• Big Day at Marna O'Brien Park

Today was a combo event at Marna O'Brien Park. It was part bicycle safety event, part Health & Fitness Fair, part ribbon cutting for the Murrieta Creek Trail and also a Volkswalk... all on National Trails Day.

The day started at 8:00am, though the Rotary members were there well before that to set things up. Boy Scout Troop 332 sold breakfast burritos, and they even passed an actual food prep inspection and received an A grade. They sold out of the 50 they made half way through the day.

There were many vendor booths, I counted almost two dozen of them and I heard estimates between 300 and 400 people that attended throughout the morning.

Here is a look at the safety course that young bike riders maneuvered through.

There was a bloodmobile, the most current RTA bus on display, the Game Master (He's been to a few other events in Wildomar and he keeps the kids busy with outdoor games), a DJ/MC, dances by Hollywood Dance, and of course the BMX Stunt Guys.

(Here's a link to the blog about last year's event along with the video)\

The adult cyclists that had ridden the entire trail from Temecula to Lake Elsinore had commented how Wildomar's event was the best of the bunch. 

It was really a day made for pictures and so I made a brief video montage where the pictures only get about 2.5 seconds of screen time. Take a look and enjoy a peek at the the day if you missed it, or take another look if you were there.

Stat Time

• Over 100 cyclists ranging from age 2 to 12 took part in the bicycle safety training.
• Last count on walkers was 37.
• 29 blood donations.
• Four ladies actually walked the whole course from Temecula to Lake Elsinore.

Kenny Mayes got his "Passport" stamped at all 4 events.

Tug O'War was a big hit at the end of the day. It had the Boy Scouts against all comers. Each side ended won once.

Early in the day Doug Ames tried to get me to go donate blood. It was still early and the one time I'd given blood before, it took 35 mins and it felt kind of the way a clothes pin might feel if it was pinching the inside skin on the elbow. I was trying to avoid it, and almost did until another friend, Jeremy Swann, mentioned it at the end of the day.

I went in there and jumped through the hoops. First thing you do is fill in a form and answer some questions. Then you wait. Then you go into a small room and answer 48 more questions. Then they prick your finger and you wait.

Once I got to the area where I laid down, and they tapped my vein, I was surprised that it was less than 15 mins. It could have been as short as 10 mins at that. Then I got some water, juice and chips and rested for 15 mins. I may have to do this more often.

My daughter gives blood regularly... I'll have to tell her I just deposited my second pint in 17 years.

This event couldn't have come off without the tireless efforts of the volunteers. I'm not going to try and name them all because I'd be sure to leave out some key people. Thanks for all you do to make Wildomar a nicer place.

•      •      • 

Childhood's work is learning, and it is in his play... that the child works at his job. — Caroline Pratt

Wildomar Rap is not all about that bass 

• Volkswalking

Coming up on Saturday June 6th, from 8:00am to noon, there will be a big event at Marna O'Brien Park. It's part ribbon cutting for the Murrieta Creek Regional Trail, part Community Health & Fitness Fair, part Bicycle Safety Event and part Volkswalk.

Do you know what Volkswalk is?

I had a chance to ask Kathy Bundy, local outdoor enthusiast, about Volkswalk.

 WR:   Volkswalk? [asked while administering the dog head tilt]
 KB:   "Volkswalk" is a difficult word to say. It's a German word and it means "people walk". It's open to everybody. Anybody can do it.

 WR:  What kind of walks are there?
 KB:  Most of the walks will specify the course so you'll know if you can walk with your dog, or if it's stroller or wheelchair friendly. The walk [the course] is prearranged ahead of time. You go your own pace. If you want to jog it, you can jog it. If you want to walk it —you walk it. If you want to go slow and smell the roses and take pictures, you can do that. There are no set rules. The main focus is for you to have fun along with some fitness and fellowship.

 WR:  Tell us about the local club.
 KB:  We're very fortunate to have a local club, it's out of the Corona/Riverside area. We're called the Low Desert Roadrunners. We were organized in 1985. We were the fifth club for California. Volksporting has been in the United States for 39 years. Our servicemen brought it over here [when they returned from duty]. The servicemen knew this sport as volksmarches, but in the USA volksmarches wouldn't sound very good. Someone would think we're protesting something.

