AUGUST 2017

Neighborhood Watch Coming to Garner Valley!

On Tuesday, July 11, about thirty residents listened as Deputy Frank James explained the values of a neighborhood watch program. With the Lake Hemet Sheriff's station unmanned, it could take the two or three deputies that are on duty at least 45 minutes to respond to a call from Garner Valley. Documenting crime starts with the community, explained Deputy James, and we need to write down what we see as we see it.

Many homes are vacant in our neighborhoods, with no lights left on. These are the homes that criminals are looking for. It is important to use timers on lights inside the home to give the appearance that someone is there. Consider installing wireless cameras. If you are going to be away, notify a neighbor and let them know how long you will be gone, cars that should be at your residence (or none at all), and if you have an alarm system. You may notify the Sheriff's station that you will be gone and that your alarm will be set, and ask for extra patrols to take place during that time. Call the Sheriff’s Hemet Station at 951-791-3400.

A new Neighborhood Watch Committee is being formed that will be working on getting a plan in place to have designated people on both sides of Hwy. 74, who will be in communication with their neighbors and the Committee as to what is happening in their areas. Any suspicious activity will be reported to the Sheriff's Department and updates will be listed in the newsletter and on Facebook, to keep the community informed as to what is going on in their neighborhoods.

During the past couple of weeks, there have been alarm calls and shots fired in our neighborhoods. We all need to be vigilant and more aware of what is taking place in our community. If you suspect a problem or notice suspicious activity, call the Sheriff at 951-776-1099. Deputy James stressed the importance of reporting all incidents immediately. If you see an unfamiliar or suspicious vehicle parked on your street or driving slowly with no apparent destination or without lights, record the license and description of the vehicle.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Cal Fire Wildfire App 2

Desperado at Cahuilla Casino 3

4th of July Ice Cream Social 3

Shavings For Sale 3

Western Day Flyer 4

Western Day is Coming! 5

GVPOA Board Addresses Water

Rate Increase 5

A Light Summer Recipe 6

Mark Your Calendars 6

Protest: Stop the Huge Water

Rate Increase 7

Protest Letter to LHMWD 8

Deputy James addressing GV members at the Common

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Neighborhood Watch, Continued

A few more crime prevention tips:

Keep shrubs and plants trimmed. Tall shrubbery can hide windows and doors which gives a thief a place to enter unseen.

Put peepholes in front doors so you can see who is outside without opening the door.

Do not leave keys under a doormat, flower pot or on a ledge. Burglars look in these locations first.

If you have a dog or an alarm system, display “BEWARE” signs. Light the outside of your home to illuminate doors and dark

spots. Document all of your valuables. Take videos, room by room. Take

pictures of serial numbers of televisions, VCR’s and stereos and keep a list in a safe place.

Stay tuned for further information from the Neighborhood Watch Committee.

CAL FIRE Offers New Ready for Wildfire App Submitted by Jim Merson

This Ready for Wildfire App serves two important purposes. First, it offers a library of step-by-step checklists and allows homeowners to track their progress while creating defensible space, hardening their homes with fire-resistant construction, assembling an emergency supply kit and creating a family communication and evacuation plan. App users can check off each step and see their progress as they reach 100 percent Ready.

Besides being a great educational tool, the Ready for Wildfires app provides wildfire alerts. Users can sign up for customized alerts that will send a text or push notification to their device when CAL FIRE is responding or assisting a wildfire in their area. Users can set up alerts for single counties, multiple counties, or statewide. If a user travels or enjoys recreating in forested area, CAL FIRE has that covered too! The app lets users enable an alert system to notify them if a wildfire is reported within 30 miles of their device. One of the many benefits of this app is that it reports accurate and timely information.

To download the app, visit the App Store or the Google Play Store, search for CAL FIRE and install it. For more resources, visit ReadyForWildfire.org or ReadySanDiego.org.

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Desperado: A Hit at Cahuilla Casino On a pleasant Saturday night in June, guests were treated to an Eagles Tribute Band, Desperado. The casino provided free entertainment for this concert which was held outside on a large grass area. There were plenty of seats and there wasn't a bad seat to be found.

Desperado was an excellent band, and sounded as close to The Eagles as anyone could be. If you closed your eyes, you were sure that you were listening to the Eagles. Desperado had CDs for sale after the concert, along with some of their original music. We felt very fortunate to have experienced this event because the band is well known and travels around the world entertaining. Currently, there is no entertainment scheduled, but look for future concerts on the Cahuilla website.

