Ring in the New Year at Soboba's AC's Lounge

SOBOBA CASINO: New Years Party in AC's Lounge with favors, drink specials, a balloon drop and live entertainment. Thursday, 9 p.m.-1:30 a.m. $10 per person or $15 per couple. 23333 Soboba Road, San Jacinto, 866-476-2622

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Riverside County Libraries relax renewal policies,but

People are spending more time at their local libraries these days, and libraries are trying to encourage return visits.

Both the Riverside County library system and the San Bernardino County library system have recently tweaked their renewal policies. The county systems are separate from city systems.

Riverside County's 33 library branches are now allowing patrons to renew their books and audio materials for a longer period, as long as no one else has requested the same item. Readers can hang on to a book for 10 weeks maximum instead of six. The system is allowing four two-week renewals after the initial check-out period of two weeks.

"It doesn't arbitrarily force someone to give back the book if no one wants it," said Mark Smith, library administrator for the Riverside County system. "It's an opportunity to keep it longer."

But the county system has also decided to take back videos and DVDs sooner.

Patrons can no longer renew such items, which must be brought back after two weeks. Smith said this change allows people quicker access to videos and DVDs, which can be viewed and returned in a short amount of time. The system has fewer videos and DVDs than books -- 81,000 versus 1.4 million -- and the new policy allows people to get their hands on movies faster, Smith said.

The San Bernardino County system, which has 30 branches, now allows patrons to renew all VHS videos one time. There's less demand for videos than DVDs, and the system decided to offer patrons an extension, said Nannette Bricker-Barrett, collection management coordinator.

Most other items, including books, can be checked out for 21 days and can be renewed for another 21 days if no one has placed a hold on them.

The changes are not meant to imply that people are reading less, said Smith and Bricker-Barrett. They're probably reading more these days.

"We are having a lot of holds," Bricker-Barrett said. "People are purchasing fewer books and our circulation is going up. ... In the past, people only had print books and today they have more options -- audio books and e-books."

The San Bernardino County Library has downloadable books as well. Patrons can download audio books from the library's Web site to their computers and MP3 players. They can also download e-books to their computers or electronic reader devices.

CIRCULATION RISING

Smith said it's well documented that libraries are seeing increases in circulation during the downturn in the economy.

Circulation has skyrocketed in the Riverside system in recent years.

The number jumped from the 2006-07 fiscal year to the 2007-08 fiscal year by about 39 percent, Smith said. The circulation number went up by about 5.5 percent in the 2008-09 year to about 3.5 million. Non-print items -- the bulk being DVDs and videos -- make up about a quarter of the circulation.

"People are reading more or at least checking out more books," Smith said.

During the same time, the system has been attracting patrons by offering more cultural events, programs and bilingual story hours in Spanish. The number of people who attended a program jumped from 40,827 in 2006-07 to 127,717 in 2008-09, Smith said.

San Bernardino County system has also seen a spike in circulation. During the 2008-09 fiscal year, circulation increased by nearly 17 percent to 3.1 million. The large increase is unusual but part of it can be attributed to a Fontana branch that opened in 2008, Bricker-Barrett said.

For the first five months of 2009-10, the circulation is about 5 percent higher than the same time period last year, Bricker-Barrett said. She said she's seeing a general trend -- people are reading more books and requesting more titles from the libraries.

"Our gut feeling is that there's a general increase in usage," Bricker-Barrett said. "People are not purchasing their own books. They're placing them on hold more."

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Recycle Christmas Trees, Not the Landfill

It's Dec. 26. The presents have been opened, the fruitcake consumed -- mostly -- and the eggnog drunk.

Now it's time to do something about the brittle tree standing in the corner that was so fresh just a couple of weeks ago.

The easiest way to dispose of a tree is to set it out with the trash, where the local hauler will take it away for recycling.

"We don't want them to take up landfill space," said Diane Christensen, program administrator for Riverside County's Waste Management Division.

Christensen is backed up on this by the division's assistant chief engineer, Joe McCann.

"It's a shame to put into a landfill something that can go to better use," McCann said.

The mulch made from ground-up Christmas trees is used for garden fertilizers, trail beds, landscape decoration and as fuel for power plants.

The tree must be stripped of all its decoration, including tinsel, or most haulers won't pick it up, said representatives of county waste management departments and trash haulers.

A flocked tree is not a candidate for recycling. It will have to be cut up and disposed of in a landfill, they said.

For those who don't have curbside pickup, trees can be taken to a county landfill or to a private recycler.

Christmas tree disposal has become a major operation in the United States, said Steve Kanow, operations director for Waste Management Inc., a major trash-collection contractor in the Inland area.

"Most people don't realize that, as a nation, we generate about 5 million additional tons of trash during the holiday period between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day," Kanow said in a news release. "Locally, recycled trees will have a second life as mulch for gardens and fuel for electricity."

He said 40,000 tons of Christmas trees are disposed of each year in California.

Tree disposal

All trash haulers will begin collecting used Christmas trees for recycling or disposal beginning today and end the program two to three weeks later. Check with your local hauler to be sure.

To prepare trees for recycling:

Remove plastic or metal stands

Remove lights, tinsel and ornaments

Cut the tree into 4-foot sections

Flocked trees cannot be recycled. Cut them into 4-foot or smaller sections and place in your regular trash bin.

