pechanga soon and discover the excitement and pleasures of the best casino in America– where winning is in the air and anything can happen. For additional information, to make reservations or get latest entertainment lineup to Pechanga Resort Casino, please visit pechanga.com.
Top: Spa Pechanga, a 25,000-square-foot sanctuary of luxury, wellness and serenity designed for year-round rejuvenation of the mind, body and spirit.
Bottom: Spa Pechanga's numerous amenities, such as steam rooms, saunas, whirlpools, a fitness facility and outdoor patios, are specifically created to offer an intimate escape into wellness and tranquility.
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BESHAY ENTERPRISES
A simple belief in hiring great people and serving great food has propelled Beshay Enterprises to the top of the restaurant business. Starting twelve years ago with only five locations, David Beshay is now the owner of hundreds of franchise restaurants, including Jack in the Box®, Denny’s® and Corner Bakery Cafe® restaurants. Beshay’s fantastic business success began in 1991 when he immigrated to New York from his native country of Egypt. Although he had studied at a business school in Egypt, his first job in the U.S. was running a small gas station in Long Island, New York. A family friend encouraged Beshay to transfer his entrepreneurial talents to California, where he began his business career in 1992 as a $4.25 per hour employee at a Jack in the Box restaurant in Fullerton, California. He loved working for the brand and soon began moving up the
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management ladder as a Team Leader, Assistant Manager, Restaurant Manager, and General Manager. By 1999, Area Manager Beshay was responsible for the operation of twenty-two Jack in the Box locations in Southern California. In 2000, Beshay relocated to Temecula and soon became a Regional Franchise Consultant for the Jack in the Box brand, where he was responsible for the operation of 150 restaurants. Beshay took the next step in his career in 2006, when he became a Jack in the Box franchisee by purchasing five locations in North County, San Diego. Jack in the Box is a highquality restaurant company and among the top restaurant brands,” Beshay says. “We have great quality food and strive to treat customers and employees right. I knew becoming a Jack in the Box franchisee was the right move for me.” Since 2006, Beshay Enterprises has branched out. It operates multiple Denny’s locations nationwide, and more recently, developed six fast-casual dining Corner Bakery Cafe restaurants, which are modeled on the concept of a warm, neighborhood café that specializes in pastries, breads, breakfast dishes, gourmet sandwiches, homemade soups, salads and pasta.
In the immediate Temecula/Murrieta area, Beshay operates nine Jack-in-the-Box restaurants, two Corner Bakery Cafe restaurants and is in the process of expanding its Denny’s holdings in French Valley. Beshay is proud to have created thousands of jobs in San Diego County and South Riverside County, and thousands of others nationwide. Beshay and his team operate their restaurants on core values represented by the word FEAST: • (F) Faith—We trust in God, every member of our team, and our own capabilities. • (E) Excellence—We compete against perfection by setting expectations that are scary. • (A) Attitude—We embody a mindset and culture that consistently focuses on taking care of our employees, our guests, our brand, our company and our communities. • (S) Support—We stand together, embrace change together, and cheer for each other.
• (T) Training—We create an environment that attracts and retains the best and brightest people by providing ongoing “Best in Class” training, and meaningful development and succession planning beginning from the moment we hire a new employee. Beshay credits his success to his partners and employees, particularly the efforts of four key individuals in the early days: Lucy Stanciu, Monica Bartolo and Mike Tasevski and partners Sam Fong, Le Su and Ben Eramya. “You can’t manage more than 200 restaurants without having some amazing people working for you. My hiring philosophy is to start out with the quality of the individual and their personal drive to be successful, but what really sets people apart is their passion for people, the food they serve, and the brand they belong to. They have to love people and love what they’re doing,” Beshay says. “You can teach procedure. You can teach how restaurants are run. You can teach food cost and THE MARKETPLACE 173
labor. But you can’t teach somebody to care for other people. Our employees must have a passion for serving others.” In hiring and training staff and management, Beshay is guided by the Service-Profit Chain. “You hire great people. You train them well. You create an environment that makes an exciting and motivating place to work,” he explains. “In return, they treat each other and our guests with care and respect, which strengthens our business.” Beshay says much of the reason for his phenomenal growth is the support he receives from great cities like Temecula and Murrieta. “These are very welcoming cities,” he says. “I do business throughout the country in ten different states, and deal with many different municipalities. Some cities are really difficult to deal within respect to systems and processes, and delays and fees. South Riverside County welcomes opportunities, welcomes growth, and welcomes businesses. I know the people here, T E M E C U L A VA L L E Y S O U T H E R N C A L I F O R N I A W I N E C O U N T RY 174
they can move the process along, they’re very pro-business and pro-growth.” Beshay believes in giving back and supporting the communities where he does business. He and his employees support a number of local organizations such as Boys and Girls Clubs of South Riverside County; Relay for Life Murrieta; American Heart Association; No Kid Hungry; which ensures every child gets the food needed to thrive, and Student of the Month program in South Riverside County, which provides scholarships for local students. Beshay Enterprises is in the process of building a new corporate headquarters in Murrieta. The 20,000-square-foot building is scheduled to open in the spring of 2018 and will add several new employees from the local community. Looking to the future, Beshay hopes to continue developing quality restaurants throughout the country and is looking for quality acquisitions that fit the company’s plan for growth.
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LA MASTERS OF FINE JEWELRY
La Masters custom 14 karat white gold hummingbird and flower diamond engagement ring. PHOTO CREDIT STAN AZEVEDO.
La Masters of Fine Jewelry first opened its doors September 1988 in the Tower Plaza. Located in a small store behind the plaza’s gazebo, La Masters established itself as a part of the local community through active involvement in many causes and needs of the growing community. Their thirty-year mission has been to create and maintain satisfied enthusiastic customers by providing quality products and extraordinary customer service, while also serving as a community leader that gives back to the community in a responsible and generous manner. La Masters of Fine Jewelry joined the community in its early stages before Temecula established cityhood. During this time, the La Masters team was heavily involved in the cityhood campaign, Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce and establishing a nonprofit organization dedicated to building the first Children’s Recreation Center in Temecula, the CRC Foundation. The CRC Foundation accomplished their T E M E C U L A VA L L E Y S O U T H E R N C A L I F O R N I A W I N E C O U N T RY 176
primary mission of building the CRC and the skate park in Ronald Reagan Park, while raising more than $500,000 for parks and recreation facilities during its nine-year mission. Innovative marketing and the ability to manufacture jewelry on the premises were hallmarks for La Masters. Having Second-generation master jewelers on staff, custom jewelry and jewelry repairs helped the company expand in product and services. By the mid-1990s, La Masters moved from their small footprint store and closer to customer parking within the Tower Plaza. La Masters of Fine Jewelry became known for unique promotions that often broke the jewelry mold. Antique treasure exhibits, big screen television giveaways, limousine service and hot air balloons all caught the public’s attention. Holiday Lights and Festive Sights was an early Christmas promotion that included a mini-Santa arrival at the shopping center.
This “procession” became a parade before the promotion was complete. Many residents remember it as the first Christmas parade that proceeded through the Del Taco Drive-Thru. Another promotion proclaimed that if “You Can Find the Same Jewelry for a Lower Prize, We Will Eat a Snail.” To support this claim, a terrarium of snails was kept in the store. Snails, however, do like to eat. One morning the crew opened the store to find the snails gone. A partially-consumed business card and dollar bill had been left on the counter near the terrarium by the escapees. By 1999, La Masters built the La Masters Plaza on Ynez Road, providing closer parking access for their customers and increased inventory space. A family-owned and operated business, La Masters of Fine Jewelry provides custom fine jewelry as well as the finest designer jewelry lines of Tacori, Gabriel Bridal and Fire & Ice Diamonds. Now owned and operated by third-generation jewelers, jewelry repair and manufacturing is still done on the premises. Embracing new technology, La Masters utilizes a 3D Printer, Laser Welder, CNC (Computer Numerical Control)
Mill, and CNC Engraving system to fulfill customer needs. These state-of-the-art systems are rare in any jewelry store, and enable La Masters to provide one-stop shopping for custom jewelry design, creation and jewelry repair while reducing the turnaround time for the customer. La Masters continues to integrate family traditions of crafting fine jewelry, providing outstanding customer service, and utilizing advanced technology. It is these values that have helped La Masters Jewelry continue to grow with the community. With a thirty-year history of providing superior quality jewelry, excellence in customer service and satisfaction, and a commitment to supporting the local community, La Masters of Fine Jewelry is proud to have won three “Business of the Year” awards from the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce; 1991, 2005 and 2013. La Masters of Fine Jewelry’s unique design skills and technical abilities spawned a new branch for the company; custom-designed cause-related jewelry. Created from an organization’s icon or logo, this custom-line enables nonprofits to raise funds and awareness for their cause.
Custom Design process photographs from CAD system of the La Masters custom hummingbird and flower diamond ring.
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Above: La Masters JFYC original, created for Our Nicholas Foundation. PHOTO CREDIT STAN AZEVEDO.
Right: This beautiful design represents the logo of Charity for Charity; a LA Masters JFYC original. PHOTO CREDIT AUBREY FINN.
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Jewelry for Your Cause (JFYC) was created to support that one “cause” and special charity that finds a place in your heart and your budget. La Masters of Fine Jewelry was inspired by a young family that was struggling to pay for their child’s medical care. The child had been diagnosed with an extremely rare disease that proved too expensive for any family to afford, let alone this young family. Enter Jewelry for Your Cause, a custom designed piece of jewelry represented the “cause” with its logo, molded and cast into a unique line of bracelets and pendants. La Masters of Fine Jewelry designs the original piece utilizing each charity’s logo or iconic emblem. The charity has control over the final product. Some are cast in gold, some silver with gold plating, and some are embellished with diamonds. The extent of the design is up to the charity. Once the finished product design is approved, La Masters manufactures the desired inventory for the charity, selling the items to the charity at wholesale and allowing them to determine the profit. Almost weekly, La Masters of Fine Jewelry is approached to make donations and sponsor charitable organizations. By creating a unique jewelry line for the individual charities, Jewelry for Your Cause accomplishes several goals: • Fundraising for nonprofits and charities; • La Masters’ donation and support of nonprofits and charities; and, • Branding and marketing of the Charity/Cause/Fundraiser that engages individual supporters. The following nonprofits and charities have Jewelry for Your Cause Product lines: American Heart Association, Boys and Girls Club, Charity for Charity, Jacob’s House, Komen for the Cure, Our Nicholas Foundation, Reality Rally, Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival, and Women’s Network Foundation.
As a photographer, I’ve taken hundreds of thousands of photos over the years from small weddings to art hanging in corporate settings; from pet pictures to celebrity portraits, models, mothers, families and so on. However, the photos I love most are the ones that tell a story, ones that you can get lost in, pretend about, feel something with. I’ve reached the stage in my career where I have the luxury of taking on the projects I want to and not worrying about the rest. The ability to help with this book about Temecula Valley was just the sort of thing that piqued my creative interest and that led me to happily wandering about shooting for the good of the project.
JANN GENTRY, PHOTOGRAPHER
As a professional photographer and writer, this was the golden opportunity to make an impact and help the region I care so much about. I hope that you enjoy the work presented here by me and my contemporaries. There are so many really talented photographers in this area that they had to be included. Now as I travel and visit other interesting places, I still take photos, still climb into my camera and my trade to tell a story; but I will always come home, always have a fondness for California and always love Temecula best! THE MARKETPLACE 179
LAW OFFICES OF HITZEMAN & EVENSON, APC
Top: (left to right) Donald W. Hitzeman; Paul N. Evenson.
