• Low Income Housing Proposed For Wildomar Neighborhood

As much as I usually love to get all wordy, it's not happening on this topic. Just the facts. 

Before I get into the specifics (which there are very few at this point in time) the state mandates certain numbers of housing units for low income families (Regional Housing Needs Assessment) commonly referred to as RHNA [pronounced Reena].  

This came out in a public notice portion of Press Enterprise. To see the full notice, which is not keyword searchable, and with a small font to boot, follow this link. In the meantime, here is the salient part of the notice. 

Below is an excerpt from a Supervisor Jeffries newsletter dealing with the local RHNA numbers.

From Supervisor Jeffries' November 2019 Newsletter

More Homes?  

Through a very convoluted, state-required process, layers of largely unaccountable government bureaucracies evaluate and then mandate how many new home sites must be made available through local land use and zoning laws. 

The good folks who decide the “Regional Housing Needs Assessment” for Riverside County have tentatively concluded that we MUST add 235,000 more homes across our county.  

46,000 of those homes are proposed for our unincorporated (non-city) communities. It does not matter that our unincorporated (mostly rural communities) lack the needed infrastructure to support this level of new homes. 

Just to compare, last year San Bernardino County, which has a similar population to our county was only required to add 39 homes - YES 39!  

Other targets for new housing units in the 1st District are 192 for Canyon Lake, 12,217 for Lake Elsinore, 20,126 for City of Riverside, and 4,963 for Wildomar.

This link takes you to the 5th cycle RHNA allocation plan
It's tables of numbers for various areas. If you go there, be ready to keyword search: Wildomar, and have your magnifying glass handy.
This link takes you to a page that explains RHNA

Course of Action

If this issue concerns you, you have a few options at this juncture. 

• Email your opinions to the Clerk of the Board COB@RIVCO.ORG  Be sure to include Palm Communities for the development of affordable housing at the top of the email, and the date of the meeting before January 7th. Please CC me on such emails.

• You can attend the meeting in downtown Riverside and give a public comment. I believe people are alloted 3 minutes apiece.

• Further information concerning this matter may also be obtained by contacting Juan Garcia, Principal Development Specialist at 951-343-5473. 

This is as far as I'm going to go in this blog. No opinions about this project. I'm here to get the word out about the hearing on January 7th, 9:30am in downtown Riverside. 

If you know me, or this blog, you know that I'd love to go on and on, but I simply can't as a member of the city council. If there is any news on this, I'll be sure to get it out to you.

If you have questions or concerns, you can email them to me at jmorabito@cityofwildomar.org

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No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.
– Albert Einstein

Wildomar Rap is too preoccupied to be clever at the moment. You'll have to take a raincheck.

This blog was produced for viewing on a desktop or a laptop. Though it's been optimized for smartphones, the formatting can look odd on a smartphone or if you get this delivered through email (such as missing video links). Link to proper format.

• Local Politics: 67th Assembly Seat: The Butterfly Effect

By now I'm assuming that most of you are familiar with "The Butterfly Effect". It's a chaos theory take on cause and effect, along with the ripple effect.  

We all know how a pebble thrown into a still body of water will cause ripples to continue well past the point the stone hit the surface. The butterfly effect takes the idea to an exaggerated level.

The Butterfly Effect (with reference to chaos theory) is the phenomenon whereby a minute localized change in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere.

Ok, so now you're saying, "What's Wildomar Rap mumbling about this time?"

The butterfly in this scenario is former State Senator Jeff Stone stepping down from his seat in the 28th State Senate District to accept a presidential appointment. (link to blog covering it)

That created a vacuum that took very little time to fill (the effect).

In fact, about half an hour after [then] Senator Stone's office issued a press release with the details his office issued a second press release stating that he'd endorsed Temecula City Councilman Matt Rahn in the race for the newly vacated seat (that's also in the blog linked above).

You're still wondering where the butterfly effect comes in... 

Well, to quote the Scots' favorite poet, Robbie Burns, "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft a-gley". In other words, things don't always work out the way you'd hoped.

Before the ink was dry on the digital endorsement from Senator Stone, 67th District Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez turned her head askance and thought, "Hmmm, perhaps someone should have checked with me first."

After a short time of giving the idea of running in a special election for the 28th State Senate seat serious consideration, she opted to put her name in the hat. It wasn't too long after that that both Jeff Stone and Matt Rahn endorsed her.

From Melissa Melendez's facebook page.

