Joe Sample will perform on June 9 at Leoness Cellars in Temecula. (Courtesy photo)

“There are great views of the rolling hills and vineyards and you can see Palomar Mountain in the distance – it’s just a special experience,” said Leoness Cellars spokesman Joel Reese.

Reese said that ticket sales are already brisk, as music-lovers have begun securing their seats for two upcoming performances.

Jazz artist Joe Sample will perform at 4:30 p.m. on June 9 and funk saxophonist Ronnie Laws is set to perform at 7 p.m. on July 20.

Sample will bring songs and stories to the stage as part of an “unplugged-style show” in the candle-lit barrel room for an intimate, romantic performance, Reese said.

“We are extremely honored to feature Joe Sample, a jazz legend who truly plays with heart and soul. Guests should come away inspired and thoroughly entertained,” Reese said as part of a released statement.

One of the original members of Earth Wind and Fire, Ronnie Laws will pay homage to the great American songwriters of the 20th century during his concert on the lawn under a broad canopy lit by stars.

“It’s going to be like having a private concert in your backyard,” Reese said.

Reese said that guests of the concert are invited to bring an instrument to the event as part of charitable effort.

All of the donations will benefit the Our Nicolas Foundation in providing music therapy and musical instruments to students with autism in Temecula Valley schools.

“We are encouraging guests to bring musical instruments to the concerts to donate, be it as small as a tambourine, or as large as a guitar or an electronic keyboard,” commented Joel Reese, concert producer at Leoness Cellars. “More than a concert series, we want this to be a community experience where the power of music is shared far beyond the stage.”

Leoness Cellars is located at 38311 De Portola Rd. in Temecula.

To learn more or to purchase tickets, call 951-302-7601, ext. 150, email reservations@leonesscellars.com or visit www.leonessecellars.com.

Kerri S. Mabee is managing editor at Southwest Riverside News Network. She can be reached at kerri.mabee@swrnn.com.

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(courtesy photo)

Headlined by acclaimed Beatles tribute band Britain’s Finest on the Purple Revolver stage, the event infuses dozens of elite microbreweries and So Cal’s premier mobile restaurants with an amazing festival, all benefiting the California Riverside Ballet.

Taste of Brews features many popular craft beers like Stone, Sierra Nevada, Karl Strauss, Sam Adams, Shock Top and Hangar 24.

Also participating are regional breweries like Packinghouse (Riverside), Bootleggers (Fullerton), Black Market Brewing (Temecula) and Craft Brewing Co. (Lake Elsinore). Startups include Donkey Punch (Redlands), Area 51 (Riverside), Sons of Liberty (Norco), Brew-Ligion (Murrieta) and Brew Rebellion (Yucaipa).

Last year’s event was the largest-ever craft beer festival staged in the IE and is expected to sell out in 2013. Live entertainment includes the aforementioned Britain’s Finest and Corona-based Cougrzz Rock, an all-female tribute band and Drive, a Cars tribute band; all presented by KCAL 96.7.

Culinary delights for purchase are provided by Bacon Mania, Short Stop BBQ and Viking food trucks. Taste of Brews is also pleased to welcome several local restaurants including Killarney’s, Kountry Folks, Mi Tortilla and Grams Mission BBQ who are sampling various yummy treats.

“We’re very excited by the variety and quality of craft breweries,” said event director Jennifer Hernandez. “What better way to launch the Memorial Weekend Holiday in the Inland Empire than enjoying Southern California’s finest craft beer, classic rock and great food?”

Taste of Brews is a refreshingly classy approach to beer tasting; paying homage to the passion and excitement that today’s full-flavored craft beers are generating among consumers while providing an exciting platform to introduce new styles.

The upscale event is professionally produced and draws both aficionados and novices who are now able to soak up the essence of retro pop culture while rocking out to classic tunes and imbibing on 21st century micro brews.

Taste of Brews pricing currently starts at $35 for three-hour session (1 p.m. to 4p.m.) and $45 for a four-hour session (noon to 4 p.m.) which include beer “tastes”, food/snack samples (while supplies last), plenty of drinking water and the Purple Revolver concert.

A limited number of general admission tickets will be on-sale in May and include access to the park, concert and food trucks (these attendees may purchase full beers for a separate fee).