In Riverside County, those who can't or don't wish to leave their trees at the curb to be picked up can take them to two landfills, where they will be collected and taken to recyclers:

Badlands Landfill, 31125 Ironwood Ave., Moreno Valley

Lamb Canyon Landfill, 16411 Lamb Canyon Road, Beaumont

Trees can also be dropped off at the following recyclers:

A. Lua Wood Recycling, 18938 Mermack Ave., Lake Elsinore

B.P. John Recycling, 28700 Matthews Road, Romoland

Robert A. Nelson Transfer Station, 1830 Agua Mansa Road, Riverside (this recycler will take trees only from residents of Riverside)

For more information, call 951-486-3200 or go to www.rivcowm.org

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Christmas Season in Idyllwild California

Idyllwild California's Directory and Info Site
Including Lodging, Hotels, Rentals, Real Estate, Weather, and the Arts.
We can help you find your way to hotels in idyllwild, a cabin for
the night, or a home to buy. From a place to eat, to an art show. Plus where to go camping, hiking, biking, fishing, Pacific Crest Trail
conditions, nature photos / pictures, even computer support.
"Going into the woods is going home"--John Muir

Log on to www.idyllwildcalifornia.com

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Off-road dog has need for speed, owner says

TRICK DOG: A man has trained his Australian shepherd to ride in motocross races with him.
Sit. Stay. Pop a wheelie. Good dog.

A southwest Riverside County man has trained his 8-year-old Australian shepherd, Opee, to ride motorcycles and endure the jumps, turns, dust and mud pits of motocross.

Opee is "an extreme dog," said Mike Schelin, 41, explaining that the dog rides in front of him on their dirt-bike in competitive motocross races. Opee is not attached to the bike in any way, but wears a helmet, protective goggles, and motocross jersey. Schelin says they have never won a race, but they've never come in last either.

Together, Opee and Schelin have ridden in the Harvey Mushman 100 at the Lake Elsinore Grand Prix and the Baja 500, he said.

Plenty of coastal dog owners have trained their pets to surf, Schelin said. Now the Inland area, a mecca of motocross, has its dirt-bike racing dog.

"We want to be the goodwill ambassadors to the sport," the Perris resident said, adding that he also likes to take Opeeto visit children with disabilities.

For the most part, Schelin said riders and audience members seem delighted by the sight of Opee in his motocross gear at events. Occasionally people accuse him of mistreating Opee when they see him on the sidelines in his helmet, and some riders dismiss them as "a circus act," he said.

For the record, the Humane Society takes a dim view of involving dogs in potentially dangerous sports such as motocross racing.

Schelin said Opee removes the helmet on his own if he wants to, and if Opee isn't in the mood to ride, they don't.

"This dog has been over 150 mph and absolutely loves it. He just looks like he's having a blast. The faster we go, the more fun he has," Schelin said.

Motorcycle dogs

In his garage next door to the Perris Raceway, Schelin showed off Opee's various modified while the dog and the family's latest addition, Marty, an Australian shepherd puppy and motocross dog in the making, romped around a pile of old dirt-bike tires. Schelin recently started a business, Area 74 Cycles, buying "ugly motorcycles" and breaking them down to sell for parts.

Schelin said the dog came before the motorcycles. Schelin took up motocross riding about 10 years ago after he got divorced and abandoned his office job. He hadn't ridden since he was growing up in Escondido in San Diego County.

Schelin said he didn't like leaving Opee behind when he went riding in the desert, so he decided to try bringing him along on a four-wheeler. Then one day, Schelin said, Opee jumped up on his street motorcycle and they were off.

"I thought, 'My god, he rides better than my ex-wife," Schelin said with a grin. "He's totally into it."

"It was just such fun riding with him and seeing the expressions on people's faces," he said.

The idea to race was suggested by some "old timers" who remembered John McCown, who was known for racing with his dog Kookie in the 70s, Schelin said. They appear in the 1971 paean to motorcycles, "On Any Sunday," which also shows the actor Steve McQueen riding in the Elsinore Grand Prix.

Schelin said he had never raced at all before he took it up with Opee.

"It had always been a dream of mine," Schelin said.

Schelin said he and Opee have developed their own riding style. Going around turns, the dog and the bike lean in, but Schelin has to lean out to see around Opee. They have experimented with various items for Opee to grip, such as carpets and pillows, but he learned to ride with nothing at all, Schelin said.

In some respects, having 80 extra pounds of dog and gear on board helps, Schelin said - the added weight acts as a stabilizer. He is so skinny, Schelin joked, that "together we make one real rider."

He also gives Opee cues when they are approaching a difficult spot. At jumps, for instance, he says, "Set it up," and Opee will duck down and hold on.

Asked whether Australian shepherds make good motorcycle dogs, Schelin said, "As far as being smart and always wanting to be your friend, yes. But he's too big...He takes up half the bike."

Schelin said that while it might seem crazy to ride with his dog, having Opee around lets him share the experience of riding.

"I talk to him like a human. He's my best friend," Schelin said.

Cathy Tonkovich, of Corona, who became friends with Schelin while spending time at Perris Raceway, said his dogs are like his family.