Which was a good idea because Melissa Melendez is well loved in this area, and anyone getting into a race against her would get their head pounded (just my opinion, sort of like saying the sidewalk is hot at 3pm on an August afternoon is just an opinion too).

Now, this is where the butterfly effect really hits the local political scene. With Melissa's decision to run for the State Senate seat, that left her Assembly seat open.

Such things are fairly commonplace, a politician being termed out or simply choosing not to run again. What isn't so commonplace is a seat opening up with no real advance warning. 

Over 450,000 residents
• Registered voters 238,846
• 42.26% Republican
• 29.21% Democratic
• 22.67% No party preference.

Here's where our butterfly flapped its little wings like it was trying to lift a 747

First to raise their hand in the [then] wide opened 67th District race was Lake Elsinore city councilman Steve Manos. Concurrently there were rumors that Canyon Lake city councilman Jeremy Smith was interested in running too... which was confirmed a couple of weeks later.

I was called by Jeremy, asking me for an endorsement, I happily said yes. Who wouldn't want to be asked, even if only having been elected a year earlier, and from one of the smaller cities in the region? I was actually talking about me... but that pretty much describes him too. We both got elected in 2018.

Jeremy is smart, very engaging and a good guy.

Being asked to endorse him made me feel like I was in high school again.

Ok, not really, but you get the point... don't you? ☺

Then I heard low rumblings that another local elected might be interested in the seat, and around the filing deadline it was confirmed. Murrieta city councilman Kelly Seyarto announced that he was running for the 67th too.

Great, now there are three splendid candidates that I know and respect.

Honestly, I would have said "yes" to any of the three in the image below. Jeremy reached out first, and he got the nod.

I arranged the candidates based on when they announced their intentions.

Now here's where I had to slam on the brakes and come to a skidding stop. 

I know and like all three of the candidates, I'll be happy if any of them win... I'm aware that there is a fourth candidate, but I don't know him and he's from the existing ruling party and won't be vying for votes from the same pool as the three mentioned above. (I did a google search on Jerry Carlos and found that he lost in a 2012 attempt to get onto the Lake Elsinore city council. Other than that, nothing. No mention of a campaign for the assembly. Interesting strategy... laying very low when everyone else is trying to get their name out there.)

To conclude, what could've been a 5000 word nightmare, let me say that I'm happy to endorse Jeremy Smith as I had already committed, though next time something like this occurs I'll be VERY slow to endorse, if at all. 

Whichever of the three of the Republicans (did I mention that they are all of the GOP?) will attempt to give some balance to the lopsided, one party rule up in Sacramento. Can you imagine if we were to elect, yet another Democrat to make their top heavy majority even more extreme? 

The election for the 67th will be a two parter

First up is the primary, which this year is early: March 3rd, 2020, with the absentee ballots being mailed about a month ahead of that.

This will be here sooner than you think.

Seeing that well over 50% of the registered voters in the area use absentee ballots, that really only leaves about five to six weeks for campaigning.

The top two vote getters, which I believe will consist of the Democrat (I've read that it's Jerry Carlos) and the one of the three mentioned above. I see it as highly unlikely that the top two vote-getters will be from the same party in this contest.

The election to determine the ultimate winner of Assembly District 67 will come November 3rd during our national elections. 

I bet you're salivating at the thought of 11 long months of partisan blather about how the other party will ruin the USA, and that this will be the most important election in the history of the union. Which is the same thing we've heard every four years since the beginning of time. 

To sum this mess up: I like all three of the candidates and have offered all three a Better Know a Candidate Blog. All three have shown interest (I'll also be offering such a blog opportunity to Jerry Carlos if he asks for one). 

The key question(s) I have ready for them is: Knowing that you'll be a rookie on, what equates to a perennial last place team (no offense, just look at the box score), and we already know that you will be voting the party line, what will your presence in the district be? What will you do that the other candidates won't be doing?

Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, candidate for State Senate Dist 28.

Melissa Melendez has set the bar very high with her twice monthly town hall meetings. She also responds to all her mail personally. She is at many local functions, all over her vast district when she's in town (take another look at that map up above). 

Not that she'll need a Better Know a Candidate blog, but I'd be happy to write one on her and her opponent too (if I'm asked). 

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Man is the only animal who will inflict pain on himself, needlessly. Who will torture himself with the remorseless workings of his own mind.
– EG Marshall



Wildomar Rap is all too familiar with the remorseless workings of his own mind... and it can be relentless.

