March 31, 2009 by Bill Gould, Publisher.

This came over from our friends at Murrieta Valley Unified:

Murrieta, California - Please join me in congratulating the following teachers who make up the inaugural teaching staff at Murrieta Mesa High School! Mary Walters is thrilled to have these teachers coming on board to serve the Murrieta Mesa students and their families and she said, “They are a dedicated and hard working group of professionals. They have a lot of enthusiasm for their profession and will do an exemplary job building the academies and pathways at Murrieta Mesa. They are also excited about sponsoring clubs and coaching.” With the wealth of talented teachers in our district, Mary didn’t have to look far to find an excellent staff and she will continue to add staff through the transfer process.


Name Current Site Teaching Assignment
Anthony Blount (SMS) Art and PLUS
Chris Ryan (SMS) English and Drama
Russell Ham (TMS) Physical Education and Head Boys’ Basketball Coach
Thomas Garvin (LJM) Instrumental Music
Randy Johnson (VMHS) Science
Erin Moran (VMHS) Activities Director
Antwan Dela-Paul (VMHS) Social Science
Steve Chavez (MVHS) Social Science
Pete Matus (MVHS) Science and Engineering
Chris Martin (MVHS) Drafting and Computers
Carlos Santiago (MVHS) Video Production and Business
Linda Muhlhauser (MVHS) Multimedia, Website and Physical Education
Steve Chitraroff (MVHS) Science
Jeanne Cusack (MVHS) SDC
Katherine Stone (MVHS) English and AVID
Denise Guzman (MVHS) English and AVID
Joe Trainer (MVHS) Health and CTE Allied Health
Jameson LeRossignol (MVHS) Mathematics
Bernardo Estrada (MVHS) Spanish
Matt Mosiello (VMHS) RSP and Head Baseball Coach
Robert Gergins (MVHS) Mathematics and Head Girls’ Basketball Coach

Murrieta Mesa has 1,096 students coming in August which includes 658 freshmen and 438 sophomores. With 105 students coming to Mesa from outside the district, the school is already attracting students from surrounding communities in the same way MVHS and VMHS have done for years now. Students and families are excited about the freshmen and sophomore academies and college/career pathways at Murrieta Mesa that include: Business/Culinary, Engineering, Liberal Studies, Medical, and Visual/Performing Arts. The school’s first PTSA steering committee meeting will be held on Monday March 30th at 4:45 p.m. at the DSC.
The Murrieta Mesa campus is really taking shape and coming together and you can already see that it will be a beautiful campus! Finish workers are currently doing drywall and painting, laying tile and placing cabinets in classrooms and offices. They are also pouring concrete and landscaping the courtyard. The base for the turf and rubberized track are going in at the stadium. Construction on the campus is nearly 80% complete.
With the opening of Murrieta Mesa, our district will have three premier high schools that will draw students to our district. MVHS and VMHS can be justifiably proud of their programs, from their rigorous academics to performing arts, competitive athletics and award-winning student activities programs! You may have read in today’s paper about International Baccalaureate coming to MVHS and the excitement that program has already started to generate among teachers. Vista Murrieta recently learned about a comprehensive study conducted by Vanderbilt University of 11,549 high school seniors across the nation who signed Division IA football scholarships between 2004 and 2008. The study showed that 67% of the signees came from less than 9% of the nation’s high schools. VMHS is one of those high schools producing Division IA football players at a much higher rate than the rest of the country! In spite of the budget challenges we face, the district is committed to raising the bar at district high schools with the 21st Century High School Collaborative which was unveiled this week on the district website. The survey on the recommendations from the 21st Century Collaborative provide an opportunity for you to give feedback. School sites will be sharing this link with all parents and encouraging their feedback over the next few weeks. Then the recommendations of the 21st Century Collaborative will be discussed by the Board after spring break.
I hope you all take the time to celebrate life in your own special way over the Spring break and come back refreshed and energized for the remainder of the school year.
Stan Scheer, Ed.D.
District Superintendent

Posted in Inland Empire, Riverside County, Schools, Computers, Murrieta, News | Print | No Comments »

March 30, 2009 by Bill Gould, Publisher.