Below: (left to right) Donald W. Hitzeman; Donald W. Murray; and Paul N. Evenson.
The Law Offices of Hitzeman & Evenson, APC is not just another local law firm. It is vested in the community it serves. The attorneys and staff of Hitzeman & Evenson are practicing in the communities where they live, raise their families and are involved in their community. H&E Law is a full-service business law and estate planning firm, focusing on business transactional matters and litigation services, trusts, wills and estate planning and trust administration. The firm strives to meet its mission statement, which embodies its core values: “Because Competence and Integrity Matter.” Hitzeman & Evenson was founded in 2015 by Donald W. Hitzeman and Paul N. Evenson. Don is proud to have been a resident of the Temecula Valley since 1992 and has advised and represented Temecula Valley businesses and residents since 2004. Paul has lived in the Temecula Valley and provided legal services to the business community since 2011. The two formed their law firm in order to continue providing high quality, competent, cost efficient and timely legal services to businesses and residents throughout the Southwest Riverside County region, including Temecula, Murrieta, Wildomar, Menifee and Lake Elsinore. While most of the firm’s clients are located in the Temecula Valley and surrounding Southwest Riverside County, Hitzeman & Evenson have assisted clients throughout the State of California, the United States and internationally, including both Europe and Asia, and have successfully represented clients in both state and federal courts. Services provided by the firm include business formations and transactional matters, mergers and acquisitions, business litigation, employment law, trusts and estate planning and trust administration. The attorneys analyze their clients’ legal needs, and strive to advise their clients on how to avoid future legal disputes while best protecting their interests. When legal disputes inevitably arise, H&E Law’s skilled litigators assist their clients with resolving legal disputes. They
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are also efficient and proficient drafters and negotiators of contracts and other transactional and estate planning documents, each designed to meet the client’s specific legal needs in order to achieve the goals of their clients. H&E Law has continued to grow by building strong working relationships with a trusted network of other legal specialists, accountants, financial advisors and other related professionals throughout Southern California. The firm maintains offices in both Temecula and Menifee, to better serve our region. Don has been licensed to practice law in California since 1983, and is also admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Central and Southern Districts of California, the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, the United States Army Court of Military Review, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the United States Tax Court. As an experienced litigator, Don provides his clients with sound and well-reasoned advice related to all aspects of business and employment law, knowing how contract issues will likely play out in court, mediation or arbitration. His advice helps his clients navigate operational business decisions, including contract development and fulfillment, employee discipline and termination, human resources documentation and policy planning and enforcement. In his civil appellate practice, Don has briefed and argued many cases before the California appellate courts. Several of these cases resulted in published opinions of the California
Courts of Appeal. He also published articles in The Army Lawyer, during his tenure in the U.S. Army JAG Corps, and the Whittier Law Review. Paul has been licensed to practice law in California since 2008, and is licensed before the United States District Court for the Central, Southern and Eastern Districts of California and the United States Tax Court. He has represented clients in a variety of business related matters, including negotiating and drafting contracts, employment disputes, representing both plaintiffs and defendants in business litigation matters, formation of business entities and estate planning. Hitzeman & Evenson is actively involved in the Temecula Chamber of Commerce, Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber of Commerce, Menifee Chamber of Commerce, and the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest California. Don is a Board Member and officer of the Economic Development Coalition, a member of the Board of Governors of Temecula Valley Hospital and a Director of the Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber of Commerce. Paul serves as a Director of the Menifee Chamber of Commerce. The firm is honored to sponsor various business and nonprofit events in the community and is a proud charter sponsor of the Murrieta Rotary Club Field of Honor. Hitzeman & Evenson has provided monetary sponsorships and legal services to area charities in the Temecula Valley and Southwest California region, at either no cost or a reduced cost. Don is also a member of the Murrieta-Temecula Group, a collaborative of proven community leaders dedicated to the
social well-being of the Murrieta and Temecula area. As a member of the Governing Board of Temecula Valley Hospital, Don helps to oversee patient safety and quality of services provided to patients and representing the hospital within the community. H&E Law’s goal is to deliver competent legal advice that is complete, timely and professional, “Because Competence and Integrity Matter” and looks forward to continuing to grow as the Inland Empire, and particularly Southwest California, continue to grow. For more information about Hitzeman & Evenson, APC, please visit their website at www.hitzevenlaw.com.
Top: Donald W. Hitzeman; Paul N. Evenson.
Bottom:(left to right) Back row Renee Elek; Vanessa Nguyen; Hannah Hitzeman; and Christy Hite. Front row: Donald W. Hitzeman and Paul N. Evenson.
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TEMECULA VALLEY TOYOTA
Temecula Valley Toyota has become one of the largest volume Toyota dealerships in the nation by building a company culture that empowers each employee to focus on customer satisfaction. Located at 26631 Ynez Road, TV Toyota offers the popular line-up of Toyota cars, trucks, and sports utilities but it is the dealership’s close attention to each detail of the purchase and follow-up service that sets it above other franchises. The company calls this approach the ‘TV Way’— a list of twenty basic company beliefs are discussed with employees daily and emphasized throughout the year. President and General Manager Tom Rudnai describes the ‘TV Way’ as “The company’s DNA.” Like professional sports teams, TV Toyota uses a playbook that includes the company Mission Statement, followed by twenty quick and to-the-point words of wisdom relating to customer service and teamwork. Other topics include such items as the ‘ten-foot’ rule. Rudnai explains that this concept means, “Everything within ten feet of an employee, the employee owns. That means straightening chairs, picking up trash and acknowledging every guest and team member, it’s about pride of ownership and doing the little things well.” Each department manager begins the work day by discussing one of these subjects with the team.
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Rudnai came to California in 1981 to attend San Diego State and become a marine biologist. Those plans changed after he became a salesperson at a dealership in San Diego and learned there was good money to be made in the auto business. Rudnai moved to Los Angeles and worked his way up the ranks at various dealerships. He joined the Penske Automotive Group in 1992 and eventually became the president of Longo Toyota/Scion/Lexus. Longo Toyota is the largest dealership in the world. In 2014, Rudnai partnered with R. J. Romero of the OREMOR Automotive Group to purchase the Toyota dealership in Temecula. OREMOR, a family owned and operated group of award-winning dealerships, operates stores throughout Southern California. Rudnai’s first priority was to change the culture of the dealership, using the motto, “New Ownership. New Attitude. Come experience the difference.” Each employee was provided a job description clearly outlining their role and responsibilities and enrolled in Toyota University, a continual training program that includes both online and in-class requirements. A top sales training company works with the sales staff to help them focus on how to listen and communicate effectively with guests and co-workers. The new ownership has resulted in a sales increase of more than seventy-eight percent and a sixty-five percent increase in service and parts business. Employment has increased over fifty percent and now stands at 215. The sales tax revenue created by the dealership is up more than 100 percent. The new owners have also invested heavily in a new state-of-the-art facility. These impressive numbers have earned TV Toyota several top awards within the Toyota organization, including the President’s Award, given only to the top dealerships with top
level sales, service and customer satisfaction. The dealership has also qualified for the President’s Cabinet (given only to 12 out of the 1,232 Toyota dealers in the nation—top one percent), Board of Governors (top 60 volume dealers in the nation), Circle of Excellence (top 30 dealerships in the nation with Toyota Financial Services) and received top awards for Service Excellence, Parts Excellence and Customer Service Excellence. To reward team members for their accomplishments, the dealership has a monthly BBQ where Rudnai and his management team cook and serve all the employees, as well as a special awards dinner when objectives are met, which is nearly 100 percent of the time. Employees and their guests have enjoyed dinner cruises at sunset, as well as visits to local wineries and racing venues. An Employee of the Month program recognizes an individual who has provided exemplary service and awards the recipient with gift cards. Employee suggestion boxes are located throughout the dealership and many of the employee suggestions have been implemented. The dealership also sponsors a softball team that plays other businesses in the Temecula Valley and is strongly supported by other employees to watch them play and cheer them on. TV Toyota was recently named a Top Workplace in Riverside County by the Press Enterprise along with being nominated as a top business by the Temecula Chamber of Commerce. TV Toyota and its employees are deeply involved in the community and participate in numerous civic and charitable events. The dealership is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, continuing a record of twenty-five years of service begun by the previous owners. TV Toyota is the title sponsor of the Temecula Valley Fair and is active with Oak Grove and Boys and Girls Clubs. In addition, TV Toyota teams participate in the Walk for the Cure,
Paws for the Cure, Run through the Vineyards, and several other activities. TV Toyota has contributed large sums of money to such organizations as Habitat for Humanity, PennyPickles Museum, Charity for Charity, American Legion, YMCA, Riverside Fire Fighters, Hospice of the Valley and dozens of others. They also have a very successful internship program with local high schools resulting in several hires after graduation. Participating in community events and supporting their programs is TV Toyota’s way of showing that family/community comes first and is a core concept of the ‘TV Way’ and its mission statement. The dealership is a strong supporter of programs for the Marines at Camp Pendleton and many employees have been hired through the dealership’s Hire a Hero program, aimed at providing jobs for veterans. “It’s all about community, long-term relationships, and taking care of our guests,” says Rudnai. “We believe that if we take care of our guests and our team members, the business will take care of itself.” THE MARKETPLACE 183
NEW DAY SOLAR
Above: Mary and Scott Carlson in 2012.
As pioneers in the bourgeoning solar power industry, the Carlson family of Temecula Valley considers their business a mission to provide high quality, low cost solar electric systems to their customers. They feel by installing quality solar technologies, they are enabling their customers to live comfortably with a lower ecological footprint. A true pioneer in the industry, Scott Carlson learned to install solar systems with battery back-up while working for the University of California Riverside in 1988. Scott, a graduate of San Diego State University where he focused on urban development, was one of the few solar installers in California at that time and, as a hobby, he helped homeowners install their solar systems. “Since some remote research buildings at UCR had no electricity, Scott learned how to create power for these facilities with solar modules, batteries, inverters and charge controllers,” explains Scott’s wife, Mary. As interest in the use of solar increased, Scott and Mary started Carlson Solar in 1997 and installed some of the first solar electric systems in San Diego, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. “Solar modules were extremely expensive in the early days, with prices of $4.50 per watt,” Mary recalls. “Solar modules were only seventy-five watts, so Scott had to
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install quite a few solar panels to get the power needed. Now, solar modules are 330 watts each and the cost is down to below a dollar per watt.” Building on Scott’s expertise, Carlson Solar installed more than 1,000 solar electric residential and commercial photovoltaic systems and the company grew to be one of the most respected and leading solar electrical installation companies in California. Eager to spread the word about the benefits of solar power, Scott conducted numerous classes throughout the region. Many of the solar inspectors currently evaluating systems learned their trade from one of Scott’s many classes. Because of his overall knowledge of solar systems, Scott was asked over the years to Beta test several new solar technologies for manufacturers. With only a dozen employees, Carlson Solar became the sixth largest solar electric company in California and was considered one of the most cost effective, according to California Energy Commission statistics. In January 2008, Carlson Solar merged with Gaiam Real Goods, making it one of the largest residential solar installation companies in California. Scott became executive vice president of Real Goods Solar, as well as the main contractor.