Attendees must be 21 or older. White Park is located at 3901 Market St. in Riverside; parking is free. For information or to purchase tickets, please visit Taste of Brews or Purple Revolver.

*Contributed by Taste of Brews Inland Empire

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(Flickr: Phil Roeder)

Tavaglione last week introduced a three-page memorandum listing a number of issues that he says had not been adequately addressed with less than six weeks to go before the end of the current fiscal year.

The board decided against taking up the matter until all five members could be present.

Supervisor Jeff Stone was absent last Tuesday.

According to Tavaglione’s memo, the board should “publicly state its fiscal and organizational priorities for the coming fiscal year” to ensure the county is “moving forward with one united voice toward a solid economic recovery.”

Topping his list of concerns is what to do about the anticipated $50-70 million shortfall in the Riverside County Regional Medical Center budget next year.

County officials cite a variety of reasons for the red ink, including low Medi-Cal reimbursements from the state, the delivery of medical care to a large number of indigent patients who don’t pay for services and county agencies effectively being subsidized by the RCRMC.

Tavaglione noted that there is less than seven months to go before full implementation of the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act — better known as ObamaCare — and said the county hospital may not be able to compete for federal funding under the act with such a gaping hole in its budget.

Tavaglione said another major concern was the planned consolidation of the Economic Development Agency and the Transportation Land Management Agency.

The county has been merging operations in a bid to achieve greater efficiency and lower costs. But Tavaglione said EDA should be left as a stand-alone department for now.

The supervisor pointed to instances in which the agency proved its worth — infusing new life into the Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival, handling the Southwest Justice Center expansion and making the Edward-Dean Museum in Cherry Valley a top attraction.

“Dismantling one of our county’s key agencies now, at a time when our economy is finally rebounding … is unwise at best,” the supervisor said.

The supervisor also expressed concern about the county’s receipt next year of sufficient state funds to cover public safety “realignment” costs.

Under Assembly Bill 109, passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2011, a number of public safety functions previously handled by the state were realigned to counties.

The legislation made counties responsible for supervising all but the most violent parolees — and prosecuting them for violations. AB 109 also requires that so-called “non-violent, non-serious” offenders not convicted of a sex-related felony serve their time in county jail, instead of going to state prison, even though their sentences could exceed 10 years.

The law has exacerbated capacity constraints in local detention facilities, according to the sheriff.

Under realignment, 25,000 prisoners were released early from state correctional facilities to relieve overcrowding, and Tavaglione predicted another 9,000 would be let out soon. Crime and public safety costs will continue to rise, the supervisor said.

He said the board needs to ensure the county’s interests are well-represented at the state level and make a decision on a proposed “hub jail” in the central county region.

Tavaglione lastly questioned the ongoing centralization of the county’s information technology services. He said there was a “need to move slowly and with caution” to avoid disrupting operations, particularly within the Department of Public Social Services and the county hospital.

The Department of Information Technology is in the process of consolidating 30 separate units to net the county around $12 million in annual savings.

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(Flickr: dcJohn)

Additionally, 11th grade students across the Temecula Valley Unified School District (TVUSD) are encouraged to sign up for a four-session college application class that promises to reduce senior-year stress.

Called  “Stress Less” College Application Boot Camp, the class is the creation of  Chaparral High School Counselors Liz Cooke, Arlene Ng, and retired CHS counselor Debbie Searl.

“The college application process is never stress-free or easy,  but we wanted to create a class that could lower senior-year anxiety and help current juniors get a jump-start on the process, before the pressure of  senior-year classes and looming college deadlines hits,” said Liz Cooke, head counselor at CHS. “This boot camp is for any college-bound student in our district, not just CHS students. We are targeting current juniors who want to  prepare for the often-complicated and time-consuming process of applying to four-year colleges.”

Cooke added that the program aims to prepare students by giving them a full run down of how to apply for schools, how to write essays for the UC System and how to apply for scholarships among other things.

The college boot camp fee per student is $165.

The class runs from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Chaparral High School June 11-13 and July 29-31, with a special Parent Night at 6:30 p.m. on July 31.

“Parent support is a critical element in the college application process, and we want parents to see the work their students have done to get a
jump-start on senior year,” Cooke said.

There is a $10 lab fee for materials. Some assignments will be completed independently, outside the workshop hours. The boot camp is strictly for enrichment and is not for class credit.

