Thursday, October 8, 2020

• Better Know a Candidate: Bridgette Moore

I want to state at the outset this edition of "Better Know a Candidate" that it will be different from others for two reasons. 

First, due to Covid19 (and my loathing of transcribing) this was done through email. Usually I sit down with the candidate and chat for an hour.

August Blog Regarding This Race

The second reason it'll be different is due to this little thing called "The Brown Act".

Since Bridgette Moore and I are already on city council, I can't ask her about specific items that could find their way to a city council agenda.

If endorsements matter, Bridgette Moore has been endorsed by Wildomar Rap.

 WR  How did you arrive in this area?
 BM  My husband and I were looking for a house to purchase and the last house our realtor took us to was our home in Wildomar. Because I moved a lot as a child and I wanted a place to call home and we have been able to put our roots down in Wildomar. Our son was only a year old when we moved to Wildomar in September 1998.

 WR  Having served for many years and knowing what responsibilities come with the seat, what are some aspects that many voters may not be aware of? The things you do in the name of the city outside of city council meetings?
 BM  
Each councilmember represents the city on various regional boards. Since October 2019, I’ve been the Chairwoman for the Riverside Transit Agency (RTA). I’m the representative for the Southwest Communities Financing Authority (SCFA) for the Joint Powers Authority (JPA) for the animal shelter in Wildomar. 

I’m, also, on the LEUSD 2x2 committee where two councilmembers and two school board members meet to discuss mutual issues and concerns.
Bridgette hosting The State of the City event when she was Mayor in 2016.


 WR  You've been on council for 12 years now. Initially you were not going to run, what changed your mind? 
 BM  I started volunteering for our community in the year 2000 and after 20 years, I thought I would be ready to be done but then the pandemic hit. I felt this wasn’t a good time for a change in leadership. We need experienced leadership to guide our city, residents and businesses out of this pandemic safely.  I love serving our community. 
Bridgette, along with one of Dustin Nigg's daughters, placing a wreath at the Memorial Day event in the past. 

 WR  What is your day job?
 BM  I work in the treasury department for a mortgage lender. I’m at the end of the home buying process and my department wires the mortgage funds to the settlement agent. On a daily basis, I’m responsible for all cash management of the company, which is more that our entire city budget.

 WR  Wildomar has changed considerable since the freeway was built in the mid 80s, what is your approach to balancing the rural areas of Wildomar with the areas that aren't rural.
 BM  Our residents desire options for the type of housing that they want to live in and the city needs to balance these needs.  Last Saturday, I met with a local realtor and all her calls are for families that want larger lots and “breathing room.”  

Bridgette serving the campers after the 2019 campout in the park event.
We are rural and our community desires that lifestyle. However, we do need to provide amenities, shopping and restaurants and those types of developments shall be placed in the appropriate areas. District 4 has many ranches and large lots and my desire is for it to stay that way.

 WR  The topic of term limits comes up often, and for every level of elected office. What are your thoughts on the subject in general, and for Wildomar in particular?
 BM   For higher offices, I wouldn’t be opposed to term limits but not for local municipalities.  We do receive a stipend of $400.00 a month which basically covers your gasoline and expenses at various events. 

If the voters like the way they are being represented and want to reelect a resident, then that is democracy. It goes the same for voters that want a change and they elect a different person. Theoretically, we do have term limits because it is up to the voters to decide who they want to represent them.
As it's been said many times before, there is far more to the job of being on city council than city council meetings. Here you see Bridgette in her "ambassador of the city" role, donating her time at an event at Wildomar Elementary.


 WR  What are your top three concerns for Wildomar?
 BM  My top three priorities are: Roads. Wildomar has over 120 centerline miles of paved roads to maintain. We, also, have 50 centerline miles of dirt roads. Although, many of our dirt roads were not accepted for maintenance we need to figure out a solution that addresses these types of roads.  We just finished a paving maintenance project on 11 streets under the City Pavement Management Program. As soon as the project was finished, staff started working on the next batch of streets. As soon as the planning for the next batch is ready, I will get that information out to our citizens. And after that batch, will be the next batch and we won’t stop. 

Next is Economic Development. The council just approved a study to be completed by Kosmont. This study is an assessment of our community and will identify which businesses would be a good fit here in our city and for the region. With the addition of Kimberly Davidson, our first economic development director, and this study, Wildomar is positioned to attract new businesses, which in turn creates local jobs and increases our tax base that can be used for more services for our residents.