Garner Valley Ice Cream Social Submitted by Kathy Bowman

Held on the 4th of July, the Garner Valley Ice Cream Social, sponsored by the Garner Valley Gals, was a huge success. Over 80 neighbors and friends gathered to celebrate our nation’s birthday, and enjoyed hot dogs and ice cream.

George Winch (center) waits in line behind Ron Lawson as members of the GVG serve up

homemade ice cream and topping.

For Sale Long Beach Sierra Pak (Pine) Shavings

10 Cubic feet packs in original wrapping

Over 300 packs available in Garner Valley

$5 per pack, 10 pack minimum purchase

You pick up!

Please call Jill at 949-677-7421

or email JHalley@comline.com

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Western Day is Coming! Our 4th annual Western Day on September 2 is being organized by volunteers from the Trail Committee, the Common Committee and the Equestrian Alliance, and they have some new and fun things planned to celebrate the end of summer. This is a great way to meet new neighbors in the valley and catch up with friends you may have missed seeing for a while!

Please arrive at the arena by 3:00 p.m. for the equestrian color guard and patriotic presentation by members of the Equestrian Alliance. They have been working hard and practicing to put on a great presentation for you! After the presentation, enjoy some music and refreshments at the Common before the Mexican street taco buffet, including chicken, beef and pork street tacos with all the fixings!

This year, we will have a homemade pie contest! You may enter more than one pie. Show off your baking talents with your friends and neighbors for a friendly competition and great prizes!

PLEASE RSVP ASAP for the dinner and the pie baking contest to Melanie Bellamore at 714-349-9800 or email mbellamore3@gmail.com.

We’re looking forward to seeing you at Western Day!

GVPOA Board Addresses Water Rate Increase

The Board met at the request of the Ad Hoc Water Committee on July 24. There were four recommendations made by the Committee. The Board chose to implement the first two items immediately, because time is of the utmost importance in this situation.

1. Retain the services of an attorney and an accountant who are experts in water issues to guide us through the process of rebutting the water rate increase.

2. With the help of the attorney, address Prop. 218 concerns and how to properly write our personal letters of protest to LHMWD over their massive rate increase.

Items 3 and 4 will be discussed and voted on at a later time.

3. Request the attorney to research the Water Agreement, the Amendment to the Agreement, and any other documents that may clear up the Water Rights issue in the Garner Valley POA.

4. Audit LHMWD to find out why we supposedly owe 1.7 million dollars in unpaid debt, and a general audit of the LHMWD to determine if we have been treated fairly and reasonably.

See further information on pages 7 and 8 which is being mailed to you. Please check your mail, sign and mail the letter in the envelope which will be provided.

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A Light Summer Recipe: Panzanella This summer panzanella is a refreshing and light summer salad that you will absolutely love and get hooked on! It is a great way to use up all the abundant summer produce.

Prep Time 15 min. Cook Time 10 min Total Time 25 min. Serves Two Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups herbed focaccia bread cubed 1 cup quartered cucumbers 1/2 red onion, sliced into half moons 3/4 cup red grape tomatoes, quartered 3/4 cup yellow grape tomatoes, quartered 8 ounces mozzarella balls A handful of fresh basil leaves, julienned. Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Note: you can grill the bread instead, by slicing the loaf in half and drizzling with olive oil and salt and pepper on top. 2. Place cubed bread onto a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake cubed bread on the middle rack for 10 minutes, until lightly toasted and crisp. 4. In a large bowl, add the remaining ingredients and toss to mix up. Drizzle more olive oil on top and season with additional salt and pepper to taste. 5. Serve and enjoy!

Mark Your Calendars for Upcoming Events! September 2, 2017

4th Annual Western Day at the Common! Patriotic color guard presentation by the GV Equestrian Alliance, street taco buffet, homemade pie baking contest, and more! See flyer and article on pages 4 and 5. Contact Melanie Bellamore for information and RSVP’s. 714-349-9800 or email mbellamore3@gmail.com

October 14, 2017

Garner Valley Home Tour from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. $20 per person, tickets on sale the day of the event at the Common or call for advance sales, 951-659-9894. Lunch will be available at the Common for $6, first come basis.

YOUR EDITORS

Lynnette Holdridge (626) 233-1224

Leslie Ingham

(909) 631-3685

Email: GVEditors@gmail.com

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