• City Council Meeting September 2019

A very light agenda had only the adoption of a tobacco code amendment and the appointing of a new planning commissioner. 

Arguably the biggest news came before the meeting officially started 
The first order of business was to reconvene out of closed session, that came with a report from Wildomar city attorney Tom Jex regarding the LEAPS project which is set in Lake Elsinore.

"The city council unanimously gave direction to intervene in a pending administrative hearing before FERC regarding LEAPS."

I don't know what that will entail at this point, but we want to go on record that we are opposed to the project.

Being that this meeting fell on September 11th, the meeting began with a moment of silence and then the singing of our National Anthem, beautifully done Alexa Oliver.

We then had a presentation by our Wildomar Fire Battalion Chief, John Crater, reminding us of the devastation experienced during September 11, 2001.

The 2019 chamber of commerce award winners were recognized by Mayor Marsha Swanson. The photo montage is with images from the actual awards dinner.

• Citizen of the year: Todd Donohoe
• Deputy of the year: Officer Andrew McCracken
• Volunteer of the Year: Chrissy Rohlmeier
• Firefighter of the Year: Captain Matt Misenhimer

We were also introduced to our newest officer:
McGruff the Crime Dog

This was McGruff's first public appearance!
Top: Bridgette Moore, Dustin Nigg, Ben Benoit.
Bottom: Marsha Swanson, McGruff, Joseph Morabito.

2.1 Tobacco Code Amendment
This came with very little fanfare. What started back in May was finished at the September city council meeting. 

The extreme proximity to the elementary school is demonstrated in this image.

Though some in town either didn't care, or were upset, about the decision to block the opening of a smoke/vape shop that had sought to open within a stone's throw from Wildomar Elementary, the majority in town were heard, and the council acted to prevent it from coming to be.

Link to May 25, 2019 blog about the smoke shop

Link to May 29, 2019 blog regarding the smoke shop

The gist of the ordinance amendment is that any such new businesses will need to be at least 600 feet from a school, park or church. 

3.1 Planning Commission Appointment
Councilmember Dustin Nigg appointed Arrin Banks to the planning commission. She's lived in town, in The Farm more specifically, for three years and I've seen her attending most city meetings for at least the last two years. 

Truth be known, when I got elected I had hoped she would apply then... which is no slight to Eric Filar, I just didn't really know him at that time. ☺

The meeting doesn't start until about the 6 minute mark of the video.

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The friendship of the overly friendly person is too often like a fire in the grate. Exceedingly bright to look at, but not reliable should you wish to keep warm on a really cold day.
– EG Marshall CBSRMT 1977

Wildomar Rap is nothing like a fire in the grate but can be friendly on occasion.

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.

• Vaya con Dios Wildomar Chamber of Commerce

The Wildomar Chamber of Commerce has merged with the Murrieta Chamber of Commerce to now be known as The Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber of Commerce.

This building will still be active under the new combined chamber of commerce.

Q: Why might this matter to the average Wildomartini?
A: It really doesn't matter to the residents here. 

How do I know it? 

I've been a member of the Chamber for the better part of the last three years, and sadly, there hasn't been the type of grassroots participation that I'd expect to see if I had a brick & mortar type of business looking to expand its bottom line.

The yearly dues were reasonable, but I didn't really see any advantages from belonging to the Chamber (from a business perspective) as the years have gone by. 

Don't get me wrong, the handful of regulars that did attend the monthly breakfasts, mixers and ribbon cuttings are great people and fun to chat up.

Thing is, a high percentage of those people are the ones that are seen doing the heavy lifting in other organizations throughout the city too, and it's been quite obvious while I've been around that the load had been taking its toll.

In other words, more locals need to start stepping up into leadership positions if they want this community to thrive.

Looks like it'll be time to roll out some new promotional videos shortly.
The video below was produced in Spring of 2015.

A Chamber of Commerce is first and foremost an institution that allows for networking among local businesses. 

Second, it's part of the face of the community it serves. 

If membership isn't high enough, it's reasonable for a local business to forego joining, which only lends to the downward spiral that convinces others to not join or re-sign when their dues are up.

This baby is going to be a collectors item in 50 years.

In the short time I've been a member I've seen the monthly Wake Up Wildomar breakfasts go from Denny's to The Landing Zone over to Tacos Tijuana then to The Corporate Room and now... I don't know where they are. Last I heard, they were going to be at the VFW.

With each move that was made, the number of the usual attendees continued to diminish. At one point breakfast at Denny's would bring in more than 30 people, sometimes closer to 50 and the breakfast at that time cost $12 for members.

By the time it was being held at The Corporate Room, the usual attendance didn't even hit 20 people, even though the cost of breakfast had been reduced down to $10 for members.

How can you switch venues, arguably to a better meeting place with a lower cost, and STILL see attendance flagging?