Temecula, California - At least 75 victims have reported that their vehicle windows were shattered on Wednesday during the early morning hours. The victims live in a large area of Temecula bounded by Rancho California Road to the north and the Temecula city limits to the south.

Temecula police officers have taken at least 75 vandalism reports as of this writing and additional victims continue to call the department. It is likely that the count will reach over 100 victims. It appears that unknown persons drove around the city with a BB type gun and shot out the windows sometime between midnight and 4:00 a.m. At this time there are no named suspects, but officers are following up on some leads.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Temecula Police Department at (951) 696-3000 or 696-HELP (4357).
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Temecula, California - On March 26, at 12:47a.m, a Temecula Police Officer was patrolling the 41000 block of Moreno Road when he stopped a car for an equipment violation. Soon after speaking with the driver, Spencer Roper, 21 of Temecula, and a passenger, Brandon Dobschutz, 21 of Temecula, the officer determined the two were under the influence of a controlled substance and arrested both.

During a search of the car, a stolen license plate was found and the officer learned that Roper was staying at a nearby hotel. When the officers went to the hotel room they found Helene Leonard, 44 of Temecula, inside with three minors. Examinations of Leonard and the minors revealed that all four were also under the influence of a controlled substance and the minors were in the care of Leonard. Inside the hotel room, officers found 70 Ecstasy pills and evidence of drug sales among Brandon Dobschutz’ personal property.

The investigation continued and it was discovered that Dobschutz provided ecstasy to the minors while Roper and Leonard were present during its use. One minor was placed with Child Protective Services, while two others were returned to parents or guardians.

Brandon Dobschutz was arrested for furnishing a controlled substance to a minor, possession/sales of a controlled substance, and a violation of his probation terms. Helene Leonard was arrested for child endangerment and furnishing a controlled substance to a minor. Spencer Roper was arrested for receiving stolen property and furnishing a controlled substance to a minor. All were booked at the Southwest Detention Center and anyone with information about this case should call Officer Dan Decker of the Temecula Police Department at (951) 696-3000.
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Temecula, California - On March 21, at 2:51 p.m., Officer Giles with the Temecula Police Department responded to the 43000 block of Dodaro Dr where she recovered several electronic items and a stolen Sig-Sauer .380 caliber handgun. During this investigation, Officer Giles discovered that the electronic items and handgun had been stolen from unlocked vehicles over the past several weeks. Further investigation led Officer Giles to the arrest of Alexander Kudlo, age 18, of Temecula, and the identification of two additional juvenile suspects. Officers recovered over 40 stolen items with a total estimated value of $4,000.

Alexander Kudlo and the juvenile suspects are believed responsible for over 50 thefts from parked vehicles during the early morning hours in the Morgan Hill, Redhawk, Temeku Hills and Crowne Hill neighborhoods of Temecula over the past several weeks. Many of the stolen electronic items recovered include car stereos, GPS devices, cameras, cell phones and video game systems.

Alexander Kudlo was arrested and booked into Southwest Detention Center for possession of stolen property and grand theft. Anyone with information about this case should call Officer Stephanie Giles of the Temecula Police Department at (951) 696-3000.

Posted in Cars, Inland Empire, Old Town Temecula, Riverside County, Drugs, Crime, Hotels, Temecula, Computers, News | Print | No Comments »

March 26, 2009 by Bill Gould, Publisher.

Temecula, California - While today marks the official Grand Opening of the new expansion to the Temecula Promenade, a few shops and restaurants have been open now for a couple of days. I had the good fortune of enjoying a meal at PF Chang’s China Bistro on Wednesday, those of you who follow me at Twitter.com/BillGould already know about that. Ill go into more details about PF Chang’s in a minute.