He decided to retire after a few years, but it did not take long for Scott and Mary to realize the solar industry was not just a business but a way of life. With a passion surpassed by none, they opened New Day Solar. This business allows Scott and Mary to share their passion for the industry and put their stamp on helping the environment. In addition, it allows their customers to reap the benefits of their knowledge, dedication, focus on customer service, and the ‘family feel’ they provide. The company now has twenty-five employees, and has installed more than 3,000 systems. The establishment of New Day Solar also paved the way for their son, Brandon, to join the business. Brandon was Scott’s protégé while growing up and after graduating with a BA from CSUSB and receiving his teaching credentials from CSULB, Brandon began to focus full-time on sustainability and energy efficiency. He served as vice chair of the City of Burbank’s Sustainability Commission before stepping down to help his parents create New Day Solar. Like his father before him, Brandon has earned his electrical contractor license and works full-time with Scott and Mary. He also sits on a variety of boards and commissions throughout California to improve codes, standards, and legislation for green technologies. He spends much of his spare time educating and working alongside industry contractors, city officials and inspectors on understanding code requirements. With the expertise provided by New Day Solar—as well as a thirty percent federal tax credit—solar electricity has become much more affordable. Solar not only helps conserve the environment, but it saves money as well. Solar electricity is not just a luxury but has finally become affordable for the average homeowner. Scott, Mary and Brandon have made their company successful by providing customers with legendary customer
service, fair pricing and industry leading expertise. Quality, honesty, and integrity are their core values and New Day Solar’s business is based on these principles. Their customer satisfaction ratings prove that New Day Solar is a company that treats its customers like family and will go above and beyond all expectations. For the Carlsons, it is not about making a large profit or becoming a huge corporation; it is about getting solar to the masses and helping everyone see the potential Scott first saw thirty years ago. Whether you have a few questions or have decided that a solar system is right for you, the team at New Day Solar is here to help! Call us for a free site visit at (855)444-6329 or visit us at www.newdaysolar.com. THE MARKETPLACE 185
ROSENSTEIN & ASSOCIATES
Robert B. Rosenstein, president and founder. PHOTO COURTESY OF SHANE GIBSON, PHOTOGRAPHER.
In the heart of Old Town, right next to City Hall, is a brick building with a copper dome known throughout the city as the “Penny Dome.” It houses one of Temecula Valley’s premiere law firms, Rosenstein & Associates. The law firm has served Temecula Valley for over twenty-five years, and the firm’s attorneys have a combined experience of over sixty years. Rosenstein & Associates prides itself in being one of the most respected law firms in Temecula Valley. The law firm was formed by Robert B. Rosenstein, president and founder. When the firm opened, Temecula Valley area was much smaller and the firm was opened on the principle that the law firm could, “Provide all of the Legal Services of a big city, right here in Temecula.” Since Rosenstein & Associates opened its doors in Temecula, it has served its clients with the highest degree of integrity, skill and dedication. Rosenstein & Associates serves clients from small start-ups to those operating large businesses. Rosenstein explains that Rosenstein & Associates provides what he refers to as “cradle to grave” services to its clients. The firm assists clients in their initial formation stage, advising as to ongoing operations (including all transactional matters, such as contracts, lease review and business planning), protecting their image by providing trademark assistance, handling litigation matters, tax related matters, assisting clients in seeking funding (including assistance with an initial public offering) and if necessary, filing for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. The firm also assists individuals with litigation matters and Estate Planning matters including wills and trusts. Rosenstein & Associates currently employs three attorneys, a paralegal and a full support staff. While Rosenstein & Associates concentrates its business in Temecula Valley, it provides assistance to clients throughout the Southern California area, and has provided assistance to clients, not only in the United States, but also worldwide.
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While Rosenstein & Associates is dedicated to providing the highest level of professional legal services to the community, the attorneys and staff are also dedicated to giving back to the community. Members of the firm provide services to the community and belong to many organizations. Rosenstein & Associates’ dedicated staff has worked with the City of Temecula in providing technical advice and hands-on assistance to the Legal Scholars Program, and has worked with such organizations as the Rotary, Boys and Girls Club, Habitat for Humanity, NAMI, Temecula Theater Foundation, People Helping People, and JDS Creative Academy. Rosenstein & Associates is also a sponsor of many other community and charitable events. Rosenstein & Associates is committed to working in the business community to help Temecula and the entire
valley grow. Rosenstein & Associates has been a proud member of the Temecula Chamber of Commerce for more than twenty years, and belongs to the Chambers of Commerce of Murrieta and Menifee. In addition, Rosenstein & Associates is a Corporate Member of the Economic Development Coalition. Rosenstein, a graduate of the Southwestern Law School, is the principal attorney and president of Rosenstein & Associates. He has practiced law since 1979 and, prior to that time, was an Enrolled Agent with the IRS and had his own bookkeeping business. He is involved in serving not only the business community, but also the entire community. As is often said, “When you need something done, look for someone who knows what they are doing, and ask them to become involved.” Rosenstein is currently serving, and has served six years, on the Board of Directors of the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce. He is also an elected member of the Economic Development Coalition Board of Directors, serves on the Board of Directors and is the treasurer of Temple Beth Sholom, a member of MTG, and has served on the Board of Directors of the Temecula Theater Foundation and JDS Creative Academy. Rosenstein has also served on the Dean’s Advisory Counsel for Cal State San Marcos.
Professionally, Rosenstein is a member of various legal organizations, including the Riverside County Bar Association, the Southwest Riverside Bar Association, the Inland Bankruptcy Forum and the American Bar Association, where he has served on several committees, including the Committees of Taxation, Sole Practice and Corporations. He served as the vice chairman of the Small and Emerging Business section of the American Bar Association, and during this time, he helped develop the outline and reviewed the book, Legal Guide for Small Business. Rosenstein is married to Rabbi Sandy Rosenstein, and as a husband and father of five, he knows the value of hard work and dedication. Ethics and professionalism are the key principles upon which Rosenstein & Associates was founded. At Rosenstein & Associates the goal is to develop a long term relationship with its clients and to understand their needs. The firm offers an initial consultation for the client and attorney to meet each other to determine if a relationship can be established. The firm is located at 28600 Mercedes Street in Temecula and on the Internet at www.thetemeculalawfirm.com.
Bottom, Left: The staff of Rosenstein & Associates. PHOTO COURTESY OF SHANE GIBSON, PHOTOGRAPHER.
Bottom, Right: Rosenstein & Associates is located at 28600 Mercedes Street in Temecula.
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FABOZZI & MILLER, APC
Top: Fabozzi & Miller, APC. August 2017.
Bottom: The Attorneys of Fabozzi & Miller, APC.
The law firm of Fabozzi & Miller, APC, was organized nearly twenty years ago with one attorney, one law clerk and a single paralegal, all housed in a cramped 400-square-foot office. The firm has grown to become one of the oldest and largest law firms in the Temecula Valley, providing clients with legal representation centric to issues crucial to both individuals and business owners. The boutique law firm assists clients with matters concerning real property (both transactional and litigation), contract law, creditor’s rights (State and Federal Courts), employment
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law (solely to protect the employer), select family law, estate planning (wills and trusts), and probate. The firm represents local businesses of all sizes, individuals, real estate developers, creditors and community and national banks. The firm’s goal is to provide its clients with seasoned and thorough legal representation while being mindful of each client’s budget. “We work with clients to solve their legal issues,” explains Managing Partner Edward J. Miller. “Our firm boasts a family atmosphere with a professional quality of work. We strive to get to know each of our clients on a personal level so our service goes beyond their expectations. Every client is important and is more than a number. We strive to provide work product that assists our clients in attaining their goals, while always keeping in mind our commitment to provide personal service, high quality legal advice, superior work product, and cost effective solutions.” Founding Partner Dennis F. Fabozzi began practicing law in Orange County in 1978, where he started and successfully managed three law firms. In 2000, he moved his practice to Temecula. Miller began working for the firm as a law student in 2003, prior to becoming licensed. Miller became an Associate Attorney with the firm in 2006. Fabozzi and Miller became partners in 2014 and Miller became managing partner in 2017. Fabozzi passed tragically just as he was starting his retirement.
From the firm’s beginning, Fabozzi ingrained a work ethic typically found in the largest firms in Orange County or San Diego. From its first small office, Fabozzi & Miller has expanded to 4,000 square feet of space, occupying most of the second floor of a building at 41911 Fifth Street. The firm now employs five attorneys, three certified paralegals, and several support staff. Throughout its growth, the firm has continued to carry on its founder’s high professional standards and work ethic. Fabozzi & Miller is recognized as a professional, ethical and extremely competent law firm by its peers and clients. The firm is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell, the nation’s oldest source for dependable information about members of the legal community. The AV rating signifies the highest level of professional excellence, skill and integrity. Miller has been awarded the ‘AV Preeminent’ rating by Martindale-Hubbell, an honor held by fewer than eight percent of all lawyers nationally. Fabozzi & Miller, APC, has been nominated on multiple occasions for the Business of the Year Award presented annually by the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce, most recently in 2016 and 2017. Miller was nominated as ‘Citizen of the Year’ by the Chamber in 2016. All Fabozzi & Miller attorneys are members of the Riverside County, Southwest Riverside County and California Bar Associations and the firm’s paralegals are certified and
members of the National Association of Legal Assistants. The firm encourages and supports its attorneys to be active in legal and professional associations. Its attorneys are members of the Southwest Inns of Court, an association of lawyers and judges carefully selected from all levels and backgrounds who share a passion for professional excellence and who strive to bring a higher ethical standard to the legal community. The attorneys have also served on the Board of Directors of the Southwest Riverside County Bar Association, an association of lawyers and legal professionals who meet monthly to share ideas and keep up-to-date on current and new legal developments. Fabozzi & Miller supports its local community. All Fabozzi & Miller employees live in the Murrieta-Temecula Valley and are invested in their communities. Their families have grown up in the Valley and have become part of sports teams, youth organizations, church groups, and such organizations as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Fabozzi & Miller believes that family time is important. Employees are encouraged to be involved with their families and to volunteer for community activities. Miller is the current Chairman of the Board and provides pro bono legal services to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Riverside County, and the firm and its staff organize and sponsor the club’s annual fundraising event, ‘Our Kids Rock.’ Miller and the firm’s Associate Attorneys participate in the Temecula Law Resource Center’s Free Legal Clinic offered at the Ronald H. Roberts Temecula Public Library. Associate Attorney Ashley Wedding is involved with the Professional Women’s Roundtable, a nonprofit women’s organization dedicated to helping women succeed through mentoring by example, powerful speakers, educational workshops and networking. The goal for the future of Fabozzi & Miller, APC is to continue to grow at a reasonable pace, while keeping aligned with the original goals of the founding partner—an environment that puts the client first.
Above: Managing Partner Edward J. Miller.
Bottom: Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Riverside County Board of Directors 2018. Edward J. Miller, Chairman of the Board.
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DAVID NEAULT ASSOCIATES, INC.
Lorimar Vineyards and Winery.
In 2016, David Neault Associates, Inc. (DNA) celebrated their twenty-fifth anniversary. Since 1991, they have been working collaboratively with their clients, other design professionals and governing agencies to create unique outdoor living spaces designed to make landscape architectural statements that will stand the test of time. The firm traces its beginning to the economic recession triggered by the collapse of thousands of savings and loan associations in the early 1990s. At the time, David Neault was working for a land development/homebuilder that was developing Redhawk, a master planned community in what is now the City of Temecula. Neault explains that his employer was forced to scale back his operation because of the recession and offered him free rent and twenty hours of work a week if he wanted to start his own landscape and planning firm. DNA incorporated in April 1999. The firm is still located in the same building and the office where Neault was given free rent is now a storage and print room in their larger office. “Our focus has always been to provide our clients with a creative, yet pragmatic approach that combines vision, imagination, attention to detail, and an understanding of the overall project goals,” explains Neault. “We strive to provide a landscape architectural solution that creates an inspiring ‘sense of place.’ A place that invites people to create their own life long memories within the beauty of their surroundings and the comfort of the natural environment.”