The next issue is litter and illegal dumping. Through various organizations, I have picked up litter in our city for years but in July, it really turned into a concentrated effort.  This effort has turned into a movement with volunteers coming out to help in their community.  I want to take these efforts even further and create a Beautification Committee.  This new committee would encourage input from our residents and expand participation. I would love to add some “art” to our roadways and have the utility boxes wrapped. 

This Committee could organize community projects and seek sponsorships. Along this line, we are seeing an uptick in illegal dumps and we need patrols, cameras and prosecution to stop these dumps. Over the past few months our staff has been picking up 5 to 10 illegal dumps a week! This has to stop.

 WR  You have long been part of many groups in Wildomar, for those that don't know you, give us an idea of the things Bridgette Moore has been part of during your time here and how that's benefitted the community. 
 BM  I first started volunteering to bring parks back to Wildomar. When we moved here the parks were open and a year later they closed. Myself and many residents fought for 7 years and our parks reopened. Meanwhile there were annexation attempts and I joined the Wildomar Incorporation Now (WIN) committee. I volunteered for 5 years for WIN. Not many people can say they helped a city to incorporate. 

One of the best ways to see our residents doing great things in our community, is to volunteer or join our local nonprofits. My son was in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and my husband volunteered as Cubmaster and Scoutmaster, we were a Scouting family. I have assisted with many Eagle Projects and Girl Scout Gold Award Projects.

I’ve been a member of the Elks Lodge for 13 years and I was awarded the 2019 Elks Distinguished Citizenship Award. 

Since my grandfather served in WWII, I’m egible to join the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Auxiliary. I’ve been a member for 8 years and I’m the current Auxiliary Treasurer.

Bridgette Moore and Jana Vicario, donating their time to wrap Christmas gifts for underprivileged families at the VFW.

Soon after Cityhood, our residents wanted a Rotary Club and I am an inaugural member and the current President for the Wildomar Rotary Club.

Because my father passed away from pancreatic cancer and my mom is a survivor, I volunteer for American Cancer Society Relay For Life. Also, I’m a member of the Friends of the Wildomar Library, advisory council for Dresses & Dreams and the Co-Secretary for Cops For Kids.

I support our businesses and attend Chamber events, mixers and actively promote our businesses.

In 2009, I was awarded Community Volunteer of the Year
In 2012, I was awarded Citizen of the year.
Over the years Bridgette has helped immeasurably with local youth.

 WR  Any last thoughts you'd like to get to the voters?
 BM  It has been my great honor to represent our residents in District 4 and all residents via regional boards. 
Whether it is a question or a complaint, I do assist residents from all over our great city and I think I’m tagged on Facebook just about every day! 

I’m easily accessible and post my cell phone and email address constantly so that residents can contact me to discuss their issue. I meet with residents in person or on zoom, whichever is more comfortable for them. I’ve known for being responsive to our residents. 

My city cell is 951-219-0951 and my personal cell is 951-440-6796 and city email bmoore@cityofwildomar.org or bridgette@mooreforwildomarcitycouncil.com
My passion is serving our community and I appreciate your support. 

Please vote Bridgette Moore for District 4.

At Marna O'Brien park with The Beatles tribute band. Oddly, I've actually heard some of her opponents supporters badmouth park events, and I haven't heard Kenny Mayes say a word about it. Is he going to be on stage like Bridgette at park events if he wins, or will he aim to curtail such events? 

Opinion Time: 

For those that have made it this far into the blog, I have also offered a similar blog to Kenny Mayes, but he politely declined without explanation. 
District 4, it's your time to choose who you want representing you.

If I take the same rationale that he used with skipping the Candidates Forum put on by the Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber of Commerce, that he thinks he won't get a fair shot. In this case because Wildomar Rap has already endorsed his opponent, so be it. 

All that tells me is that's how he conducts his business. That he cannot separate his personal choices from his professional duties/obligations. It's called projecting.

I also had a resident that thought I should hold onto petty political garbage and support Kenny because Bridgette didn't endorse me in 2018, and that Bridgette and I had a (somewhat) rocky year and a half after I took the oath of office.

Sorry, but this election is not about Joseph Morabito's feelings, it's about who is the best to represent the residents of Wildomar. Bridgette is far and away the superior choice for the city and District 4 even if she and I don't vote the same on many agenda items.

It'll be up to the voters of District 4 and who they would rather be answering their questions and demands through phone calls, email and social media. 
•                •                •

Measure twice, cut once.

– Cheshire Proverb of the 19th century.

The measure of Wildomar Rap can't be determined by a mass produced device from Stanley.


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Monday, October 5, 2020

• Local Boy Gets Amazing Birthday Wish

If you were near Grand Ave early Saturday evening you may have heard the roar of an exotic car, screaming through the gears, as young Omar Carlón was given a ride to remember. 
Omar getting ready for a great (fast) ride. 