Now in its fourth year, enrichment classes for Grades 9-12 are sponsored by TVFEE, a 501(c) 3, nonprofit foundation formed to support students in Grades K-12 in the TVUSD.

Thanks to a joint venture with the City, families now have the convenient option to register students for summer enrichment and for-credit classes online and pay with a credit card.

Classes will be held at area high schools beginning June 17.

Schedules vary; see www.tvfee.org for specific dates and locations.

Among the for-credit classes offered are Geography, Health, Spanish I, Spanish II, Introduction to Art, Ceramics, and Geometry.

Students have a new option this summer: virtual blended courses in Geography and Geometry, which offer a combination of one day in-class and three days on-line study. To help give students an advantage before tackling regular school-year classes, a number of workshops (for practice only; no credit) will be offered in Pre-IB Chemistry, Pre-IB/AP Physics, Pre-AP Chemistry, and Pre-AP/IB English.

The designations, IB-International Baccalaureate and AP-Advanced Placement, refer to college-level classes which are generally more rigorous. A no-credit workshop, Pre-Calculus Enrichment (for students who have completed Algebra II and want to take Accelerated Pre-Calculus next school year), also will be offered.

Online registration closes, and there are no refunds for any courses after June 7. There will be no physical or on-site registration available until online registration closes and only if seats remain. Interested families are asked to check the registration website after June 4 to find out if TVFEE will hold one or more on-site summer school registration dates.

Enrichment or for-credit classes should not be confused with TVUSD high school credit recovery or remediation summer school courses. Information on those courses is available from each high school’s counseling department and on the TVUSD website at www.tvusd.k12.ca.us/credit_recovery.

*Contributed by the Temecula Valley Foundation for Excellence in Education

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The Temecula Valley Hospital has formed its first volunteer Governing Board comprised of physician members, community representatives and hospital leaders. (Courtesy photo)

The important role of the Board is to oversee the safety and quality of services that will be provided at the new hospital and to represent the Temecula Valley Hospital to the community it serves.

Officers were elected at an inaugural meeting held on May 6 at the Temecula Creek Inn.

Dr. Larry Boggeln will serve as the Chairman of the Governing Board and Dennis Frank as Vice Chairman.

“A hospital for the community of Temecula has been at the top of the wish list for many years,” Dr. Boggeln said. “By serving on the Board of Governors of the Temecula Valley Hospital, we act as a liaison between the hospital and the community. The opportunity to support both the hospital and the community is humbling and fulfilling. I am honored to have been asked to fill this role.”

Board members are:

• Larry Boggeln, MD, family practice physician
• Dennis Frank, a retired consultant and community activist
• Jeff Comerchero, CEO and President of the Rancon Group and Temecula City Councilman
• Joan Sparkman, education and community activist, retired from the banking industry
• Jerry Hizon, MD, Family and Sports Medicine, president of the Riverside County Medical Association
• Scott Treadway, Senior Pastor at Rancho Community Church
• Judy Zulfiqar, CEO of RKR Marketing in Temecula
• Abayomi Odubela, MD, an Internal Medicine physician
• Darlene Wetton, Temecula Valley Hospital CEO
• John Harris, Group Vice President for Universal Health Services
• Neil Colica, Chief Nursing Officer for the Temecula Valley Hospital

The new 140-bed, five-story Temecula Valley Hospital, now under construction, is scheduled to open this fall.

It will have all private rooms, a 20-bed intensive care unit (ICU), high-tech surgical suites and an emergency room.

For more information, please visit www.temeculavalleyhospital.com.

*Contributed by Temecula Valley Hospital

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The 50,258 square foot Mercedes-Benz dealership, a part of the Fletcher Jones Automotive Group, will be located at the corner of Ynez Road and Waverly Lane at 40950 Temecula Center Drive.

The ceremony will be held at the future site of Mercedes-Benz of Temecula, a Fletcher Jones Company.

The construction of the dealership will lead to more than 100 new jobs from Mercedes-Benz, as well as additional jobs for its contractors and service providers.

Council member Chuck Washington, a member of the City’s Luxury Car Dealership Subcommittee, said he is thrilled for the development.

“I am very excited to get the construction of this project underway. Mercedes-Benz will bring new jobs to Temecula and be a great addition to our city. I am proud to have Mercedes-Benz be a part of our business community,” Washington said.

