• Better Know a Wildomar Business: Sunpro Solar

Some businesses I profile are services, like Natalie's Rascal's, others are retail places like WaBa Grill or Ace Hardware. Today's blog is about a place that you'd most likely only purchase from one time, Sunpro Solar.

They recently celebrated their seventh year in Wildomar with a ribbon cutting, and I arranged to speak with their Community Relations Director Emily Padilla about the company.

 WR: Give me a brief overview of Sunpro Solar

 SpS:  Sunpro Solar started with Adam Evans and Jesse Green. they both have a background in construction, and Adam was an electrician, so they got together and wanted to start a company.

They've been in this location for seven years, we've grown to about 60 employees. We're a medium sized company. We do residential and commercial solar projects, but mostly residential.

 WR: How was Wildomar chosen for the location?

 SpS:  Jesse grew up in the Hemet area and now lives in Menifee and Adam grew up in La Cresta. They like the community, they like the area, they like the open space, they liked the opportunity to purchase [their building], and it was affordable where the could start and build their dream. 

 WR: What are the things that Sunpro Solar offers?

 SpS:  We offer leasing and we offer purchasing. We also have a PPA, we offer the whole spectrum which is those three. I think that's what makes us stand out from the other solar companies around here. When we go into a house, we don't go in with an agenda. Our concerns are "what are the needs of the people, what are their goals, what's their financial situation, can they benefit from the tax breaks."

 SpS:  (cont) We also do custom work. We can do things like patio coverings, we can do ground mounts... because we have that construction background.

Another thing about us is that we're the only elite dealer for Sun Power panels in all of Riverside County. A lot of companies sell Sun Power panels, but they're not an elite dealer. That is something that we're really proud of because we have to maintain our status with customer satisfaction, and other different qualifications. Sun Power is one of the biggest corporations in the world, out of all of North America we made the top five.

 WR: What kind of maintenance schedule needs to be followed once a person has solar?

 SpS:  It's being monitored and the customer has the ability to go online and [check the status]. We monitor the systems and it will flag if there's a problem. The customer can monitor [their system] on their smart phones. They can go online every single day and see how many kilowatts their system is producing.

If something changes, or goes wrong, they'll know... besides the fact that we'll know. 

As far as maintenance you don't need any special cleaners with Sun Power panels. Usually the rainwater will take care of it. With the drought, when there is less rain, we tell the customers if they'd like to put a nozzle on their hose and squirt them down, that will be sufficient. We also tell them to never get on the roof.

 WR: What about a guarantee?

 SpS:  That's the most popular question. With Sun Power panels you have a 25 year warranty. Now when you lease, you also have a warranty. The good thing about Sun Power panels is that the warranty is through the company. These panels are sturdy, I've seen videos where they drive cars over them, shoot golf balls at them and they don't break. They're super sturdy and Sun Power has been in business for over 30 years.

 WR: With your workers on the roof, how do you alleviate homeowner's concerns about damage to tiles or worker accidents?
 SpS:  We provide our own liability insurance, worker compensation and all that. As far as the roof, because that is a huge concern for people, most [other solar] companies only insure, give a warranty where they drill into your roof. We offer three feet around your whole system.

 WR: What type of customer is most likely to be helped by going solar and which is the least likely?

 SpS:  The one that is least likely is the one with lower bills. It depends on how much you're spending on electricity. If your bill averages out to $150 per month, you would save money going solar. If your bills are much lower than that, it might not be a necessity at this point.

Click this link and input your numbers to see where you fit into the solar scene.

When people call up that aren't sure [if solar is right for them] I'll tell them to send me their kilowatt usage and we'll take a look at it, and we'll let them know if we can save them money. If we don't think we can save them money we let them know that. Some people still want to get the information for future use.

 WR: Does "Going Solar" mean a customer will be off the grid?

 SpS:  Not unless you get a battery back up. Right now the cost of batteries is still high. You have to have storage space for it, you have to maintain the batteries. It's not cost effective to be off the grid right now, but we can do it. Absolutely, if someone says "I want to be off the grid and I want a battery" we will do that for them. We will make sure they know the differences in the costs, and that they know there is upkeep involved with the batteries.

 WR: If I get solar, will my electric bill go away?

 SpS:  Part of the answer is why the panel you use actually makes a difference. If you're using a cheaper Chinese made panel, they don't have a 25 year warranty (most will have 10), [upfront] they aren't as efficient as the panels we use. We try and get people to zero out there bills because the long term investment is really good.