"He's got a big heart," she said. "I just get a kick out of him every time I see him and those dogs. He's something else."

Frank Loaiza, of Lake Elsinore, a paramedic who has known Schelin for several years, said that while people in the motocross community might not know who Mike is, they know his dog.

"Opee is famous."

Home in Hemet is a special Christmas present

About 75 people gathered for the dedication ceremony of the 14th house completed by Habitat for Humanity's Hemet/San Jacinto affiliate on Saturday. It is the first of six homes that will be built on adjacent lots donated by Hemet.

Volunteers started building the Hemet house in May and the Salgado family worked beside them as they put in their required 500 hours of sweat equity for the nonprofit organization. A grant pays for the salary of construction supervisor John Cosselman, who is onsite each day to oversee the workers.

Residing in the four-bedroom, two-bath house will be Sammy Salgado, 24, his wife Juanita, 30 and children Xavier, 17, Ezekiel, 7, Josiah, 3 and Estherlynn, 2. They will move from their a two-bedroom apartment into the home as soon as they receive the certificate of occupancy, which was expected today.

These homes are not free -- we are helping people who are trying to help themselves," said Lakshman Koka, president of the local affiliate. He said the family's 30-year interest-free mortgage was calculated on the actual cost of construction and will be $358 per month.

A dedication ceremony has several key elements. A loaf of bread is given so "the family will never know hunger." A candle will assure that their home "will never be dark." A Bible is presented to the family so they will take possession of the house and instill values and morals to make it a home.

"It's unbelievable," sand Sammy Salgado after the house was blessed. "I just want to thank God, all the supporters and the volunteers."

The Salgados started the application process about two years ago.

"What a wonderful time of year to deliver the gift of this home to your beautiful family," said longtime supporter Supervisor Jeff Stone. "You now have the American dream of home ownership."

Double-paned windows and high-grade insulation will help keep the 1,280-square-foot home energy-efficient. A large front porch and back patio will be a feature on all six of the homes. The exterior's concrete material is styled to look like wood.

"We're very eco-friendly," said Cosselman, of Idyllwild.

In August of 2008 he stopped in at the affiliate's office and gave up his plans to retire. He has worked on residential projects in California and Florida.

"Now this is the way to finish a career -- to see them out here working every Saturday," said Cosselman.

"This is the most beautiful thing, and so close to Christmas," said Juanita's mother Esther, who lives in San Jacinto. She baby-sat the children so Sammy and Juanita could spend as much time as possible helping to build their new home.

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Healthy Hannah shares tips with San Jacinto students

San Jacinto Unified has enlisted a superhero to teach children about fighting germs by washing their hands and living healthy lives by eating right.

Sherrie Martineau, the school district's director of nutrition services, came up with the idea for the character, "Healthy Hannah".

Hyatt Elementary cafeteria manager Bree Laird and her mother designed the costume that Laird wears at school assemblies.
The message Laird, aka Healthy Hannah, is delivering in elementary schools this month and next is about proper hand washing and use of hand sanitizers.

Already, hand-pump sanitizer dispensers are common sights at schools. Now the district is distributing free-standing hand sanitizer machines, according to a news release from Jayne Christakos, assistant superintendent of business services.

The sanitizers on stands will be placed in multi-purpose room and cafeteria locations just before the lunch line. "Just before they put their hands into their mouths, they will have virtually germ-free hands," Martineau said.

At one assembly at Hyatt Elementary earlier this month, Healthy Hannah called up a group of students as she explained proper hand washing: 20 seconds of soaping up, equal to two verses of the song "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," and the children sang along. Another student demonstrated how to use the new sanitizer stand.

"That's pretty much a kindergarten song," said fifth-grader Kody Denny after the assembly. But he's sure he has the technique down to fight germs. "At recess, I dig (on the playground) so it makes sense to wash longer," he said.

Future topics may include fruit and vegetable choices, food portions, nutrition and exercise.

Laird's costume has a blue mask, tights and top, a big "H" emblazoned on a gold mid-section and a shiny red cape and gathered skirt. Laird, who is studying nutrition at Mt. San Jacinto College, said the children have been "very enthusiastic" about the programs.

The aim is to convey healthy habits and nutritious eating to help students make choices "for the rest of their lives," Martineau said. "We wanted something that would relate to students and pique their interest."

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Maze Stone Restaurant voted 2009 Hemet/San Jacinto Valley Chamber of Commerce Restaurant of the Year.

Casual dining at its finest! Offering something for everyone, our signature restaurant opened in 2005 in the previous clubhouse and has always offered delicious meals and fabulous atmosphere.

Home of the Hemet/San Jacinto Valley's only USDA Prime Meat program, the Maze Stone serves the finest hand cut steaks, chops, fish and chicken. An incredibly extensive lunch menu is highlighted by our famous, freshly ground top sirloin burgers and the top sirloin steak sandwich. And not to be outdone, the Cinnamon Roll French Toast for breakfast will satisfy even the sweetest palate.

Click here to view The Maze Stone Restaurant Menu!

The bar and lounge boasts 4 high definition flat screen televisions and 2 more on the terrace just outside.

Enjoy a cocktail and appetizer at the black granite outdoor bar and watch as golfers finish their round below.