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Always in search of excellence, DNA strongly believes that collaboration of dedicated professionals will result in a much richer experience and a more inspired design. DNA’s portfolio of work includes residential masterplanned communities, golf courses, hotels and resorts, theme parks, commercial/industrial and retail centers, Veterans Memorials, hospitals, university campuses, public parks, design guidelines and more. The firm’s projects in the Temecula Valley include Redhawk, Harveston, Fletcher Jones Mercedes-Benz, Lorimar Winery, Robert Renzoni Vineyards, Peltzer Family Cellars, Europa Village Tasting Room and Estates, Highgate Senior Living, Margarita Community Park and many others. “One of the things I am most proud of is the lasting impression we make on the fabrics of the cities and counties we work in; especially with the master planned communities,” Neault says. “Redhawk and Harveston are two of the premiere communities in Temecula and we had the privilege of working on these two from the very beginning of the planning process. We designed parks, parkways, water features, entry monuments, trails and other landscape features that people use, observe and enjoy on a daily basis. Memories are created in these areas that last a lifetime for many of the residents.” Neault adds that, “Invariably when I visit a home in Temecula, there is a picture on the wall or on a mantle
of some significant family or personal event, like a wedding, a prom, or graduation with the waterfall at Redhawk in the background. This is the highest complement and reward for our work. Seeing families playing in a park we designed or walking/jogging on tree-lined trails, or driving down tree-lined streets with beautiful landscapes; all evoke the emotions of pride and satisfaction in what we do.” DNA has six employees. Peggy Newman has been with the firm since 1999 when it was incorporated and now serves as operations manager. “Peggy has been invaluable with her strong organization skills, incredible people skills and her abiding faith,” Neault comments. Suzanne Palmer, RLA, a principal in the firm, has been with DNA since 2001 and is described as, “A landscape architects’ landscape architect.” Palmer played a big role in the success of Harveston, considered by many as the crown jewel of the master planned communities in the city. Her strong technical background and personal skills helped us land a consultant’s position with Eastern Municipal Water District, which was critical for our firm surviving the most recent recession.
Bryan Love, RLA, also joined the David Neault Associates team in January of 2005 and was recently made a partner. He is a key driver of the firm’s profitability and has an outstanding reputation with clients for his design, technical knowledge and great customer service. Shane Preston, who joined the team in October of 2005, has continued to lead the firm to new heights of design and graphic communication skills. “He is one of a few people I know who truly can work from both the left and right sides of their brains,” Neault says. William LaForge, a graduate of Cal Poly Pomona in Landscape Architecture and accomplished photographer, joined the firm in June of 2014 after two years of part time consulting work. Wil was a great addition to the team as he brought strong AutoCad skills, artistic talent and an easy going attitude. DNA believes in giving back to the community that they work and live in, providing pro-bono services for Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley Board, Home Aid Inland Valley and Orange County, Rancho Damacitas, and Project Touch. David is a Rotarian and serves on the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley.
Top: Redhawk- master planned community.
Bottom: Harveston- master planned community.
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CRAIG DAVIS FAMILY INSURANCE AGENCY, INC. DBA: FARMERS INSURANCE
Craig Davis Family Insurance Agency, Inc., is proud to represent Farmers Insurance, specializing in auto, home, life, and business insurance. Farmers Insurance was founded in Los Angeles in 1928 by John C. Tyler and Thomas E. Leavey, who shared a dream of providing a quality insurance product at a reasonable price. Farmers is proud to serve in excess of 10 million households with more than 19 million individual policies through the efforts of more than 48,000 exclusive and independent agents and nearly 21,000 employees.
Craig and Kathy Davis met while working in the mailroom at the Farmers Regional Office in Carlsbad, California, in 1987. Craig rapidly climbed the ladder in the regional office and was appointed an agent near the end of 1990. He worked and trained in the Carlsbad District Office for a year before locating permanently to Escondido in 1991. The agency continued its growth and near the end T E M E C U L A VA L L E Y S O U T H E R N C A L I F O R N I A W I N E C O U N T RY 192
of 1995, Kathy joined the business full-time. She had been working in the regional office with the homeowner division and added a new dimension to the agency from the start. The Davis Family Agency had two offices for nearly twenty years. The main office was located in downtown Escondido, and a satellite office was opened on the south end of Old Town Front Street in Temecula. However, Craig and Kathy decided to make an important change in 2008 when Temecula became the main office and Escondido was switched to a part-time satellite office. Deeply committed to community service, Craig is a longtime member of the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce and Murrieta Chamber of Commerce. In 2016, Craig Davis Family Insurance Agency was recognized as the small business of the year by the Temecula Chamber. Craig serves on the executive board for the Rotary Club of Temecula and was recognized as humanitarian of the year in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016. Kathy currently serves on the advisory board for Michelle’s Place, a local Breast Cancer Resource Center in Temecula. In the early days, Craig spent the majority of his free time coaching his son and daughter in youth sports, and Kathy served as the team mom. From soccer in the early days to little league/travel baseball and recreational/travel basketball, to becoming spectators in the stands watching their son play college baseball at UC Irvine, Craig and Kathy were always busy supporting their kids. The agency has an entire wall dedicated to the youth sports that Craig has coached throughout the years. These days Craig and Kathy spend their free time volunteering in the community, traveling, attending sporting events, camping in their RV, hanging out with friends, and just relaxing at home‌until the grandchildren arrive.
Temecula was still a small, yet growing community with many young families when Kathy Strate and Marci Hauser opened SCEGA Gymnastics in 1989. SCEGA stands for Southern California Elite Gymnastics Academy. SCEGA offers gymnastics programs of all levels for girls and boys between the ages of sixteen months and eighteen years of age. This state-of-the-art 18,000-square-foot facility houses the latest equipment for both recreational as well as competitive gymnastics. Huge foam pits provide both safety and fun for all gymnasts and a “treehouse” offers fun activities such as mini trampolines, a slide, ropes to climb and swing, and a secret tunnel. When it first opened, SCEGA gymnastics was relatively unknown in the gymnastics world. Through the hiring of experienced coaches, both recreationally and competitively, and the perseverance of the owners of getting the SCEGA name out there, the program grew quickly. Through the hard work of the owners, coaches and gymnasts, they rose to
the top of the gymnastics scene within a few years. As the business grew, Kathy Washington was hired as office manager and remains a key player today in the development of the business. In 1995, Hauser decided to turn her attention to coaching, so Kathy Bader and her husband, Dave, joined Strate as partners in the business. Bader brought new and fresh ideas to the program and worked to increase membership as well as managing staff development. Two former head coaches of SCEGA gymnastics, Tim Garrison and Meredith Paulicivic, are now head coaches at NCAA Division I universities. SCEGA now serves more than 1,400 students each week and, to-date, has more than fifty gymnasts that have or are currently competing in colleges with over ninety percent of them earning full athletic scholarships. SCEGA has become home to numerous State, Regional and National Championships and has trained more than twenty national team members for USA Gymnastics. SCEGA’s Rachel Tidd represented the USA at the 2001 World Championships in Belgium where the team earned a bronze medal. Sophina DeJesus represented the USA in Japan in 2009, where she took gold in the floor exercise. In 2017, SCEGA was named the top program in Region I, which includes all programs in California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah. SCEGA is very involved in the Temecula community by participating each year in the Race for the Cure for breast cancer and supporting Charity for Charity, a local charity organization. SCEGA also ‘goes gold’ each September in support of increased funding for childhood cancer awareness.
SCEGA GYMNASTICS Bottom, left: SCEGA Gymnastics currently has two locations, 27532 Commerce Center in Temecula and 36580 Penfield Lane in Winchester..
Below: Jillian Hoffman, Junior Olympic Level 10 National Champion Bars, Floor, and all around.
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GERSHON BACHUS VINTNERS
Top: GBV Wine Clique membership includes the ultimate wine experience with discounts, early release, and access to VIP areas and events.
One of Southern California’s best kept secrets is Gershon Bachus Vintners (GBV) where Tuscany meets Temecula. This family-owned winery offers a fine wine selection with many varietals, featuring mostly reds wines and blends and a fine estate white wine and three dessert wines. In addition to wine tastings, GBV hosts numerous weekend weddings or corporate events each year in a beautiful setting with spectacular views of Temecula Valley from every vantage point. Their new pond and waterfall adds so much energy to the already magnificent ceremony area. GBV began in 2005 when Kenneth and Christina Falik were looking for property in the Deportola Road section, which had only two wineries at the time. “We originally planned the property to be a vacation home,” explains Christina. “When we began construction and planted the vineyard in 2005-2006, we decided to join the ranks of other family-owned wineries. We branded the winery as Gershon Bachus Vintners, named after Kenny’s grandfather. Our wine education came with great determination through the osmosis of wine country.” The vineyard’s namesake, Gershon Bachus, immigrated to the United States from Europe in 1922 with his wife and two daughters. He had a zest for life and agriculture and like many transplanted Europeans, he made wine for his friends and family. However, he never achieved his dream of owning his own California vineyard. His grandson, Ken, and Christina have made his dream come alive with Gershon Bachus Vintners. “We began research and development in 2005, while our structure was being built, but did not get underway until 2007,” says Christina. “In the early years, we were open to the public by invitation only and presented our wines maybe once a month. As our coffers began to hold aged wine, we allowed patrons in once or twice a week. Our first events were held in 2007. FOX LA declared us the number one wedding venue the following year.”
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Production at GBV grew from 500 cases to more than 2,900 cases a year over the course of twelve years and they continue to serve only aged wines in the tasting room. A new barrel room will complete the production area located behind the waterfall. An authority on California wine making, Michael Tingley, helped lay the foundation for the respected winery GBV has become. Over the years, Tingley has been responsible for production of wines that have received many gold medals at various wine competitions. Dakota Denton, winemaker and general manager, is a Temecula native who brings a wealth of knowledge about the grapes that thrive in the region. GBV now operates with a total of six people in the winery. Each expert wine educator is cross-trained to represent Gershon Bachus in the tasting room, outside tastings and on-site events. Ken and Christina like to say that their life’s philosophy is not complicated. “Live well. Love much. Laugh Often. And always remember that life’s too short to drink bad wine.” Gershon Bachus Vintners winery and tasting room is located at 37750 Deportola Road in Temecula; marketing offices and warehouse are located in Lake Elsinore. To learn more about GBV, check the website at www.gershonbachus.com or call 877-458-8428.
