The Edge Dance Event brings line dancing and competition to Temecula, B-1
A-1
SWL baseball teams heating up; Great Oak looks to be the team to beat, C-1
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SERVING TEMECULA , MURRIETA , L AKE E LSINOR E , M ENIFEE , WILDOMAR , H EMET, SAN JACINTO AND THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES March 15 – 21, 2024
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Volume 24, Issue 11
‘A Day in Her Shoes’ celebrates San Jacinto Unified unites its International Women’s Day March 8 support services Education
Tony Ault Staf f Writer
Diane A. Rhodes Special to Valley News
“Hold your nose and keep on going,” was the advice Riverside County 2nd District Supervisor Karen Spiegel shared with more than 400 women at “A Day in Her Shoes” women’s conference Friday, March 8, as a part of International Women’s Day at Murrieta Hot Springs Resort. Spiegel was one of more than a dozen noteable and successful women in science, public safety, politics and from the SAFE Family Justice Centers that sat on various panels at the conference. The women encouraged fellow women to pursue their dreams and keep on achieving their goals, no matter what the obstacle, be it mental or physical abuse, frustration, family, career challenges and loss. Topping the encouraging words was special guest Jennifer Turpin, who along with her 12 siblings, escaped from an extreme life of abuse and physical pain in 2018, making nationwide news. Turpin has flourished since then, through a successful career as a phlebotomist and an author of encouraging words for women. The conference, held at the newly opened Murrieta Hot Springs Resort conference center, included a breakfast created by the culinary students at Oak Grove at the Ranch, designated beneficiaries of the event. Lunch was provided by numerous food and catering vendors in the Valley. The day-long conference included a great deal of time for
To better serve families in the San Jacinto Unified School District, a centrally located Student, Community and Personnel Support center has been completed. The official grand opening took place with a ribbon cutting on March 6, which included tours of each of the four buildings that total 7,200 sq.ft. Dr. Courtney Hall, a former San Jacinto High School principal, will serve as its executive director. see page B-7
Anza Valley Outlook Dedication of memorial wall to be held April 6 in Anza Diane Sieker Staf f Writer High Country 4-H and the Anza Civic Improvement League will hold a dedication ceremony for a memorial wall erected to commemorate those who have lost their lives on local highways Saturday, April 6, at Minor Park in Anza, beginning at 10:30 a.m.. see page D-1
see SHOES, page A-4
INDEX
VALLEY NEWS
Anza Valley Outlook ......... D-1 Business ............................B-5 Business Directory .............B-5 Calendar of Events .............B-2 Classifieds .........................C-6 Education ..........................B-6 Entertainment ...................B-1 Faith................................. D-6 Health ...............................B-8 Home & Garden ................C-5 Legal Notices .................... D-6 Local ................................A-1 National News ...................C-7 Opinion.............................C-4 Real Estate ........................B-4 Regional News ...................C-6 Sports ................................C-1
Jennifer Turpin is presented with the Resilience Award during “A Day in Her Shoes” event on International Women’s Day. Valley News/Shane Gibson photo
Families celebrate wildlife appreciation at park grand opening
Diane A. Rhodes Special to the Valley News
The opening of a new community park is always a good reason to celebrate but when you add in the opportunity to learn about wildlife, habitat preservation and more, the day can be full of surprises and wide-eyed wonder. That was the case at the grand opening of Quartz Ranch Park in Menifee on Saturday, March 2. Presented by the City of Menifee Park Rangers, all five members of the Menifee City Council attended the ribbon cutting and stayed to enjoy the activities with their families. Despite intermittent rain sprinkles and wind gusts, children of all ages were excited to interact with
vendors who offered many close encounters of the animal kind. Along with the wildlife meet and greet experiences, visitors could learn about conservation, habit restoration, recycling and more or simply enjoy the park’s covered playground and other amenities. Wild Wonders showcased several different types of creatures, including a desert tortoise, Madagascar hissing cockroach, hedgehog, rosy boa and a Honduran Curly Hair tarantula. Handlers answered questions about all of them. Ashley Stroh said the wildlife sanctuary in Bonsall offers onsite tours where visitors can learn more about see PARK, page A-6
Scarlett Gibson, 8, holds a snake at an exhibit during the Wildlife Appreciation Day event during the Quartz Ranch Park grand opening event in Menifee, March 2. Valley News/Shane Gibson photo
Murrieta assistant city manager announces retirement
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City introduces new Assistant City Manager Justin Clifton
Ivan Holler, assistant city manager of Murrieta, is retiring in April. Valley News/Courtesy photo
MURRIETA – After nine years with the city of Murrieta and as the culmination of a 40-year career, Assistant City Manager Ivan Holler is retiring in April. Holler started his career with the city as the development services director in 2015. His talents earned him the title of assistant city manager in 2017. He has been the driving force behind several pivotal projects that have positioned Murrieta for longterm success and growth including the entitlements for CarMax, the Kaiser Medical Campus, Costco
and the Murrieta Hot Springs Resort. “It’s been an honor to work for the city of Murrieta, and a privilege to contribute to several challenging, but also very rewarding projects,” Holler said. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to work alongside City Manager Kim Summers and many other talented individuals. I will miss them all. I look forward to what the next chapter brings.” Before joining the city, Holler served in a variety of roles for the Rancho Santa Fe Association,
including assistant manager, and acting manager. Prior to that he also spent over 10 years working for the county of San Diego with his last role as the deputy planning director. His last day with Murrieta will be Thursday, April 4. Murrieta will welcome Justin Clifton as its new assistant city manager. Clifton has over 15 years of city management experience, overseeing and building high-performing organizations to improve see MANAGER, page A-2