The Chronicle Dec. 2011
Transcription
The Chronicle Dec. 2011
(951) 461-3450 December 2011 Successful Businesswoman and Social Icon Turns 90 By Gloria Karlak nn Stephenson is a striking woman. She always looks like she stepped out of the pages of Vogue magazine. She plays bridge, attends political meetings, loves good conversation, and she just celebrated her 90th birthday on Halloween at the home of her son and daughter-in-law—Dan and Beverly Stephenson of Bear Creek in Murrieta. She was joined by a host of friends and family at the Halloweenthemed birthday party in her honor. Ann is a woman who was ahead of her time. Entrepreneurial, bright and beautiful, she was a very successful businesswoman at a time when few women were professionally employed. And, was she ever successful! Married and divorced when she was young, Ann raised two children, Tami and Dan Stephenson, in Los Angeles and in the San Fernando Valley. A Jr. Olympic Diver to Extreme Motocross Rider By Carol Malin I She started her own beauty shop in her early 20s. But, she found another venture that looked even more challenging and financially promising–an employment agency. Ann started the Academy Employment Agency in Los Angeles in 1955 and it grew to be one of the top employment agencies in the state. Located in downtown Los Angeles and subsequently on Wilshire Boulevard, Ann spent many years expanding the agency into an exceptionally successful enterprise. The agency provided Ann and her family with a very comfortable life-style. She wistfully remembers the big house on the hilltop in Encino where there was always something going on. Ann entertained on a grand scale and was called The Perle Mesta of the San Fernando Valley. Even Mayors from Los Angeles were seen at her stylish parties and social events. She said that she loved entertaining and especially enjoyed the luau parties: “Now, those were fun!” she said. She ran the very successful employment agency for 35 years and also served as president of the Business and Professional Club of the San Fernando Valley. She was appointed to the Board of the California Employment Association. “Now, that was a wonderful time of my life,” said Ann. Another hallmark of Ann’s life is that she has always loved travel. At the height of her business career (1962) she took six months away from work and literally traveled around the world. Remarried, she finally retired in 1993 and moved to the Temecula-Murrieta area. Critically ill, her husband died just days after they moved to Murrieta. But, in went out to Fitzland in Temecula to catch up with freestyle motocross Metal Mulisha rider, Jimmy Fitzpatrick. They were working out for the new “Black Friday” film that day, but the weather was not cooperating–the wind was blasting through the Valley, kicking up dust and bending tree branches. Filming was due to start in less than a week at Glamis sand dunes. I gathered some basic stats about Fitzpatrick while I waited up at the house. His current bike is a Honda CR250. He turned pro at 20. Within his seven year career, he has garnered five 1st place International Freestyle Motocross Federation Championship finishes. Jimmy Fitzpatrick is an athlete. Before motocross, before freestyle, before Metal Mulisha, Fitzpatrick was a Junior Olympic diver for six years. Then something happened. He fell in love with motocross. I asked him how he turned to motocross and how the ride has been. Like everything Fitzpatrick does, he gave this interview his best. Read on. Continued on page 15 Continued on page 10 Residential Customer ECRWSS (951) 461-3450 (951) 461-3450 December 2011 2 at a glance Christmas News A Season of Hope A Gift of Good, Old Fashioned Fun I Want a Pet for Christmas A Christmas Adventure in Little Italy Knee Deep in Christmas (pg.21) Pages............................4-6 Entertainment, Food & Wine A Café Named Champagne Holiday Dinner by Chef Pickell Few Gifts Like a Live Performance Candlelight Classics Bel Vino Marks New Beginning Temecula Wine an Int’l Flavor Special Events Rustico’s Chefr Nabs Title (pg. 20) Pages..........................6-10 Health & Family Holiday Pampering is What you Need What is EMDR? Hands-on Approach to Parkinson’s When You Comin’ Home, Son? Sometimes Wishes Do Come True Staying Well with Happy Faces Pages........................10-14 Home & Business Sustainability & Business in Murrieta Ten Reasons – Loan Modification Government Speaks – Murrieta & Temecula Whose Estate Is It? Yours! Candles, Candles, Everywhere! Pages........................15-21 Sports Bear Creek Fundraiser Amber Levine Snags Victory Legends Provides Free Golf Lessons Pages........................22-23 Our Advertisers Beauty & Fitness Conner, Sheryl (Hair Design).................................................. 20 Haas, Dr. Richard (Podiatrist)................................................. 13 Korrie’s Pilates Place............................................................... 12 Murrieta Day Spa.................................................................... 11 Optometric Vision Experience.................................................1 Premier Laser & Day Spa..........................................................3 Temecula Eye Center............................................................ 10 Young’s Spa............................................................................. 12 Business Asset Preservation................................................................... 17 Full Realty....................................................................................4 Jewel Scene............................................................................ 20 Lorenz Fiduciary Services....................................................... 18 Morton Grabel – Law............................................................. 16 Murrieta Chamber of Commerce....................................... 15 Murrieta Volkswagen................................................................5 National Gold & Jewelry....................................................... 24 Schilbers Jewelry Castle........................................................ 19 State Farm Insurance............................................................. 18 Events, Sports & Travel A La Cuisine................................................................................6 Bear Creek Golf Club............................................................. 18 BeSmart2Travel........................................................................ 19 Golden Valley Music Society...................................................8 Handi Visor Holder.................................................................. 14 Ice Taxi...................................................................................... 20 Inland Valley Symphony...........................................................8 Legends Golf Club................................................................. 23 Marine Corps League............................................................ 16 Steel Drum Shop..................................................................... 22 Family & Pets Camp Bow Wow.......................................................................4 England Family Mortuary....................................................... 15 Grabel, Morton – Lawyer....................................................... 16 Jewel Scene............................................................................ 20 Lorenz Fiduciary Services....................................................... 18 National Gold & Jewelry....................................................... 24 Schilbers Jewelry Castle........................................................ 19 Steel Drum Shop..................................................................... 22 West Coast Life Church............................................................8 Food & Wine A la Cuisine Catering................................................................6 Anthony’s Lounge & Ristorante...............................................9 Barons The Marketplace..........................................................7 Bear Creek Golf Club............................................................. 22 Golden Spoon......................................................................... 21 Ice Taxi...................................................................................... 20 Legends Golf Club................................................................. 23 Los Cabos Mexican Grill...........................................................9 Home Improvement & Décor Birchall, Sherry (Decorating Den)......................................... 21 Jamar Power Systems............................................................ 15 Mira Loma Pest Control......................................................... 18 W.C.Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc................................... 14 Medical & Health Argenbright, O.D., Bret.......................................................... 10 Global Medical Equipment.................................................. 13 Gurvits, D.O., Vadim..................................................................3 Haas, DPM, Richard............................................................... 13 Handi Visor Holder.................................................................. 14 Jury, O.D., Mark..........................................................................1 Nagy – Hypnotherapist, Sandra..............................................1 Platts DDS, John C.................................................................. 12 Religion West Coast Life Church............................................................8 Chosin Few On Veterans Day, Friday, November 11, 2011, the City of Murrieta unveiled its Korean War Monument. One of the speakers at the memorial service was Rick Gibbs, a retired Air Force Colonel and current Murrieta City Councilman. Gibbs read from the book “Colder Than Hell” quoting the words of Marine Lieutenant Colonel Raymond Davis, who was the 1st Battalion Commander at the battle of Chosin Reservoir, Korea, November and December, 1950. Shown below are excerpts from that book written by Marine Lt. Joseph Owen who was there serving with Lt. Colonel Davis. “In December of 1950, the tem- small cooking fires. The unused mortar propellant perature was recorded at minus 60 with winds of charges served to make a quick starter flame. Down on the road if there was a vehicle near60 knots and a wind chill well below minus 100. When we weren’t on the move, we were freezing. by, we filched gasoline and then poured it over Up on the line we had only our body warmth. We any dirt or gravel that we managed to scrape from wore woolen caps under our helmets to keep our under the snow, and that made a skimpy but adears from freezing. The hoods of the parkas went equate flame. The cold rations diet caused stomach over the helmets and provided some protection disorders. We alternated between constipation and from the bitter winds but obscured our peripheral diarrhea. vision. We seldom removed the knitted gloves that Weapons froze and seized up when we used luwe wore under the canvas mittens. Bare fingers bricating oil on them. They slowed up and jammed we found–froze to metal, they froze to weapons, when we didn’t. The machine guns and BARs were bayonets, buckles–whatever we touched. most affected - on first firing they would hesitate Chow was usually a can of half frozen rations, two or three seconds between rounds, then slowly although we learned to carry the next meal inside build up to their regular rate of fire. Hair tonic with our clothing so it wouldn’t freeze solid. In daylight, alcohol in it became a fairly effective substitute luif we weren’t under enemy observation we made bricant. Continued on page 18 The Chronicle Administration Roland Behny, Publisher, publisher@chroniclemediagroup.com Marilyn Spooner, Co-Publisher, marilyn@chroniclemediagroup.com Carol Malin, Managing Editor, carol@temeculachronicle.com Contributing Writers Lois Allen jwalga1@verizon.net Harry Carpenter thegeniewithin@roadrunner.com Aundrea Dominguez aundrea.dominguez@gmail.com Wendy Hammarstrom innerworks1@aol.com Gloria Karlak gloriak.karlak@verizon.net Katie L. Malin malin100@mail.chapman.edu JodyLynn Stuppy healthyheyday@gmail.com Design • Operations • Production • Sales ABMailing Solutions jeanne@abmailing.com Richard Johnson, Circulation Manager M.Kay Design–Graphics & Layout m.kaydesign@mac.com Joan Mueting, Website Development joan@muetingmedia.com Printer Advance Web Offset, Vista, CA “The Chronicle is a monthly newspaper owned by the Chronicle Media Group. Every month we print 25,000 copies and deliver via the U. S. Post Office to over 21,000 homes in Murrieta and Temecula. Additional copies are distributed to high traffic locations in the surrounding area.” Distribution of this newspaper does not constitute an endorsement of the information, products, or services herein. The publisher assumes no liability for statements, services or products as advertised. The publisher will not knowingly publish advertisements, articles or opinions that are fraudulent, libelous, misleading or contrary to the policies of the The Chronicle. 