 WR: How long does installation take?

 SpS:  Installation only takes about two to three days. From that point on it's about a six week wait to get it turned on. [The electric company has to sign off on it first.]

 WR: Tell me about the HERO program and Sunpro Solar?

 SpS:  We do offer the HERO program, it's a great program for those that could benefit from it, but it's not for everyone. When people ask us about the HERO program —we feel very strongly that our job is to make sure that they are very well educated on what it is, and how it will affect their property tax.

 WR: I've seen Sunpro Solar in many places. How involved are you in the community?

 SpS:  We're very involved. That's one of the things that I do. As far as Wildomar specifically, we're part of the chamber of commerce, we've done a lot of sponsorships, such as the astronomy night. Participated in Trunk or Treat, donated a 100 bags with 100 flashlights for the camp out at the park. We're in the Rotary Club, and through that we do a lot for the local schools.

☼

Popular misconceptions about solar power.

• Some people think they are going to make a lot of money selling power back to the electric company if they purchase extra panels.
• Thinking that with solar power they will be off the grid.

• Thinking that a home with solar power will not be affected by power outages.

• Thinking that you can start setting your AC down to 68 and leave all the lights on. Solar power doesn't mean you get unlimited amounts of electricity to use. 

Had to love Emily Padilla's singing at their ribbon cutting. Dinah Washington
and Lady Day... watch out, there's a new blues woman on the scene. ☺

Thanks to Emily for the conversation about Sunpro Solar. I learned a lot about the company and solar power in general. If you're considering solar power for your home or business be sure to check out their website and then give them a call. They're very helpful.

Sunpro Solar contact info

(951) 678-7733

info@sunpro-solar.com

34859 Frederick Street, Suite 101 

Wildomar, CA 92595

Sunpro's Facebook Page

•      •      • 

I was seldom able to see an opportunity until it had ceased to be one. ― Mark Twain

Wildomar Rap is to grit, as chocolate is to ice cream.
(don't ask, just go with it)

• Special City Council Meeting October 2015

2.1 Resolution of Necessity for Property Acquisition - Wildomar Master Drainage Plan Lateral C-1 Storm Drain

This has been perculating through the system for awhile now, and finally has come to a head. It has to do with the long awaited storm drainage improvements that will improve the flow of runoff out of Windsong Valley into the Murrieta Creek. Currently, if someone even spills a glass of water in that area, it floods on Palomar in front of Plow Boys veggie stand.

The city had been acquiring the necessary fragments of property so as to install a new Lateral C-1, but hit a snag with one property owner. This project was mentioned in the past couple of meetings, and that it has been on the verge of settlement each time.

Tonight's world record shortest council meeting ever was only dealing with this one issue. The property owner was in the council chambers as was his lawyer. As it turned out, it was all really just a formality, though I had to find humor in the property owner's trepidation as both Mayor Ben Benoit and Mayor Pro-Tem Bridgette Moore came up to introduce themselves before the meeting.

As you can see by the graphic above, the landowner is being fairly compensated by the terms of the deal:

The proposed acquisitions include:

• One flood control (storm drain) permanent easement of 0.27 acres or 11,761 sf located along the northern property line; 
• One Temporary Construction Easement (TCE): 0.51 acres or 22,216 sf, adjacent to the storm drain easement and also along a portion of the eastern property line. The TCE will be for a period of four months.  

My office and city staff have been in contact with the property owner and the property owner's attorney and we've been discussing what's commonly referred to as a friendly condemnation. Essentially what that means is, there is a process by which the property owner, and the public agency, can agree ahead of time to the terms of a court judgement. 

That will essentially lay out the terms for the city to acquire the property, but you agree to all that ahead of time. What it does is make the imminent domain court process go faster. We can still file Imminent Domain lawsuit but then skip to the end and have the judge enter judgement that we've already agreed to ahead of time. 

— Thomas Jex, City Attorney

The process has been very professional, you're well represented. As Tom [Jex] has mentioned, it protects the property owner and it protects the city. The protections that we wanted and to make sure that were in place and the certain protections that the city should have. Doing it this way seems to give both parties the protection that they need. I commend your choice in council, he's done a very good job. 

— Attorney for the landowner

So if everything is so going well, then why are we going to court to follow through on the imminent domain action, friendly as it may be, to acquire the necessary property? 

Do any of you remember the recent $120,000 payout to the AIPs? Where Wildomar basically had to fork out $200,000 in settlement, and our own legal fees, because of some wording that could have been better in a document the state of California said passed their requirements?

