January 2018

Serving Southwest Riverside County Since 1989 

VOLUME 29, NUMBER 1 

JANUARY 2018 

And... 

Eminent Domain 

The Value of Home Care for 

America’s Aging Seniors 

“Realizing a Better Vision” 

Time for a 

Detox? 

page 23 

10th annual 

rock the oaks 

page 31 

BUSINESS 

by Ted Saul, 

Senior Staff Writer 

Senator Stone Honors 

Large and Small Businesses 

in Southwest Riverside 

vs 

County 

1099 

VS 

W2 

presented by Nichole Albrecht 

PHOTOL JOHN HUNNEMAN 

SEE PAGE 28 

Transforming in 

2018 

A mistake companies can make is to go into a New 

Year expecting business to be the same as the previous. In 

fact, one guarantee we have is that there will be changes 

along with new challenges. There are promises of tax reform, 

new laws that are taking affect and not to mention 

your incomplete projects. Each of these can easily take a 

business from its core strategy and cause it to stall early 

in the year. January can be a good time to set some time 

aside to review, reevaluate and plan your business goals. 

SEE PAGE 26 

Considering the hefty penalties that 

come along with misclassification, it is 

vital to be aware of the many different 

variables that come into play when 

distinguishing between an independent 

contractor and an employee. 

As a business owner, do you ever wonder if 

you are doing things right in regards to the distinction 

above? If you answered yes, we at Financial 

Accounting Services are here to help. 

SEE PAGE 29 

SEE PAGE 29 

Pictured left to right: Brian Connors, Director of Marketing; Alice Sullivan, 

TVCC President & CEO; Brad Neet, CEO; Kristen Johnson, Chief Nursing Officer; 

Alistair Machoka, Associate Administrator; Nicole Farnum, Marketing Coordinator 

Southwest Healthcare System 

Recognized for Being a 35-YEAR 

Member of the Temecula Valley 

Chamber of Commerce 

SEE PAGE 27 

EXECUTIVE PROFILE: 

Donald W. Hitzeman, Esq. 

COMMUNITY 

page 

15 

Eminent Domain: What You 

Need to Know Before Agreeing 

to Anything 

17 

LEGAL 


EDUCATION 

19

www.TheValleyBusinessJournal.com 

THE VALLEY BUSINESS JOURNAL 

2 January 2018

January 2018 



3







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VP OF DISTRIBUTION 

Dane Wunderlich 

STAFF WRITERS/ 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Gene Wunderlich 

Ted Saul 

Helen M. Ryan 

Stefani Laszko 

Nicole Albrecht 

Julie Ngo 

Tracey Papke 

Tom Plant 

Esther Phahla 

Dr. Dennis Petersen 

Steve Amante 

Dr. Derek Albrecht 

Monique deGroot 

John Messina 

Andrea Shoup 

Gloria Wolnick 

Dr. Drake Levasheff 

Tim Freese 

Mary Gram 

John & Christine Hamby 

Heather Petersen 

David Grabhorn 

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS 

Cy Rathbun 

Todd Montgomery 

Kip A. Cothran 

Tom Plant 

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7 

THORNTON WINERY 

RECOGNIZED 

for being a long-standing member of 

the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce for 

30 

years 

Brian Connors, Director of Marketing; 

Alice Sullivan, TVCC President & CEO; 

Steve and John Thornton, 

Thornton Winery owners. 

In this issue 

Senator Stone Honors Large and Small Businesses 1 

Transforming in 2018 1 

1099 vs. W2 1 

Southwest Healthcare System Recognized 1 

Community 7-8 

The Value of Home Care for America’s Aging Seniors 9 

National Merchants Association’s Chargeback Control Program 11 

It’s Not How Much You Make, It’s How Much You Keep 13 

Don’t Rush to Flush, Be Sewer Smart! 14 

EXECUTIVE PROFILE | Donald W. Hitzeman, Esq. 15 

Make Your Estate Plan Your New Year’s Resolution 16 

PWR Features State of the Cities 16 

Eminent Domain: What You Need to Know 17 

Temecula Valley Hospital Earns National Award for Quality 18 

“Realizing a Better Vision” 19 

Azusa Pacific University Information Meeting 19 

The Most Surprising Thing You Can Do to Save Money 21 

Cholesterol - The Big Fat Truth 22 

Tie for Detox 23 

Coasting Downhill in Neutral 25 

How Reliable is Your Backup? 27 

Arts & Entertainment 28-31 

January ‘17





The Value of Home Care for America’s 

Aging Seniors 

America’s population is aging quickly. 

By the year 2020, 56 million Americans 

will be aged 65 and older; by 2050, that 

number will reach 84 million. At the same 

time, the number of potential family caregivers 

is decreasing due to demographic 

shifts and the increasing geographical 

distance between seniors and their families. 

These and other factors mean that more 

people may need to look beyond their immediate 

families for care as they get older. 

“More Americans are requiring care 

than ever before,” said John Hamby, owner 

of FirstLight Home Care of Temecula. 

“Statistics show that 40 percent of adults 

65 and older currently need assistance 

with daily living activities. And it’s projected 

that nearly 70 percent of Americans 

who reach age 65 will not be able to care 

for themselves without assistance at some 

point in their lives.” 

Home care can be a valuable solution 

to help meet these growing needs by keeping 

seniors independent, safe and living 

at home – where nine out of 10 seniors 

would prefer to be. 

What is home care? 

Non-medical home care can help 

aging seniors maintain healthy and active 

lifestyles for as long as possible in the 

comfort of their own home – wherever 

home may be. Services emphasize preventive 

care that supports seniors’ wellbeing. 