We are not just walks, though in California we mostly do walks. In other states, and countries, they do volksskiing, volksbiking, volkscanoeing, most any type of sport. My passion is to promote this sport and I'm hoping to get the biking events back [locally]. I have someone working on the bike trails. You can do it for free, or if you want to keep track with a little passport/booklet we keep track of our kilometers at our events and we get hatpins and different rewards from our head office in Texas.

 WR:  Tell me about the event on June 6th.
 KB:  June 6th is a four-city Volkswalk that I'm doing with the [official opening] of the Murrieta Creek Trail. This is a project that I've been privileged to be part of with the four cities, the National parks and the Sierra Club. For almost three years we've had meetings every month, sometimes smaller groups of us got together, to organize this wonderful event.

The Murrieta Creek Trail may not look like much of anything to some people right now, but it's an interim trail and Wildomar has a very beautiful section McVicker to Clinton Keith and you're welcome to give me a call (951-218-3755) and I'll take you for a walk even if you don't do it on June 6th.

 WR:  Where will you be on June 6th?
 KB:  I'll be stationed at Marna O'Brien park. My booth will not only be Volkssport but it's also the Sierra Club's booth. We have a different kind of passport [for the event]. If you're adventurous enough to go to all four staging areas (Temecula, Murrieta, Wildomar and Lake Elsinore) you get a memento of the day. It's a little passport that gets stamped at each location. You also get your name entered into a drawing, this is something the Sierra Club is doing.

A Volkswalk and a Sierra Club event is not usually on the same day. This is exceptional [situation] for me because I belong to both organizations.

 WR:  What happens if you get all four stamps for the passport?
 KB:  The way the passport is you tear off a little section that has your name and other info on it and it's entered into a drawing. I'm not sure what the prizes are at this point, it's something the Sierra Club has [in mind]. The first 25 people that come in the morning, at each staging area, will get a really nice Sierra Club water bottle.

 WR:  I remember that last year you did a 100 walk challenge.
 KB:  Through Volkswalking there're many different challenges. They have a Centurion Challenge, and my aunt was turning 100 years old, I thought I'm going to do a walk for every year she's been alive. The challenge was to do 100 Volkswalks in the year. Most were 10ks (about 6 miles), but others were 5k (about 3 miles) and you can choose the distances and go at your own pace.

I started the challenge in March. I still had to complete the 100 walks within the calendar year, not just the next 12 months. My last walk was going to be in Banning [on December 31st], but we had that snowstorm and couldn't get there. I ended up walking around the perimeter of the Santa Rosa Plateau [to get my miles in.]

 WR:  I know that people can participate for free, but if they want to be full members, how much is that, and how much are typical events?
 KB:  A new walker packet is $5 with coupons for first three walks/events free. In the packet they receive two record keepers. One for distance and the other for events. All events get a sanction stamp number. After the three coupons walks cost $3.

If you're interested in walking locally, or in the greater SoCal area, send Kathy a message or give her a call (951) 218-3755. Better yet, come on down to Marna O'Brien park on June 6th and speak to her in person.

My tag line is I Walk to live and Live to walk.
— Kathy Bundy

Link for local Volkswalk Meet-Up group

Link for Low Desert Roadrunners      Link for California Volkssport Association

Even those of you in mortal fear of Walmart can still enjoy this event despite the fact that they are a major sponsor.

4

 I D E A     T I M E 

Plan on coming out early and picking up a breakfast burrito prepared by

Boy Scout Troop 332. A good way to support a local youth organization 

and get some food in the ol' tum-tum at the same time. ☺

•      •      • 

"25 cents to go through this thing? Eh, we'll walk first!"
 — Bugs Bunny to the toll taker at the Panama Canal, 8 Ball Bunny, 1950

Wildomar Rap did not walk five miles, barefoot in the snow, up hill BOTH WAYS to school. Though one time my brother and I did walk nearly seven miles home from Jr High, on the side of a major road (Highland Ave), in the September afternoon heat of Fontucky. All the while trying remember the route to our new house, in an adjacent city, after our ride failed to materialize.. >:(

• Coffee with a Cop and Transportation NOW

Today in Wildomar there were a few things going on. Over at the westside Starbucks was Coffee With a Cop. An informal meet up with several officers, including Wildomar's Chief Leonard Hollingsworth, and interested members of the public.