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CORRECTIONS: The Chronicle makes every effort to fact-check all articles and all submissions. We are not responsible for errors or claims offered by our advertisers. The Chronicle will publish a correction for errors. If you would like to comment on anything published in The Chronicle, please contact us by phone 951.461.3450 or by email .. publisher@ chroniclemediagroup.com. Letters may be sent to– The Chronicle, P. O. Box 1065, Murrieta, CA 92564. www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com December 2011 www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com 3 The Chronicle 4 December 2011 A Season of Hope CD Released By Carol Malin “A Season of Hope” The Girls Against Abuse Holiday CD T he talented singers of The Girls Against Abuse have released their first holiday album, “A Season of Hope.” The first track, “Winter Town,” is a universal reminder about the importance of feeling safe during the holiday season. The holiday CD is available on iTunes for $9.99 by searching The Girls Against Abuse, and also at: CDBaby.com. Hard copies are available at: www.thegirlsagainstabuse.com. Proceeds to support The Girls Against Abuse, a non-profit foundation. Girls Against Abuse raised $1700 at the Loud and Proud Concert Extravaganza held in Murrieta in October to help the Oak Grove Center for Education, Treatment & The Arts. Oak Grove School works with children who have suffered physical or sexual abuse, or other traumas. Concert proceeds were divided equally between Oak Grove and the Girls Against Abuse Foundation. The GAA is a musical campaign whose aim is to stop the mistreatment of women and help women recognize, resist and recover from abusive situations. Since its inception, the GAA Foundation has donated thousands of dollars to raise money for shelters and organizations which educate and support victims of violence. by Carol Malin Want to give your child a toy that is fun, safe and requires no batteries or WiFi? Pedal Car Peddler has the right gift for youngsters 1-6, and the perfect nostalgic gift for an oldster. You can make “the past” your child’s present with a well-built, beautifully detailed pedal car, fire truck, plane, train, or tricycle. They are made of solid steel construction, sport high traction tires, have adjustable pedals and lead-free Powder Coat paint. Over the years, toys like these have been passed from father to son or mother to daughter. Now they are again available to you through Pedal Car Peddler. They are perfect for children 2-6 years old. All steel scoot-a-longs and speedsters for ages 1-2 are also for sale. Order one for your son or daughter, or one for yourself for old-times-sake, but place your order before December 15 to assure Christmas delivery. A bright red fire engine, a ‘55 classic pedal car, or Thomas the Train will look great under your tree. Holiday Discounts. The Peddler has a number of cars in stock ready for pick up in his Hemet showroom but quantity is limited and they are selling fast! Special Holiday Price–10 percent off the full price of these In Stock items • ’55 classic pedal cars - available in red/ white, aqua/white, and black/red flames; • ’32 Roadster fire engine • Red Jr. tricycle • Speedster scoot-a-longs • Bi-plane scoot-a-longs To sweeten your Holiday he has taken 30 percent off the Red Sky King and Pink Fantasy Flier–in stock, assembled and ready to go home with you. Call for details. It will be a Merry Christmas for any girl or boy who owns one! You can view the complete online catalog at: pedalcarpeddler.com. For the Holidays the Peddler is providing FREE standard shipping on most products. Many models may be ordered on line or by calling Pedal Car Peddler owners Tom & Patty Seider directly: 951.537.4769 or 951.766.0778. Most credit cards accepted. The Chronicle I Want A Pet For Christmas By Joe Alcorn M.S., D.V.M. Do you or the family desire to adopt a new family member, a pet, for Christmas? How wonderful. Let’s consider all the possibilities together. What is the right pet? The real question is who is the pet for and what is the home environment like? A single person with minimal time at home might enjoy a bird, a lizard or other exotic pets, such as a turtle, guinea pig, rat, or hamster. These pets are fine being alone much of the day. A family with children might choose a dog or a cat that keeps everyone entertained and committed to a more dedicated relationship between human and pet. An older person, less mobile, might enjoy a cat, dog, or bird that can be a companion the majority of time at home. Many people need an animal friend; someone to care for, an animal that needs attention, walks, wants to be petted and likes paw-holding...these people need a dog. Which pet do I choose? So, now you have identified the select range of pets that you want to be part of the family. It is time to investigate the nature of the type of pet you seek. Here is what these pets might say: Dogs: I love most everything, everyone, lick a lot, need your petting, need some exercise and play time. I may try to sleep in your bed or on your pillow, whether I’m a Great Dane or a Chihuahua. Cats: I run the planet and although an alien, you will obey me. I may be cuddly or distant and truly you do not know who I am just yet but, with time, I will display my personality. Birds: Hear me sing, chirp, squawk or talk but I like friends, another bird friend or you. I like being handled, have my own play areas, take showers with you, eat with you and I demand some attention. Joe Alcorn M.S., D.V.M. Exotics: I am special; just look at me. Not many of your friends have someone like me. I like some touching and companionship but watch me close because humans are not that familiar with how I live and operate so please get educated on my proper care. Multiple pets? Most every creature, dogs, cats, birds or exotics enjoy your companionship and are appreciative and responsive. If they do not have another similar species to be a friend, they will seek another; you will be that friend. But, almost all species, even in groups, will seek and enjoy human companionship. Need more help and advice? Talk with your local veterinarian or call us at Care Animal Hospital, 951 676-4690: www.careah.com. We counsel people and families constantly to help guide the adoption of a new pet. If you already have pets, some advice on introducing a new or different pet is always wise before the new pet enters the home. Every adoption needs to be a success story. Yours will be too. Be wise and ask questions before adopting a new friend. Help is just a phone call away. www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com December 2011 5 A Christmas Adventure in Little Italy By Katie Malin A stocking stuffer your children will enjoy, “A Christmas Adventure in Little Italy,” is a heartwarming tale of love and charity. The backdrop is Chicago’s Little Italy in the 1950s. Jimmy learns about charity while visiting his grandmother, Nonna. Together they bake biscotti to give to the poor on Christmas Eve. As they leave the church that eve, Jimmy’s faithful dog, Blackie, is frightened by traffic and runs off. Blackie is lost. They search the city streets for the little dog for hours and return home to find…you will have to read the book to learn the answer! I had an opportunity to interview the author, James Doti, President of Chapman University, and I asked him why he wrote this book. Doti said he always loved children’s books, both as a youngster Jim Doti, president, Chapman University, author of A and as a father reading to my son and daughter. Christmas in Little Italy “I chose ‘Little Italy’ in Chicago because that’s where my nonna lived. Since the story is based on an actual adventure in my life, I wanted the locale to be as close to factual as possible,” Doti explained. Wondering if he would be writing another children’s book soon, he told me, “In fact, I’m in the process of working with my amazingly gifted illustrator, Lisa Mertins, on a new book that will be titled ‘Jimmy’s Adventure on Stage.’ I hope it will be available for sale by late next year.” Besides writing what do you like to do when you are not overseeing the administration of the University? “Over the years I have enjoyed mountain climbing. I’ve climbed Kilimanjaro, the highest summit in Africa; Aconcagua in South America, Elbrus in Europe, and Vinson in Antarctica. Now I exercise by running and I am excited about running the Boston Marathon this coming April for the 7th time.” Doti earned his B.S. degree in economics from the University of Illinois, Chicago, and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Chicago. He was named president of Chapman University in 1991 and holds the Donald Bren Distinguished Chair in Business and Economics. His articles have appeared in academic journals as well as periodicals such as The Wall Street Journal and The Chronicle of Higher Education. He is the co-editor of a collection of readings that received the Templeton Honor Award for Scholarly Excellence and he is a recipient of the Horatio Alger Award and the Ellis Island Medal of Honor. A Christmas Adventure in Little Italy, was selected by Italian America magazine for its fall Book Club. You can buy this book on line at www.amazon.com for about $10. A portion of the proceeds from its sale will be donated to the Katleen Muth Reading Center at Chapman University. Nonna’s Biscotti Recipe 1/3 cup vegetable oil 3 eggs 1 cup sugar 1 Tablespoon anise extract, 3 drops anise oil 3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 Tablespoon baking power ½ chopped almonds ½ cup chocolate chips Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease two cookie sheets In medium bowl, beat together the oil, eggs, sugar and anise extract until well blended. Combine the flour and baking powder in a separate bowl; then stir into the egg mixture. This should form a heavy dough. Add chocolate chips and almonds last and stir. Divide dough into two pieces and place one on each cookies sheet. Form the dough pieces into rectangles (about 7 x 10 inches) and using a rolling pin press down to ½ thickness. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until golden brown. Using a pancake turner or large spatula, placethe biscotti rectangles onto a wire rack to cool. When the biscotti are cool enough to handle, cut each rectangle into ¾-inch slices, lengthwise. Lay the slices flat on the cookie sheet. Bake for an additional 3 – 5 minutes, then flip to the other flat side and bake another 3 – 5 minutes, until lightly toasted. Enjoy the biscotti warm, or cool and store in an airtight container. www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com The Chronicle 6 December 2011 A Café Named Champagne By Carol Malin Temecula is a hot spot in Southwest Riverside County blessed with beauty, a charming old town, and good food and wine. If you have an appetite for gastronomic delights that will satiate your palate, try Café Champagne at Thornton Winery. Executive Chef Steve Pickell exercises his culinary expertise to create tantalizing meals from fresh, regional ingredients for Champagne’s diners and for guests attending Thornton’s Annual Steve Pickell, executive chef, Café Jazz Concert Series. Champagne at Thornton Winery Last month I was invited to Thornton Winery to join food and wine reporters for a tasting event. We were greeted at the door by winery founder, John Thornton; winery President, Steve Thornton; and Chef Pickell. Pickell is an accomplished award-winning chef. He graduated from the Culinary School of Washington DC. While in DC, he trained under Austrian Chef Nora Pouillon at Restaurant Nora. He acknowledges Pouillon’s influence on his cooking and talked to us about his commitment to create meals from seasonal ingredients. Pickell talked us through every course. Everything served at Champagne is made to order Chef told us, nothing is kept hot under lights. First course was a toasted flat bread pizza with warmed pear and gorgonzola with Tempranillo wine syrup. The cheese has a bite but it was mellowed by the sweet caramelized onions and pears. A glass of Thornton’s 2010 Tempranillo wine accompanied it. John told us that he is very proud of this Tempranillo – with good reason. A colleague said what we were all thinking, “It’s amazing, especially for a 2010 wine.” “We try to deliver the highest quality for the best price and we do this consistently in our three focus areas: wine, food and music,” said John Thornton. “We are very lucky to have Chef Steve – he is an outstanding chef. He was twice named the Chef of the Year by the California Restaurant Writer’s Association. He has been with us now for 12 years; that is a tremendous amount of time for this type of business.” The pace is fast, quality control a necessity, employee management required, ordering and keeping an eye on what sells is vital, and creativity is very important. The second course was a bowl of spicy sweet potato and corn bisque with cilantro pepita pesto. Chef told us that he only uses produce that is grown within a 100-mile radius of the restaurant and much of the produce is organic and comes from Valley Center. The soup had a pretty presentation; it was a lovely light orange color with green pesto swirled through the center. The taste was sweet with heat from the chipotle chilies at the finish. Just enough heat to remind you to take another sip of Thornton’s 2010 Zinfandel, Huis Vineyard ($13/glass). The flavor is spicy with a hint of raspberry. Wine pairing suggestions with specific dishes enhance the dining experience. Someone asked Chef how he comes up with his menus. He replied that on his drive home he thinks about food combinations and will come back to the kitchen the next day and try them. If the dish passes the taste test he will introduce the recipe as a special. If sales are good he knows it is a keeper. They must be doing something right, because the restaurant has been awarded Four Stars for Cuisine and Four Stars for the Wine List by the California Restaurant Writers Association. Pickell says he enjoys serving homey, comfort foods with a sophisticated twist, for example, a tasty grilled white-cheddar cheese and butter poached lobster sandwich. It is served on toasted sourdough with caramelized onion and bacon marmalade. This was our third tasting. It is, how do you say, melt-in-your-mouth good. Chef told us that this sandwich consistently receives positive feedback from customers and is one of