Omar, a lover of exotic cars, is battling cancer and a wish of his was to see a Lamborghini.
Omar is strapped in and about to take off.
Omar is with his parents (Omar Sr, and Nilsa), posing after his ride.
The Carlón family.

Omar and Nilsa Carlón are the parents of Omar Jr, and his four siblings that go to Wildomar schools.

Local realtor Melina Gonzales, also part of the RADD Foundation, a local nonprofit for awareness of childhood cancer, assisted in getting the party from drawing board to reality. 
Omar and Mikey Garcia.
Professional boxer Mikey Garcia, friends with the family, heard about Omar's 11th birthday and asked if he could "invite a few friends". Word got out with a few of his friends and before they knew it they had fifteen exotic cars ready to drive to Wildomar to celebrate Omar's birthday.
Vroom!
The list included Lamborghini, Porches, McLaren, Viper, Audi and Ferrari. 
Not a sight seen everyday in Wildomar.

------------------
From the GoFundMe page:
Omar Carlón is a 10 year old boy that was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in his right femur on January 14th 2020. The day of his diagnosis we were also told that it had spread to his right lung. 

Right away Omar started chemotherapy at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego California.  On March 17th after an mri we were given the devastating news that the tumor had grown 4x it’s size and that it had spread to both lungs. 

We were told there is no chance of surgery and to go home and make memories. No parent should ever have to hear those words ever. Omar is still doing chemo therapy and radiation to keep everything stable for now. Omar is such a sweet and loving boy that just wants to live and do so much. 

has so many dreams and goals he wants to accomplish but cancer is not letting him do all those things. Omar loves legos and his dream car is a Blue Lamborghini. We want to make his dreams come true because we really don’t know how much time we have with our sweet boy. Financially medical costs have really put us back significantly. 

We just want to be with our boy all the time and enjoy him as much as we possibly can. If you can make any kind of donation to help us make our sons days happier and to make the best memories with him. We would truly appreciate it.  

Thank you♥️ FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART THANK YOU♥️

Omar Carlón es un niño de 10 años que fue diagnosticado con Osteosarcoma en su fémur derecho el 14 de enero de 2020. El día de su diagnóstico también nos dijeron que se había extendido a su pulmón derecho. De inmediato, Omar comenzó la quimioterapia en el Rady Children's Hospital en San Diego, California. 

El 17 de marzo, después de una resonancia magnética, nos dieron la devastadora noticia de que el tumor había crecido 4 veces su tamaño y que se había extendido a ambos pulmones. Nos dijeron que no hay posibilidad de cirugía y que nos vayamos a casa y hagamos recuerdos.

Ningún padre debería tener que escuchar esas palabras nunca. Omar todavía está recibiendo quimioterapia y radiación para mantener todo estable por ahora. Omar es un Niño tan dulce y cariñoso que solo quiere vivir y hacer tantas cosas. Tiene tantos sueños y metas que quiere lograr, pero el cáncer no le permite hacer todas esas cosas. A Omar le encantan los legos y el coche de sus sueños es un Lamborghini azul. 

Queremos hacer realidad sus sueños porque realmente no sabemos cuánto tiempo tenemos con nuestro hijo. Los costos médicos financieros realmente nos han hecho retroceder significativamente. Solo queremos estar con nuestro chico todo el tiempo y disfrutarlo tanto como podamos. 

Si puedes hacer algún tipo de donación para ayudarnos a hacer más felices los días de nuestro hijo y hacer los mejores recuerdos con él. Realmente lo agradeceríamos.
 
Gracias ♥️DESDE EL FONDO DE MI CORAZON GRACIAS ♥ ️






Saturday, September 19, 2020

• Wildomar Beautification Program

The city of Wildomar has started a beautification program. Part of that includes 10 free garbage bags a month if you sign up. 

This photo was taken outside of Yellow Basket where 13 of us showed up at 7:30am to collect garbage from the side of the roadway along Clinton Keith. As it happened to be, it was World Clean Up Day!

Here is the press release from the city:

Wildomar’s ‘Community Beautification Program’ starts on Monday and residents can help!
Published on Sep 11, 2020 13:13

On Monday, September 14, 2020, the City of Wildomar is launching a Community Beautification Program, “Keep It Clean,” which will allow residents to obtain up to 10 free bags per month to help collect litter throughout the city.

