• Hmmm Vent Cleaning You Say?

I saw this very interesting YouTube video on vent cleaning the other day from a channel with over a million subscribers called Pleasant Green. It mentioned how that local Facebook groups are inundated with these types of ads. 

If you're a Facebook user, I bet you've seen more than a hundred just this year alone.

Then I happened to be in the Windsong Valley facebook group wanting to share a flyer regarding a park event and saw this ad.

Just a hardworking local that's new to the area putting in an honest day's work... right?

Then I thought about putting the phone number into the search engine (like in the video) and low and behold it came up as being part of two other Facebook ads for vent cleaning.

For some reason, our hero Chris wasn't listed in my search results. What are the odds that the same phone number would be used for other duct-cleaning businesses on the other side of the country... but wait, don't answer yet. 

One in East Haven, Connecticut, and the other in a place called North Stonington... also in Connecticut. Pretty cool coincidence, right? 

North Stonington was a closed group, but look what I found in the East Haven Facebook group.

Read the ad, it's verbatim the ad I found in Windsong Valley. That's luckier than being hit by three bolts of lighting in my book. 

I'm sure this is 100% legit and all that, but time for some serious caveat emptor/buyer beware. If you want your ducts cleaned and you're ready to part with $300, you might want to see if the people are who they say they are. 

This is when you need a real recommendation by a neighbor you actually know or the Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber of Commerce.

Like it was said in the video, some of these operators may actually be giving a great service, through an overseas call center (watch the video, it's well done). 

But why the pretense and the carbon copy wording about new to the area if you're above board, and licensed and insured? 

As can happen all too frequently, there tend to be people who want to go straight to the but what if card and start defending guys like this hard-working, ad-plagiarizing, doting father of two... go click on our friend Chris Brendo's Facebook page and there is no info on it. Other than he likes four things, all based in India. 

I searched "Suresh Lal" which happens to be the actual name of "Chris's" Facebook address... and none appeared to look related to the people in the profile photo.

Here's the link. 

https://www.facebook.com/suresh.lal.395669

Take it from The Patch's own Rookie of the Year in 2013, Rae Anne Resident... when going undercover with an online persona, be clever, but don't be too clever. 

The good times were rolling like there was going to be no tomorrow.

Rae Anne, along with about ten other characters, ruled The Patch for at least two months. Then my flooded house was finally repaired and I was allowed back out into civilized society. Not sure what ever happened to Cliff and his friends.

• Memorial Day 2023

An unseasonably overcast day, that had the temps hovering in the 60s, was a great backdrop for Wildomar's 2023 Memorial Day Observance at the cemetery on Palomar. 

It began with a welcome from the Mayor, then a parade of motorcycles with riders from the American Legion and VFW.

We had a beautiful version of The National Anthem sung by Valerie Geason, music by the Valley Winds, along with Memorial Day-themed messages and prayers.

Pastor Fred Rodriguez from Elsinore First Assembly delivered an inspiring keynote address.

The program was about honoring those that have served our nation and did not return home since the founding of the Union. There are five that are buried at Wildomar Cemetery that are among that number.

We, as Americans, live an incredibly cushy life, even if some of us lose sight of that at times, and it's all owed to courageous men and women that are/were willing to die for the ideals set forth by our founding fathers. 

A heartfelt thank you, though we can never repay them. 

Though there are well over 100 veterans that are buried at Wildomar Cemetery, only one of them was killed in the line of duty, Justin T. Hunt. The other four on the list above are buried elsewhere but with strong ties to Wildomar.

Collage of those that were at the podium from Councilwoman Ashlee DePhillippo's photos. Stever George, National Anthem singer Valerie Geason, VFW Chaplain Adam Smith, Cornerstone Pastor Navon Aikens, Mayor Joseph Morabito, Pastor Fred Rodriguez and VFW Post Commander Charles Golden.

VFW Post 1508 Post Commander Charles Golden speaks to those in attendance as Post 1508 Chaplain Adam Smith takes a snapshot. 

A short story of how today's event came to be

Last year I met a resident that is also a member of the American Legion. He asked if we could get a meeting to discuss the possible inclusion of the American Legion riders into the city's Memorial Day observance.

Not long afterward a meeting was set up at Montegue Brothers Coffee along with Bridgette Moore. That was late in 2022 and the next meeting wasn't until the end of March 2023.

Even with that short window of time to prepare, with the outstanding leadership of Wildomar's Daniel Torres and Elsinore First Assembly's Pastor Fred Rodriguez (not to mention many others) we were able to produce this very worthy program. 