their top sellers. That’s easy for me to believe. The sandwich paired very well with Thornton’s 2010 Chardonnay ($11/glass). No oaky aftertaste in this wine as it is fermented in stainless steel tanks. “I look for creative employees for the kitchen,” Pickell says. “After I have sorted through a hundred resumes and have asked an applicant to come in I will give him, or her, a mystery box test. In the box they receive a number of ingredients to make a dish of their choice in the kitchen within a two or three hour period. If the dish passes the taste test they become a serious contender for the job.” John says they are proud of the entire staff and mentioned that the restaurant has won the Gold Award for Contemporary Cuisine for eleven consecutive years from the Southern California Restaurant Writers Association. Reminding us that presentation is a very important part of the dining experience because we eat with our eyes first, he stated that they have learned that besides culinary talents “women in the kitchen seem to have a talent for adding color and beauty to the serving plate.” All of the food we tasted that day was nicely plated, a sprig of lavender here, a drizzle of sauce there – very elegant – and the food was always served at the right temperature. Our main course came next: grilled port rib eye with wild mushroom and leek bread pudding, served with sugar snap peas in a bing cherry port wine sauce. This was my favorite. The pork was so tender you could almost cut it with the fork. The bread pudding tasted like a delicious cross between mashed potatoes and stuffing. It was paired with Thornton’s 2010 Petite Sirah. This is the wine that Thornton’s winemaker, David Vergari, told me in an interview a few months ago that he has high hopes for. He said that the wine is reasonable now but advises patience will bring great rewards with this one. Dessert arrived. Warm salted caramel butterscotch pudding served with a coconut almond cookie and warm sipping chocolate. Fabulous just about covers it. Dessert was accompanied by Thornton’s sweet 2010 Muscat Canelli. While we were indulging, Chef told us that all pastries and desserts served at the Café are made on The Chronicle the premises. We were presented with a bottle of Thornton’s 2010 Mourverde wine to take home. I’m no chef but the turkey meatloaf that I served with this wine was a big hit with the crowd at my house. Maybe most of the credit should go to the wine consumed. Sharon Gallenger, banquet manager, came in to tell us about upcoming events: Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner. The winery also accommodates corporate functions, events, and weddings. On Christmas Day, Café Champagne will serve a selection of starters & entrees from noon - 5pm for a fixed price of $49.95 plus tax/tip, includes one glass of champagne (kids 5 – 12 $19.95; under 5 free). Café Champagne open daily 11 am - 9 pm (holiday hours differ). Lunch $13 – $21. Dinner $13 - $49. Wine/glass $8 - $15. Prices & hours subject to change. Reservations & information call (951) 699-0099, or go to: www.thorntonwine.com. Thornton Winery, 32575 Rancho California Road, Temecula 92591 A HOLIDAY DINNER Courtesy of Chef Steve Pickell Pork Rib Eye With Port Wine Sauce Eight 6-oz. pork chops or pork rib eye Season w/salt & pepper Grill ‘til done or pan seer to medium doneness (140- degree internal temp) Sauce 1 cup of port wine 1 cup pitted cherries w/ syrup drained off don’t let burn! reduce by half, meaning half will evaporate ½ cup chicken stock into reduction reduce by half again until thick in syrupy let cool season w. salt & pepper 1T butter let I melt Serve it with pudding & grilled pork pour on top of the pork Accompaniment: Snap Peas sautéed 2–3 minutes (quick sauté) in mix of olive oil & butter Wild Mushroom & Leek Bread Pudding 3 cups cubed bread, (focaccia, sourdough, etc.) 2 cups wild mushroom, (oyster, chanterelle, Japanese types etc.) 1 cup sliced leeks cleaned and rinsed 2 cups cream 1 cup milk 4 large eggs 1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese, (gruyere) 2 T chopped parsley 3 T olive oil Directions: Saute the mushrooms and leeks in olive oil over moderate heat 8-10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool. Whisk eggs together in a large bowl, set aside. Bring cream and milk to a scald. Temper eggs with hot milk and cream. Combine leeks, mushrooms, bread, egg and milk mixture, cheese and parsley in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Transfer to a buttered baking dish and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes in a water bath. www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com December 2011 www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com 7 The Chronicle 8 December 2011 Few Gifts Like A Live Music Performance By Dana Mambourg Zimbric One of my first memories of attending a live concert is from the 5th grade. My class walked across the street to the middle school auditorium, where the high school band performed their holiday concert for us. Part way through the concert, the band director asked who would like to help conduct the next piece. I waved my hand like crazy, and he looked right at me…and chose the girl Camerata Sorrento Musicians to my left. I was crushed. I was 20 years old before I realized that what I really wanted to do was become a conductor. But that 5th grade memory has stuck with me all these years. The sheer excitement of hearing music performed live was such a gift for me that day…and it remains a gift each and every time. We all carry around these libraries of recorded music in our pockets. And all we have to do is pop in the ear buds to hear perfectly performed, digitally mastered versions of our favorite tunes. But it’s not the same. Recorded music lacks the energy and the immediacy of a live performance. There’s an electricity that crackles back and forth between artist and audience, between stage and seats. I feel it from the podium when I conduct, and on the rare occasions when I get to be part of the audience, I feel it as I sit on the edge of my seat. Even Apple hasn’t figured out how to capture that. We’re so lucky in this region to have world class performances so close to home. Whether it’s a performance of the California Chamber Orchestra, a visiting international artist, an intimate chamber ensemble, or a rollicking Klezmer band. There are so many options to hear, to see, to feel, to be touched by live music. I’m working my way through my Christmas list right now. And there are people on it who’d be so happy to get a CD that I picked out for them, or an iTunes gift card. But then I think how those same people could be thrilled by a chance to hear their favorite artist or explore a new style of music live and in person. Yes, there will be tickets under the tree for many of my loved ones this year. And I can’t wait to see the look in their eyes, to hear their excitement as they tell me about what they experienced at the theater. Oh, and that band director who chose the wrong girl to conduct that day? He was my high school band director, and a tremendous mentor for me as I began my career as a professional musician and conductor. But I realized I’ve never told him this story. I’ll have to send him a copy of this column. May your holidays and the year to come be filled with the magic of music, and I look forward to seeing you and your loved ones at the theater. Dana Mambourg Zimbric is Artistic Director of the Golden Valley Music Society and Conductor of the California Chamber Orchestra. Candlelight Classics Rings In Holidays with “Four Seasons” Continuing its tradition of festive chamber concerts to ring in the holidays, the Golden Valley Music Society presents its annual Candlelight Classics performances at 3pm on Sunday, December 4 and Sunday, December 11, in the Club at the Merc, Old Town Temecula Community Theater. For these performances, the Merc is dressed in its holiday finery and bathed in candlelight. It’s the perfect atmosphere for chamber music. This year, Candlelight Classics returns to its roots with Antonio Vivaldi’s incomparable “The Four Seasons,” a series of four violin concertos that are some of the best-known examples of chamber music. Performing Vivaldi’s music along with a selection of other holiday favorites is Camerata Sorrento, a San Diego area ensemble. A smaller version of the ensemble has appeared many times at the Merc as Quartetto Sorrento. The group features Ondrej Lewit, Steve Stohs, and Michael Dvoskins, violins; Paula Simmons, viola; Gordon Grubbs, violincello; and Odile Richart, harpsichord. Tickets for Candlelight Classics are $25, and are available at the Theater’s Ticket Office, online at: www.TemeculaTheater.org, or by calling 866.OLD.TOWN (866.6538696). The Chronicle www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com December 2011 9 Bel Vino Marks New Beginning for Stuart Cellars Wines by Carol Malin The family operation of Stuart Cellars Vineyard & Winery has been purchased by a Salt Lake City investor, Mike Janko, who renamed the winery Bel Vino. Janko discovered Temecula Wine Country on a leisure trip two years ago. As a successful investment fund manager, he had recently begun looking into real estate and other businesses for diversification. “Because of my interest in the wine industry,” said Janko, “Stuart Cellars was a natural fit for the diversification of the investment portfolio.” Janko plans to enhance the hilltop winery with Tuscan flair. Mediterranean design elements will be incorporated throughout the property. Expansion plans for the next 18 months include an exterior makeover for the winery building, interior expansion of the tasting room, a retail gift store, outdoor covered patio seating, indoor event space, and an outdoor venue for weddings and special events. Marshall Stuart is continuing his role as Artisan Winemaker, handcrafting fine wine under the Stuart Cellars label, while developing a line for the new Bel Vino label. Susan Stuart has been named Vice President of Sales & Marketing. Under her direction, all staff members will continue employment at Bel Vino, as retaining trained employees was a major appeal to Janko in purchase of the winery. Bel Vino Wine Tasting Room, 33515 Rancho California Road, Temecula. Open daily from 10am to 5pm. For more information call 951.676.6414 or visit: www.BelVinoWinery.com Temecula Wine an International Flavor By Carol Malin Keyways Winery has sold to Silverton Partners, Inc., a real estate investment trust based out of Los Angeles. Keyways new owners plan to expand the business, quadruple the wine output, and export the wine overseas. Other area wineries, such as South Coast and Wilson Creek already export their wines. Family-owned wineries such as Filsinger, Stuart Cellars, and now Keyways, have sold within the past year. Valley wineries are changing hands, as businesses often will do. Here’s the good news. We’ve got something good going on here in our Valley… something that people want to invest in…and that’s good for our local economy. Special Events Dec. 1 – 15: Toys For Tots drop-off location at Vail Ranch Self Storage at 43980 Mahlon Vail Road, Temecula. For info call 951.302.0204. Dec. 3: Holiday Magic Push Cart Parade 10am-6pm, Historic Downtown Murrieta. FREE Dec. 11: 11th Annual Angel Tree Christmas Party 1:30pm – 4pm. Elks Lodge in Wildomar. Sponsors needed. Contact Outreach Ministry at 951.698.7650 or go to: info@communityoutreachmisistry.org. Dec. 11: Temecula Valley Master Chorale presents ‘Tis the Season, Murrieta Mesa High School Choir, 4pm, MMHS, Gershwin Performing Arts Center, Murrieta. Call 951.704.5612. $10 each or $25 family. Dec. 14: Grandparents Without Partners, 60-years and up, 6pm – 9pm at Anthony’s Restaurant in Murrieta. Call Genie for information 951.461.9560. Dec. 14: 4th Annual Home for the Holidays Tree Extravaganza opportunity drawing at Promenade Mall, Temecula, to support Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley. Call 951.296.3362 for information. Dec. 15: Temecula Women’s Connection Luncheon and Christmas Bazaar, 11:30am, Wilson Creek ballroom, $20. Check stories in this issue for other entertainment and Holiday events. www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com The Chronicle 10 December 2011 Holiday Pampering Is What You Need By JodyLynn Stuppy W ith Thanksgiving behind us and Christmas and Hanukkah just ahead, take time to enjoy the beauty of the season without feeling stressed. It’s enough to give anyone the bah humbugs. The key to a quick recovery is to take care of yourself. Treat yourself right during the holidays. Put yourself in the capable hands of a professional. Luxuriate yourself with a visit to the spa. A spa experience is not only healthy for your interior but also your exterior. Just like a body wrap increases metabolism, it also invigorates your skin. Most wraps contain herbal compounds that carry many medicinal values. While alligator may be fine for handbags and shoes, the look is not good for your skin. Body scrubs get rid of your dead and weak skin cells, giving your skin a radiant glow. Spas look after your body from head to toe – from facials to pedicures, waxes to massages. Having massages can revitalize your health, body and soul in our hectic lifestyles yielding several health benefits. Massage improves body postures and reduces the struggles that come with diseases such as chronic arthritis and other conditions like migraines, headaches and respiratory issues. It has been proven to reduce depression, pain, anxiety and is mainly done to reduce pain and strain on muscles as well as increase our body’s blood circulation and release of toxins. Folks in the Temecula and Murrieta Valley know the importance of downshifting once in awhile. In this stressful world, you never need an excuse to recharge. Visiting a spa to pamper yourself doesn’t have to be