I'm sure that there could be many opinions regarding the whys of it all, and the Chamber has long sought ways to bring back interest, but obviously to no avail.

As an example, the chamber was in charge of ticket sales to the yearly Wildomar Night at the Storm Game. 

With a chamber that was at or around 200 members, I always found it pretty lackluster that 100 tickets couldn't be sold. That includes tickets to friends, family and the general community.

It was a fundraiser, and a robust chamber would have found creative ways (strong arming if necessary) to get the totals closer to 500. 

Whereas, a large chunk of the tickets that were in the Wildomar section seemed to have as many people on the city staff present, as from local businesses that were chamber members.

When the final decision was made

The chatter about a possible merger had been swirling around for many months. In fact, I thought it had already been decided upon back in Summer, but it hadn't until the last board of directors meeting, which was Monday, October 23rd.

I was one of three non board members to attend. The other two were former city councilmember Bob Cashman, and long time resident Casey (not sure of his last name). 

We all made our opinions known during the public comments portion of the meeting. Essentially there were two prevailing points of view that I observed.

The first was from the "Wildomar is its own community" contingent. The other "Yeah, but this is about building business networks" side of things.

If the chamber were just another social/service club then I'd completely side with group A. However, the premise of a Chamber of Commerce is to find ways for its members' businesses to grow... not just have breakfast together once a month.

Had the chamber stood pat, and not done something to show its business members that they are trying to fulfill their mission, I'd have not re-signed as a member. It just didn't make business sense trying to justify the dues that didn't increase the flow of traffic.

The only real issue I had with the meeting was that it was a closed door meeting once the public comments were taken.

Not open to the public, and not open to general members either. Often times a closed session makes sense, but what was going to come of allowing the three old guys to stay and watch? 

However, since there was the threat of litigation, from more than one person, I can see why the board would seek to make that effort a little more obstacle laden.

After the meeting I was apprised that the vote was 6-2 in favor of the merge with George Cambero and Tim Underdown voting in the minority.

The merge will take place November 1st.

I started this blog by asking, "Why might this matter to the average Wildotuckian?" and the answer is still the same. It really doesn't unless you are directly connected to it.

A handout entitled EXHIBIT "A" was given to those in attendance of the board of directors meeting. I found several parts worth highlighting.
 

4) Actions shall be taken to reserve and hold the name "Wildomar Chamber of Commerce".

5) The board of directors of the [new chamber] shall consist of [at least] 20% representation from Wildomar (defined in the bylaws of a resident or business of Wildomar).

6) The [new chamber] shall maintain the offices at 33751 Mission Trail. Hours shall be Monday thru Friday 10am to 3pm [with some fluctuation of an hour earlier or later depending on circumstances]. 

An area in the lobby of the Wildomar Chamber offices shall be set aside for the history of Wildomar and the Wildomar Chamber.

7) The programs of the [new chamber] shall combine mixers and breakfasts [into one] and include the following events:

    •  Coffee with the city

    •  Lunch with Friends

    •  Power Partners

    •  New Member Orientation

    •  Walk Abouts

    •  Economic Development

I sure hope that many of those events are actually in Wildomar... I'm not sure how enthused I'll be if I'm expected to drive 20 to 30 minutes (considering traffic) for breakfast, lunch or a mixer.

The one that really gets me is being protective of the name "Wildomar Chamber of Commerce". 

Apparently there was chatter among some that were ardently opposed to this merger, proposing to start another Wildomar Chamber of Commerce. 

I get why the merged chamber wouldn't want that, but let's look at that closer for a second. The existing chamber all but failed, and was on its way to completely failing (that's the only legitimate reason to merge in my view... which happens to feel more like being swallowed up by a larger group to me... but I digress), and without intervention, it was going to go down the tubes.

Imagine the undertaking necessary to create a new Wildomar Chamber of Commerce, and without any of the existing businesses or executive board members. Who would run it? Who would join it? The answer is NO ONE.

Certainly no where close to the current number of members, which isn't all that impressive if you're expecting excellence from your business dollars.

If it had been up to me, I would have allowed the name to be used by the hangers on that wanted to dig in their heels as a realities title wave crested overhead.

What's the worst that would have happened? 

I see two eventualities. 

A) They would bomb out (100% chance) or B) they would be successful (0% chance). I guess there is room for some middle ground here, but a new chamber run by the old guard would have been about as viable an organization as the Historical Society or the group that claims leadership over the trails in this town.

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What used to be known as The Wildomar Chamber of Commerce was really just a private organization, not unlike the Elks, the VFW or Little League. 

Though the aforementioned organizations serve Wildomar in their own ways, they don't levy taxes on us, and if you're not an active part of them they could completely go away and most people wouldn't notice. 

They aren't on the same plane as the city council, the school board, the water board (or the like) that actually do affect all the people in their areas. 