In a highly competitive business where everyone claims to offer ‘the best deal’, Paradise Chevrolet Cadillac and Paradise Buick GMC have become premier dealerships in California by emphasizing community involvement. It all started with a deeply ingrained belief in giving back to the community reflected by the philosophy of Terry Gilmore, who organized Paradise Chevrolet Cadillac twentyfive years ago and Paradise Buick GMC three years ago. Since then, the dealerships have contributed almost $5 million to such organizations as Boys and Girls Clubs, veteran’s projects, and many other charitable activities. The dealership’s employees are encouraged to be involved in community activism and each year an employee is honored for exemplary community service with the Paradise Making a Difference Award. “Being involved requires a commitment of time,” Gilmore says. “We want to be involved personally and not just write a check.” In 1983, Gilmore, with his wife Cindy, moved to Ventura to begin his work for Bob and Nancy Gregory at Paradise Chevrolet, where he became general manager. He and Gregory became partners in 1992 and were awarded the new Chevrolet dealership in Temecula. Gilmore became the sole owner twenty years later but now has a partner of his own, Todd Tracy, who is general manager of Paradise Chevrolet Cadillac. Gilmore
opened Paradise Buick GMC in 2014. He named his longtime employee, Stacey Richards as general manager of the new dealership. Richards, who worked for the original Paradise dealership since their opening, served in many capacities. Starting as a shuttle driver and moving rapidly through the departments, Richards eventually became the finance manager, which made her the perfect choice with her knowledge of the Paradise practices and her commitment to the family business. Now with two locations, both on Ynez Road in the Temecula Valley Auto Mall, Gilmore attributes much of the success of Paradise Chevrolet Cadillac and Paradise Buick GMC to the loyalty and longevity of their employees. “We have two great teams and we just don’t have much turnover,” he says. “Our parts manager has been with us from day one and the original service manager retired two years ago. Just recently my daughter graduated from college and started working at the dealership.” Paradise Chevrolet Cadillac is consistently among the top dealerships in its region and has won numerous awards, including the Chevrolet Dealer of the Year Award for the entire United States. The dealership has been in the top five in customer satisfaction for the last ten years. While Paradise Buick GMC is still in its infancy, they have been the fastest growing Buick GMC dealership in California since opening in 2014. Gilmore plans to open an expanded Commercial Sales & Service dealership just down the street next year and is looking forward to a bright future for Paradise Chevrolet Cadillac and Paradise Buick GMC.
PARADISE CHEVROLET CADILLAC PARADISE BUICK GMC
Bottom, Left: Paradise Buick is located at 27420 Ynez Road, Temecula, California 92591.
Bottom, Right: Paradise Chevrolet Cadillac is located at 27360 Ynez Road, Temecula California 92591.
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JC RESORTS
Top: Stone House. Bottom: Stone House built in the late 1800s was originally a bunk house for local quarry workers.
Located in the heart of Southern California Wine Country and tucked away on the grounds of the Temecula Creek Inn stands a 140-year old building made of granite and stone, which is surrounded by century-old oak trees. The history of the historic Stone House began in the late 1800s during the time that the hills were being quarried for granite. The Stone House was used as a mess hall for the hard-working quarrymen. The workers were able to retreat from the sun to find comfort within its cool walls. Years later, after the hills had seen the last quarryman, a gentleman by the name of Conivar purchased the Stone House and used it as a workshop and exhibit. He built biblical sand sculptures and called it Bibleland. He was a successful businessman due to the main road running right past his property and the growth in population. But as in any town, with growth comes traffic and it had become necessary to build a freeway. Highway 15, after its completion, cut off all access to his business, so he decided to sell and move to Yucaipa. In 1970, another gentleman by the name of Hearsh bought the property, which by now had a golf course surrounding the Stone House, and a small hotel and restaurant. Hearsh decided to build a second floor to the Stone House, and used it to house the property mechanic. Presently, the historic Stone House hosts special events both indoors and out on its spacious lawn, including romantic weddings, company picnics, and birthday and anniversary parties. Even after 140 years of history and experience, the historic Stone House still manages to intrigue and fascinate onlookers.
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Visitors to the Inn may choose from beautifully appointed accommodations, which includes king, deluxe king, and two queen rooms. All rooms are spacious and offer microwave, fridge, hairdryer, iron and ironing board, in-room coffee, thirtynine inch flat-screen television, and pillow-top beds. All rooms are also appointed with writing desks. The king and two queen bedrooms come with a chair and ottoman. Deluxe king rooms are larger than the king rooms and come with a loveseat sofa. All rooms are non-smoking. The Inn features an outdoor pool and parking is available to registered guests at no charge. Rancho California Inn is located at 41873 Moreno Road, off the I-15 Freeway, and right behind the Temecula History Museum of Art. To learn more about Rancho California Inn—or to make reservations—visit www.ranchocaliforniainn.com.
RANCHO CALIFORNIA INN
You will enjoy your visit to the Temecula Valley even more when you stay at Rancho California Inn. Located in the heart of the city, Rancho California Inn is convenient to the Southern California Wine Country and only a few blocks from Old Town Temecula, where you will find great shopping, dining, and entertainment. The Inn is only five miles from the local wineries. Pechanga Casino is only five miles away and Lake Skinner, offering picnicking, camping, boating, and fishing, is ten miles away. Several golf courses, movie theaters, and the Promenade Mall are located nearby. THE MARKETPLACE 197
ALLIANCE PROPANE
Top: Mike Mowad (left) and Brad Allinson (right) long-time friends and founders/owners of Alliance Propane.
Below: Alliance Propane bobtail fleet.
To know passion and commitment is to know the Alliance story! With so many beautiful country homes reliant on propane, the only options available back in the year 2000 were the large, national, corporate providers. It was at that time two Temecula Valley residents and longtime friends, Brad Allinson and Mike Mowad, made a decision to fill a void in the local propane service. The men started their small family business with two goals always at the forefront—a passion to do things the right way and a commitment to put their customers first. “Let’s provide the best value along with the highest level of safety and service. After all, our customers make up our own community, so why not treat them the way we would like to be treated?” This attitude has earned the confidence of their ever-growing residential, commercial, and agricultural customer base. Alliance Propane is now considered to be the fastest-growing propane provider in Southern California. Through the years, Mike and Brad have instilled this same ideal in their whole team. The technicians and fuel drivers take pride in servicing the same neighborhoods in which they live. The office staff is always ready to address any questions or concerns customers may have. The Alliance Propane family of employees consists of loyal and dedicated men and women, most of whom have worked for the company eight to ten years. A few have left their jobs, only to happily return to the fold. Some have previously worked in the corporate propane world and heartily agree there is a huge advantage to choosing a local independent company. The same passion and commitment that grew a humble family business into a prosperous company does not stop at its doors. Grateful for the support of the local communities
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responsible for its continued success, Alliance Propane rarely misses an opportunity to give back. Volunteer time and financial support have been invested in local sports programs, college scholarships, numerous fundraisers and community events, and charities such as Habitat for Humanity. Alliance has proudly participated in multiple Homes for the Troops projects. The company is also involved with various Chamber of Commerce activities in Canyon Lake, Wildomar, Lake Elsinore, Murrieta, Temecula, and Valley Center. To learn more about Alliance Propane and the services it provides, visit their website at www.alliancepropanelp.com. If you would like to speak with either Brad or Mike directly, they welcome your call at 951.676.1916 during regular business hours.
Since its origins in 1973, as a small regional publishing company based in San Antonio, Texas, Lammert Inc. has been in the business of helping its customers tell their stories in the most compelling and powerful ways possible. Working with a wide variety of clients—from corporations to civic organizations to individuals and families, Lammert Inc. emerged as a force in the publishing industry. The company initially produced specialty publications, such as an office building directory for the North San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, and a pictorial roster for the San Antonio Bar Association. Over the last four decades, Lammert published hundreds of directories, maps, and magazines for chambers of commerce and civic groups across the country. In the mid-1990s, Lammert created a new division, Historical Publishing Network (HPN), and focused on producing hardcover coffee table-style history and cityscape books. The first of these was Fire and Gold: The San Francisco Story. In the ensuing years, Lammert perfected the sponsored-book model of publishing. Conceived around the idea of an ultra-high quality hardcover chronicle of a city or county’s past, these exceptional books were also designed to raise funds for a sponsoring organization—typically a chamber of commerce or a historical preservation group. They utilized a unique advertising mechanism, known as company profiles—business and institutional histories, which were purchased by organizations wishing to tell their individual stories, and placed in special sections of the books. As of 2018, Lammert had published more than 140 titles using the sponsored-book model, while raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for its many sponsoring groups. Having carved out its position in the market for turnkey design, production, and marketing of photography-rich coffee table books through HPN, in 2018 Lammert Inc. signaled a new focus with the launch of its new division, HPN Custom Media & Publishing (HPN-CMP).
LAMMERT INC. DBA
HPNBOOKS & HPN CUSTOM MEDIA & PUBLISHING HPN-CMP remains a one-stop source for custom media, including turnkey book design, writing, editing, and production, as well as offering an enhanced range of customized services, including print, digital, and photo and video media solutions, as well as related website design and events management services. Employees, customers, partners, and shareholders all value a credible story which unites the organization’s past to its present and to its future, enhancing its community standing and brand reputation, or celebrates a significant anniversary, milestone, or similar event. The unique mix of talents and expertise brought to bear in a HPN project culminates in a remarkable creation—a breathtaking, photo-rich, coffee table book. The book may be complemented by a dedicated website, digital “flip-book,” and/or by related events to commemorate a historical milestone, introduce or promote a product or brand, or to present an organization’s annual report with more impressive visuals. As a gift to associates, partners, current and prospective employees, clients, and civic officials, the book serves as a powerful marketing tool. For more information, or to inquire about producing your own publication, please visit www.hpncustommedia.com. THE MARKETPLACE 199
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BUILDING A BETTER TEMECULA VALLEY Service providers, real estate developers, utilities, construction companies, and manufacturers provide the economic foundation of the city Tr u a x F a m i l y o f C o m p a n i e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 2 Connelly Mansell Incorporated .......................................................................................204 ed2go ........................................................................................................................206 Wa t e r m a r k A s s o c i a t e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 7 Hamel Contracting, Inc......................................................................................................208 H a m e l C o n c re t e , I n c , a n d H a m e l S c h o o l O u t f i t t e r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 9 Wo r k m a n C o n s t r u c t o r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 0 S o u t h w e s t R i v e r s i d e C o u n t y A s s o c i a t i o n o f R E A LT O R S ® , I n c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 2 Utility Design Services, Inc. ...............................................................................................214 Brande Roderick ..........................................................................................................216 Flowserve Corporation ..................................................................................................217 Te m e c u l a Va l l e y C o m m u n i c a t i o n s , I n c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 8
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TRUAX FAMILY OF COMPANIES Top: AJ and Bernard L. Truax II.
Below: The Truax Building is located at 41923 Second Street in Temecula.
Legacy is about people, and it is people that make the story of Truax special and memorable. When Bernie Truax started the Truax Family of Companies, it was not to merely build buildings: it was to build community; places to live, work and play. Bernie is part of the community, active in leadership roles for the arts, the symphony, education and alcohol and drug recovery. His passion for the community was recognized by the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce, naming him the 2016 Citizen of the Year by the Temecula Valley Chamber. He was also named the 2016 Boy Scouts Distinguished Citizen of the Year. The core values of the founder are instilled in everyone at Truax—“We live each day with courage; We take pride in our work; We always finish what we start; We do what has to be
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done; We are tough, but fair; When we make a promise, we keep it; We talk less and say more; We remember that some things aren’t for sale; We Know where to draw the line.” With more than forty-five years of commercial construction experience, including being part of the team that developed the World Trade Center and Sears Tower, Bernie’s vision for landmark projects is to ensure they would serve the people that would use them and do so with architecture that is not only functional, but truly beautiful. Truax projects begin as part of Old Town Temecula’s historic landscape. They do more than just fit in; they are part of the vision of how Old Town should have always been, incorporating state-of-the-art technology, impeccable finishes and attention to detail. Bernie’s work ethic and commitment to doing business the right way, has enabled the Truax Family of Companies to grow, prosper and give back to the communities they serve. That vision continues today. It is a vision they share with their neighbors—one which honors our historic Western past and embraces our vibrant and promising future. The next phase of Truax projects will enhance the lives of those who choose to live, work and play in Old Town Temecula.