considered a treat. While many of them offer individual treatments, one may be tempted to receive a thorough experience at a day spa. There are day spas tucked in locations throughout the area. For those looking for an escape in the Murrieta area, Murrieta Day Spa offers a luxurious experience. Body scrubs, massages, foot baths, mineral pool, a full service salon and more will rejuvenate you from head to toe. Owner Monique Suraci, encourages everyone to go to a spa at least once in their lifetime to learn the art of relaxation, for it’s no longer a luxury but a necessity. No matter what your pleasure, there is no more opulent place to spa than amidst the vines, where creative treatments range from mineral-enriched skin detoxifiers to massage for couples. GrapeSeed Spa at South Coast Winery Resort is about as private, peaceful, relaxing and exclusive an environment as you can find. With several locations throughout the region, Massage Envy touts massage therapy to be a powerful ally in your wellness program. While you’re at it, get your glow on with one of their facials. If you’ve got your money on an exciting day in Temecula, look no further than Spa Pechanga within Pechanga Resort and Casino. It offers an experience unique to that particular venue. Take pleasure by wallowing in the mud, Glen Ivy Hot Springs in Corona has long been famous for their cleansing mud and mineral baths. Or get in touch with nature while having an outdoor massage beneath the oak trees. Ideal for men and women, the Glen Ivy Spa Experience package encompasses the royal treatment. Go from frazzled to dazzled. This is your invitation to sparkle. An hour of pampering yourself by getting a pedicure, manicure or massage may be all it takes to rejuvenate and renew. Both Fletcher-Smith The Spa and Tanya Gray Salon in Murrieta offer a full service salon including a makeup studio. Little luxuries come in small packages. When making out your gift list this year, include yourself! Give the gift of beauty and relaxation with a gift certificate to one of these spas for that special someone. After a long day of gift shopping, reward yourself for a job well done. Splurge on a massage, facial, manicure or pedicure. Locally, spa services can range from $45 to hundreds of dollars for spa packages. Whether your visit is to a full-service salon or to a spa, move pampering to the top of your list! Lastly, take a moment to simply enjoy the simple pleasures of the season. Stay healthy this holiday season by finding the time to relax. The better you feel, the happier your holidays will be. Happy Spa-lidays! Successful Businesswoman and Social Icon Turns 90 Continued from page 1 the expanding Temecula-Murrieta area, Ann was able to enjoy life with her children – Tami Collins and Dan Stephenson and her five grandchildren. She has 15 greatgrandchildren and one great-great grandchild. Many of them live in the local area. “Ann came to the valley as a retiree bringing nothing but energy and enthusiasm and the desire to make things happen. She started the Country Club Crowd which was a senior citizens group designed to do social events, and she ran that organization as president for five years and entertained over 200 ladies and gentlemen during her reign of that organization,” said her son Dan. Ann says that the years in Murrieta have been outstanding. ”My favorite time in life is when I moved here,” she said. In her many years in Murrieta, she has been a mainstay of the community. “She is the matriarch of her family and takes great pride in making sure the family stays connected,” said Dan Stephenson. “She has always been very active in sports being an avid skier, bowler and golfer. She loves to play bridge and she has been a member of a number of bridge groups – organizing many of them.” A conversation with Ann is always stimulating. “I’ve had a lot of fun in my life and I’ve had a full life and I intend to keep doing it for awhile yet,” she commented. The Chronicle What Is EMDR? And What Can It Do For You? By Sandra L. Nagy, Clinical Hypnotherapist It’s a well-know phenomena that some of the most valuable discoveries are often made by accident. So it was that in 1987, psychologist, Francine Shapiro was walking in the park and just happened to notice that when she moved her eyes back and forth in a certain way, negative feelings and disturbing thoughts were greatly relieved. This discovery led to controlled research studies and the development of EMDR…Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. When life is going smoothly, both the left and right hemispheres of the brain will work together to integrate and store information. But, when emotionally disturbing events have occurred in your life, the brain is often unable to process experiences as it normally would. Instead, negative thoughts and feelings can get trapped in the nervous system at a subconscious level. The eye movements utilized in EMDR utilize bilateral stimulation by activating both the left and right hemispheres of the brain, allowing for proper integration and the release of painful or negative experiences from your nervous system. EMDR has been extensively researched and proven extremely effective and, as with the practice of clinical hypnotherapy itself, theories still abound as to why it is so effective. However, most importantly, the fact remains that it is. One theory about EMDR suggested that the two brain hemispheres might act as a push-pull control system, similar to an accelerator and a brake, with the left hemisphere contributing to the push (or approach tendencies) and the right hemisphere contributing to avoidance tendencies, which would explain the freezing up of sensory input if a situation prohibits cooperation and a smooth flow. EMDR in conjunction with hypnotherapy has proved to be extremely effective in treating anxiety disorders, stress, fears and phobias, overeating, self-confidence, improvement of athletic and academic ability and more. According to Herbert Fensterheim, Ph.D., at Cornell University, “EMDR is the most revolutionary, important method to emerge in psychotherapy in decades.” I’m excited about incorporating this unique and innovative treatment into my hypnotherapy practice. - Sandra L. Nagy is a Clinical Hypnotherapist; practicing in Southern California for 11 years. She received her psychology and hypnotherapy training from Columbia University, NY, and The Hypnosis Motivation Institute in Tarzana, CA. Sandra can be reached at (951) 894-5555 or go to: www.sandranagy.com www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com December 2011 www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com 11 The Chronicle 12 December 2011 Hands-on Approach to Parkinson’s Disease By Wendy Hammarstrom, LMT When my 60-year old mountain-climbing, world-traveling aunt developed tremors in her left hand she was disconcerted. When she began to have problems with balance and her walking became more like shuffling, she sought help and was surprised to hear the diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. Parkinson’s Disease is a slowly progressive disease affecting at least one million Americans; commonly occurring between the ages of 60 and 70 but increasingly in those who are under the age of 50. It is a result of degenerative changes in the midbrain, characterized by a loss of dopamine producing nerve cells. Dopamine in the brain is essential for coordination of complex muscle systems required for every intentional movement. Along with muscular rigidity, primary Parkinson’s symptoms include tremors at rest, intention tremors (the closer you get to an object, the more tremors you experience), difficulty with walking due to delayed motion (to the point of freezing mid-motion) and loss of balance. Muscle pain and cramps and sleep disturbances are often common, as well as quite a few more secondary symptoms, including dizziness when standing. The cause is unknown. However, current theories include environmental pollutants and exposure to industrial solvents, genetic predisposition, or a viral infection. In a study conducted by Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami along with staff from the university neurology department and Duke University’s pharmacology department, they found that massage improved daily functioning, increased quality of sleep and decreased stress hormone levels in people with Parkinson’s disease. When we are stressed, symptoms are exacerbated. Massage therapy is helpful because it reduces stress, which reduces symptoms. Its soothing effect gives the client a sense of normalcy and improves mood and outlook on life. It is a cumulative effect. Like regular exercise the benefits are maintained between sessions and improved upon in the next session. The more time your body spends at ease in a low stress state the better chance it has to heal. Massage also seems to enhance the utilization of various L-dopa combinations that are being used to treat Parkinson’s patients with good success, and if proven true can prolong the effectiveness of medicines. As with any therapy, on-going communication and feedback before, during and after sessions is crucial for positive effects. Relentlessly increasing stiffness and tremors lead to muscle exhaustion similar to that found in athletic endeavors. The available oxygen is insufficient for the amount of work the trembling and permanently contracting muscles need in order to stay in good repair. Experiencing Parkinson’s is similar to the stress of extreme sporting events, but after sports you can follow with long periods of rest, whereas the poor musculature of Parkinson’s patients never has any rest period. According to Dietrich Miesler, former director of Day Break Geriatric Massage Institute, in just five minutes long Swedish massage strokes carry ten times the amount of blood to the massaged muscles as arrives during a fifteen minute rest. Gentle muscle kneading and soothing strokes lessen the muscle stiffness, decrease pain as well as increase circulation. For clients with more advanced Parkinson’s who are mobility challenged, the benefits of receiving massage make up for their limited movement. Abdominal massage helps with digestion, as well as with developing core awareness and balance. Easing up scalene muscles on sides of neck may help the head turn with more ease. Massage and passive stretching ease muscle rigidity in the lower limbs and help clients normalize gait and improve sense of balance, as well as reduce calf cramps. This minimizes problems often encountered when trying to rise from a sitting position or getting out of a car. Massage, stretching and reflexology can help keep the feet flexible as well as contribute to overall well-being. Wendy Hammarstrom has been practicing and teaching yoga and massage to all ages and bodies for over 30 years. You can call her at 951-303-4508 to purchase a holiday gift certificate. The Chronicle www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com December 2011 13 When You Comin’ Home, Son? By Jay O’Neill I just am not sure how it all happens. It’s just life, I guess. We lead such busy lives once we marry and have children. There are so many demands. Trying to balance work, maintain a home and getting the kids everywhere they need to be. We are the chauffeur, the attendant and most importantly, of course, as parents we are mentors responsible for teaching a host of lessons for living life successfully. In short, we are our children’s everything and we take that responsibility on with zeal. And there is plenty of payback. We get to share in and applaud every little success. And when those successes occur, the words proud parents could never be truer! Sometimes we are even lucky enough to learn that they want to grow up to emulate and be just like us. There’s no feeling like it! And when the inevitable happens and the going gets tough, we also share in the difficult times, acting as confidants while providing comfort and support. We just get so immersed in all those oft hectic demands on our time and attention. I could easily make this article about raising our families and the joys of having children. But I am not writing about our trials and tribulations as we go about our daily routines balancing the duties of being parents, life partners, a job, maintaining a household and the myriad of demands on our time and attention. It’s easy to forget that we too are our parent’s children. Those parents, grandparents and great grandparents provided us and our parents with the very same love and support we now work to impart to our children. They taught us life’s lessons. They were, and hopefully still are, our heroes. So, when did it happen? When did we get so busy? Here’s a brief exchange that happens millions of times a day in some form, I am sure . . . Sometimes Wishes Do Come True by Carol Malin On any given day you might see 85 year old Temecula resident Darrell Cole tooling around old town or even as far as Murrieta on his scooter. Darrell had polio early in life and in 1964 was again injured in an accident involving a drunk driver. Now his scooter is his lifeline with the outside world. And you can be sure when you see him that he will have his little dog and trusty sidekick Deletta Mae there riding along in the front basket with her little western outfit on. Darrell will be the first to tell you that Deletta Mae is family. He even shared, with a smile, that if you invite him anyplace and tell him to leave the dog at home, neither one of them will show up. And when he talks with you, there is a definite twinkle in his eye that coincides with his sly humor. Make no mistake; Darrell is one very sharp 85 year-old. Darrell first moved to the Temecula area in 1984 and into Old Town in 1989 where he still lives today. Other than Deletta Mae, he lives alone. After that accident back in 1964 Darrell was told he was paraplegic and would