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• Press Release: Fire, Central St

10:20pm a residential fire was reported. 400sf outbuilding burned. It was near Central and Grand. Estimated damage was set at $40,000.

Screenshot from a video submitted by Nancy MacKell.

CAL FIRE/Riverside County Firefighters responded to multiple reports of a single family dwelling fire with possible victims trapped. 

The first unit on scene reported a 400 square foot outbuilding to the rear of the residence with smoke and fire showing. 

The search for victims was negative and the fire was contained to the small outbuilding with no extension to the main residence. 

Edison was able to isolate the power to the out building so the main residence is still occupied.

A brief video and description was forwarded to Wildomar Rap by resident Nancy MacKell

The explosion happened around 10:30ish.  The fire trucks came quickly and were able to extinguish the fire really fast. 

— extrapolated from a message from Nancy MacKell  

• Census 2020: Why It's Important and Job Opportunities

Why is the census important?

First and foremost, the census is part of our constitution (Article I, Section 2) and it's your civic duty as an American... or even if you're permanent resident. You need to be counted... same holds true for those living here without permission.

Without copying and pasting something you can easily google yourself, the basic point of the census is to ensure that the voice of the people can be as fairly represented as possible (sorry, nothing is 100% when people are involved).

If doing your civic duty isn't enough of a motivator, without an accurate count, we can expect fewer federal dollars when it comes to roads and other key issues.

Having an accurate census count, every ten years, was the way our founding fathers chose to keep the voting districts as balanced as they could manage in those horse and buggy days. 

In the modern world, an accurate count is as important for the original reasons (to determine the numbers of congressional members throughout the nation) as they are for the apportionment of federal funds to the states.

A large portion of our state budget comes from federal dollars.
An undercount means underfunding for needed services.

Any federal grant you can think of, that a local area might be interested in, hinges on the population count done at the decennial census.

The easiest way to participate is to respond to the mailers that will be hitting your mailboxes sometime in March of 2020. For those that just toss them in the trash, you'll get a second opportunity by mail. After that, you'll be on big brother's list and be in line for a census enumerator to give you a visit in person.  

About 30% of the people don't do the census the easy way. Are you one of them?

Link to story discussing the counting of foreign nationals

(aka undocumented persons by PC types)

Another opportunity the census brings is an opening for a federal job/career

At a recent census meeting in Wildomar it was said that there will be 801 temporary census jobs in Wildomar alone.

When I heard that number I scratched my head and pressed the presenters over it, and they confirmed that was the number they're looking to hire. 

Even if they misspoke (twice) and meant 801 jobs for all of SWRivCo, that's still a lot of jobs for them to fill.

If you have a family member that is in need of work, share this info with them.

The jobs begin in January and go through June • The jobs are for 6 to 8 weeks at a time • Minimum age is 18 and there is no upper age limit • The training takes 3 days • Typical daily hours are from 8:00a, to 4:30pm • You have to pass a background check  • Follow this link for more information.

Not bad wages for temporary work.

Though these are temporary jobs, they are a foot in the door for other federal jobs, a good long term career move for many. 

Below is a cheesy video made by the census bureau, but it's only 90 seconds and is very informative, so it's well worth your minute and a half. (Being that I produce cheesy videos myself, I can call them out on it with impunity. ☺)

link to local census info

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The reason the government sells the census as your ticket to getting goodies - rather than as your civic duty - is that distributing goodies is now all the government does.

Tom G. Palmer

Wildomar Rap isn't a civic duty, but just so happens to come with more goodies than you can cope with.

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• Community Spirit: VFW Christmas Dinner

This Christmas marked the third year in a row that the VFW opened their doors to vets in the area, that otherwise would have been alone, to share in a Christmas dinner. 

Friends enjoying Christmas dinner a the VFW.

A key figure behind the Post 1508's Christmas dinner is Sean Pisapia, a wounded vet himself.

“Instead of having everyone be at home, staring at four walls, maybe watching TV, it gives [vets] a place to go, to hang out with their second family... which is us.

We're all friends and family here. 

We're all service members, family members of service members, and that's what we do. The VFW is here, specifically, to be there for veterans and their families, in both good times and times of need. Sometimes it's as simple as a Christmas dinner. ”

— Sean Pisapia

Some sat at the counter...

The VFW is known for its volunteerism, and it doesn't stop on Christmas. Though the ranks of volunteers can be limited on Christmas, there are always willing post members eager to lend a hand. That can be in the form of individuals and sometimes whole families. 