Left: Temecula Marketplace upon completion will be a mixture of retail and service/commercial space.
Bottom: The Truax Hotel, upon completion, will be a luxury boutique hotel in Old Town Temecula.
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CONNELLY MANSELL, INCORPORATED
Connelly Mansell, Incorporated (CMI), is a full service, Commercial General Contractor, Construction Management and Development Company. Established in 2007, CMI has been providing commercial construction related services T E M E C U L A VA L L E Y S O U T H E R N C A L I F O R N I A W I N E C O U N T RY 204
throughout Southern California. Founded by Craig Connelly and Brian Mansell, this partnership has resulted in a brand that is recognized, respected and sought out. Built by CMI is more than a statement: it is a guarantee of quality.
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ED2GO
Old Town Temecula ed2go office.
Craig Power began to use emerging Internet technology to communicate with students as an instructor at MiraCosta College in the mid-1990s. It did not take long before Power discovered that the Internet had the potential to revolutionize education by allowing him to offer classes for students in any location at any time. Power was soon joined by Jules Ruggles in his efforts to provide online education and working out of Power’s garage in Temecula, they founded ed2go in 1997. Relying on Power’s education background and Ruggles’ business experience, the founders worked with industry experts to build courses and programs that could be completed online, at the users’ convenience. This concept made ed2go one of the pioneers in online education. Today, ed2go operates under its parent company, Cengage Learning, one of the largest education and technology companies in the world. ed2go partners with more than 2,000 colleges and universities, corporations, nonprofits, and workforce boards throughout the country to deliver relevant online offerings that help develop in-demand skills as well as empower and enrich people’s lives. ed2go covers a wide variety of categories in over 600 highquality online classes and programs, all taught by industry experts. These programs provide specific knowledge that helps students advance personal and professional development. Disciplines include business, information technology, software application, health and fitness, language, construction and trades, teaching, writing and others. In addition, a fully accredited online high school is available with curriculum that is designed to reengage adult learners by combining a fundamental high school education with job training. Students of Career Online High School graduate well prepared for the workforce or ready to pursue college degrees. As ed2go grew, it moved out of Power’s home into a headquarters on Front Street, just south of Old Town Temecula, California. After another move to the north end of Temecula,
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ed2go moved back to the heart of the city to be part of the revitalization of Old Town Temecula as the first tenant of the recently developed Truax Building. From a lean, but agile ten employees in 2000, ed2go has grown to currently more than 100 people, most of whom work out of the Temecula office. The company tries to promote from within and several employees have held a number of positions as the company has grown. Many employees have been with the company more than ten years, including a handful from the original ten. ed2go and its employees have been involved in a number of charitable events including those to benefit California Family Life Center, Feeding America, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Down Syndrome Association of San Diego, and Joining Forces, whose mission is to provide job training for military families and support through educational scholarships. ed2go is proud to have started in Temecula and even with continued growth and expansion of their market to all fifty states and sixteen countries, it still remains committed to the same Temecula, California, community in which it was founded.
“It’s not about reinventing the wheel… it’s about fine tuning the gears.” www.watermarkassociates.com.
WATERMARK ASSOCIATES
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HAMEL CONTRACTING, INC.
Top: William M. Lowman Concert Hall.
Bottom: Circle City Center.
Hamel Contracting, Inc., was founded on October 22, 2008, at a time when many general contractors and construction-related businesses were closing their doors. In fact, Grant Hamel boldly began his company at a time when most businesses, even outside of the construction industry, struggled to keep afloat in the collapsing economy. As a thirty-year veteran of construction, Hamel did not let the overwhelming negativity of his environment deter him from his dream. Instead, he built his dream on the foundation of a value he continues to instill in his company today—there is only one way worth doing things, and that is the right way. At the beginning, the right way meant starting with humility, employing a small staff, maintaining low overhead costs, and building-up the integrity of Hamel Contracting’s reputation and work ethic. During the first few years, the declining industry meant that any public works projects were bid aggressively by a pool of local general contractors looking to keep their doors open. Despite the competition, Hamel, with his previous experience in the hard-bid world, found success. Not only was he adept at reading plans, evaluating costs, and building relationships with subcontractors, but he understood and accepted the limitations of his growing company. He never took on more than he could handle and quickly developed a reputation for quality construction
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and consideration of clients. Even at a time when business owners were desperate for work, Hamel only pursued projects he could ensure were completed the right way. Fast forward nine years from the company’s first day, and Hamel has grown the humble contracting company’s portfolio into something worthy of being called a small empire. Hamel Contracting has constructed public libraries, community centers, public schools, private schools, park and recreational facilities, athletic facilities, animal shelters, a church, and more. With a cumulative staff of seventy-five talented individuals within the Hamel Group of Compaines (including Hamel Concrete, founded in 2016, Hamel School Outfitters, founded in 2017, and Hamel Contracting), Hamel has no need to shy away from multimillion dollar contract builds. Yet, in light of the company’s success and overcoming the obstacle of beginning during a recession, Hamel has not lost sight of the fact that there will, again, be difficult economic times ahead. For these, Hamel plans on sticking by the same business principles that first launched Hamel Contracting: remaining humble, employing a manageable staff size, maintaining low overhead costs, and most importantly,
continuing to take on each project, challenge, success, and failure, the right way. After a long history of successful collaboration, Grant Hamel, founder of Hamel Contracting, and Jeff Hale, a frontrunner of structural concrete construction, capitalized on their strong partnership to create a new corporate entity, Hamel Concrete. This new company has allowed Grant Hamel to expand his services and provide complete client care and satisfaction in most stages of the build. In addition to Hamel’s thirty-plus years of experience, Hale is an accomplished business man in his own right, bringing thirty years of experience specializing in structural concrete services, such as building foundations and cast-inplace concrete, walls, and decks. Instilling their strengths and individualized experience into the company, Hamel and Hale have cemented Hamel Concrete as a reputable public works concrete contractor. Founded on February 28, 2016, Hamel Concrete has overseen the construction of a wide range of public projects and institutions, including K-12 educational facilities, civil projects, stadiums, and operational centers. With more than forty skilled field laborers, foreman, and office staff, Hamel Concrete has created a foundation for success. As an Inland Empire business, Hamel Concrete has been fortunate to see growth and investment in the public works sector, as an increase in public projects has allowed the company to give back to the community through a wealth of career opportunities. Hamel Concrete is committed to the quality construction of its projects, the consistent provision of excellent service to its clients, and the highest level of integrity and professional conduct in its day-to-day operations. Hamel Concrete values its team and fosters excellence by pledging to promote and recognize talent. As a company, they simply strive to achieve, to be, and to provide the best by always doing it right the first time.
Founded in 2017, Hamel School Outfitters, Inc. is also a proud member of the Hamel Group of Companies. “During our years in school construction, it became clear to us that there was a need to streamline the process of furnishing, equipping, and modernizing school campuses,” says Hamel. “There were gaps in the acquisition process and delays in implementation caused by working with multiple vendors.” Hamel School Outfitters brings a fresh, streamlined, and green approach to educational environments, while creating collaborative spaces for a twenty-first century curriculum. Whether there is a need to modernize basic classroom furnishings, such as desks or chairs, or to construct innovative new performing arts facility, Hamel School Outfitters is the one-stop shop that provides full-service and support from conception to completion. Hamel School Outfitters offers the unique ability to work independently or with its parent company, to provide a comprehensive furniture/equipment solution for any educational facility or office space. They have hand-selected their vendors, curating a catalogue of quality, environmentally friendly furnishings for every budget. Hamel School Outfitters can outfit performing arts theaters, science labs, early-childhood learning centers, computer-science classrooms, professional office spaces, and much more. Hamel Group of Companies’ comprehensive services are revolutionizing the public-works industry and making Grant Hamel’s Inland Empire business dreams a reality by offering competitive pricing, streamlined management, and reliable quality. In all stages of construction, from furnishings, concrete, and contracting, Hamel sees potential to make the industry better. As Hamel looks towards the future of his growing businesses, he knows only one thing for certain: that every venture, project, and obstacle he takes on will continue to be managed the right way.
HAMEL CONCRETE, INC.& HAMEL SCHOOL OUTFITTERS, INC.
Above: Sycamore Academy.
Below: Cathedral High School.
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WORKMAN CONSTRUCTORS, INC. DBA WORKMAN RESTORATION, THE WORKMAN GROUP
Over the last ten years, Workman Constructors, Inc., has grown from a focused few to a strong nucleus of ten capable and knowledgeable managing team members supported by a network of honest and professional subcontractors. Workman’s large customer base includes local and out-of-state business enterprises, building owners, developers, commercial real estate firms and property management companies. Recent projects include new design build commercial construction, tenant improvements for national retailers such as SEE Eyewear and Flip Flop Shops, accredited Ambulatory Surgery Centers (Medicare, AAAASF, and AAAHC), general medical office, specialty medical office, urgent care medical, general dental office, specialty dental office, industrial improvements, restaurant and bar construction. Workman Constructors has completed projects in just about every area of Southern California and focuses most of their business in the Temecula Valley, including Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Wildomar, and surrounding communities. After becoming a parent at a young age, Dan Workman worked in different construction trades, but soon realized there was more that he wanted to achieve for himself and his family. Dan enlisted in the U.S. Navy and spent the next five years working with aircraft in China Lake and San Diego and serving in the Gulf War. After discharge, he attended Ventura Community College and subsequently graduated from California State University Northridge. During his five years in college, he became a member of the National Honor Society and an Honor’s Graduate with a degree in Psychology. After graduation, Dan spent the next few years working Research and Development and in finance. In 2002 the decision was made to make a change and start his own business in development and construction. He moved from Ventura County to Menifee, which was a hot bed of construction activity at the time. “I was soon purchasing property and building single-family homes and selling them,” Dan recalls.
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“The next five years were a filled with activity and growth. The construction and development market was a whirlwind of activity and possibility and it was one of the greatest times in Southern California history to be building and developing in the residential real estate market.” The period from 2002 to 2007 was a time of incredible economic activity, with the company growing from the construction of one residential project in the second half of 2002 to more than twenty residential projects in 2007. This was followed by the ‘great recession’ that brought an abrupt slow down. “No one anticipated the recession would affect our business to such a large degree,” Dan says. “It was a tough time in the market, but also a time to reflect on the past, consider the present and plan for the future.” It was during this period Dan decided to create more diversity in the services offered by his company and move into commercial construction as well as residential. “The move into commercial construction proved to be key to our growth and development and from 2008 to 2010 we were able to sustain through the deepest part of the recession while building a foundation that would support and create a springboard for the future.”