Terrace dining offers beautiful golf course and mountain views coupled with the soothing sound of our 14 foot waterfall
that cascades below you to a beautiful pond and creek system.

Ceiling fans and a state of the art misting system keep you cool in the hot summer months.

Our private dining room is available to guests for small parties who want the luxury of being served a fine meal, without the hustle and bustle of a busy dining room.
Our gorgeous banquet accommodations offer groups the option to select from one of 3 sections for up to 100 guests, or the entire space for up to 350.
Each space has state of the art audio visual systems that can work separately from each other, or simultaneously in the entire room and includes three 50 inch flat screen televisions, a 120 inch drop down projector and screen and full internet, DVD, CD and Satellite Television services!


Filet Mignon

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Jeep club from Hemet will tour Christmas lights using GPS

Dan Mcgraw will embark on a Hemet Jeep Club caravan for a Christmas light tour with technology that founders of the 61-year-old organization never could have envisioned.

The avid offroader will use GPS electronics to chart a route to highlights of my annual holiday lights tour through the San Jacinto Valley, a journey he has led for the club for nine years and taken with his family for 15. His love of the lights is evidence that readers from outside the San Jacinto Valley should consider a drive to the Hemet-San Jacinto area to witness the decorations.

Veteran map followers know the entire route is too long to complete in a night. Mcgraw concentrates on the eastern section, where a short tour is marked on the map.

McGraw’s caravan only had about five Jeeps in its first year. Saturday, when the 99-member club begins touring the lights at 6:30 p.m., Mcgraw expects 30 Jeeps will line up. The Jeepers will decorate their vehicles with Christmas lights, making them as much of a spectacle as the decorated homes. Also on Saturday, Diana Tavenner and Debbie Cornett will lead seven decorated antique fire engines on a tour of the route.

Mcgraw has had trouble keeping so many Jeeps in a group, so he started using a GPS system. He drives the route to plot turns where he thinks the Jeeps will be able to stay together.

The Jeeps carry citizen band two-way radios. Drivers chatter about turns as they follow Mcgraw to the lights.

Though they are traveling over pavement (they much prefer dirt), they make the night an outdoor experience by going topless. They take the tops off their Jeeps. “You can’t get the full effect of the Christmas lights unless you take your top off,” he said.

His favorites include the white lights on homes along Tierra Verde Drive. He is impressed with lights in the neighborhood behind the Valle Vista Fire Station at the north end of Fairview Avenue.

He loves the homes off Marshall Avenue, way out east in Valle Vista. In the hillside neighborhood of custom homes, Dennis and Phyllis Patterson added an impressive Santa in a hot-air balloon over his steep yard of spectacular lights and decorations.

On Saturday and Christmas Eve, Santa will visit George and Lori Griley’s Coquina Street home in west Hemet from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Joan and Michael Perrin’s Barnhill Road lights in Valle Vista are remarkable. Nearby on Mayberry Avenue, near Pleasant Street, Martina and Daren Webster show how well a home with a solar-energy system can power lights.

I especially like the collaborative efforts of neighbors. The decorations of Ben and Gail Gray and Pete and Yvonne Duckworth blend together so well that people walk around their Zinnia Street cul-de-sac in west Hemet.

I mapped a neighborly effort on Walden Way, which is off Chelsea Way in Bautista Estates in Valle Vista.

Les Lyon moved to Walden Way in 2003.

“There were only two houses with lights, ours and our next-door neighbor,” he wrote. “As new neighbors moved in, more houses began to show lights, and many of the folks who weren’t decorating are now doing so.

“We have a few folks who are unable to do their own lights due to age or illness, so us younger home owners help out. This is a 55-plus community, so when I say younger, I mean under 80.”

Reach Bob Pratte at 951-763-3452, bpratte@PE.com or 474 W. Esplanade Ave., San Jacinto, CA 92583.

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Last Day- Soboba Casino Gives Back,Toy and Canned Food Drive

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Diamond Valley Lake Welcomes Boat Owners

Slow but great to be back on the water.

That's the reaction among fishermen allowed to launch their own boats on Diamond Valley Lake near Hemet this week for the first time in about 14 months.

The lake reopened to boat owners with season passes last Sunday and other fishermen will have access Sunday. The first to fish came last Saturday for a fund-raising tournament for Valley-Wide Recreation.

The lake closed to outside boats in October 2008 when water levels in the drought year fell below ramp level. Shore fishing and fishing from rental boats remained an option.

Fishing enthusiasts petitioned lake owner Metropolitan Water District, and the district board agreed to extend three of 11 ramp lanes and recoup the cost through higher user fees.

"I'd say it was a little slower today, but I'd say it's the season" nearing winter, said Roland McClung of Rancho Cucamonga.

"We still got six fish," said boat owner John Creviston of Banning, who released them back into the water. "I'll be back tomorrow and the next day."

Last Saturday's tournament attracted 59 boats "which was a good turnout for the rain," said Megan Merchant, an owner of Last Chance Bait and Tackle, who was involved with the event. The prize catch of the day was five bass weighing in at 25.61 pounds.

"It probably started raining at 10 or 11 and rained continuously through weigh-in" around 2:30 p.m., she said. "Everybody had a good attitude."