never walk again. But this is one man who will not be told what he can and can’t do when it comes to his own disability. Perhaps driven by need or by determination and more than likely by both, Darrell developed the ability to move around just enough using crutches to be able to transfer himself at home from his scooter to a chair or onto the rolling barstool he uses to get around in his kitchen. Murrieta resident Marsha Anderson saw Darrell on his scooter and stopped to talk www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com Hi honey, it’s Mom. I am having a little difficulty getting around today. Do you think you might be able to come by later and help me out? I need to get to the market. Oh, Mom! I am so busy! Can I call you a little later after I see how my day is going? I will try. And the intentions are good. But too often that call back never gets made or if it does it is to say there just is no time. It’s so easy to get lost and so involved in the demands made on us that we forget or have to push our parents or senior relatives needs back on our list of priorities. It is entirely understandable and they know that. Often they just quietly and dutifully accept a back seat because they too have been there and they do understand. So, as the holidays approach this year this is a reminder to not forget our own heroes. Our time is measured. There may not always be an opportunity to say or do what it was in our hearts to say or do. We all have to work at making time to put our senior family members at the top of the list from time to time. It may not always be convenient. Life has a strange way of making us feel like our parents and loved ones will always be there. In the 70s there was a touching song by an artist named Harry Chapin titled “Cats in the Cradle.” It’s about a boy and his dad. The dad was always too busy as the son grew up and he wasn’t there for him. The son now puts off his dad when the dad asks, “When you comin’ home, Son?” Son: “I don’t know when but we’ll have a good time then, Dad. You know we’ll have a good time then.” Have a Blessed Holiday Season with your families and loved ones. Jay ONeill, GLOBAL MEDICAL EQUIPMENT and SUPPLIES, INC. with him one day. Marsha is president and founder of an organization called Seniors Having One Wish Foundation (SHOW). It is the polar opposite of the Make a Wish Foundation for children. Marsha spoke with Darrell for a bit and noted that his scooter was in very distressed condition. It was held together in places with duct tape and he shared that the brakes no longer worked properly. SHOW is a new charitable organization without much in the way of funding just yet but Marsha was going to find a way to get Darrell a new scooter. She approached Global Medical Equipment and Supplies, Inc in Murrieta for help. She asked if Global Medical Equipment would be interested in making the very first major donation to the very first recipient of the foundation. The owners at Global Medical Equipment jumped on board. In the ensuing days Marsha tracked Darrell down and arranged for one of the Global owners and their manager to meet Darrell and evaluate his scooter to determine how his needs could best be met. After meeting Darrell and determining his needs, Global Medical decided that they were in a position to help and the work began on preparing a new scooter and choosing a date for the presentation. On November 2 at Global Medical Equipment’s store in Murrieta Marsha Anderson and the SHOW Foundation made its first donation to its first recipient Mr. Darrell Cole of a new Four wheel red scooter. At the presentation Darrell shared that he hadn’t slept well the night before in anticipation of getting the new scooter. Darrell wasn’t alone. That anticipation was shared by all that were involved in getting him his new scooter. Ride on Darrell in good health! The Chronicle 14 December 2011 Staying Well With Happy Faces By Harry Carpenter My favorite story. On a routine visit to a farm, veterinary James Herriot *saw a ewe with a serious infection. It was clear she was in distress and dying. Because of her advanced condition, the farmer refused to waste money on her. Out of compassion, Herriot injected her with a lethal dose of something to put her out of her misery. Weeks later, he met the farmer who said, “It was a miracle. The ewe slept for four days and when she woke, she was cured.” Herriot was astounded until he reasoned what happened. The ewe was in pain and frightened when he saw her. Because of her condition, her immune system shut down. When he put her into a deep sleep, she was no longer frightened or in pain. Her immune system, unhampered, kicked in and healed her. Spontaneous Remission. Researchers examining interviews with cancer patients who experienced spontaneous remission found one common factor—those experiencing “miraculous” healings had a major change in attitude. It’s a fact. The new science of psychoneuroimmunology has proven that your thinking (attitude) has a direct affect on your immune system. Negative thoughts retard your immune system, whereas positive thoughts enhance it. When you harbor a grudge, hatred, or malice, you only hurt yourself. When you are happy, your attitude actually enhances your immune system. Thus, your immune system responds to your emotions. Norman Cousins. Norman Cousins, well-known writer and editor, had a horrible disease and was not doing well in the hospital. So he checked himself out of the hospital and into a motel where he watched funny videos. His laughter and new attitude helped him get well. He went on to write, lecture, and teach at UCLA School of Medicine about the connection of health and attitude. An Immune System Trigger. If Cousins had placed Happy Face image in view while he watched those funny videos, his subconscious mind would have associated that image with being happy. After enough repetitions, his subconscious would be conditioned to recall a happy attitude every time it glimpsed one of those Happy Faces. This would be for the same reason, in the classic experiment, Pavlov’s dog salivated when a bell rang. Then, if Cousins had placed a Happy Face image on his bedroom mirror, closet door, car dashboard, etc., his subconscious would have emoted happiness, thereby stimulating his immune system, many times every day. You Too. When you do something that makes you happy, associate it with a Happy Face image. Then paste Happy Faces in places you see every day. Your conscious mind will soon tune out the Happy Face images. But your subconscious mind will be nudged with happy thoughts (emotions) every time a Happy Face comes in view. Positive thoughts enhance your immune system. What have you to lose? Think happy; be healthy! James Herriot*, pen name of James Alfred Wight, veterinary, author, and leading character in a two-year biographical series on PBS. For more information, see Chapter 8, The Genie Within: Your Subconscious Mind, get the Health Affirmation CD. (www.thegeniewithin.net.) Send me a SASE and I will send you 5 one-inch Happy Face stickers. Harry Carpenter, 1844 Fuerte Street, Fallbrook, CA 92028 The Chronicle www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com December 2011 Sustainability and Business in Murrieta By Rex Oliver, Murrieta Chamber President Assembly Bill 314 introduced by Assembly Member Wesley Chesbro was signed by Governor Brown on October 5. It raises the bar with regard to commercial recycling requirements in the State of California. Prior to this bill passing, The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 required that all businesses divert 50 percent of all solid waste from land fill to recycling by January 1, 2000. This new bill raises that diversion number to a 75 percent requirement by the year 2020 and requires the department to provide to the Legislature strategies to achieve that policy by January 1, 2014. Bill 314 requires a city or county to implement a solid waste recycling program meeting specific requirements to take effect by July 1, 2012. Any business that generates 4 cubic yards of solid waste per week will be required to arrange for recycling services. Basically this means that if you are a business in Murrieta that creates 4 cubic yards of solid waste per week, you will be required to acquire a new recycling container at your place of business by July 1, 2012. A possible complication for some businesses would be that the current trash receptacles at their place of business, when constructed, did not have the capacity to hold another container. In the City of Murrieta, Waste Management has the contract for waste removal. Over the next six months Waste Management, through a corporate program of awareness and in partnership with the Murrieta Chamber of Commerce, will help businesses to prepare for this new Government mandated program. Please contact Waste Management to have a consultant come to your place of business and provide advice on how best to bring your place of business into compliance. www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com 15 Jr. Olympic Diver to Extreme Motocross Rider Continued from page 1 “Before I got into freestyle motocross I did a couple races here and there and rode a lot at the local tracks. I grew up riding out in the Mohave Desert with my family. As I got a little older my brother Brian would take me to Beaumont, Glamis, Ocotillo Wells, and a couple other random riding spots. “I have always loved riding dirt bikes and the moment I saw guys doing tricks on them I was hooked! I first saw freestyle motocross in a video that my Dad brought home, ‘Crusty Demons of Dirt.’ “My first performance was about 10 years ago in Washington. I remember being stoked that I was going get paid to ride my dirt bike in front of a crowd. I was also stoked that I was riding with some big names in the freestyle motocross world at that time. After that first gig I knew that riding freestyle was for me. “One of my best tricks is probably the Kiss of Death Backflip, where I flip the bike up in the air and completely hang off the bike upside down from the handlebars. Some other tricks that I do are Seat Grab Flips, Heel Clicker Flips, Indy Flips, and Cliffhanger Flips. “I would say one of the most important things to know about riding is that it can be dangerous so always wear all your protective gear. Learn the terrain before you start going fast through the desert. I have heard a lot of bad stories about people going off cliffs or hitting fences, bushes, and trees. Riding dirt bikes is one of the most fun things to do but it is important to do it with respect. “I try and ride twice a day to train. We usually meet at Brian Deegan’s house in the morning and ride for a few hours and then come over my house in the afternoon. When Metal Mulisha rides together we constantly push each other. When one guy learns a new trick immediately everyone works on learning that trick until they have it dialed in. Occasionally we will jump into my foam pit. A foam pit is a big box of foam that is 50-feet long and 40-feet wide and 12-feet tall. We practice a lot of our crazy tricks in it. Once we get a trick dialed into the foam pit we take it to the dirt. I also like to motor the tracks pretty often. Riding the tracks builds endurance and is a great workout in itself. “The guys that I ride with are all Metal Mulisha guys: Brian Deegan, Todd Potter, Taka Higashino, Wes Agee, Ronnie Faisst, Derek Garland, Juliun Dussiue, and Nick Dunne. “Some of my sponsors are Metal Mulisha, Rockstar energy drink, MSR riding gear, Osiris shoes, Alpinestar gear, Shoei helmets, Pro Circuit, Pro Taper, Uni Air Filter, Maxxis tires, IMS, Pro Honda, and WER stabilizers. “Some of the riders I looked up to when I was younger are Jeremy McGrath, Brian Deegan, Jeff Emig, Seth Enslow, Mike Metzger, Travis Pastrana, and Jeremy Stenberg. “Advice that I would give to anyone just getting started is to always wear your gear when riding and you should never ride alone. Having someone around is important to get help if you get hurt. My advice is to take it slow when you’re just starting freestyle. Don’t try and do tricks that you are not ready for. The key to lasting in our sport is to stay healthy. A lot of good riders have got taken out early because they pushed too hard and continuously broke bones. “Some other activities that I like to do when I’m not riding is wake boarding, hunting, riding my Harley, building new jumps, and racing my off-road truck. My schedule keeps me pretty busy on the road, so when I am home it feels like I am on vacation. Fitzpatrick will be riding with Metal Mulisha in the 2012 Nuclear Cowboyz tour kicking off in Baltimore, MD, on January 13 and hitting 10 more cities across the US before landing in Ontario, CA, on April 13. Go to Nuclear Cowboyz.com for information. The Chronicle 16 December 2011 Ten Reasons Why You Should Not Do Your Own Loan Modification By Morton Grabel, Esq. “Don’t try this at home.” We all have heard this old cliché. Dealing with banks really brings this warning home! With their number one motivation to maximize profits so to keep their stock prices high, giving you a discount is much more than “pulling teeth.” So, here are 10 important reasons why it can be foolish to try this on your own. 1 You are emotionally invested in your home and lenders can smell fear far better then dogs. When it is personal, you cannot help but get defensive. My hat goes off to those rare few who have been able to stifle their emotions and turn on the analysis and do it themselves. More often then not our emotions give the calculating adversary the edge 2 Negotiation is a learned skill. To weather the flow of offers and counter offers, a plan and a strategy must be followed. Knowing when to give and when “not to blink,” is usually best done by trained professionals. They know what it takes to win. 3 The banks will fight you before agreeing to a reduced payment. Your lender is not going to voluntarily give up a large amount of money over thirty or forty years. They have to answer to stockholders and have you looked in the paper lately? Whoa. 4 They do want to take your home. They say they are “here to help” but they have already made up their minds in advance. The friendly voice that says “just send in your bank statements one last time” is pretending! The new phrase is “pretend and extend,” maybe get some Trial Plan money, and then take the home. 5 Experienced negotiators know if the bank’s offer is “as good as it gets.” There is no Kelly Blue Book for how much of a lowered interest rate still allows the bank to make a profit. It is hard to know what truly is a good deal. Is that really an 1850 dresser or a knock off? 6 Banks prefer working with someone who speaks their language. They cannot make a decision without a complete application, and only a professional can fax the same thing eleven times without blowing a fuse! Seriously, professionals at the bank prefer dealing with other professionals. Don’t take a knife to a gunfight. 