Others sat at tables.

Richard Deskin, longtime volunteer at the VFW, was telling me about this year's crew. They began cooking around noon, and continued through meal time and clean up. 

This year's menu included prime rib, turkey and honey ham (about 80 pounds of meat - all donated), traditional sides and a variety of desserts. 

If you're a veteran of a foreign war (VFW) or a family member of a veteran, and haven't visited the VFW in Wildomar, consider putting that on your to do list in 2020. 

Though it is member driven, there are many events throughout the year where they open their doors to the public.

Address: 21180 Waite St, Wildomar, CA 92595

Phone: (951) 674-4735

Thank you to Richard Deskin for sending me some shots he made with his phone. Merry Christmas. ☺

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“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”
– C.S. Lewis

Wildomar Rap was born the moment it found out blogs had no overhead. 

This blog was produced for viewing on a desktop or a laptop. Though it's been optimized for smartphones, the formatting can look odd on a smartphone or if you get this delivered through email (such as missing video links). Link to proper format.

• RSO Press Release: Illegal Grow House in Wildomar PART 4

A few days ago an illegal "dispensary" was shut down on Bundy Canyon, and today another grow house was busted up on Via Sarah, which is an upscale neighborhood just west of the city line with Murrieta on Clinton Keith.

To quote Cheech and Chong... makes your eyes water just looking at this.Image from Lake Elsinore Station facebook page.

The red marker is NOT the exact location of the bust.
It's just where Google marked Via Sarah when I searched.

Below is the press release

=======

Release Booking Photo(s)?

No

 RIVERSIDE COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT

Sheriff Chad Bianco

StationLake Elsinore Station

AgencyRiverside County Sheriff’s Department

Press Release:

Type of Incident:	Illegal Marijuana Grow Operation
Date Written:	December 24, 2019	Time Written:	9:30 A.M.
Date of Incident:	December 24, 2019	Time of Incident:	9:30 A.M.
Location of Incident:	Via Sarah, Wildomar
Reporting Officer:	Sergeant Glenn Warrington #2506
File Number:	WI192990033

Details:

At the end of November, deputies assigned to the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station received complaints regarding possible illegal marijuana cultivation occurring within the city of Wildomar, Riverside County.

On December 24, 2019, at the direction of Sheriff Chad Bianco, deputies served a search warrant on 25800 block of Via Sarah.  As a result of the search warrant, marijuana plants were located and collected. In addition, the electrical system within the residence had been illegally altered causing a severe fire hazard and theft of utilities. The estimated theft of utilities for the last year was valued by Edison at approximately $30,000.  The entire residence was turned into an illegal marijuana cultivation. There was no one located at the residence.

Wildomar Code Enforcement deemed the house uninhabitable.  Edison Company responded out to the residence and turned the power off to the residence due to the illegal wiring throughout the residence. 

This is an ongoing investigation.  Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Deputy Carlson at the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station (951) 245-3300. 

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department is seeking applicants for Deputy Sheriff, Deputy Sheriff Trainee, Correctional Deputy, Sheriff's 911 Communications Officer, and other employment opportunities such as clerical and support positions.  If you are interested in a career with us, please apply at www.joinrsd.org or call 1-888-Join-RSD

Glenn A. Warrington

Sergeant #2506

Lake Elsinore Sheriff's Station

333 Limited Street

Lake Elsinore, Ca. 92530

Main: 951-245-3300

Desk: 951.245-3328

Fax: 951.245.3311

gwarring@riversidesheriff.org

Below is the Facebook post from the Lake Elsinore Station.

Lake Elsinore Sheriff's Station

41 mins · 

🚨Search Warrant🚨
Wildomar: Deputies assigned to the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station received information of a possible indoor marijuana grow operation located within a residential neighborhood of Wildomar. On December 24,2019 a search warrant was served at the 25800 block of Via Sarah... Press Release to follow....
#qualityoflife #zerotolerance #cityofwildomar

Who needs a living room when you can have a skunk forest instead?Image from Lake Elsinore Station facebook page.

This appears to be at the top of the stairs.Image from Lake Elsinore Station facebook page.

I'm thinking that Jeff Spicoli would remark about how gnarly this stuff is.Image from Lake Elsinore Station facebook page.

I'd like to see a show of hands of who would love to be renting to folks like this... don't all raise them at the same time now.

Image from Lake Elsinore Station facebook page.