It'll be interesting to see how many current members are maintained by the new super chamber and if they can grow their Wildomar based numbers beyond what they've been. I'm still on the fence about it. 

The costs to be a member of the Murrieta Chamber are more than double what they are in the old Wildomar Chamber so an increase in business would be a must to be part of it. 

Below are some links with differing POVs on the value of a Chamber of Commerce in today's world.
American Express article: Have Chambers of Commerce Jumped the Shark?
Daily Herald article: 6 reasons why businesses should join a local chamber of commerce

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A committee is a group of the unprepared, appointed by the unwilling to do the unnecessary.

– Fred Allen

Wildomar Rap is the epitome of the unnecessary, but isn't a committee and was self appointed.

• New Business Opens In Wildomar: Boost Mobile

Saturday November 19th, the Wildomar Chamber of Commerce welcomed another new business to Wildomar: Boost Mobile by Pueblo Movil 2

The official ribbon cutting done by owner-operator Vicky Navarro.

I asked owner Vicky Navarro to tell me a bit about her store.

It's a Boost Mobile authorized retailer, we do anything related to Boost Mobile services — cell phones, promotions [...] all the commercials you see on TV. 

She told me that she likes to key in on personal attention/customer service. They carry the newest phones and accessories and also have prepaid options too. 

I asked how she chose wildomar for her business.

I used to live in Perris and am now in Fallbrook and I've always liked the little community here, I have a lot of family members that live here. 

Just north of the corner of Central and Palomar, about a mile west of the freeway.

•

The hours are Monday through Friday (closed on Tuesdays) 9:00am to 7:00pm. Saturdays from 10:00am to 7:00pm and Sundays from 9:00am to 6:00pm. 

Phone (951) 579-1930
  

Link to the Official Facebook page

Also on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony were city councilmember Marsha Swanson,
Mayor Bridgette Moore and Mayor Pro-Tem Tim Walker.

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A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to be well-known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized.

— Fred Allen, 1894-1956

Wildomar Rap would rather drink glasses of dark beer than wear dark glasses, if given the option that is.

• New Business About To Open: Geri-Fit

I was passing by the shopping center that has Rite Aid (corner of Clinton Keith and Palomar) and noticed a bit of activity going on. 

I stopped in and met Janice Lee, the soon to be proprietor of Geri-Fit. She was busy turning the old dance studio into a place for seniors to come and take workout classes. 

(Due to the construction, there weren't any good pictures to take of the inside at this time.)

Though it sounds like a great idea, I'd never heard of Geri-Fit before so I asked her a bunch of questions.

Geri-Fit offers strength training, flexibility, range of motion, balance and other exercises for older people... even those with loss of mobility, wheelchair bound, people that haven't exercised before or those just getting back into it. 

If a person has a caregiver they are welcome too. That includes just waiting until the session is over, or even being a participant (for a an additional fee).

The fees for the classes are $48, and the classes are 8 sessions at 45 minutes each (four weeks). 

They are work at your own pace classes. The exercises are tailored to the needs of those attending. 

I asked her how she became interested in this field of work and how she got to Wildomar.

My husband and I moved to Wildomar about three years ago from Escondido. I've been interested in senior fitness for quite some time. 

I got sidetracked with my education career; I was a teacher for twelve years (middle school). Prior to that I was a civilian in law enforcement. 

I finally got some time to get back to my passion, which is fitness — senior fitness in particular. Now I have my certification as a fitness trainer, specialist in fitness nutrition and specialist in senior fitness. 

Janice Lee, Geri-Fit Wildomar

Janice is aiming for October 11th as opening day. 

If you have interest in attending these classes, don't hesitate to contact her.

Click this link for the website

CONTACT INFO:

22812 Palomar Street, #104 Wildomar, CA 92595 

951-461-3210 or 619-980-1456

She told me that they're working on a Facebook page at the moment. 

I also heard that joining the Wildomar Chamber of Commerce is on her to-do list too. 

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Aging has a wonderful beauty, and we should have respect for that.
— Eartha Kitt, 1927-2008

Wildomar Rap reminds you that age is just a number, and though it's shorter than your cell phone number, it's still a lot easier to remember —despite its yearly change.

• Discount Tire Center Nears Opening

It's been a long time coming but Discount Tire & Service Center is finally ready to open for business in Wildomar. The soft opening is slated for Tuesday August 16th, with a grand opening set for Saturday August 27th. (More details below)

This is located in between Albertson's and Massage Envy. Their three bay doors are in the alleyway.

There had been a sticking point over being located right next to Massage Envy. You know, quiet (massages) vs. loud (removing lug nuts), but it's all been ironed out.

Here's a link to a June 2015 blog covering the planning commission meeting where this was an issue.

Putting in long days, getting ready for business.