7 You must force the banks to say yes. The reasons the bank must say yes, usually the Home Affordable Modification Program guidelines and their own inhouse policies, must be shouted from the roof tops. Banks have more excuses than I had for not turning in my homework 8 The banks know after a long run around you will give up. It’s true; the average underwater homeowner can only take so much. The long slow pace of the bureaucratic process is more frustrating then twenty pulls on my lawn mower cord, even tempting me to give up, and I am a bull-dog that never cries “uncle.” 9 Sound financial reasons must be clearly shown. Their formulas and ratios are extremely complicated. Like a CPA paints a tax return, the skillful negotiator confidently marches to the end zone. Score! 10 The stakes are too high. If you lose, you lose your home. The car can still sputter, the sprinkler head still drip, but there are no “do overs” in eviction court. LAW OFFICES OF MORTON GRABEL 736 N. State Street, Suite 205 41530Enterprise Circle South,Suite 209 Hemet, CA 92543 Temecula,CA 92590 P:(951) 658-7000 F:(951) 658-7011 P:(951) 296-6188 F:(951) 296-6187 The Chronicle Thank You The Southwest Riverside County Detachment #1057 of The Marine Corps league, wishes to thank the following Sponsors and Donors for their participation and contribution to our 2nd Annual Charitable Golf Tournament held at Bear Creek Golf Course in Murrieta on the 24th of October. Their generous contribution insures that our Veterans Group can continue to support local Youth Organizations such as The Young Marines, Boys & Girls Scouts and High School Jr. ROTC Programs. We stand ready to assist Veterans families in need and support Veterans Memorials, Patriotic Parades and Ceremonies. A-1 Auto, Temecula Anasa Hair Studio Spa Angels Baseball Club Anthony’s Lounge & Ristorante BMW of Murrieta Castillo AC & Heating Cathedral Canyon Golf Club Craig Advertising Specialties Diamond Valley Golf Club Dicks Sporting Goods Dr. Al Fehling Dr. James Hoch Dr. Kelly McKerahan Fred ‘Curly’ Morrison Glamour Nails & Spa John Hines, Temecula Mazda Lake Elsinore Storm Office MAX Pechanga Resort & Casino Ponte Winery Primus Golf Academy Ralphs Super Market Rancho California Golf Club Rancho Ford, Lincoln-Mercury Rancho Las Palmas Country Club Realty Executives Redhawk Golf Club Reidy Creek Golf Course Richie’s Diner Rosenstein & Hitzeman Atty’s at Law San Diego County Estates Assoc. Senior Retirement Care Seven Hills Golf Club South Coast Winery Stadium Pizza Stadium Snack Shack Temecula Valley Cardiology Thai Kitchen The Chronicle of Murrieta & Temecula The Legends Golf Club The Mill Restaurant Thornton Winery Vicki Graham West Coast Chiropractic Williams Landscape 26 Promo www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com December 2011 GOV E R NM E N T S P E A K S Red Light Cameras Decrease Your Risk In 2005, as a response to citizen complaints about our unsafe roads, the Murrieta Public Safety Commission brought the idea of Red Light Cameras for our city to the Police Department. Although initially skeptical, our PD did their homework and concluded that a well thought out and well run program could increase public safety. This program has been in operation for five and a half years and generated few complaints until the State legislature almost doubled the fine. In gathering signatures for a ballot initiative to ban the cameras, the proponents made claims that are not backed by empirical data. So now, the citizens of Murrieta will have the chance to weigh in during the November 2012 election on whether the cameras stay or go. Let’s start with the statistical facts from January 2006 through September of 2011. At the three camera intersections in our city, there were 15 broadside collisions. At the three adjacent non-camera intersections with the same traffic volume, there were 45 broadside collisions. The Murrieta PD’s conclusion is that broadside collisions at camera intersections occur far less frequently. The three camera locations were chosen out of 15 analyzed in 2005 based on the incidence of red light violations and severity of traffic collisions at each location. Here are the results from the camera intersection analysis on Septem- Temecula’s History is Looking to the Future By Chuck Washington, Mayor Pro Tem 2011 could certainly be considered a “transition” year for the City of Temecula. It was just about a year ago that the City occupied the new Civic Center at Main and Mercedes in Old Town. The City’s long-time City Manager, Shawn Nelson announced his planned retirement and other key personnel such as the History Museum Director, Wendell Ott, and Community Services Director, Herman Parker have also retired. The City’s Old Town Theater Manager position was vacated by the untimely passing of much-beloved Bruce Beers. There’s an old saying that the only constant in life is change, but Temecula has become well known for its traditions – among them constancy of her personnel. It has brought about a culture of stability that has allowed the City to grow and thrive. When the recession began a few years back, Temecula’s City Council and Executive staff began to prepare a plan to deal with the downturn. Of utmost importance was to maintain a high level of services and programs for Temecula’s citizens while cutting back on expenditures to achieve a balanced budget. In the process, early retirements were offered and Temecula’s staffing was reduced. The City created the opportunity for new leadership and city staff did not disappoint – while being asked to do more with less, they kept the bar high so that our citizens would not see a decline in service. All of the most popular programs that our citizens love were retained…and we were still able achieve a national ranking of 2nd Safest City in America. Now the holiday season is fast approaching and the city is preparing for the much anticipated traditions of the season. We’ll start off with a Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Duck Pond on Thursday, December 1st and will follow that with our annual Santa’s Electric Light Parade in Old Town Friday, December 2. Other popular events back this year will be Professor Pennypickle’s Winter Wonderland at the Children’s Museum and the Ice-Skating Rink’s Grand Opening - both on December 16. A new tradition that was started last year and will be continuing again this year is New Year’s Eve on the Square with a NYC-style countdown and Grape Drop at 9:00pm and at midnight. Old Town will be dressed up for the holidays and hopefully that will help the kids find Santa who can be spotted in Old Town right after Thanksgiving. All City events can found at www.temeculaevents.org. In these trying economic times, it gives the City Council and staff great pleasure that our decisions about how to use the citizens’ dollars have provided some respite from the day-to-day drumbeat of less than cheery economic indicators. We continue to fight the state’s efforts to take away local funding that can and has had great value for Temecula through economic development, community facilities, support of local non-profits and affordable housing to name a few. We adamantly oppose the building of a quarry in the southwest portion of the City and that fight will continue into 2012. The City Council recently adopted a Quality of Life Master Plan that provides a visionary roadmap to 2030 to guide decisions toward maintaining and adding those amenities, programs, and facilities that ensure the highest level of quality in our daily lives as residents of Temecula. Citizens can view this plan at www.temecula2030. org. We will continue to be responsive to the needs of our citizens and hope and pray for a Happy New Year for all. www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com 17 Murrieta Councilman Rick Gibbs ber 30, 2011. At Clinton Keith and Nutmeg, there were 16 violations a month, which means that a motorist is at risk of collision once every 45 hours; at Murrieta Hot Springs and Margarita, there were 20 monthly violations, which increases the threat to once every 36 hours; and at Murrieta Hot Springs and Whitewood, the 85 monthly violations results in a threat once every 8.5 hours. If a vote of the people does away with this tool for police use, then you are looking at a scenario worse than what existed in 2005 when our population was 20 percent less. At Clinton Keith and Nutmeg, there were 750 monthly violations, which means a motorist was placed in jeopardy once every 58 minutes; Murrieta Hot Springs and Margarita witnessed 1200 violations per month which translated to a threat once every 36 minutes; and at our worst location of Murrieta Hot Springs and Whitewood, 3150 monthly violations placed our citizens lives at risk every 14 minutes. These are the cold hard facts. More Murrieta citizens have died in traffic collisions than murders in the last several years. Our cameras were installed to help give those thousands of red light violators a wakeup call and increase public safety. Murrieta remains one of the safest cities in the nation and our citizens have faith in our Police Department. However, the proponents tell us that the police and council cannot be trusted and they are spouting propaganda to justify their revenue enhancement scheme. Police Departments are expensive but they exist to protect and serve. Red light cameras lose money. But they deter threats 24/7 and greatly assist the police. Your family is safer today because of red light cameras. First Grade Logic A first grade school teacher presented her classroom the 1st half of a well-known proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. It’s hard to believe these were actually done by first graders. Their insight may surprise you. 1. Don’t change horses 2. Strike while the 3. It’s always darkest before 4. Never underestimate the power of 5. You can lead a horse to water but 6. Don’t bite the hand that 7. No news is 8. A miss is as good as a 9. You can’t teach an old dog new 10. If you lie down with dogs, you’ll 11. Love all, trust 12. The pen is mightier than the 13. An idle mind is 14. Where there’s smoke there’s 15. Happy the bride who 16. A penny saved is until they stop running. bug is close. Daylight Saving Time. termites. How? looks dirty. impossible Mr. Math stink in the morning. Me. pigs. the best way to relax. pollution. gets all the presents. not much. The Chronicle 18 December 2011 Whose Estate is it? Yours! By Marguerite Lorenz, CTFA, CLPF #319 The 4th Annual Home for the Holidays Tree Extravaganza benefits Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley. Several dozen professionally designed trees will be on display at the Promenade in Temecula from November 11 through December 14. Tree sponsors include Brighton Collectibles, California Bank & Trust, Kids World, Pacific Western Bank, Paradise Chevrolet, Tri-Lakes Sportswear, and Van Avery Prep. Opportunity tickets are available for a donation of $1 each to win one of these beautiful trees. For more information call Elizabeth Hamerschlag at Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley: 951.296.3362. Chosin Few Continued from page 2 The cold forced the corpsmen to change their way of doing business. With the first sound of a firefight they would take several syrettes of morphine and put them in their mouths. This kept the morphine liquid until the syrettes were jabbed into a wounded man’s flesh to relieve his pain. The corpsmen were the only ones who worked with bare hands in the severe cold, and they found a way to keep their fingers nimble while tending a wounded man. The heat of the man’s blood did the trick or his guts as they were stuffed back into the belly.” The following narrative is the first engagement fought by Baker–one–seven on the way to Yudam Ni. “In the brush below Kiser’s platoon, Chinese assault squads waited in disciplined silence for the signal to attack. Under the cover of darkness they had crept soundlessly into their jump off positions, within grenade range of the Marine line. The sound of a rocket ripping through the air close above us jolted me awake. A streak of fluorescent green crossed our line, followed by a red rocket from the other direction. Bugles blared and whistles shrilled down the valley. The luminous hands on my watch said 0030 and we were under attack. A sudden clamor erupted with an eerie chant, ‘M-line die; M-line die’ issuing from a chorus of Chinese voices, then the crash of mortars, the boom of concussion grenades, and the sharp sputter of burp guns. Seconds later there was the deeper sound of answering Marine rifles and BARs, joined by the pounding of our machine guns and the explosions of Marine grenades. The screams of wounded men added to the mélange of sounds. Enemy mortars walked the