Yeah, people that are willing to agree with each other still have to seek the protection of the courts because of the actions of shady people.

 •      •      • 

False friendship, like the ivy, decays and ruins the walls it embraces; but true friendship gives new life and animation to the object it supports. ― Richard Burton

In the office of Wildomar Rap a "friendly condemnation" is how we classify the response to forgetting to take the cans to the street on trash day.

• Trunk or Treat 2015

The 2nd annual Trunk or Treat at Wildomar's Marna O'Brien Park was a big hit.

A look at the girls from the Operation Prom Girl station as Cami and Autumn were handing out candy.

There were 21 stations that were handing out candy from 6pm to 8pm and many were running low on candy, or completely out, by 7pm. The snack bar, which was run by Wildomar Rotary with proceeds going to resident Scott Rux who is awaiting a liver transplant, ran out of pizza and soda before it was all over.

Also, Scott's "Straight Outta Wildomar" shirts and coffee cups were available too. We got a black shirt.

A snapshot of the crush of people at about 6:45pm.

The families and kids comprised a great group. No pushing or shoving and plenty of thank yous. The entire event was a blast with Cub Scout Pack 332 having the best (so I say) haunted house. They used multiple E-Z Ups to create a little maze that was filled with strobe lights, mist and characters waiting behind every corner to scare you.

Even as it got darker the mass of people continued onward.

In addition to city manager Gary Nordquist, city staffer Janet Morales and parks man Daniel Torres in attendance, making things happen smoothly and on time, were city clerk Debbie Lee, Mayor Pro-Tem Bridgette Moore, council member Tim Walker (with his own candy distributing crew) and Mayor Ben Benoit and his family. Had to love Ben's Willy Wonka costume and that he came despite having hurt his foot earlier in the day.

The Wildomar Rap Haunted Bug was one of four winners in the best car costume contest.

Due to the popularity of this event, there were some thoughts for next year's event that included it being moved to the ballfield area, having some food trucks along and possibly a band.

I think it would be fun to have a photo booth too where we take pics of the trick or treaters and put them in a slide show.

With Halloween being on a Monday next year (remember 2016 is a leap year), Trunk or Treat could be just 2 days before Halloween instead of a week before. Mark your calendars now. :)

•      •      • 

I gotta rock. ―Charlie Brown

If Wildomar Rap were a piece of Halloween candy, it would be a family size bag of peanut m&m's.

• Troop 332 brings another Eagle Scout to Wildomar: Anthony Ramos

Anthony Ramos's Eagle Project was installing two community message boards. One at Windsong Park and the other at Heritage Regency Park. He finished this back in the Summer, and recently completed the rest of his requirements to attain Eagle Scout.

Today's ceremony, called an Eagle Court of Honor, started with a slide show that showed Anthony as the years went by, through his Eagle Scout project.

There were many speakers and the audience was filled with his family and friends. 

Charlie Zaepfel (left) and Doug Ames (right) assist Anthony Ramos with his new Eagle Scout neckerchief.

After the ceremony there were refreshments, including Costco pizza, and cake.

Here is a recent photo of Anthony's Eagle Scoutproject.

I had a chance to ask Anthony a couple of questions about his start in the scouts, his Eagle Project and his future plans.

WR: Tell me about your years in the scouts.
AR: I started at the age of ten. I was in San Diego and I went to the Scouts Store and I wanted a pocket knife and my dad made me a deal that I could get a pocket knife if I got my neckerchief in scouting. After a few years there (San Diego) I moved up here (Wildomar). Bridgette [Moore] came down and introduced me to the troop and help me crossover and ever since then I've been in scouts here.

WR: What are your plans after school?
AR: I'm going to join the Marine Corp after high school.


WR: Tell me about your Eagle Scout project.
AR: Bridgette [Moore] came up with the idea. She presented it to me at a Tuesday meeting. I liked the idea because I go to the park a lot and I was always wondering when there was going to be events in the city. So I decided to make two community boards. One at Windsong Park and one at Heritage Park.


WR: How did the fundraising go?
AR: I did a lot of fund raising. I sold things at school and my grandpa was a big blessing and he donated most of the money for my project. 

WR: Any major obstacles?
AR: A big obstacle was on the day of it, some of the measurements weren't correct and we had to remeasure everything. We were supposed to paint everything first, but we ended up having to paint it after [it was built]. 