During this time the company operated under the name Workman & Associates General Contracting & Development, which was a mouthful, so in 2009 a decision was made to change the name to something more palatable. The business name was changed from Workman & Associates General Contracting & Development to simply Workman Constructors, a change that was directly related to the desire to create a new focus for the firm. Since 2009, Workman Constructors team has grown four times over and has become a multimillion dollar company. Dan says his proudest accomplishment has been the ability to create long term relationships and a solid and substantial business during one of the worst economic times in recent history. “This was done through honesty, integrity, hard work, communication and an unrelenting desire to do the right thing for every client. Without the desire to ensure that each client was taken care of and each project was completed with quality and attention to detail, I don’t think we could have grown during the recession.” In 2015, a new emergency restoration division, Workman Restoration, was created. “The creation of this division was the direct result of our existing clients needing a better and
more focused service when they ran into emergency flood or fire situations” Dan says. “Too many of the emergency service companies that showed up at our client’s doors did not understand construction and often created situations that made the rebuilding of their space costlier with regard to material replacement and time. And in the commercial development business, time is too valuable to waste.” Workman Constructors is deeply involved with the American Heart Association and has been a contributor and sponsor for the Southwest Riverside County Heart Walk the past few years. In addition to serving as part of the Executive Leadership Team, the company and its employees also make donations and contributions to local schools and material resource centers. Workman Constructors is currently building a new two-acre construction facility that will house and maintain its inventory. Future plans include providing the resources necessary to continue the company’s rapid growth year after year. The team at Workman Constructors is committed to innovation and technology and will leverage new products and services to help create an even better experience for their clients.
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SOUTHWEST RIVERSIDE COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, INC.
Charter for the Rancho-Temecula-Murrieta Board of REALTORS®.
Temecula was still a small, but growing, town when the National Association of REALTORS® granted a charter to what was then called the Rancho-Temecula-Murrieta Board of REALTORS® on November 16, 1977. The organization had only 110 members at the time, but 40 years later, the organization–now known as the Southwest Riverside County Association of REALTORS® (SRCAR)–has grown to 4,300 members with 3 offices and a staff of 17. SRCAR’s founding brokers included Henry Quigley, Stanley G. Bach, James C. Gunn, Ray Wolff, Jeanne Hamilton, Lorene Schipper, James N. Senechal, and Marilyn Pegg. Lisa F. Woodrow served as executive vice president. Vacant land on which to build made up many of the real estate listings in the early days. The listings were recorded on paper in booklets that were distributed and updated about every two weeks. The Real Estate Purchase Agreement (RPA) was one page and handwritten with a carbon copy for the client. From its beginnings, SRCAR has been committed to supporting the consumers’ needs for realtors’ services and to promote the American dream of homeownership. SRCAR’s purpose is to enhance the ability of its members to conduct their business successfully, ethically, and professionally. The association supports the preservation of the right to own, transfer and use real property through legislative advocacy and community involvement. In December 2000, the 150 members of the Lake Elsinore Valley Canyon Lake Association of REALTORS® merged with SRCAR, bringing total membership to 825. The membership jumped to more than 3,600 in December 2013 when the Hemet San Jacinto Association of REALTORS® voted to merge with SRCAR. The growth since 2000 has earned SRCAR two seats on the board of the National Association of REALTORS®, giving the local association a strong voice at the national level.
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A major emphasis for SRCAR is its advocacy of local, state, and national issues that impact the real estate industry and real estate brokers in particular. In pursuit of the American Dream of Homeownership, Time magazine recently stated of the National Association of REALTORS®, “These groups are powers in Washington. Their 1.2 million members can do a lot of lobbying.” That advocacy on behalf of homeowners and private property rights includes protection of the Mortgage Interest Deduction, extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (critical after the 2017 spate of flood and hurricane disasters), implementing programs to assist
first-time homebuyers, and working with the FHA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to expand opportunities for all qualified homebuyers. Those efforts will be particularly important during the upcoming tax discussions in D.C. Our passion for advocacy is no less at the local level where SRCAR has taken the lead in numerous efforts over the years on issues from sign ordinances to land use and zoning measures that impact our residents. SRCAR was instrumental in working with the District Attorney’s office to establish the Real Estate Fraud Advisory Team at a time when local residents, already impacted by a collapsing housing market, were beset by a variety of scam artists’ intent on victimizing them yet again. That effort is ongoing and has resulted in numerous successful arrests and prosecutions over the years. As a result of these REALTOR® efforts, Riverside County is no longer the haven or target for fraudulent housing activity it once was. The organization’s efforts have been recognized by its selection as Medium Business of the Year by the Murrieta Chamber of Commerce in 2014, and the Sterling Business of the Year award in 2015 from the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce. In 2010, SRCAR purchased its first building at 26529 Jefferson Avenue in Murrieta and opened a satellite office in Menifee. In 2014, SRCAR purchased a second building located in Hemet at 2355 East Florida Street. SRCAR operates with an experienced and capable staff of seventeen, headed by Chief Executive Officer Connie Lynch and Executive Vice President Sylvia Lemus. The staff includes two Government Affairs Directors, Gene Wunderlich and Walter Wilson; Director of Operations, Daniel Brincat; Director of Marketing, Diane Stumpp; Digital & Print Producer, Patrick Balisi; Marketing Administrator, Jessica Falcon; MLS Administrator, Melissa Zwick; Broker Compliance, Michelle Medley; Member Services, Denise Hinton and Lizzy Montes; Supra Department, Amanda
Gutierrez; Senior Accounting Manager, Joseph Chitay; Accounting/Billing, Julie Chadwick and Gilbert Rodriguez; and Human Resources, Maggie Underwood. In addition to supporting and promoting the professional concerns of its members, a major focus of SRCAR is its commitment to a number of annual service projects. SRCAR strives to be a part of the fabric of the community year-round through such efforts as canned-food drives, warm coat drives, raising money for area nonprofits that help the underserved, and U.S. Veterans. For the sick, the poor, and the hungry, SRCAR members are there in full force. One of SRCAR’s most popular events is the annual Chili Cook Off to raise money for local nonprofits. Having just completed the fourth Annual Chili Cook Off for Charity, collectively over $45,000 has been donated to fourteen local charities. In addition, for thirty years now, SRCAR® Scholarship Foundation has awarded $500 scholarships to qualifying local high school seniors. Effective with the 2018 graduation class, that award amount has increased from $500 to $1,000 per student. On any given year, up to twenty-four scholarships are presented to students who are furthering their education. Other fundraisers hosted annually are the SRCAR® Golf Tournament, benefiting the Housing Affordability Fund, which is a California initiative to assist first-time buyers into a home; the Texas Hold’em Charity Event and also the Bowling for Scholarships event. As you can see, we work hard and we play hard at SRCAR®. Another recent project we have added is the SRCAR® BINGO, which has become increasingly popular with our members. As the Temecula Valley continues to grow, the Southwest Riverside County Association of REALTORS® will continue to develop programs and services that enhance its members’ ability to conduct business with integrity and competency, providing its members professional development, networking opportunities, educational programs, and research on trends, innovations and strong legislative representation.
You can visit SRCAR at any of the following locations: 26529 Jefferson Avenue, Murrieta, California 92562; 2355 E. Florida Avenue, Hemet, California 92544; 27070 Sun City Blvd., Menifee, California 92586. You can also visit them at www.srcar.org or you can give them a call at (951) 894-2571.
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UTILITY DESIGN SERVICES, INC.
Top: Owners, Frank Magdaleno, CEO and John James, COO.
Bottom: Administration staff, left to right, Front row: Gina Magdaleno, CFO and Rachael Johnson, HR Coordinator. Back row: Tracy Pipher,
Opportunity sometimes knocks when you are least expecting it. Neither Frank Magdaleno nor John James had any intention of starting a new business when they met for the first time at a proposed cell site. Frank was responsible for the design and construction of the site and John represented the local power utility provider as a planner. The two hit it off from the start and Frank was impressed with the quality of John’s work. “I remember thinking that if I could group several cell sites under my direction, I’d want John to provide the designs,” Frank recalls. “When I mentioned this to John he replied, ‘You got it, let’s make it happen.’” A few months later, Frank got a call from a friend from the Bay area saying a new wireless company was looking to deploy a full network in the Los Angeles area and wondering if he wanted to join as an employee responsible for power and telephone utility design and coordination. Remembering the good working relationship with John, Frank suggested that they provide the service to the carrier as
Staff Accountant, Lety Raya, Administrative Assistant, Pat Dorado, Accounting Clerk.
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a company, instead of an employee. With Frank’s wireless telecom network experience and John’s power utility knowledge the two were successful in arranging a meeting with the company planning to deploy the Los Angeles network. “We made our pitch as if we had existing assets and personnel to tackle such a fast paced, highly visible deployment throughout a vast region and somehow we came away with a signed contract to start with a large existing backlog of work, as well as making as many as five different site visits per day moving forward,” Frank explains. John and Frank remember walking away from the meeting wondering how they were “going to pull this off.” Utility Network Solutions, Inc., was organized and with a lot of late nights and hard work, the new company very quickly earned a reputation for quality and promptness in meeting a demanding schedule. The solid work performed by Utility Network Solutions (UNS) in planning and processing a large volume of technical designs with high accuracy was eventually noticed by the local utility, which was looking for new applicants to provide services, and Frank and John were asked if they were interested in
submitting an application for a new RFP (request for proposal.) “We thought, ‘Why not, how hard could it be?’ not knowing that only two companies would be selected at the end of a long and arduous process,” Frank says. This time, they formed Utility Design Services, Inc., to better align the resources for this type of work. The UDS efforts were successful and the company was one of those selected. In less than twelve years, UDS, along with sister companies, UDS Planning, Inc. and Utility Network Solutions, Inc., have grown to become one of the largest and most successful organizations of its type in the area. The primary focus of UDS is in the survey, design and drafting of transmission and distribution systems. The UDS planning team has many years of experience in pole engineering, utilizing the latest technologies in providing solutions to pole loading and design. UNS provides design services to the wireless telecom industry. The management team is experienced in the Southern California utility markets and its multidisciplined capabilities include its Chief Financial Officer Gina Magdaleno, whose department has earned accolades for its accuracy from the regional utility providers. This, combined with the technical staff, create a winning team of professionals dedicated to providing the best service with the highest integrity for its clients. Services provided by UDS include power utility drafting, survey, locating, potholing, PLS CADD, and wireless telecom drafting, provided by UDS Planning and UNS respectively. Among the many projects completed by UDS are: underground mapping using ground penetration radar (GPR) to locate a large portion of previously unknown infrastructure at a local nuclear plant; and surveying the entire downtown area of Santa Barbara. The company that started with only two employees— Frank and John—now has forty full-time employees and is continuing to grow. Based in Temecula since its
inception, the company is currently located at 41965 Remington Avenue, Suite 100. Frank and John feel that with success comes responsibility and that it’s their duty to give back to the community. By volunteering with, and supporting several organizations locally and nationally, UDS is able to fulfill this role by supporting the Boys & Girls Club of Southwest County, Jacob’s House, Riverside City Mission, Operation Smile, Locks for Love, MADD, St. Jude, and Jacob’s Gift. For more information about Utility Design Services, check the website at www.utilityds.com.
Top: Department leads of UDS, left to right: Gonzalo Alvarez, OS Lead; Rig Cordero, Senior Field Supervisor; Jason Hansen, General Manager; Hector Zubieta, Operations Manager; and Sonia Altamirano, CAD Drafting Lead.
Bottom: UDS workers on site, left to right: Rig Cordero, Senior Field Supervisor; Brad Taylor, Senior Survey Tech III; and Andrew Magdaleno, Survey Tech II.
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BRANDE RODERICK– CALIFORNIA REALTY EXPERTS
Below: Brande with sons, Kannon and Keaton with the family pet, Louie.