ridgeline, thundering along the company CP and raining clods of earth on my mortar men.” As a veteran of the Korean War, I was very moved by the reading of these passages. Looking at the faces of the veterans gathered in the square…veterans of WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the war in Iraq and Afghanistan…I could see that we share the understanding that our Freedom is Not Free. We are proud to have served. Semper Fi, Roland Behny As a Private Trustee and Executor, I see all kinds of families, elders, and situations. I’ve seen the benefits of planning ahead and the disasters of avoiding the topics of aging, death, incapacity, money, etc. In January, our free estate planning education workshop series sponsored by charities, will be held at the Fallbrook Library at 124 S. Mission Road, Fallbrook, CA 92028. To register call 619.752.6991 or go to our website at: www.ItsYourEstate.org. There you can see details on the topics covered and the testimonials of past students. This is 12 hours of education, offered in two classes a week for four weeks: January 18 and 25; February 1 and 8 - from 9:30am to 12:30pm. You must register to attend, as seating is limited. Our sponsors include KPBS, The Salvation Army and the American Heart Association, to name just a few. You will learn about keeping your independence, even when you don’t feel well. You will learn new questions to ask your trusted professionals. Students who have attended this class typically say they learned many things they didn’t even know about, even though they already have a trust in place. I hope to see you there! It’s all about Control If you are worried about being a burden to the loved ones and friends around you, this next section is for you. You may feel that you are “weak” or somehow “less than” if you ask for help. I have seen many elders isolate themselves, so no one else sees their struggle. The result is that the struggle is much worse than it has to be. Here are some suggestions I make to my clients about the upcoming life changes: • Begin the practice of asking for assistance (with lots of please and thank you). • Start learning new ways to get things done, if you couldn’t walk or drive. • Find out what it really costs to have the care you need, when you need it. The goal is to stay in control. In upcoming articles, I will be offering you more tips on staying financially safe, how to find and work with good professionals and living well. You can get ahead by coming to the It’s Your Estate class in January (details above). The landscape of life can change in an instant. You have probably seen what has happened to friends or loved ones who just never thought it would happen to them. Think of an umbrella; if you have one on a sunny day, great. If you don’t have one, when you need it, you have avoided a simple tool which would have made you so much more comfortable. Your complete, signed, estate plan is your life’s umbrella! Having your preferences in writing makes it possible for your life to continue along, with as much stability and continuity as you can have, because you thought about it and put your desires in writing. There is no substitute for a well-written estate plan, implemented by someone who knows what to do and when to do it. Keep expressing your value to others with your good self care. Marguerite Lorenz, CTFA, CLPF #319 Co-Chair for the Professional Fiduciary Association of California Annual Conference 2012 Host for the www.ItsYourEstate.org public education program, San Diego County “Colder Than Hell” was published January 2000 by Bluejacket Books and is available through www.amazon.com The Chronicle www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com December 2011 19 The Good in Giving is a Given, But What About Receiving? By Harry Carpenter In 1958 I was flying back to Ankara, Turkey, after a three-day holiday in Istanbul. I was sitting next to a Turkish officer and we had a pleasant conversation to pass the time. As we were landing, he said he wanted to take me on a double date with his wife and her sister. Well, why not? Life was pretty dull being one of only 20 army personnel in the capitol of a large country. We went to the best restaurant and had chateaubriand steaks, drinks, and dancing. It was an awkward night because the officer’s wife and sister did not speak English and I only spoke a few words of Turkish. Before I go on, I have to explain something. We, US Army personnel, were rich, really rich, by Turkish standards. We received per diem on top of our regular pay, and we were allowed to purchase Turkish lira on the open market, something American tourists could not do legally. To get an idea of our living costs, we (four of us shared an apartment) paid our 6-day a week, 10-hour a day maid/cook $13 a month. That’s $3.25 each—per month! Okay, back to the restaurant. The check for dinner and drinks was $10. I tossed in half because I knew that was a lot of money for the officer and it was nothing to me. The four of us shared a taxi home and they dropped me off at my apartment. The officer walked me to the door. He hotly told me that I was his guest and I had insulted him in front of his family. He never wanted to see me again. Well, that was a shock. I realized there was a cultural aspect to my action that I had been unaware of. But still, I learned an equally important lesson: When someone wants to give you something, and they are sincere about it, accept the gift graciously. It is noble to give, but every giver needs a recipient. So receiving is just as important as giving. Do not deprive a person of the joy of giving. Thank the giver and accept the gift. – Harry W. Carpenter Author of The Genie Within: Your Subconscious Mind. Note: The Publisher has 2 of Harry’s books and will send them to the first 2 people who make an email request – publisher@chroniclemediagroup.com. www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ, the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:7-9 The Chronicle 20 December 2011 Rustico’s Chef Nabs Title in SO-CAL Chef Open By Carol Malin “We have always given it our best at this event and this year was no different,” Chef Francesco Cusimano said. “It’s for a great cause, so it feels good to win and it looks like the kids won, too.” The 4th Annual SO-CAL Chef Open and the 9th annual Golf Classic at Pechanga raised $43,000 for Oak Grove, a residential treatment center for youth. Talking about the Lobster Cheesy Mac dish that earned him the SO-CAL title, Chef Francesco said that he learned that the key to success is to please peoples’ pallets. “You’ve got to give them what they want. This was a People’s Choice Award, after all. I love putting my twist on things. With our Lobster Cheesy Mac, we did just that. I combined a classic comfort food favorite and a medley of Italian cheeses with luxurious lobster meat, added a Chef Francesco Cusimano Winner great presentation and elevated an everyday offer- of 2011 SO-CAL Chef Open ing to a special occasion dish. Everyone loved it. If you missed the Chef Open, you can come try it at Rustico because it’s going on the menu.” Francesco said that he owes the win to his mother because he learned so much about cooking from her. “She always made the best dishes using the simplest ingredients. At my restaurant you will experience that my food has a traditional taste, a rustic Italian expression, and an artistic flair, and is always deliciousioso!” He adds, “I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all those in the Temecula-Murrieta Valley who have supported us and helped to make Rustico a well known name over the past seven years. We are looking forward to the holiday season. We are underway with Italian Holiday dishes and with the business of catering Christmas parties. While we are busy, we will always have time to come out of the kitchen to say ‘hi’ or shake your hand, because making friends and making our guests part of the Rustico family is what this is all about. Come visit us at our ristorante in Murrieta.” In closing, Tammy Wilson, Chief Executive Officer for Oak Grove said, “I am very grateful to Pechanga Resort & Casino for the beautiful venue and am deeply appreciative to all the participating chefs. We had nine chefs compete in the Open along with Jean Marie, the featured pastry chef from Pechanga. The chefs’ generosity in sharing their culinary skill, talent, vision and, most of all, their compassion for our kids and our cause is just phenomenal. We are very grateful. Thank you to each and every one of the 400 generous people who attended the Golf Tournament and Chef Open, and to all our supporters who helped to make this possible.” Fashion Show Raises Needed Funds For Children’s Home by Carol Malin The 2nd annual De Luz Women’s Club fashion show raised $17,000 to help Rancho Damacitas, a home for abused children in Temecula, announced club President Chris Close. The event was held October 15 at Wilson Creek Winery and featured a luncheon with wine, themed gift basket drawings, plus pre-show and postfashion show opportunities to shop at boutiques featuring select fashions and accessories. “We are very pleased the fashion show was a complete sell out, even in this tough economy. Thanks to the efforts of the members and volunteers. We look forward to producing a bigger event next year,” Shelley Weier the club’s public relations coordinator told us. “Over the years the De Luz Women’s Club has helped us to see that the needs of our special youth are met,” said Rancho Damacitas director Clifford Nunn. “I’m so appreciative.” The ladies of the De Luz Women’s Club made the hard work of putting on a fashion show and a fundraiser look like a breeze. It was a fun afternoon with smiles all around, from the audience to the club members to the models walking the runway, and friends and family members watching them strutting their stuff. “When we are together, we always enjoy ourselves,” said Chris Close, the DLWC president and event co-chair. “Raising funds for a worthwhile cause, such as this, is the icing on the cake.” The Temecula Valley Master Chorale will present “Tis the Season” with instrumental accompaniment and guest performances by the Murrieta Mesa High School Choir on Sunday, December 11 at 4pm. The concert will be held at the Murrieta Mesa High School’s Gershwin Performing Arts Center, 24801 Monroe Avenue, Murrieta, CA. Tickets are $10 each or $25 per family. For more information call 951.704.5612 or visit: TemeculaValleyMasterChorale.org The Chronicle www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com December 2011 21 Candles, Candles, Everywhere! By Sherry Birchall, Interior Decorator Well, maybe not everywhere, but certainly candles are appropriate in many rooms in your home. Nothing softens a room more than the soft glow of candlelight. Tall and tapered, short votives, star-shaped, colors and scents abound! Remember groupings of varying heights will be your key to a successful candle display. Sparkle!–Mirrors, silver and gold ornaments, picture frames, and even candlesticks will help your room shine. Don’t be afraid to mix metals. By all means get out that antique silver, polish it up, and put it center stage. Nothing says “holidays” like the twinkle of hundreds of tiny white lights. The smallest of plants to the largest of ficus trees will come alive when you add a few inexpensive strands of white lights. Chic table tops–Setting a beautiful table can set the mood for all your holiday entertaining. Try adding bows to the stems of wine glasses. Fold napkins in a special way and tie them together with a gold tassel. Use gold or brass chargers under your special china. And pull it all together with a table runner and a wonderful holiday floral or greenery arrangement. Merry mantles–It all starts with a theme. Possibilities might include your prize collection of antique Santas, snowmen, birdhouses or reindeer. Whatever theme you select, use different shapes and sizes to create visual interest. Unify your display with garland, ivy, magnolia leaves, or anything else that is soft and easily draped. Festive fruits and vegetables–Put the green in your holiday decorating by using nature’s bounty in a decorative way. Add cloves to oranges, limes or lemons will create a beautiful and fragrant pomander. Simply stacking fresh pomegranates and cranberries in a tall glass hurricane can make a truly impressive decorative statement. Spray paint walnuts and gourds in silver or gold and display them in a holiday themed basket. Wrap it up with ribbon–Ribbon can be used for much more than wrapping presents. Use French wire ribbons, in a variety of widths, to tie bows on your trees and your plant baskets. Tie a holiday colored ribbon around three old books and display them on your coffee table. Wrap your toss pillows with beautifully colored holiday ribbons and add ribbon and greenery to your window treatment tiebacks. Sherry Birchall, interior decorator and owner of Decorating Den Interiors. For all your decorating needs, please call my studio: 951-308-9221 www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com I was up to my eyebrows in ribbons and tissue paper after the kids fell asleep on Christmas Eve. Every where I looked there were unwrapped toys scattered across the master bedroom. If you think I was in a cold sweat you’d be right, but my husband was in an even worse state in the garage where he was meticulously building Katie’s dream doll house. The doll house was a two-story affair with half a dozen rooms, a wrap-around front porch, and doors and windows that opened and closed. The cedar-chip shingle roof was a challenge that any die-hard jigsaw puzzle champ would’ve loved to leisurely spend a week putting together…trouble was this had to be finished by morning. I cut paper, taped, labeled, and tied bows on one gift after another. Jim measured, cut, and glued the doll house in the