•      •      • 

“It's impossible to get worse at something you do every day.” ― Brad Guigar, How To Make Webcomics

Note to the community: If you know of something that you think others would like to hear about... leave me a message. No promises that I'll be able to get to it, but if I don't know about it, it can't end up in Wildomar Rap.

• Better Know a Wildomar Business: Natalie's Rascals

Do you already know about Natalie's Rascals? 

If not, it's a doggie pet spa and more... they service cats too, located right next to Barons Market on Clinton Keith Road and owned by Natalie Cornwell.

A look at the front of Natalie's Rascals.

The first thing you notice when you enter is how clean and tidy it is. Actually, if you see the other rooms, you'll find that is a theme throughout Natalie's Rascals. Below you can see the front area which includes the check in area, and the fenced doggie day care area.

I wanted to do a blog about Natalie's as soon as I heard of them, but my Shih Tzu Vinny needed to let his fur grow out a bit to put the groomers to the test first. ☺

When you first arrive they have you fill out a grooming contract. It is rather comprehensive, but you only have to fill it out on your first visit.

Next, your canine companion goes into the clipping area for an assessment. I was asked how I wanted the cut to look, how short, etc. From there my Vinny went to the elevated tub area for a thorough wash. Our groomer was Paloma, and she took great care of Vinny, and took time to clean all the nooks and crannies too.

A couple of views of Vinny while at Natalie's Rascals and his groomer Paloma.

During his bath, he basically received a facial with a lot of care given given to his ears. He was in doggie heaven... wait, that doesn't sound right... let's say he was in doggie nirvana instead. ☺

The tub area has three tubs in it.

From there he went to the drying room. They have a few options for that. Towels, blowers, and cage dryers. Though they only use those "as a last resort and are fully monitored." 

A look at the drying room.

After the dog is dry, they go to the groomer's table to get all spiffied up. Once Vinny got to this stage, I decided to duck out so as not to be a distraction. He was ready in about an hour, though the timing varies depending on many factors.

Look at that transformation! This picture is from Natalie's Rascals.
They do this for many of their clients. There are many on their website.

Some random facts in no particular order

• Right now they are only open five days a week, 9 to 5, closed Sundays and Mondays, but their goal is to be a seven day a week operation. 

• They are serious about providing a safe and healthy environment, so they have a pretty strict policy about your pets being vaccinated. 

• There are four employees, all are Pet CPR & First Aid Certified, three have vet's assistant experience.

• Natalie has a comprehensive website, with complete bios of the groomers, the services and prices, and her blog.

• They do not use heated dryers, so your dog won't end up getting skin irritation due to heat.

• The self serve dog wash gets you access to tub, soaps, towels and dryers for $15.

I asked Natalie about her experience in Wildomar so far.

We're excited to be here. Wildomar has been awesome. I'm so happy that we got this location —I can't say that enough. The Chamber has been awesome, the city has been awesome, the ribbon cutting was beautiful. Everyone in the community has been really nice. Our customers are so supportive.

On the day of their grand opening.

The center is really nice and then the people... when we were looking into this location, city officials reached out to me... before I had the chance to reach out to them. They were all really helpful with questions I had. Bridgette Moore was really helpful as were the girls at the chamber of commerce. Everyone was really nice... it was so refreshing.

After my conversation with Natalie I could really tell how much dedication she has to making Natalie's Rascals a success. To ensure that she places the utmost importance on your pet's safety. If they are feeling stressed out during their time there, she'll give them some down time to become calm. 

I'm really thankful for my dad and my husband's help. They have been really awesome. My dad comes in and he'll help me clean. My husband helps me with all the technical stuff.

—Natalie Cornwell

Link to Natalie's Rascals website.

Natalie is really proud of her website, and especially the blogs she writes about the various aspects of grooming. Here are some topics she's covered, with links: 

• Our Shedless Treatment
• If your dog normally "needs to be sedated" for grooming
• What's the difference?  Baths, Tidy-Ups & Grooming
• Supported by local Animal Hospitals
• Our drying techniques, and many others 

Next time your furry friend needs a full groom, or even just a quick tidy up, give Natalie a call and ask her about the services she offers. If you happen to be shopping at Barons, or having some pizza at Stadium, take the short walk over and peek in. She may not be at the front desk, but she'll be able to see you on the CCTV and get to you right away.

951-609-0123

​Fax: 951-678-6886

.

32294 Clinton Keith Road Suite 105 

Wildomar, CA 92595

.