Now on to a more pressing issues for men such as myself - what is so good about a mall and why do I care if it is new and recently expanded? There are a few good reasons to be happy about the Promenade’s recent expansion, and they might surprise you: Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma, Coach and Coldwater Creek are actually your friends my dear fellows.

Guys, I know, your reading this thinking, ‘Bill, why should I be happy about a Pottery Barn store?’ - you should be happy because the good people at Forest City Development (the mall owners) thought, ‘If men have to go to the mall with their wifes, then we must build a Yard House’.

They did - and thank goodness for great planning. So next time your wife says ‘Hey honey, you want to go with me to the mall?’ - you say YES! and head straight over to the Yard House, grab a pint of beer and watch the game and let your wife do what she enjoys (shop), while you do what you enjoy (watch the game while drinking beer).

Now this next part is for the guys like me, who like to cook: believe it or not, Williams-Sonoma is not just for your wife and your mom. While certainly the majority of the store is marketed towards females, there are many great items for the grill, blenders, juicers, knives, skewers and other great tools for making great food. It is worth a look inside to see for yourself, plus after drinking a pint at the Yard House and watching the Lakers win again it is the least you can do to go mill around Williams-Sonoma with your wife before you eat dinner at the best thing to happen to corporate chain food in the Temecula Valley area - ever - PF Chang’s China Bistro.

If you moved to Temecula from the OC, LA or SD areas, you very well might know about this gem. If you are not aware of PF Chang’s it is time you get down to the Promenade mall and enjoy some of the best bistro style Chinese cuisine you can find. While I am not typically a fan of corporate chain food places, and that is why you don’t read me reviewing them, this is a stand out spot amongst the rest.


To start off, the decor in PF Chang’s is awesome, it just looks sweet. This particular location has a super cool indoor/outdoor kinda bar with high ceilings and very sharp looking carpet. The outdoor seating in the whole restaurant has heaters by every table so you’ll be warm even on cool winter nights. While eating I sat at a booth, and it was comfortable and clean. I actually dined at the Temecula location for both lunch and dinner and at lunch is was served by a guy named JJ who was very attentive, brought me everything I needed and was pleasant while still being clearly stressed during a lunch rush. My food was delivered quickly, I got my coffee refilled promptly and I was stuffed full for less than $20 with tip at lunch. Good deal for sure.

I came back at dinner time with my wife Jeney and daughter Apryl, and both of them were impressed with the upscale look of the new part of the Mall, how the parking structure was directly next to PF Chang’s and the comfortable yet fancy look of everything. We were greeted with smiles and warm words when we entered, just as I had enjoyed at lunch. We were seated in a different part of the restaurant than I had sat at lunch and we were waited on by a waiter named Dean.

Dean is a nice guy who clearly wants to keep his job cause he was hustlin! He came right over to the table, dropped off the sauce / spice tray that you get for dipping and took our drink orders. Our waters, with the lemons we asked for came right out. We are a family of strict vegetarians, we eat no meat, chicken or fish, and to our delight the first question that came out of Dean’s mouth was - ‘are there any special dietary wishes I should know about?’. We said we were vegetarian and he then directed us to only vegetarian selections.

Having been to PF Chang’s in Vegas, Riverside and Victoria Gardens - we knew just want we wanted; Chang’s Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps for an appetizer, Sichuan-style Asparagus as a side and Budda’s Feast with added rice noodles for the entrée. We have had this many times and always love it - this time was no different. The only minor hiccup was we wanted stir-fried Budda’s Feast and got steamed Budda’s Feast instead. This was fixed so quick it was silly, they literally had the correctly stir-fried Budda’s Feast to our table in less than 4 minutes, and yes I was timing it because I am that picky when I eat having owned and managed restaurants before.