Those wishing to participate will need to fill out a waiver (http://bit.ly/KeepItCleanWaiver) prior to obtaining the litter bags. The bags can be picked up at the Wildomar Cemetery (Monday thru Friday, 8:00 am – 3:00 pm); we will allow exceptions of more bags for group pick-ups if needed.

Once filled, the bags can be left at the roadside and will be collected by the City’s Public Works Department every Monday, or can be collected sooner if the resident contacts the City through the Public Works Online Service Request Portal: (http://www.cityofwildomar.org/government/departments/public_works).



The bags that will be available on Monday are the “pilot program” bags and will soon be replaced with bags donning the City’s logo as well as “Keep It Clean, Community Beautification Program.”

This program is 90 percent funded by sponsorships from Southern California Edison, CR&R, Waste Management and Burke, William and Sorenson LLC, the City’s legal consulting firm. The remaining 10 percent was covered by the City’s General Fund.

For questions regarding this program, please contact Daniel Torres at (951) 678-2451 or at dtorres@cityofwildomar.org

After filling out the online form, you can go to the cemetery to pick up 10 bags per month. These are some very large bags, and pretty sturdy too. 
Going over the ground rules. Safety first!
While there, you'll get a piece of paper with a QR code to use after you're finished collecting trash for the day. The idea is to leave the bags on the side of the road, and then use the QR code to let the city know precisely where the trash bags are. They'll come by the next business day to haul them away.


The QR code sends you to the proper city website and from there you can add the location. You do need to create an account first, but it only takes moments to do, and you can use a pen name if you prefer that to what's on your birth certificate.

There are no age restrictions when it comes to developing community spirit.

Of course you don't need to be part of a concerted effort to pick up litter. Even if you just picked up a few pieces that may be along your street, that would be a benefit to many.

A group photo before we all fanned out in different directions.
In action along the northern side of Clinton Keith just west of Stable Lanes Rd.
**OFF TOPIC**
Isn't that just a stunning view of the hills? Wildomar is indeed a beautiful place to live.
This is what it looks like when using a geotagging app.

Be sure to join the growing Facebook group.

If you'd like to be part of the larger effort, still not an official city endeavor, and backed by Mayor Pro-tem Bridgette Moore and Councilman Joseph Morabito please search for Wildomar Beautification Volunteers on Facebook.

This is a work in progress

So far Bridgette and Joseph (that's me to the uninitiated) have gone out for an hour once a weekend for about the last ten weeks, except one, to pick up litter. She's such a good leader that she even bought the vests you see in the photos above... she's going to wash them between uses too. 

We envision this becoming a bi-monthly event. No pressure to attend, and even if you were to come out just once a year, that would be great. It will also be a great way for students to get community service hours.

•                •                •

It is great wealth to a soul to live frugally with a contented mind.
– Lucretius

Based on Lucky Lucretius's words, Wildomar Rap is about the wealthiest entity within several country miles.


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Thursday, September 10, 2020

• City Council Meeting September 2020

A very productive meeting highlighted by the start of the Bundy Canyon Road improvement countdown!

I'm promising a brief blog... time constraints and all.

It started with a proclamation making September 17-23 US Constitution Week. Suggesting that every citizen has the duty and obligation to study the constitution, its history, defending it and preserving it for posterity.


Wildomar Rap opinion time


2020 has been a trying year for much of the nation, and it hasn't helped to watch how our US Constitution has been so badly disrespected by many elected leaders in many major cities in this nation... under the false premise that this is an evil nation founded on racism

START ENFORCING THE LAWS ALREADY

Being a city council member, of any city, is one of the lowest rungs on the ladder in our elected representative based form of government, but I for one fully repudiate such a disgusting notion as the one that has been promulgated by far left groups and ushered along by a complicit political class and a sycophantic media that refuses to report the news and gives safe harbor to such groups and demented philosophies. 

I hope I was clear and unambiguous above. Our nation is great, despite it's flaws, and we owe that to the founding fathers that put our Constitution together. Period, end of story.

x3.3 Award of Construction Contract – Bundy Canyon Road Improvement

The contract has been awarded to James McMinn Inc $6,883,950.30, for the first phase of the Bundy Canyon Road improvement project.

Project Phasing

The City has divided project construction into three phases. The first phase is the western segment from Cherry Street to 1,400 feet east of Oak Canyon Drive. (Segment 1). 

The second phase is the middle segment from 1,400 feet east of Oak Canyon Drive to The Farm Road (Segment 2). 

The third phase is the eastern segment from The Farm Road to Sunset Avenue (City boundary) (Segment 3).

The City is moving forward with the construction phase for Segment 1, which will include widening Bundy Canyon Road from two to four lanes from Cherry Street to 1,400 feet east of Oak Canyon Drive, including construction of drainage improvements and sound walls. 