The Young Marines at-the-ready to present the colors. 

Though last year was the first chance to have an in-person event since 2019, I was a little crestfallen at seeing such a low turnout. Yes, part of 2022's Covid hangover, but still... (EDITED, There was an in-person event in 2021) 

The modest goal for 2023 was to fill the seats. Which we did! 200 chairs were set up, and most were filled. That's not counting people in their own chairs, the orchestra, the boy scouts, the Young Marines or the motorcycle riders that stayed near their bikes.

I heard from several people, without asking them, that they felt this was the best Memorial Day observance they'd seen in Wildomar. 

One of the many displays that gave the setting an added-something-extra feel. 

In the early meetings with Pastor Fred, I could see that little ol' Wildomar was stepping up beyond what we were used to.

I say that because he's been a key part of very large Memorial Day Observances in Lake Elsinore in the pre-Covid days. 

We're not looking to set any records in Wildomar, but I can easily see this doubling or tripling the number of attendees over the next couple of years. 

There is plenty of room at the cemetery for well over 500 (possibly a lot more, I'm not trained in estimating crowd sizes😅) that would like to attend a well-crafted, stirring, and patriotic event that honors those that gave all so that we can live in a country filled with liberty.

Below are a few pictures to tell the rest of the story. If you'd like to volunteer to help be part of next year's Memorial Day event, it's not too soon to reach out.

You can contact Daniel Torres at dtorres@cityofwildomar.org and I'm sure that if you reached out to Pastor Fred at Elsinore First Assembly that would be a good path too.

A view of the crowd while Valerie Geason was singing God Bless the USA. 

The Valley Winds played several great tunes. Such a welcomed added dimension to this year's program.

The wreath was supplied by the VFW Auxillary Post 1508. 

The Young Marines were standing in this position for the entire program once their part was finished.

A view of the many decorated graves of veterans that have since passed on.

Wildomar City Council members in attendance. Mayor Pro-Tem Bridgette Moore, Mayor Joseph Morabito and Councilwoman Ashlee Dephillipo. 

• California City News Run Amok: 001 Goleta Tackles Plastic

I'm dialed into city-level news from all over the state, and sometimes the nation. I'm going to start a series of blogs where I share with you what other cities are doing and ask if you think that Wildomar should join in, or that you're glad we've resisted the temptation to overreach what we were elected to do.

As you can tell by the opening paragraph, most times I'll be sharing things that I can't imagine bringing to the Wildomar city council agenda... letting you know that W'mar dodged another headache. 

I'm not a fan of the Nanny State, especially when pushed by a small city, but maybe you disagree and want an activist city council?

This story comes by way of KYET.com and there will be a link to the original story at the bottom of the blog.

Goleta approaches plastic prohibition deadline of June 1

The coastal city of 32,000 people is set to battle plastics, and other single-use items. I find that to be a noble idea, but can't see how passing a city ordinance is supposed to actually do anything in the big picture. 

Plastic Free Goleta is a comprehensive plastic pollution reduction scheme with regulations that touch businesses and residents alike.

The ordinance was adopted last Summer and will be going into effect soon. The requirements include the use of reusable food ware (real plates instead of disposable) for businesses with dining on-premises and prohibitions on the following:

• Disposable single-use plastic cutlery and straws
• Polystyrene foodware
• Polystyrene packing materials and coolers
• Polystyrene egg cartons, meat trays, and produce trays
• Release of latex and mylar balloons
• Sale and distribution of mylar balloons
• Distribution of single-use plastic beverage bottles at City facilities

These regulations are part of the city's efforts to reduce waste by prohibiting the distribution and use of common single-use plastic items... which is noble and filled with good intentions. 

Perhaps some of these things need to be regulated, I'm willing to hear that argument, but what I can't get with is thinking that would fall to a city. Seems like either a national, state or at least a county issue to me. 

I personally reuse plastic containers when at all possible, and I also do my best to recycle the rest. Trying to limit the balloons at your kid's birthday party shouldn't be anyone's business but your own. 

Who do you want to make these decisions for you?

Yea or Nay... do you want to see this type of thing in Wildomar?

Here is a link to the city of Goleta's page that details the why of it all. LINK

Again, as I've already said, I'm all for the reduction of trash that comes from many single-use items (without such, Wildomar Beautification Volunteers would probably have collected half as many bags of trash over the years, and I'm not joking.) I'm just not keen on local officials trying to do jobs they were NOT elected to do. 

Link to KEYT story