After we were finished with our meal, Dean came right over with a tray of delightful tasty dessert creations that are presented in a small glass container. They are like little samples of classic pies and cakes and only $2 a piece. We ordered one tiramisu and one tasty lemon tart. I really enjoyed the lemon tart, it was a perfect palate cleanser after a great meal. Apryl found the tiramisu to be perfect for her and I think Jeney liked sampling them both!

The Temecula Promenade PF Chang’s China Bistro is managed by Eric Taylor, who is referred to as the ‘Operating Partner’, and Eric’s beautiful and well ran restaurant is located at 40762 Winchester Road Suite 400, Temecula California 92591. The actual physical location of PF Chang’s is directly in between the two new parking structures, at the corner of Ring Road and the new street that loops in front of the Edwards Cinemas. Look for the big stone horse in the picture above and you will find it. If you need to call PF Chang’s for reservations or other questions, reach them at 951-296-6700, or fax at 951-296-2975. You can view the menu and learn about the gluten-free and vegetarian foods they serve by visiting the website at http://www.pfchangs.com.

Posted in Romoland, Hemet, Fallbrook, Homeland, Cars, Theater, Movies, Inland Empire, Winchester, Anza, Computers, Menifee, Family Attractions, Food, Commentary, Music, Our Favorite Things, Temecula, Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, Murrieta, News | Print | No Comments »

March 26, 2009 by Bill Gould, Publisher.

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Washington DC - Indeed it is true, President Obama will be online this morning answering question during an online town hall style meeting. This continues President Obama’s path of using new technology to engage Americans that other Presidents have forgot - the tech nerd. Good job Mr President!

Be a part of the online town hall meeting here - http://www.whitehouse.gov/openforquestions/

The event starts at 1130am eastern time - that is 830am in LA for the people reading who don’t want to do the math.

***UPDATE***
The questions were brought up by the public and then voted on by the public. The president totally dodged one of the most popular questions - should we legalize marijuana and tax it to help balance the budget and redirect police resources to more awful crimes? He laughed it off and plainly said no. With the millions of Americans smoking pot, and millions of dollars spent every day on pot, and it not being taxed, what do you think? Sounds like big money in the bank for a cash strapped State of California.

Posted in Hiking, Idyllwild, Cars, Theater, Racism, Upland, Romoland, San Jacinto, Muslim Affairs, Arizona, Jewish, Christianity, Drugs, Hemet, Sports, Full Value TV, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Blythe, Old Town Temecula, Movies, Inland Empire, Fire, Anza, Riverside, Winchester, Liberty Quarry, Nebraska, Fallbrook, Illinois, Politics, Burning Man, Temecula, Murrieta, Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, Our Favorite Things, Family Attractions, Film, Music, Commentary, Hotels, Food, Menifee, Denver, United States of America, San Diego, Moreno Valley, Perris, Casino, Palm Desert, San Bernadino, Las Vegas, Crime, Computers, Kansas, Homeland, Schools, News | Print | No Comments »

March 24, 2009 by Bill Gould, Publisher.

Temecula, California - If your new to the valley, you very well might have bought a home that was a foreclosure. Chances are that if you did buy a foreclosure home that it was not in perfect shape and needs a bit of work. Well I am introducing you to Temecula’s finest handyman service - Brian Bramley’s All American Handyman.


Brian has about 20 years of experience, and can fix just about anything in your home. If you have any questions, the great thing about him is he actually answers the phone himself! No answering service, this is the man himself. If something is broke - he will fix it. Call him for a free estimate at 951-973-2104 and be sure to check out his brand new Full Value designed website at http://www.MyAllAmericanHandyman.com.

Posted in Idyllwild, Riverside, Romoland, San Jacinto, Fallbrook, Anza, Winchester, Old Town Temecula, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Inland Empire, Palm Desert, Perris, Menifee, Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, Murrieta, Computers, Homeland, Moreno Valley, United States of America, San Diego, San Bernadino, Temecula | Print | No Comments »