Real estate has always been a passion of Brande Roderick that she pursued since a young girl. Growing up in the Northern California Wine Country, Brande was always helping her family tackle remodeling projects head on. Whether it was working on a fixer upper, or hanging drywall in a bedroom, she loved every minute of it and knew instantly that she wished to pursue something further in that realm. When Brande was sixteen, she was already taking her first real estate course, and by the time she was eighteen, she was ready to start selling real estate. Brande worked with a top selling brokerage, and every day felt her sales experience consistently grow and improve. But being an eighteen-yearold in such an important industry became a challenge, and Brande decided to take a break from real estate to move to Hollywood and pursue her other childhood dream, a career in acting. Very successful in a career in acting as well, she is proud to have been in several successful films such as Starsky & Hutch with Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson and The Nanny Diaries with Scarlett Johansson. As well as television shows like Baywatch and Celebrity Apprentice with President Trump, which also led to the publishing of her first book, Bounce
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Don’t Break Brande’s Guide to Life, Love, and Success, but her passion for real estate always remained. Brande settled with her family in La Jolla and happened to stumbled upon the town of Temecula and fell completely in love. It felt like home to Brande and it reminded her of her childhood setting. She knew this was where she belonged and where to raise her two sons. Having a vineyard and living in Wine Country has always been a dream of Brande and now she is living that dream. Brande is passionate about the school system, the people, and everything else that makes Temecula so unique and remarkable. It also allowed her to combine life experience and childhood dreams, by reigniting her passion in real estate and allowing her to once again become a realtor. “I know what it is like to want to pursue your dreams and my job as a realtor is to help you fulfill yours. I cannot wait for us to embark on this journey together! Please reach out to me for any of your real estate needs. Hope to see you around the neighborhood,” says Brande. Please contact at www.yourcelebrityrealtor.com; brande@yourcelebrityrealtor.com or call 951-205-0098.
FLOWSERVE CORPORATION With more than 18,000 employees worldwide and 245 locations in 55 countries, Flowserve is the leading manufacturer and provider of comprehensive flow management solutions and aftermarket services. Flowserve’s primary products include pumps, seals, and valves that move, control and protect the flow of materials in critical industries around the world, including power, oil and gas, chemical, water and general industry. Globally, Flowserve Seal operations include five regionalized manufacturing facilities and a worldwide network of localized Quick Response Centers to provide single source solutions for the improvement of rotating equipment reliability and performance. In Temecula, Flowserve employs eighty-five people in a 36,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility at 27455 Tierra Alta Way. Flowserve’s presence in the Temecula Valley began in 1973 when Borg Warner established the Seal Group Engineering and Manufacturing plant on Front Street. Prior to the move, the Seal Group was located in Vernon, California, as part of the large Byron Jackson Pump manufacturing facility. Soon after the move, the Temecula facility became the business unit headquarters for the Borg Warner Mechanical Seal Division. In 1987 the company name changed to BW/IP Seal Division and in 1992, the company moved to a newly constructed building at its current location. BW/IP merged with Durco in 1997 to become Flowserve Corporation. The primary functions of Flowserve’s Temecula operation are manufacturing of metal bellows, product testing, and research and development for mechanical seals, along with engineering and technical support to a global customer base. Flowserve is the second largest mechanical seal manufacturer in the world.
Over the years, the facility has been recognized as an innovation center and has developed products and processes that set the standard for the seal industry. Flowserve’s Seal Test Lab in Temecula is the most capable mechanical seal test lab in the world. It is utilized to develop new technology and products for a variety of markets, including oil and gas, nuclear power, concentrated solar power, and aerospace. The manufacturing operation has a wide range of capabilities, including machining of metal and ceramics, precision welding of metal bellows, and the use of lasers to create hydrodynamic features on seal faces. These specialized processes have been developed at the facility and position Flowserve Seals as a technology leader in the mechanical seal industry. Employees at the Flowserve Temecula facility are very involved in community and charitable activities, including the March of Dimes, Susan G Komen Race for the Cure, Red Cross Blood Drives, United Way Fundraising, and Toys for Tots.
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TEMECULA VALLEY COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
While serving as an operator for Pacific Telephone in the 1970s, Wendy Lesovsky realized that outside maintenance workers were earning much higher salaries. So, the ambitious single mother applied for a transfer and, after two years, became the second female telephone pole climber in California! She stayed with Pacific Telephone for fourteen and a half years. After moving to Temecula in 1985, Lesovsky took a position as a technical support representative with a local manufacturer of 911 equipment. In 1989 she launched Temecula Valley Communications (TVC) from her home office. At first, she performed 100 percent of all of the duties and work herself. Her typical day might involve communicating with customers, installing cables, telephone systems, maintaining equipment, typing up invoices and all the paperwork involved with owning your own business. As the business grew, necessary employees were added and the company incorporated in 1999. Now in 2018, TVC employs ten people and has handled installations throughout the United States. The reins of the company have been handed to her son, Shane, who joined the company full time in 1994. Shane has continued the family tradition of dedicated service in the telecommunications arena. Beginning with phones and paging equipment, TVC gradually expanded the business to match technological advances and customer demand, adding network cabling, network and Wi-Fi equipment, VoIP, and CCTV to their offerings along the way. TVC has been an authorized Samsung dealer since 1991 and partners with several other nationally recognized brands. However, the central focus of the company is not simply to sell equipment; TVC is a service company providing installation and hands-on instruction to help customers understand how to use new technology to their full benefit. For this reason, ongoing training is always a high priority.
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In a world of rapidly evolving technology, it is not uncommon for a business to discover that the company who supplied their equipment just a few years ago is now extinct. TVC has seen several telecommunication interconnect companies come and go. To help companies, TVC offers a no obligation technology audit to see if your current equipment and services are the best solution to meet your requirements and budget. As a member of Rotary and several Chambers of Commerce, TVC makes helping the community a central part of its business philosophy. Lesovsky and team believe that ethically serving customers comes first, prioritizing honesty and work ethic over “making a sale.� TVC strives to offer their customers the best value in providing for their Business Technology needs through selling high quality innovative product solutions at a fair price and providing top quality, professional service in their installations and repairs. Long-time customers know that if their current equipment can handle their stated needs, the honest technicians at TVC will tell them so. This integrity has earned the company a solid reputation and years of customer loyalty in the Temecula Valley and beyond.
PARTNERS INDEX Alliance Propane ..........................................................198 Beshay Enterprises.........................................................172 Boys & Girls Club of Southwest County........................161 Brande Roderick............................................................216 California State University-San Marcos ..........................148 Charity for Charity ........................................................160 City of Temecula ...........................................................145 Connelly Mansell, Inc....................................................204 Craig Davis Family Insurance Agency, Inc. ....................192 David Neault Associates, Inc. ........................................190 Dr. Cutts Center for Adult Dentistry..............................165 ed2go ............................................................................206 Europa Village ...............................................................138 Fabozzi & Miller, APC...................................................188 Flowserve......................................................................217 Gershon Bachus Vintners ..............................................194 Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley ...............................159 Hamel Concrete ............................................................209 Hamel Contracting, Inc. ................................................208 Hitzeman & Evenson Law .............................................180 Jann Gentry Photographer .............................................179 JC Cooley Foundation ...................................................163 JC Resorts .....................................................................196 Keck Insurance Agency, Inc. ..........................................144 LA Masters of Fine Jewelry ............................................176 Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta............157
La Pointe Wealth Management ......................................132 Lammert Inc..................................................................199 Murrieta Rotary Club ....................................................162 Murrieta Counseling Center ..........................................164 New Day Solar ..............................................................184 Oak Grove Center .........................................................154 Paradise Chevrolet.........................................................195 Pechanga Resort Casino.................................................168 Rancho California Inn ...................................................197 Rancho California Water District ...................................142 Rancon Group, Inc. .......................................................136 RJ's Sizzlin Steer............................................................140 Rosenstein & Associates ................................................186 SCEGA Gymnastics .......................................................193 SRCAR ..........................................................................212 Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce ........................156 Temecula Valley Communications, Inc...........................218 Temecula Valley Hospital...............................................150 Temecula Valley Toyota..................................................182 Temecula Valley Unified School District.........................158 Truax Family of Companies...........................................202 Watermark Associates....................................................207 Utility Design Services, Inc............................................214 Visit Temecula Valley.....................................................152 Workman Constructors, Inc. .........................................210
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND PHOTOGRAPHER JANN GENTRY
Jann Gentry is a professional photographer and writer based in southern California. A long-time resident of the Temecula Valley, Jann has been a member for the board of directors for the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce, for the Economic Development Coalition, for Oak Grove School, for the Rotary Club of Murrieta and for her church. Now living on acreage in nearby Fallbrook, Jann and her husband, Bernie, care for their dozens of fruit trees (including preserving the produce), their massive vegetable garden, the ducks and other wildlife that are attracted to the pond there, and take care of her parents who live on the property as well. “I have a tremendous fondness for Temecula, Murrieta and the surrounding area,” she said. “I’ve watched it grow from a sleepy little town to hundreds of thousands of people who also want to live in one of the most fabulous places on Earth. I’m grateful for the chance to help promote this beautiful valley and all that it has to offer.” Jann and Bernie have four grown children, a dog and two cats (plus one that lives under the porch, aptly named “porch cat”). Bernie is a retired naval officer who currently works in San Diego and together they are planning down the road for retirement when they can travel and make jelly from all their grapes and salsa from all those tomatoes.
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ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER JIMMY FU
I am a Temecula-based photographer focused on Commercial and Landscape photography. My specialty is creating for local businesses a colorful and social media-friendly photography that promotes their products. I love providing online content through my photography and playing a part in marketing these businesses; it makes me feel like I am making an impact for others. My other passion is capturing the beauty of our world, and sharing it with people who can appreciate God’s work. I chose photography as much as photography chose me. I was blessed to have an impactful career in medical sales for twenty-five years, but never loved it. In 2016, I decided to pursue my passion in life (life is too short to not love what you do!) and to do what I was born to do. Photography is how I express myself, and I love it with my heart and soul-from planning the shoot, to capturing the shot, to editing the photo, and finally to sharing it online and on a wall—I truly love all facets of creating art in photography. And now I get to do it for others and for the city I’ve grown to love and adore. Temecula is the best “small” big city, and has been home for my family since 2006, when we moved here from Glendale. We didn’t witness the initial transformation that the city made from small town to medium-sized city, but we sure are now experiencing the fantastic growth that Temecula is having in the region. We have the best blend of history and industry in a city less than 120,000 in population. There is so much beauty here, from the rustic flavors of Old Town, to the unending vineyards and hot air balloon launches of Wine Country, to the bustling energy of the Promenade Mall, and everything in between 79-North and 79-South. For a city that is covered by just three freeway exits, there is quite a lot to offer residents, tourists, businesses, and this photographer! I’m so grateful for the opportunity to share some of my vision in this book, and hope to see you around town, or online: www.jimmyfu-tography.com. ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER 221
SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS Annette Brown, co-owner of Marketing a la carte, has lived in Temecula Valley since 1992. Along with her husband, while raising three children, she founded and published Neighbors newspaper, which they sold after five years. Annette has been in marketing and public relations since 1988 in Los Angeles and Riverside County. She currently works as the Director of Public Relations for Visit Temecula Valley, and has enjoyed promoting and representing the region since 2011. In addition, as a fellow entrepreneur, she finds much fulfillment in using her marketing skills to help local businesses grow and thrive through Marketing a la carte.
Additional Photo Credits: Visit Temecula Valley Rebecca Marshall Farnbach Chip Morton Photography
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PHOTO COURTESY OF JANN GENTRY.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF JANN GENTRY.
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ISBN: 978-1-944891-55-8