From what I was told, part of the delay in opening was that the architect fell ill when the work was nearly complete and they had to start over again.

I asked Olivia Brambila, one of the key people at the Wildomar location, what they have in addition to tires. 

Besides tires, they also do oil changes, 30-60-90K maintenance, suspension work and alignments among other things.

A look from the waiting room into the work area.

They were putting in the phone while I was there and Olivia had to test the new number to make sure it was the right one: (951) 677-6987. 

The number on the flyer will get you in touch with them too, but not directly to the Wildomar location.

23855 Clinton Keith Rd Suite H. Behind Massage Envy and near the back of ACE Hardware.

There is going to be a Grand Opening on Saturday August 27th, with food, snow cones, KOLA radio, face painting and other fun stuff from 11am to 2pm. 

There will be a ribbon cutting at 1pm celebrating their opening and welcoming them into the Wildomar Chamber of Commerce.

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“It is a good rule in life never to apologize. The right sort of people do not want apologies, and the wrong sort take a mean advantage of them.” 

—P.G. Wodehouse, 1881-1975

Wildomar Rap apologizes for not starting this blog five years sooner.

• New Ice Maker/Ribbon Cutting

What better setting than a warm (on its way to being hot) morning for a ribbon cutting highlighting the opening of a new, stand alone, filtered water and ice maker in Wildomar.

A modest crowd watched as the Wildomar Chamber of Commerce welcomed a new member, Kooler Ice, which installed a stand alone ice maker in the Elks Lodge parking lot. 

People lining up for ice on a hot June morning.

Below you can see the interface, which includes a variety of ways to pay, including credit/debit card.

After the ribbon cutting I asked Craig McIlroy, Western Regional Director of Sales for Kooler Ice, some specifics about the new machine.

The machine is self contained and it automatically makes and bags ice in about 12 seconds. It also has a reverse osmosis system that purifies the water, and makes it real clean. 

All the drainage that's created from the machine actually is pumped into a tank so we can use to irrigate, so nothing goes wasted; so it's a very green effect machine.

Even the ice maker on top has got the Energy Star rating. 

Craig McIlroy along with Mayor Bridgette Moore.

☺

My only concern would be vandalism. If Wildomar has seen its wheelchair swing vandalized, and a boy scout trailer stolen —then thrashed (which was housed within 100 yards of this spot), I have to imagine that this bright and shiny machine will become a prime target for hooligans. 

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God created man and, finding him not sufficiently alone, gave him a companion to make him feel his solitude more keenly.

 — Paul Valéry, 1871-1945

With Wildomar Rap you get both news and opinion. Sort of like how at Bob's Country Bunker they have both kinds of music: Country and Western. 

(click the link for the 8 second video about Bob's C.B. → you know you want to.) 

• Two Ribbon Cuttings in Two Hours

Wildomar officially welcomes two new businesses with ribbon cutting ceremonies. First was over at the new pet grooming place called Natalie's Rascals (which is right next to Barons Market). 

Natalie cuts the ribbon signifying she's open for business.

I'm hoping to do a more in depth "Better Know a Local Business" blog with Natalie's Rascals in the near future... I'm just waiting until our dog is shaggy enough to need some expert grooming. ☺

It's a great shop that has all the modern devices to make your Fido's experience a pleasant one.

Click to visit Natalie's FaceBook page.

The second ribbon cutting was at Pie Nation. They opened their doors a couple of months ago and today they had an open house. They blocked off part of the parking lot, put up some tables and chairs and also had some live music to celebrate the day. Check out the pictures below. 

The only picture I got of the ribbon cutting before my camera went AWOL.

It was a madhouse inside the restaurant.

It was not quite a madhouse outside, but it was still a busy place with live music, free samples of pizza, bottles of water
(or Barq's Root Beer), and activities for the kids. Including crafts, bubbles and face painting.

We had intended to BUY some lunch there, but Pie Nation's big grand opening generosity made that impossible. 

Sample sizes that would make Costco blush of some of their specialties like Pesto Chicken Pizza, Margarita Pizza (not like the drink in anyway ☺), Chicken Alfredo Pizza, Barbecue Chicken Pizza, Nation Sticks (a combination of ranch dressing, parmesan cheese, mozzarella and garlic seasoning) on a pizza crust cut into strips.

We'll have to stop in again soon so we can actually support this fine local business.

A young man is eagerly awaiting his turn at a design for his face.

Dulaney and Co singing at Pie Nation's Pizza-Fest.

Westerly panoramic.

Easterly panoramic.

Click to visit their FaceBook page.

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There's no better feeling in the world than a warm 

pizza box on your lap.  —  Kevin James

You better cut the pizza into four pieces because I'm not hungry enough to eat six.  —  Yogi Berra

Wildomar Rap still would like to find a way to have pizza taste challenge with the four major pizza places in town... ideas anyone?