The ramp project cost Metropolitan about $650,000, Bob Muir, district spokesman, wrote in an e-mail. The district expects to recoup that cost over a five-year period from the higher fees at the lake.

The boat launch fee has doubled to $12 and annual passes have increased from $350 to $450. The pass may be purchased at the old rate until Sunday. Annual passes have been extended by the number of unused months as of October 2008, Muir said.

Entrance fees and parking remain unchanged at $7 per vehicle and $3 per person fishing access fee.

The district expected to reopen in February, but favorable weather and an efficient construction schedule allowed the earlier opening, Muir wrote.

"It's very exciting. It's like an early Christmas present. It's surreal," said Merchant.

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Skydive Indoors with Santa near Hemet

Santa Claus doesn't need reindeer to fly at Perris Valley Airport.

With the help of five 200-horsepower fans sucking him skyward, the jolly old gentleman floats as easily as Peter Pan.

With a helmet hidden under his furry red cap, Santa is spending his pre-Christmas days teaching others how to hover at the airport's "wind tunnel" -- a skydiving simulating machine. At the top of a 96-foot-tall vertical wind chamber, giant fans suck air out to create a vacuum that allows people to float.

The wind tunnel first offered "Flying with Santa" in 2003 as a sporty alternative to sitting on St. Nick's lap. Every holiday season since then, Santa has assisted children, corporate groups and celebrities alike in their quest to experience flying without jumping out of an airplane at 13,000 feet.

On Tuesday, Santa spent the lunch hour teaching floating techniques to a group of 10 managers and engineers from Temecula-based Abbott Laboratories, which visited for a team-building mission.

With the roar of fan engines overpowering the "flight chamber," Santa coached the students one by one, gently adjusting arms and legs until they struck some semblance of a "Superman" pose.

Santa's red jacket almost flew off several times amid the 120-mph gusts.

"The hardest part of Santa is my beard hits me in the face," said the slender Santa.

"It really surprises the kids ...They love to just see Santa fly, and they want to get in there with him."

Nobody in the Abbott group had free-fallen before. Some said they clenched their teeth and felt anxious going in. Each person had three one-minute flights, which included a snapshot with Santa.

"I thought, 'I hope that net can hold me,' " 25-year-old engineer Branden Smith said, referring to the wire mesh that divides students and teachers from an approximately one-story drop. They stand or lay belly-down on the wire net for a few seconds before the fans kick in.

By the end of his third flight, Smith and his comrades were all smiles, laughter and high-fives.

"Superman used to be my favorite character, so this was right up my alley right here," Smith said.

Production supervisor Dennis Ross, 36, said he couldn't wait to tell his kids he'd flown, "especially with Santa," he said.

Manufacturing supervisor Jerry Karban, 31, who organized the outing, called the team-building mission a success.

"You can't help but make fun of yourself when your cheeks are flapping," he said. "There's a little awkwardness at first, but then you just end up having fun. It's a bonding experience."

FLYING WITH SANTA

WHAT: Instructors offer the chance to "skydive" with Santa.

WHEN: By appointment through Dec. 24

WHERE: Perris Valley Skydiving, 2093 Goetz Road, Perris

INFORMATION: 951-940-4290

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The Country Club at Soboba Springs

Southern California's Finest Public Golf Experience!

With the opening of the new clubhouse facility on April 19, 2008, the goal of creating the finest public golf and hospitality establishment available anywhere was complete.

The Country Club at Soboba Springs is proud to welcome you to our new home! Offering 32,000 square feet of space, all for the enjoyment of the public guest, this building offers casual dining at its finest in our Signature Restaurant, The Maze Stone. Our restaurant offers a gorgeous dining room, a beautiful lounge and bar complete with an outdoor viewing bar, banquet space for up to 350 guests, terrace dining on both the Tournament Terrace and the Banquet Terrace, and a private dining room.

Construction was also recently completed on our new wedding arbor. Built outdoors with views of the San Jacinto Mountains and nestled atop a lovely lake, you will not find a more spectacular setting for your wedding than here at The Country Club at Soboba Springs.

Enjoy championship golf on our award winning, official PGA TOUR Nationwide Tour golf course. Voted Inland Empire Magazine's Best Places to Play for 2008, The Country Club at Soboba Springs continues to solidify its position as the premier golf experience in Southern California. Host to the 2008 California State Open and the newest Nationwide Tour event, the $1 million dollar Soboba Classic, don't be surprised to find the areas top golf professionals working on thier game or playing a round on our immaculate golf course!

The Country Club at Soboba Springs
1020 Soboba Road
San Jacinto, CA 92583
Phone: (951) 654-4300

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Model Train set fills Hemet shop with fun

A gigantic model train layout, stretching as far as half a basketball court, delights kids when they step inside Dynamic Hobbies in downtown Hemet.

Perhaps the most surprised onlookers are owners of other hobby shops who visit Bob Parcell's store that is filled with all sorts of fun stuff -- rockets, helicopters and planes that fly under remote control and gas and electric-powered model race cars.

The most dominant feature is the big model train layout of mountains, tunnels, a train station, trestles and an intricately crafted 1950s-era village.

"People who have hobby shops think I'm nuts to take up this kind of space," Parcell said.

