• Spring Community Clean Up

Do you have bulky items that are too big for the regular trash? 

If you have a way to haul it down to one of the collection centers, you're in luck. One week from today, on May 5th, you'll be able to free yourself of it.

Based on past clean up days, you're better off getting their early... unless you like sitting in bumper to bumper trash traffic.

Be prepared to unload the trash yourself, or with your own conscripted crew. There won't be any paid staff on hand to do it for you.

Also, since our city is served by two different trash haulers, you need to go to the correct drop off site, and bring something that proves where you live. The trash bill seems to make the most sense to me.

West side of freeway

→Elsinore High School←

East side of freeway

←Ronald Reagan Elementary→

I saw the flyer posted on facebook, read about the hazardous waste exemptions, and then commented about the need to have a legal place to take such things.

Anyone else spot the typo?

If there isn't a legal place, then some unscrupulous people will create their own drop off points for hazardous waste.

Some of you may remember this image from February, where someone chose to dump many gallons of old motor oil right behind Ronald Reagan Elementary.

Less than a minute later there was a response from Wildomar's most engaged elected official, Bridgette Moore, with news that there is a place for both electronic and hazardous waste.

Even though the list doesn't mention 'nuclear waste' I'm thinking that isn't something most of us have at home anyway. As for the real things we end up with at home, like old paint, solvents and motor oil, this is a great thing to know about for those of us that don't want to pollute the environment. Last I checked, that website listed was a broken link that went nowhere.

I haven't changed the oil in my cars for a long time. That oil has probably been on that same shelf for at least 10 years.

There are quantity limits of how much hazardous waste you can take in at a time. It has to do with the state law regarding transporting such waste. 

The limit is 15 gallons or 125 pounds. I wonder how that works if the paint cans are mostly empty?

These old paint cans, most likely completely dry, have been on that shelf in my garage for more than 15 years. It may just be time to part with them... though, what will I put up there in their place?

Maybe in the future when there is a community clean up day the flyer can tell where the hazardous waste can be safely taken without someone having to ask.

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There's nothing wrong with being beautiful — to other people. It's when we start becoming beautiful to ourselves that we're in for trouble.

– EG Marshall (CBSRMT)

Wildomar Rap is only beautiful to other people. It only takes one look and you'll draw the same conclusion.

• Community BBQ and Clean Up

For a cloudy morning in May, a lot was going on in Wildomar.

Ace Hardware all decked out for a community barbecue.

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Over at Ace Hardware they were having a community barbecue with free food for those that stopped by. Included were hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, chips and salsa, flautas donated by Los Reyes, and cookies.

One person was remarking to me how generously filled the flautas were with chicken. Very good stuff, especially with some of their salsa on top.

The event was also a chance to donate to the Wildomar Chamber's restoration project. They're looking to put a fresh coat of paint on the Chamber building, which is basically an old house, and to get new furnishings for it too.

Here is a look at the line up at the Ronald Reagan Elementary location as of 12:30pm.

The other event going on this morning was waste clean up. There were two locations to choose from. The lucky ones went to Elsinore High School, where the reports are that the lines were never long. If you went to the location at Ronald Reagan Elementary School, you probably got held up in a line.

I was asking Municipal Services afficionado Les Champman about it, and he was telling me, that by 10am they had already collected as much as they normally would for a full event for that location.

The prediction was that there was going to be five times as much collected by the time it was over. We'll get a complete accounting at the next city council meeting.

A look into the containers.

Usually the busier side is the west side. Guess a lot of people remembered hearing about that in the past and chose to go to the east side, or it was just dumb luck. I had no waste that needed to be dragged to one of the two locations, but I still wanted to see what was up. So I cruised over to Marna O'Brien Park to see the action. ERRRRRR (insert Game Show Buzzer here)

When I got there at about 11:00ish, there was no sign of anything like a Waste Clean Up event. Later I was clued in that it wasn't at Marna, like the Green Waste event after the snow, but at Elsinore HS. I guess I should start reading my own blogs because I reported that it was to be at EHS just a few days ago.

Funny thing, while at the Ace Hardware BBQ one of the council members was there, and telling me how there were several people complaining on FaceBook that the FREE service, wasn't worth their time. If you're one of those that likes to grumble about free things, perhaps you should shell out some greenbacks next time and don't expect more than you put in.

In reality, if you were to go to the dump, you'd still have to wait in long lines, and you'd have to drive to it first. If you can't be bothered, then hire a service.

STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT FREE STUFF

If you haven't been hearing about such events. I suggest that you sign up for the city's email blasts.

→Here's the link to sign up←

You can also follow the Wildomar of Commerce on FaceBook for regular updates.

→ Here's that link ←

Or you can go to one of the popular Wildomar FaceBook groups by clicking → here.

It was a nice morning, hope to see you at the next event.

It must be because I was wearing my lucky WCoC hat. ☺

I had purchased some raffle tickets and then a couple of hours later I heard my name called... I'd won a bottle of wine... with that bow on it! Looks like Mother's Day is already taken care of (insert winky eye emoticon here) ;)

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Be grateful for what you have and stop complaining - it bores everybody else, does you no good, and doesn't solve any problems. — Zig Ziglar

Wildomar Rap will be back in five mins... if not, read this message again.

• Rotary Clean Up

Today I volunteered to help the Wildomar Rotary Club as they were helping out local resident Vonnie Holmgren.

A panoramic of the site midway through. 

There were about 20 volunteers total. In addition to the Rotary members, there were several members of the community, a few strapping young men from the LDS church, and some local youth looking to fulfill their community service requirements. The workday was slated to last from 8am to 12pm, but this group knocked it out around 10am.

I asked city council member Bridgette Moore to fill me in on the details:

A few years ago Vonnie Holmgren had a stroke that theft her legally blind and partially disabled. Her home suffered water damage during the downpour on September 16th. Rotary is here today to remove the carpets (to be replaced with tile by a family member), we've done some general house cleaning, general maintenance on the yard. We're here to help out one of our local senior citizens.

Andy Morris tackling some yard waste, while Paula Willette (in red) makes sure it's done right.

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Caution: Mayor at work.

Mayor Marsha Swanson, Mayor Pro-Tem Ben Benoit and City Council Member Bridgette Moore were leading the charge in getting the various tasks taken care of. 

It's very nice to see their community spirit in action... and guess what... the election is over, so I really doubt that this was just a campaign stunt.

A group shot after the work was completed. Vonnie is the one in the center, wearing a blue shirt.

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The plaque on Vonnie's door.

Vonnie was very appreciative and visibly moved by the help she'd just received. Volunteer Cat Lara gave her a hug and I took her hand and told her I was glad to meet her.

She is a long time Wildomartini and had worked for the cable company. If I'm remembering correctly, the company changed names 8 times during her 23 years there

She had helped Wildomar in its bid to get the parks reopened, the first time, by having the pro parks people get spots on TV. The same is true when cityhood was being considered.

For those of you that don't know the joy of helping a person in need, let me assure you that it helps shake the cobwebs from a person's soul and realign your perspective a touch.

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So shines a good deed in a weary world.  
—Willy Wonka quoting William Shakespeare

Wildomar Rap is willing to brave burrs, thorns and doggie bombs to help out a local... if you have facebook, there will be no such impediments in your path to liking the WR page... just click and >>ZOOM<< you're there..