Tues-Sat 9AM-5PM

Closed: Sunday's & Monday's

Holiday hours subject to change 

Link to FaceBook page

 •      •      • 

Anyone who doesn't know what soap tastes like has never washed a dog. ― Franklin P. Jones

If Wildomar Rap were a breed of dog, it would be two parts Brian Griffin, two parts Droopy, half a part Snoopy, and a soupçon of Underdog.

• Lights On Afterschool/THINK Together 2015

Lights on After School is the name of the assembly that highlighted THINK Together's activities. THINK Together is the name of the after school program at Wildomar Elementary. 

The theme was Superheroes.

April Watkins speaks to the crowd as the assembly begins.

There was a jump rope demonstration, a basket ball demonstration —to the familiar tune of the Harlem Globetrotters theme, along with a some cheer leading.

There were some awards for various "Superheroes." 

The principal, Mr. Hoffman, one of the dads (Mr. Alvarez) that helps out nearly every day, and the staff that makes the program work.

April Watkins, Kenneth, Dana DeJong.

5th grader Kenneth awarded Dana DeJong, of the Rotary Club, for their helping the kids in the EarlyAct Club. Which included buying clean drinking water for Haiti, a polio walk, clean ups at the school, an owl box and other community service. 

The real unsung superhero is April Watkins. As the zeal she puts into her role is evident by how much the kids respect her. What a lucky group of kids to have such a dedicated person leading Wildomar Elementary's THINK Together program.

Mayor Ben Benoit, Akiam, and Mayor Pro-Tem Bridgette Moore.

☼

THINK Together animation project/Super Thinker

There were a few technical difficulties at first, where the projector didn't want to cooperate... but without such things, how would a person ever get gray hair? However, after a few moments they got the video up and running, and it was so fun to watch the kids as they viewed their handiwork for the first time. 

How this project came about.

Back at one of the events at Marna O'Brien park, towards the end of Summer, I overheard April Watkins discussing that her after school group was going to start drawing superheroes for a comic strip.

Being an animator, and always one to get in over my head, I messaged her a couple of days later asking if she thought her students would like to turn their drawings into an animation.

She didn't hesitate and said YES! ☺

I was thinking it might be a new take on a classic story, like Little Red Riding Hood for example. Or, maybe a series of jokes. Instead they came up with a story about THINK Together, the name of the after school program at Wildomar Elementary.

The catch was they'd like to get this done in time for an assembly that was just a little over a month away. A tall order when there isn't even a story written out, or characters drawn. But, I was confident that if they did their job on time, I could do my job on time.

I made two trips to the class.

First, to give them a brief overview of animation and what I wanted from them. They were going to do most of the work. Come up with the story, write the dialog, rehearse their lines, draw the characters and the backgrounds and even do a rudimentary storyboard (which would tell the animator, how the visuals are controlled).

The second visit to the group was two weeks later to record the voices.

A look at the recording session. I brought my digital recorder and mic stand and we were ready for action.

That was fun. You could see how much they enjoyed the process as they were saying their lines into the microphone I brought. Some were a little timid at first, because it was a new thing for them. Standing with their peers watching them, as they repeated their lines into a strange device.

What made it even more alien to them was that they had to say their lines out of order.

They had practiced them as a group, like it was a play, but I can't use that in animation. I had to do the old multi-track trick and record them all separately, and later assemble them on a timeline. Some characters had several lines and they had to record them all at once, while trying to maintain the proper inflection they had during the group recital.

They did a great job with the audio.

When it came to the artwork, they drew several characters and backgrounds, but they really didn't translate into things that would make a proper animated cartoon. I did use many of the drawings in other places. A tiger on a character's shirt, and the others on the wall in the principal's office.

So I took their ideas and reworked them into something more suitable for a cartoon. To save a bit of time I recycled some of my existing characters, and borrowed a background or two from the net. 

The final project took awhile to produce. I'll let you do the math. It's a three minute cartoon, and generally it takes more than 10 hours to produce a minute of animated video. 

It was a great experience working with the Wildomar Elementary 5th graders of THINK Together. I hope they had as much fun as I did. ☺

Joseph Morabito being honored with a certificate of appreciation and a superhero mask.

What a pleasant surprise to be awarded a superhero mask and certificate for helping the 5th graders bring a story of theirs to cartoon life. 

 •      •      • 

"People who get into animation tend to be kids. We don't have to grow up. But also, animators are great observers, and there's this childlike wonder and interest in the world, the observation of little things that happen in life." ― John Lasseter

If Wildomar Rap were a cartoon character, he'd definitely have a cool haircut like Super Thinker has.