Hobbyists pay $75 per year to join a shop club and run their own trains on the tracks. The trains are equipped with sound features. Horns, squealing brakes and chug-chug-chugs fill the shop with railroad noises.

Model train enthusiast Woody Adams liked the layout so much that he drove to the shop three times a week from the Palm Springs area to run his trains. He retired from the Desert Water Agency in Palm Springs and moved to Hemet. The shop added a big plus to living in his new town.

Adams regularly volunteers to operate the trains for Parcell. He said watching the trains is a great activity for kids during the Christmas season. He will be at the controls on weekends during the holidays. The store, located at 811 E. Florida Ave., is open every day.

"I came in about two years ago and saw the layout. I was just amazed," said Adams, who joined the shop's model railroad club.

"It was the most awesome thing I've ever seen. I've been to a lot of train stores in the San Diego-Los Angeles area. Nobody has anything like this.

"I thought it was wonderful because I can come in to run my trains whenever I want."

Parcell used to operate a radio-controlled car race track in Riverside when he visited an outdoor Hemet track and decided to open a shop in town about 19 years ago. His store now helps operate the Hemet track.

When he moved into his present large shop four years ago, he figured he needed fun things to attract hobbyists. He began crafting the train layout.

Before he installed realistic-looking mountains shaped from Styrofoam, he began creating village buildings during evenings when Mel Parcell, his wife and partner in the store, watched cooking shows on television. He estimated each building took 60 to 100 hours to make. He spent more than two years building his train layout.

The response was enthusiastic. Model train hobbyists from throughout Southern California travel to the shop to see his layout.

He doesn't consider the train layout a waste of shop space at all. He said it is a good investment that draws customers. He said it is a key to surviving sour economic times.


Video

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Tinsel Triathlon continuing to grow, expects 1,000 competitors Sunday in Hemet

When Inland Assemblyman Paul Cook sounds an air horn to start Sunday's 24th Tinsel Triathlon in Hemet, the usual assortment of full-time and once-a-year Inland athletes will set off from the 5K starting line.

But what amazes Connie Hall, the organizer of the run-bike-swim, is the number of folks from outside the Inland area who take part. Last year, people from Los Angeles, San Diego, New Mexico, Idaho, New York and -- really -- Argentina took part.

"It just grew unbelievable (from five years ago)," said Hall, vice president of the Central County United Way. "It used to be a fun thing we'd put together. Now it has a life of its own."

The event at West Valley High School is the local United Way's biggest fundraiser of the year. Last year more than $70,000 came in from entry and vendor fees and sponsorships. The money supports local nonprofit organizations and programs.

Already this year, 1,000 people have registered for the race.

Hall credits getting the word out on the Internet, placing the Tinsel Triathlon on the cyber calendars of as many triathlon clubs as she could find.

The race has its own pages on the MySpace and Facebook social networking Web sites.

"We get triathletes that live and die triathlons," Hall said. "We also get people who have never done them before."

The event -- being contested rain or shine -- features a 5-kilometer run, 12-mile bicycle race and 150-meter swim in the school's heated pool. It begins at 9 a.m., with registration opening the day of the event at 7.

There will also be an inline speed skating race.

The Hemet Fire Department will be represented by 10 of its 45 firefighters.

Chief Matt Shobert said the turnout pleases him for a couple of reasons.

"It gets them working on their fitness, and I always say that a fit firefighter is a good firefighter," Shobert said. Secondly, some of the firefighters have been training together, "so it helps the esprit de corps."

One of them is Engineer Tom Scheuble, 47, who has worked for the city for 13 years. He is based at Station 4 near Hemet-Ryan Airport.

He has competed in the Tinsel Triathlon the past two years and is in training for a triathlon early next year. Scheuble said some of his colleagues have bought bicycles to train for the Tinsel, and that the preparation has built camaraderie.

"It's low key, but people are still out there trying to do their best," Scheuble said.

Three members of the City Council have formed a team. Mayor Eric McBride will run, Vice Mayor Jerry Franchville will bike and Robert Youssef will swim.

The race can still use some volunteers, Hall said.

Information: 951-929-9691.

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Soboba Casino Gives Back,Toy and Canned Food Drive

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Sunday's 24th annual Tinsel Triathlon fundraiser.

Tinsel Tri Skaters

Central County United Way is upping the fun by testing an inline-skating race before the start of Sunday's 24th annual Tinsel Triathlon fundraiser.

The event's sign-ups already reached 1,000 and are on course to beat last year's 1,200 participants. Most entrants race on a 5 km run starting at West Valley High School in west Hemet, bike 12 miles on closed-to-traffic Domenigoni Parkway and finish with a 150-meter swim. Others choose the more genteel option of running just the 5k race. Registration and check-in begins at 7 a.m. Racing starts at 9.

Advanced registration is available on the Web until Thursday at tinseltriathlon.com, the Central County United Way office in Hemet until Friday morning or at the event. For more information, call 951-929-9691.

Connie Hall, a United Way organizer of the event, was contacted by an inline skater interested in racing on the bike course. As an experiment, about 30 skaters will race at 8 a.m. and should be finished by the 9 a.m. start of the Tinsel Tri. Skating could be added as a category in 2010.