freezing garage. I sipped eggnog and arranged pretty packages under the tree. Jim continued to measure, cut, glue and freeze. I fell asleep on the couch in front of the fireplace with a knit throw wrapped tightly around me. Jim continued to…well, you know. The sun came up and Jim came in with the doll house. Every porch slat was in place, every stair riser was there; it was a masterpiece. The kids came downstairs laughing with joy – Santa had come! The doll house was hidden in back of the Christmas tree surrounded by a mountain of packages. Gift opening was slow since every present must be recorded on film and every smile must be caught for future reference. By the time the doll house was brought forward Jim was nearly dead with exhaustion so I don’t think he noticed at first that Katie was less taken with it than with the battery operated Godzilla. The Godzilla toy walked and roared and flailed its stumpy arms around in a choppy motion that Katie somehow found endearing. I recorded it all. Godzilla did not fit inside the doll house however, so the doll house was pretty much pushed to the side. When Jim came to several hours later he did take note of the fact that Godzilla was the overwhelming favorite. When he asked if she liked the doll house, Katie looked pained and begged us not to tell any of her girlfriends that she loved Godzilla. Meanwhile, James had amassed a haul of gifts large enough to fill the back of an old station wagon. He was quite content, pounding away on a small toy piano and eating candy canes until the red dye ran from the corners of his mouth. I had tucked a silver sleigh bell under the corner of the Christmas tree skirt and made pretense of discovering it there. I told James that it must have come off Santa’s sleigh and it was very special. Every year thereafter I would unpack the bell and remind him how lucky we were to find Santa’s sleigh bell in our house. Christmas joy! James is simply not one to give up on a good thing because he chose to believe in Santa for longer than anyone of us could imagine. After all we had the sleigh bell as proof that Santa delivered toys to good girls and boys. Finally, the day before he entered 6th grade, I took him aside and told him that I needed to tell him something very important. He stopped me, saying he already knew – that Dad had told him about, you know, guy stuff. I said that wasn’t what I wanted to talk to him about. When I told him there was no Santa Claus he was stunned. His mouth dropped open and he stared straight ahead as if all his years of childhood bliss were passing before his eyes. His response took me completely by surprise. “Right,” he said with a sly smile. “Like you and Dad could afford to buy me all that stuff!” He just shook his head and walked away. May happiness and joy fill your hearts all year long, Merry Christmas! The Chronicle 22 December 2011 Bear Creek Fundraiser Supports Fight Against Breast Cancer By Gloria Karlak The successful Rally for the Cure golf tournament, luncheon and charity auction at Bear Creek Golf Club on October 27 raised much-needed funds for both the Susan G. Komen Foundation and Michelle’s Place in Temecula. A sea of pink outfits, pink ribbons, and pink decorations were displayed at the signature Jack Nicklaus course in Murrieta where the event was held this fall. A luncheon followed the golf tournament and members of the local community showed their support for the cause by purchasing raffle tickets for gift baskets displayed in the Bear Creek clubhouse. Murrieta Mayor Randon Lane made a brief presentation at the luncheon and lauded the women for their involvement in the fight against breast cancer. Chairwoman Jackie Raspler said that more than $9,000 was raised at the event through tee box sponsorship, caddy rentals, and a charity auction that featured 65 unique gift baskets. The donations are being shared between the Susan G. Komen Foundation and Michelle’s Place in Temecula. While the Komen Foundation is a national organization that supports breast cancer awareness, prevention, and treatment, Michelle’s Place in Temecula focuses on women from the local area. Michelle’s Place is a breast cancer resource center and guides women through diagnosis and treatment. They host a Pink Ribbon Assistance program that provides a toolkit for newly diagnosed women as well as temporary financial support to women undergoing breast cancer treatment if they request assistance. “We were proud that we could support these two very important organizations,” said Chairman Jackie Raspler. She thanked all the supporters who donated items for the raffle or who sponsored a tee box at the tournament. The annual event has become a staple in the Murrieta-Temecula area. Blankets Needed for Horse Sanctuary For just $40 you can provide warmth and keep a horse dry all winter. Villa Chardonnay needs 17 waterproof horse blankets. The horses arrive at the facility for a variety of reasons. In these tough The Chronicle economic times many people can no longer afford to maintain, feed, or offer basic health care for their horses and have to surrender their animals. Sadly, some horses are abandoned and left to starve. Villa Chardonnay needs your help to continue caring for these horses. To donate or to find out more about this nonprofit organization go to: www.villachardonnay.org. www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com December 2011 23 Temeculan Amber Levine Snags a Victory at Galway Downs By Carol Malin Along the trail at Galway Downs in Temecula, a young woman riding a sleek brown horse streaks into view from the east. Twelve hundred pounds of flesh hurtles by at 30 MPH, head held high, the ivory-colored star on its forehead blazing in the winter sun. I can hear its rapid hoof beats pound the turf as the pair rush by me. The rider, native Temeculan Amber Levine and her mount, Oz Poof Of Purchase, secure a tied score with McManamy of Templeton, CA, nabbing the lead on November 3 in the first half of the CCI2* at the Galway Downs International ThreeDay Event. As the weekend unfolds only Levine and Oz can halt a young Englishman’s victory over the competition. When the final scores are tallied, Oz and Levine are named winners of the CCI1,*putting a damper on Alliston’s clean sweep. Levine, 24, moved to Santa Rosa, CA, four years ago where she trains and shows horses for Sonoma Valley Stables. She has been sporting mainly in the hunter-jumper world but says three years ago she turned to eventing, which incorporates dressage, cross country, and show jumping. I asked her to share with our readers her experience and explain what it takes to go pro. “I grew up in Temecula and started riding at the age of four with trainer Dianne Grod. Later I trained with Susan Hutchison. My mom, Jenise Luttgens, bought riding lessons at a silent auction from the school I attended. I kept with it and started competing one year later and have been hooked ever since. My mom has always been supportive of my riding. None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for her. “I grew up in the hunter-jumper world and still work in that discipline as my ‘day job.’ I swore I would never event, due to the fact that the cross country jumps are solid. I had friends who were always trying to get me to go to cross country schooling. I finally did. This is what led me to my first event in 2008 with my horse, Nantucket Red. I acquired Nantucket, a hunter-jumper, on a trade earlier that year. We started eventing together and excelled; taking 3rd in the CCI** at Galway in 2010. We were aiming for a three star in 2011 until Nantucket was hurt earlier this year. “I enjoy all phases of three-day eventing. I love the discipline and precision of the dressage, which demands perfection in so many ways. Cross country is thrilling every time I leave the start box - I always think of myself vowing that I would never do it, but now I could not imagine my life withAmber Levine out it. And lastly, show jumping, which Photo by McCool is my background and I still enjoy it. “Riding always looks much easier than it is. As a rider your partner is an equine athlete who has ideas of his own and you must learn to work together. It’s not a sport where you can be given a formula to solve problems, but you base it off a learned feeling and trust. It’s a difficult sport that requires a lot of time, hard work and dedication. “I currently work for a hunter-jumper barn, Sonoma Valley Stables owned by the Glynns of Petaluma, CA. I ride and teach for them, as well as travel to shows. I generally ride an average of 6-10 horses a day but can sometimes ride up to 15. “My practice includes every horse I sit on. Each one teaches me something new that I may apply to my current horse, Oz Poof of Purchase. “I would consider Cedar Haven Farm and Teresa Groesbeck my biggest sponsor at the moment. Teresa is the owner of Oz Poof of Purchase and is generous enough to give me the ride on this amazing horse. I have Voltaire Saddlery to thank for my wonderful saddles. “I have always considered both Dianne Grod and Susan Hutchison not only my trainers but also my mentors. As for horsemanship in the eventing world, I consider John Camlin my biggest mentor right now. He owns and operates Caber Farm, a three day eventing barn, out of Onalaska, Washington. He has been my coach in eventing and travels to California for all of the big events. We talk every week about my at-home training with Poof. John is always there to offer support or help answer any questions. “I just applied for the 2012 Developing Riders, which are training sessions with the US Team coach. I would love to make the list and have this opportunity. I want to run a four-star and maybe one day represent the USA at the Olympic Games. “As for every day aspirations — I’m living it! Growing up I always wanted to be surrounded by horses and have the opportunity to ride every day, all day. I don’t do much else besides ride. When I do have free time I try to relax and often will spend time with friends or watch movies. “If you are new to riding and want to get into competing I would say find a trainer who will help you achieve your goals, whatever they may be. You also need to be prepared to work hard and have dedication to the sport.” ‘Riding a horse is not a gentle hobby, to be picked up and laid down like a game of Solitaire. It is a grand passion.’ - Ralph Waldo Emerson “Regrettably, the phone number to The Legends Golf Club at Temeku Hills was incorrectly reported in the last issue. The Legends Golf Club at Temeku Hills, located at 41687 Temeku Drive, can be reached at 951-694-9998 at at their website www.thelegendsgc.com for more information.” www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com Legends Golf Club Provides Free Lessons To Community By Aundrea Dominguez For the average Temecula denizen not being a golfer can put you at a serious disadvantage when trying to fully appreciate your surroundings. Being a Temeculan, but not a golfer, can leave somebody feeling a little bit like there is ‘water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink’. If this sounds like you, fear not good citizens, The Legends Golf Club at Temeku Hills is bent on providing free golf lessons to everybody who wants to learn the game. Since taking over the course in April, owners Dr. Tim Somerville, who is also the founder of The Professional Golfers Career College, and his wife, Sandi Somerville, have stated that from the start this course was intended to be different than any other course in Temecula. It is more than another golf course providing a venue to enjoy a round on a sunny day, this course was being repurposed to give back to the community. Since April, The Legends has been pulling double duty as an award-winning par 72 championship course, and also as a hands-on learning and teaching facility for the students at the Professional Golfers Career College. If you’ve been by the course you can’t help but notice the fresh faces, and the eager to please, customer-first attitudes that characterize PGCC students. And the students are not just eager to please, they are eager to teach, and teach they do, every Thursday morning. Nick Bland, Head Golf Professional at The Legends Golf Club, notes, “Response has been great. We typically have a student for every PGCC Student Instructor each Thursday.” Bland sees this as a great opportunity for anybody interested in the game. “Each lesson is 45 minutes which consists of a Q&A evaluation, implementing drills to overcome swing flaws, and the instructor evaluating the student concerning whether they are doing the implemented swing drills correctly.” The Legends Golf Club doesn’t believe in the adage, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks;” their students run the gamut from juniors, the age of 8, to adults from 18 - 65, and it is evident that everyone is welcome. Bland recalls “the ‘buzz’ has spread fast, even having students drive down from Orange County to receive instruction.” As for the community’s response, he is heartened, noting that, “The program has expanded quite fast in the short time since its inception.” How fast is quite fast, you wonder? Remarkably, the program, which began with 10 students six months ago, has quadrupled in size and sees no signs of slowing. Bland advises, “We encourage the community to call The Legends Golf Club to reserve a spot with an instructor ahead of time, as the program has grown in popularity…we also encourage students to sign up with the same instructor each week, if they would like.” Free golf lessons are offered every Thursday from 10am to noon at The Legends Golf Club at Temeku Hills, 41687 Temeku Drive, Temecula. To reserve your spot call 951694-9998 or visit: www.thelegendsgc.com. The Chronicle 24 December 2011 The Chronicle (951) 461-3450 www.ChronicleMediaGroup.com
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