Council member Ron Roberts, also a member of the Luxury Car Dealership Subcommittee, emphasized the economic significance of the project: “After working with them for several years, the Mercedes Benz dealership has become a realization in Temecula. We are committed to bringing new businesses into the city, and this is a great step for us in economic development. I am looking forward to a long partnership with Mercedes-Benz.”

“We are really excited that our plan to open a Fletcher Jones Mercedes-Benz dealership in Temecula is coming to fruition,” Garth Blumenthal, General Manager of Fletcher Jones Motorcars in Newport Beach, stated.

Blumenthal, who manages the number one Mercedes-Benz dealership in the United States, has worked with the city to move the project forward.

“Mercedes-Benz of Temecula, it just sounds right,” said Mayor Mike Naggar. “Mercedes-Benz will be a welcome addition to our already strong car and retail market. We believe the dealership will well-exceed expectations and draw car purchasers from throughout Riverside and San Diego County. I believe Fletcher Jones Mercedes-Benz and the City of Temecula have hit a home run on this project.”

Mercedes-Benz of Temecula will feature a program where anyone buying or leasing a vehicle will automatically become a Preferred Owner, which provides free car washes, free loaner cars and access to a free Airport Shuttle service in Orange County and Ontario.

Mercedes-Benz of Temecula is anticipated to open in March 2014.

*Contributed by the city of Temecula

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(Credit: brittanylynae/Flickr/Creative Commons)

Temecula Memorial Day Ceremony in Old Town

Join officials from the city of Temecula as they remember our heroes with a procession along Main Street in Old Town on Memorial Day. The event features scouts, military personnel and patriotic music, and will be followed by a small ceremony on the steps of the Civic Center. Guests are encouraged to wear red, white and blue and bring an American flag. The event begins at 8:30 a.m. and should last about an hour.

Moment of Remembrance at the Temecula Duck Pond

Temecula’s Boy Scout Troop 309 will honor military heroes on Memorial Day at the Temecula Duck Pond at 3 p.m. Each year at 3 p.m. on Memorial Day, Americans unite in a National Moment of Remembrance which honors America’s fallen and their families. This free ceremony takes place at the Duck Pond Veteran’s Memorial, located at Rancho California and Ynez roads.

Free swimming in Temecula for military families

If you are from a military family, enjoy a free day of swimming, courtesy of the city of Temecula, at the Community Recreation Center pool on Rancho Vista Road. The public swimming hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and military personnel and their families are invited to come swim for free. Please bring your military I.D. and check in with the lifeguard at the window to receive a wristband before entering the pool.

Guests do not need to be a Temecula resident to enjoy the pool and slide or swim free. Children seven and under must be with an adult. If you want to come and swim and you are not from a military family, that’s ok too, but there is a basic charge of between $1 and $5, depending on age and city of residence.

Several Memorial Day celebrations are planned this weekend throughout Southwest Riverside. (Flickr: justinday)

Murrieta Memorial Day Ceremony

Murrieta will honor and pay tribute to service members who paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of America on May 27 at a solemn ceremony at 8 a.m. This event takes place at Town Square Park in Murrieta, near the Murrieta Veterans Memorial.

Red White Blue Weekend 5K/10K Run/Walk

The Diamond Storm Stadium in Lake Elsinore hosts this run/walk on Memorial Day from 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Runners and walkers can register at www.active.com. Each participant will receive a commemorative baseball and a ticket to a future Storm baseball game. Runners and walkers of all ages are welcome and there is a fee to participate. Awards will be given to the first three winners in each age division. For more information, visit www.stormevents.com or call 951-245-HITS.

Riverside National Cemetery Ceremony

Attend a formal ceremony on May 27 at 11 a.m., with music beginning at 10:30 a.m. Each May on Memorial Day, ceremonies with guest speakers are held at the cemetery in the Amphitheater. The keynote speaker this year is Riverside Mayor Rusty Bailey. The Riverside National Cemetery is located at 22495 Van Buren Blvd. in Riverside.