Runners will be intrigued when they see the speed skaters. I saw skaters on the last stretches of the Silver Strand Half Marathon in Coronado. They were fast. Unlike agonized runners, they had big smiles on their faces as they skated in packs and pairs. I expect that they will finish the bike course in less than 50 minutes.

Hall, a woman with a most positive outlook, pointed out that the Tinsel Tri is a rain or shine event. She is confident it won't be raining. Forecasts for Sunday call for a 20 percent chance of rain under partly cloudy skies. History is on her side.

"We live on a lot of faith that it has not ever rained on the Tinsel Triathlon," she said.


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Soboba Tribal Library , Open to the Public

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Come browse through the Lonewolf reading room library where we have a collection of about 800 books and articles, we recently recieved another 200 books from a donation, and is currently being cataloged, please take a moment to glance at our Catalog. or search our catalog using the search form on the right.

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As Pearl Harbor is remembered,Hemet Survivor

Gery Porter is busier than ever, a fate that he accepts as a fact of life -- and death.

Every few months, the national treasurer for the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association receives notice of another chapter folding. Chapters are required to have enough members to have seven officers. And 68 years after Japan attacked the U.S. Navy base in Hawaii, many of the estimated 4,700 veterans who remain were mere teenagers at the time.

Porter said the chapter he presides over in Hemet in Riverside County now uses honorary members to meet charter requirements.

And today, on the attack's anniversary, Porter is in Hawaii to mark the deaths of his shipmates aboard the USS West Virginia.

He doesn't usually attend the annual rites unless there's a survivors convention, but he made an exception this year.

"I decided to go because the man who had been presenting the wreath passed away a few years ago," Porter, 87, said by telephone before he left.

The National Park Service and the Navy are hosting a ceremony today at the Naval Station Pearl Harbor's Kilo Pier commemorating the attack. Bands will play, rifle volleys will be shot, colors presented, wreaths laid and those who survived -- and perished -- will be remembered.

Porter said he lost 122 of his approximately 900 shipmates.

Aside from "a few aches," he is pleased that he is healthy enough to attend.

"We had a unique experience in the history of the country, and it is important to honor our men who are deceased," he said.

In an interview in 2005, Porter said the Hemet chapter's membership had decreased from 36 to 25. Today, it is in the neighborhood of 15 actual survivors, with six or eight or nine able to attend the monthly meetings at Hemet Elks Lodge No. 1740.

Porter described the meetings as "upbeat." Recent deaths are remembered but not dwelled upon, he said.

Nancy Larghey, 84, agreed: "It's very cheerful," she said.

Larghey is one of the honorary members and writes the chapter's newsletter. Her husband, the late Peter Larghey, was a member. Peter Larghey, who died in 1999, was in the Marines and had been reassigned to the Pearl Harbor port from the USS St. Louis before it was damaged in the attack.

According to the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association, 3,581 military and civilians died in the attack, six battleships were destroyed and 188 aircraft were lost.

Porter knows he will be receiving more notices of chapters folding for lack of members.

"We just have to accept it," Porter said, while adding: "I've attended a lot more funerals at Riverside National Cemetery than I would like."

Pearl Harbor

Japan, began to wage war to expand in the Far East. In 1938, this led the United States to place an embargo on exporting aircraft to Japan. The government also froze all Japanese assets in the U.S.

The Japanese came up with a plan to bomb Pearl Harbor and invade Thailand, the Malaysian Peninsula, and the Philippines.

Pearl Harbor, a U.S. base on Oahu Island in Hawaii, was home of its Pacific Fleet and about 50,000 American troops.

About 7:55 a.m. on Dec. 7, 1941 , the Japanese staged a surprise attack at Pearl Harbor, catching ships stuck at dock and planes stuck on the ground. The next day, the U.S. declared war on Japan to enter World War II.

The war with Japan ended with the Japanese surrender in September 1945.

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Hemet Christmas Parade

Christmas parade

When: 10 a.m. Saturday

Route: About 1 mile along Florida Avenue in Hemet, from Palm Avenue to Kirby Street

Entries: 108, including local bands, dancers and Santa Claus

Grand marshal: Larry Minor, Agri-Empire

Also: "Christmas in the Park" at Gibbel Park, corner of Kirby and Florida, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Information: 951-765-3809

Also; Hemet Jeep Club Joins the Fun,

When the Hemet Jeep Club rolls along Florida Avenue on Saturday in Hemet's annual Christmas parade, it will be on a decidedly easier trail than its rocky (off) road-loving members are used to.

Nevertheless, they enjoy decorating their Jeeps for the season and participating in the event that this year starts at 10 a.m., running from Palm Avenue to Kirby Street and ending at Gibbel Park, where vendors will be waiting to happily to stuff visitors' stockings with arts and crafts and other items for sale.

The Jeep club formed in 1948 as the Hemet Cavalcaders, only eight years after the first Jeep was produced for the U.S. Army.

The club will probably roll out about 20 Jeeps on Saturday, member Randy Weishaar said.

Weishaar is the club's liaison to the San Bernardino National Forest's Adopt-a-Trail program. The club last month received an award for contributing hundreds of hours to Adopt-a-Trail.

The club targets a trail that it frequents on Indian Mountain, picking up trash and fallen brush, clearing drainage grates and even bringing in a small bulldozer to move boulders and carve new culverts.