The improved roadway would have a 14-foot wide striped median, four 12-foot-wide travel lanes (two lanes in each direction), 8-foot-wide dirt shoulders within an asphalt concrete dike on each side, and another 9- to 10-foot-wide outside shoulder on each side. 

Traffic signals would also be installed at the intersections of Bundy Canyon Road with Sellers Road and Monte Vista Drive.

No set schedules for construction of Segments 2 and 3 have been established.

The road improvements start at Cherry St and go just around the first curve indicated by the red line in the map above.
Remember, this will NOT be the entire stretch of the road, much less the complete route between the I-15 and I-215, but it's the beginning. 

Please watch the video for more details. The item begins at the 1:38:50... there are plenty, plus the discussion of the city council leading up to the 4-0 vote to approve.

3.1 COVID-19 Update (39:40 mark of the video)

Yes, the agenda items are out of order here... because Bundy Canyon was the big news!

The update is basically that we're still under some form of lock down. Sorry for not being specific, but this is well beyond tedious at this point. We now are under a color coded scheme that doesn't even include a green color, which would indicate fully opened.

Notations of where Riverside County has been recently.

You can see by the graphic, that even when we achieve the best case scenario (yellow) it still means things like churches are still half closed.
.
.
.

Wildomar Rap opinion time

Like I stated during the council discussion portion of the meeting, it's time to open things back up... all the way. 

Yes, the virus is real. Yes, there's nothing wrong with respecting distances between people. Yes, you're a clown if you whine about wearing a mask in a populated area (especially indoors in someone else's business). Yes, people that are in high risk groups need to self police, self isolate. We know the risks and the best practices to stay as safe as possible.

I heard the following comparison on the AM morning show Armstrong & Getty.

Every aspect of our lives comes with a calculated risk. 

In a recent year more than 1.3 million people died in car crashes throughout the world. We could nearly eliminate the majority of those deaths if we posted and enforced a maximum speed of 10mph.
Mr. Google to the rescue again.
But we've made that trade off, knowing full well that there will be many deaths and even more permanent injuries, by allowing the speed limits to be high enough to live our lives the way we are accustomed. 

The exact same principle exists with Covid 19. It's time to remember (if you're among those that have forgotten) that life isn't guaranteed. 

3.2 Multi-Family Objective Design Standards

This established guidelines for how multi-family developments will look and be designed in Wildomar. A lot of work on the part of staff and the planning commission. 

Well done.

Thing is, Wildomar is mostly built at this point, and though it's good to have this, it's not going to be used retroactively. If you'd like to see the presentation please cue up the 51:30 mark of the video below.

•                •                •

When we're young we're tempted to leave it up to time to correct mistakes, and when we're old the temptation is to lapse to that bittersweet attitude of remorse —if only we could go back.

– EG Marshall, CBSRMT

If Wildomar Rap was chocolate, there's no doubt that it would be a few degrees north of bittersweet.


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Wednesday, September 2, 2020

•CR&R Delivers Jack a Happy 4th Birthday

What a treat to be invited to young Jack's 4th birthday as CR&R came by with gifts and a drive by. 

The element of surprise. 

I asked Jack's mom Anna when his interested in trash trucks began, "It was about a year ago, he started hearing them outside. It didn't matter what he was doing at the time, we had to stop what we were doing and go out and look at every single trash truck... it just became a thing, out of nowhere, from one day to the next he was obsessed. On Wednesdays, 'oh it's trash day, it's trash day', and that's all that mattered."

CR&R's Ally Price presents Jack with a hat and a vest for his birthday.

Anna continued, "We let him pick his birthday theme every year and he said he wanted a trash truck birthday. We thought, 'okay will have trash truck decorations' and stuff like that." 

Jack is presented with a care package from CR&R.

Ally Price of CR&R saw a video of Jack on Facebook as he was watching a trash truck on its usual Wednesday route. CR&R wanted to help celebrate his birthday and what a memorable event it all turned out to be! 😊

Jack in the driver's seat. He loved blasting the horn.

It's nice to see the kindness that is in our community, not always visible, but always present. 🙂

There was a good turnout of family, friends and neighbors.

The weather was mild.

Ally Price with Jack's gifts.
Jack beams as City Councilman Joseph Morabito (me) and Mayor Pro-tem Bridgette Moore pose for a quick photo.

•                •                •

Kindness is the only service that will stand the storm of life and not wash out.

– Abraham Lincoln

Wildomar Rap isn't water soluble, so being washed out is less of a worry than most other blogs. 


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