West Coast Thunder Memorial Day Bike Run and Military Fair

Support our troops and military families at the Military Appreciation Fair on Sunday, May 26, at Skip Fordyce Harley Davidson, 7688 Indiana Ave. in Riverside. This event is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is coordination with the West Coast Thunder XIV Memorial Bike Run, a motorcycle ride that takes place on Memorial Day, leaving about 9 a.m. from Skip Fordyce Harley Davidson and riding to the Riverside National Cemetery, city of Moreno Valley and ending at the Soboba Casino in San Jacinto. Events on the day of the ride include breakfast, guest speakers, VIPs, live entertainment, and an after-party with food, entertainment and vendors at the Soboba Casino.

Representatives with the American Legion, Riverside County Veterans Service Office, Blue Star Mothers of America, Gold Star Moms, Gold Star Dads, Buffalo Soldiers, Veterans Honoring Veterans and other military support groups will be present at Sunday’s fair. They will provide information and assistance to those in need. The fair is free to attend and guest are encouraged to bring packaged or canned food, personal care items and other things that can be donated to care packages for service members.

Since its inception in 2000, West Coast Thunder has donated more than $350,000 to the Riverside National Cemetery Support Committee.

Idyllwild Nature Center Open House

 Spend Memorial Day weekend at the Idyllwild Nature Center learning about native plants and gardening techniques while also enjoying music, guest speakers, crafts for children and more. Local wildflowers will be identified and on display throughout the Memorial Day weekend.

The three-day event takes place May 25-27, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Idyllwild Nature Center, 25225 Highway 243 in Idyllwild. Guided nature walks and plant sales are part of the events. The cost to attend is $3 per adult, $2 per child and $1 per dog.

Amy Bentley is a local writer and regular contributor to SWRNN.

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(Flickr/Cooperweb)

SB 56 seeks to undo a legislative oversight leading to the loss of significant funding after the incorporation of the Riverside County cities of Wildomar (2008), Menifee (2008), Eastvale (2010) and Jurupa Valley (2011).

The fiscal condition of all four cities is precarious and might possibly lead to the disincorporation of Jurupa Valley.

SB 56 is awaiting a hearing in the Senate Committee on Government and Finance.

It is similar to a bipartisan bill passed by both houses in 2012, which unfortunately ran into problems with the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) and other organizations, and was subsequently vetoed by the governor.

The current bill, authored by Senators Richard Roth (D-Riverside) and Bill Emmerson (R-Hemet) also has wide bipartisan support, has been rewritten to overcome the objections leading to last year’s veto and the CSAC has endorsed it.

The resolution was taken up at the behest of Menifee mayor Scott Mann, who attended the meeting and presented background information to the Riverside County Democratic Party members.

*Contributed by the Riverside County Democratic Party

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The daily commute was slowed Monday when a motorist plowed into a popular bookstore on busy Winchester Rd. in Temecula. (Joe Fanaselle/SWRNN)

The daily commute was slowed Monday when a motorist plowed into a popular bookstore on busy Winchester Rd. in Temecula.

For unknown reasons, the driver of a white Ford pickup traveling eastbound on Winchester Rd., veered off the roadway, striking a street lamp and crashing into the side of the Barnes & Noble store, missing a large window by inches.

The collision occurred at about 7:15 p.m. on Monday, May 20 at the Barnes & Noble located at 40570 Winchester Rd. in  Temecula.

The light pole was strewn in pieces on the road and skid marks were visible.

The bookstore’s customers peered out the window, snapping pictures.

It is not clear if the driver suffered any injuries in the collision as he spoke to sheriff’s deputies.

The light pole was strewn in pieces on the road and skid marks were visible. (Joe Fanaselle/SWRNN)

There did not appear to be any other occupants in the vehicle.

It is not known if any pedestrians were injured.

Traffic on eastbound Winchester Road was slowed, but not stalled.

This is a developing story. Stay with SWRNN for details as they come available.

Joe Fanaselle is a local photojournalist and regular contributor to SWRNN.

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The facility, located at 41002 County Center Drive, handles small claims and traffic court cases and is situated within the county’s Walt P. Abraham administrative complex.

Court officials did not immediately provide an explanation for the proposed closure, which would take effect no earlier than July 1.

Anyone who wishes to comment on the plan was encouraged to submit an electronic message via the Superior Court website at webassistance@riverside.courts.ca.gov, or send a letter to: Riverside County Superior Court, P.O. Box 1547, Riverside, CA 92502.

All comments must be received by June 11.

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