"It's our way of helping and keeping the forest not only clean, but also to keep the trails open," Weishaar said. "We have a philosophy of treading lightly -- take out what you bring in. A lot of people are lacking that education."

Weishaar said trails are sometimes closed if they are littered or torn apart by people driving off them. Once closed, he said, "it is very, very difficult to get them reopened."

John Miller, deputy public affairs officer for the San Bernardino National Forest, said off-road clubs provide a service that the Forest Service cannot afford.

"We couldn't maintain the quality and breadth of trail opportunities without them, and I say that from the heart," Miller said.

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Diamond Valley fishing stays in the top three

Diamond Valley: Excellent striper bite this past week. LA Sliders, Z Plugs and Lunker Punkers were the top baits for stripers. Jesse Mena, of Hemet, caught two stripers at 16.71 and 11.59 pounds on a Lunker Punker near the east dam. Seth Cittel, of Winchester, caught a 15.5-pound striper. Largemouth action is good. The bigger fish come up in the days after the trout plants to hammer the rainbows. Big swim baits are the ticket then. Otherwise, the fish are mostly in deeper water and showing on a wide range of plastics, jigs, ice jigs and underspins. Rainbow trout action has been very good with many limits reported on floating dough baits, trout jigs and small, trout plastics. Best action in the marina cove and off the east dam with two-pound test. Trout were planted last week. No catfish were reported this past week. Bluegill and crappie have slowed with only a few showing on jigs and nightcrawlers fished at the dam. The launch ramp is currently closed but will reopen for boat launching Dec. 20, two months ahead of schedule, with the completion of the ramp extension. A combination bass and trout fishing competition will be held at Diamond Valley Lake on Saturday, Dec. 12, with proceeds to benefit Valley Wide Recreation, a group benefiting youth athletic and outdoor activities in the Hemet-San Jacinto area. Entry fee is $220 for bass anglers ($80 in options available) and $60 for trout anglers (or $20 for kids 15 and under). Anglers fishing this event will be the first to use the new ramp to launch private boats and fish the lake. For more tournament information or to sign up, call Last Chance Bait and Tackle in Hemet at 951-658-7410 or to to www.lastchancebaitandtackle.com. For general lake and fishing information, call 800-590-LAKE, the marina at 951-926-7201 or www.dvmarina.com, or Last Chance Bait and Tackle (numbers above).

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Diamond Valley Lake ramp opens early

Excitement was evident on sunny Tuesday afternoon at Diamond Valley Lake, Metropolitan Water District's $2 billion reservoir near Hemet that closed to boat launching in October 2008.

Employees bustled about and gawkers admired the lake's newly lengthened launch ramp.

Boat launching resumes Dec. 12 for a fundraising fishing tournament at the renowned bass lake that also is a great place to sail and paddle. Launching ended when water levels fell below the half-built ramp. It was not scheduled to reopen until February.

The lake will open to the public Dec. 20 after annual pass holders have an opportunity to play on the water beginning Dec. 13.

"Yeahhhh!" was Megan Merchant's response when asked about her feelings about the reopening.

Merchant is an owner of Last Chance Bait and Tackle, a first-rate fishing store in Hemet. Her business fell by as much as 50 percent when the economy went into a freefall and the ramp closed during the same month.

The only way fishermen could cast for bass and trout was from a small fleet of rental boats, kayaks, canoes and the shore.

The closure was frustrating to boaters because Metropolitan failed to build the ramp to its full length when work wasn't finished before the lake was filled.

With wailing sounding everywhere about the sad economic times, MWD's board of directors initially announced that the ramp would not be extended after the closure even though concrete could be poured on the dry lake bed rather than be installed underwater by divers.

Merchant started an effective petition drive that helped persuade MWD officials to spend $1.1 million to extend three of the ramp's 11 lanes. The action was a relief to San Jacinto Valley civic boosters who were concerned that Metropolitan was not delivering the boating promised when the massive reservoir was proposed.

The ramp is opening two months early because the work was finished quickly and MWD began moving Northern California water into the lake following the September opening of the 44-mile Inland Feeder pipeline.

It is good timing for Merchant, who recently moved her store to a new, larger space at Wentworth Plaza, a little closer to the lake on Sanderson Avenue. She expects her regular customers who used to fish the lake to return with the opening.

Valley-Wide Recreation and Park District officials will not miss a fundraising opportunity.

The regional park district, which is based in San Jacinto and operates an aquatic center and ball fields at the reservoir, staged a First to Fish fundraiser when the lake opened in 2003.

Valley-Wide later sold admission to a First to Fish at Night fundraising event.

On Saturday, Dec. 12, the first anglers to resume boat launching will compete in what Valley-Wide's general manager, Jeff Leatherman, is calling the First to Fish Again tournament, presented by the National Bass West organization.

Entry fees, not including $10 hazard insurance per boat, are $210 for bass, $50 for stripers and $60 for trout. About half the fees go to Valley-Wide and the other half to anglers as prize money.

Information and registration is available at Last Chance Bait and Tackle, 951-658-7410.

Leatherman, the former manager of the lake's marina, said fishing is superb because of light boating pressure.

He said anglers can hope for the same sort of big catches when the lake first opened.

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