It was a good chance to meet some of our law enforcement officers. I'd say that between 9:00 and 11:00 there were about 20 people that stopped by, including our 2015 Mayor, Ben Benoit. It was good to meet more of my fellow Wildomartinis (or Wildomatians if you prefer).

Wildomar Chief, Captain Hollingsworth (middle left) Listens to the concerns of the residents.

It was just a chance for some casual conversation. No speeches, just officers listening to concerns from the residents.

Joseph Morabito (me, center right) speaking with  Lieutenant Leonard Purvis. In the middle is Mayor Ben Benoit.

The next Neighborhood Watch meeting is Thursday June 11th at the council chambers. If you would like to be informed of such events as Coffee With a Cop, be sure to join the city's Stay Connected email blast by clicking here.

•       •       •

Also on the list of things to do was go to a Southwest Transportation NOW meeting at the Wildomar Library. There was an interesting slideshow presentation by Sierra Club member Pam Nelson regarding the coming Murrieta Creek  Regional Trail.

Mark you calendars for Saturday June 6th. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at Marna O'Brien Park heralding the official opening of the MCRT (Murrieta Creek  Regional Trail). Also that same day will be a bicycle safety event and a Volkswalk too. (Keep an eye out for a coming blog about Volkswalk)

Be sure to check out the official trail website for more details by clicking this link SCSMG.

•       •       •

Daryl Hickman and Nichole Dailey were speaking about the coming roundabouts in Lake Elsinore at Railroad Canyon. I remember hearing about that more than a year ago and didn't think it was possible, but the way the talk was going, this looks like it's coming. Though Lake Elsinore is out of my purview, I'll have to ask for more details next time I see them.

•       •       •

Kristen Huyck, of Supervisor Kevin Jeffries' office, mentioned that Grand Avenue will be under construction for the next 60 plus days. It will be getting repaved and widened a bit. There won't be any additional travel lanes, but there I was hearing about some right hand turn pockets in key areas. If you use Ortega Highway, you should anticipate delays of up to 15 mins during this time period.

•       •       •

Deni Horne, of Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez's office, spoke about ACA 4 as a bill to keep an eye on. It's a Constitutional Amendment that threatens the strength of Prop 13. Read more about it here. In short, it's trying to reduce the 67% needed today to raise taxes to just 55%.

•       •       •

Last on the list of interesting tidbits was AB 278. It deals with district-based municipal elections in cities with more than 100,000 people. I'm sure there's at least one Dub-Marian (another name for Wildomarian) that is giddy about the idea of district based voting (hint hint, nudge nudge, say no more), but from reading the bill, and hearing the talk about it, it is going to be Gerrymandering on Roids by the time it's implemented.

Check out this language and see if your stomach doesn't turn a bit

5) Requires a city that is establishing districts pursuant to this bill to ensure that all of the following criteria are satisfied in preparing the boundaries of the districts for the city council:

   a)   The boundaries are drawn to ensure fair and effective representation of all city residents including racial,  ethnic, and language minorities;

Bobby Swann, Wildomar Planning Commissioner and Secretary for Transportation NOW, mentioned that Wildomar's build out is just over 50,000. That's when it was suggested that 100,000 would be the opening salvo, that could then be followed up with lower population numbers in following years.

When Wildomar first voted to become a city, I voted against it but was glad to see that we had districts at first. Years later the downside of districts in small cities, like Wildomar, was explained to me. On the one hand you get representation from each area.

So, for example, that would have meant that Israel Leija would now be a council member from The Farm, while two out of three from the group of council members that includes Marsha Swanson, Tim Walker and Ben Benoit would have to go, since (at the time of the election) they all would have been in the same basic district.

On the other hand, if you have a concern you have five people that are working for you. If it's district based, you have your guy, and that's it.

If AB 278 becomes law, it'll be another disaster in the name of multiculturalism, which only divides us instead of uniting us as a people.

•      •      • 

Heaven knows what seeming nonsense may not tomorrow be demonstrated truth. — Alfred North Whitehead

Wildomar Rap is still on the fence when it comes to which is better: Java with a constable or Sandwiches with board members. Looks like more research is in order. ☺