Home care sends trained caregivers 

into homes to help seniors manage the 

necessary activities of daily living, such 

as bathing, dressing and meal preparation. 

Home care services also provide companionship 

and support around the home 

with tasks such as medication reminders, 

laundry and light housekeeping, errands 

and transportation. 

Home care is an essential part of our 

overall health care continuum because it 

provides a cost-effective alternative to 

institutional long-term care and it helps 

alleviate the strain often put on acute care 

facilities. 

What are the benefits of home care? 

Home care can help in many ways: 

• It gives seniors a choice to age in the 

place they call home while maintaining 



dignity and independence. 

• It can ensure that seniors maintain 

healthy routines, avoid accidents and 

injuries, manage chronic conditions 

and follow the care plans provided by 

their doctors. 

• Because caregivers help seniors maintain 

healthy lifestyles, this can lead to 

fewer doctor visits, prevent a trip to the 

hospital or keep seniors from going into 

a nursing home, which can all lower 

overall healthcare costs. 

• Home care provides peace of mind to 

family caregivers and can reduce the 

emotional and physical stress of the 

person providing care. 

Understanding your home care 

options: 

There are a couple of different options 

to consider when it comes to selecting a 

home care provider. 

One option is employer-based home 

care. These are agencies in which caregivers 

are direct employees, not contractors. 

These agencies are licensed and regulated 

by their states; they provide important 

employee protections; and they recruit, 

screen, hire and train their caregivers. 

Another option is home care registries. 

Registries serve as a middleman, 

offering lists of caregivers and referring 

those caregivers to clients. Registries 

often employ caregivers as independent 

contractors, rather than employees. Additionally, 

those who hire from a registry 

may become the caregiver’s employer, 

assuming certain responsibilities such as 

background checks and drug testing, as 

well as other risks, liabilities, and compliance 

issues. 

“Ensuring seniors have quality care is 

vital to their health and wellbeing,” added 

Hamby. “Home care allows adults to 

choose where they age, and it helps them 

live safely and independently for as long 

as possible.” 

This article is provided by FirstLight 

Home Care of Temecula. For more 

information, visit 

www.Temecula.FirstLightHomeCare. 

com or call (951) 395-0821. 

9







11 

National Merchants Association’s Chargeback Control Program Now Offers 

Post-MID Closure Refunds 

Exclusive service reduces chargeback 

numbers, saves merchants money 

Even when a merchant account is 

forced to shut down, that account continues 

to be at significant risk from the 

damage done by chargebacks. Without 

the ability to intercept or refund those 

incoming disputes, merchants can suffer 

the effects of consumer frustration 

and experience a drop in consumer 

confidence. 

National Merchants Association 

(NMA), a global merchant advocacy 

group and a leader in merchant services, 

is thrilled to announce a solution. 

Accounts that are protected by 

NMA’s Chargeback Control Program 

(CCP) now have the added security of 

Post MID-Closure Refunds built in. 

“This is a very big deal for agents and 

merchants,” said Chief Operations Officer 

Brian Randolph. “This is a major pain 

point for anyone involved in the payments 

industry and this is a solution that will help 

remedy an unfortunate side effect associated 

with closed MIDs.” 

Armed with NMA’s CCP and Post 

MID-Closure Refunding, merchant accounts 

will stay protected with CCP’s 

continued bank-level interception and 

automatic refunding, avoiding the costly, 

damaging effects of chargebacks. That 

means the merchant saves money and will 

typically lead to earlier reserve releases. 

This CCP and Post-MID-Closure 

Refunds program reiterates NMA’s dedication 

to protecting merchants and their 

consumers. It protects agents and advertisers 

from chargebacks piling up on their 

portfolio, thus improving their perception 

within the industry and increasing public 

trust. 

“This is something merchants and 

ISOs have been asking of NMA for years, 

and we’re incredibly excited to deliver 

this,” Randolph said. “It is yet another 

example of how National Merchants 

Association continually works on behalf 

of its partners to optimize their ability for 

success.” 

For more information about Chargeback 

Control Program and the Post-MID 

Closure Refund feature, visit nationalmerchants.com 

or call (866) 509-7199. 

About NATIONAL MERCHANTS AS- 

SOCIATION - National Merchants 

Association is a global leader in merchant 

payment processing services and 

is dedicated to helping merchants and 

agent partners grow their businesses 

by generating sales opportunities and 

maximizing profits. Ranked 196 among 

the Inc. 500 fastest-growing private 

companies, National Merchants Association 

owes much of its success to its 

strong commitment to advocacy. We 

work for agents to create a pro-businesses 

payments environment and for 

merchants to eliminate the unnecessary 

and unreasonable fees associated with 

accepting electronic transactions.







13 

It’s Not How Much You Make, It’s How Much You Keep 

FINANCIAL 

by 

Esther Phahla, 

CPA, CTC, MST 

Growing up we are taught to work hard 

and make lots of money to be able to live 

well. But we were not taught the other financial 

principles, such as, how taxes affect 

our income and how we can utilize tax law 

to our benefit. Judge Learned Hand said 

“Over and over again courts have said that 

there is nothing sinister in arranging one’s 

affairs to keep taxes as low as possible. 

Everybody does so, rich or poor, and all do 

right, for nobody owes any public duty to 

pay more than the law demands.” 

Reaching and surpassing a 10-year 

milestone being a business owner is 

something to celebrate. I feel blessed, I 

have learned a lot and grew in the process. 

Especially starting out in a foreign country 

where you knew nobody and the laws are 

different. I am grateful for the opportunity I 

had working for other CPA firms who gave 

me a great start. 

The love of tax law began in law 

school where I was the recipient of the 

merit award in Taxation and Estate Planning 

for my law degree. Coming to the 

US I could not practice law because of the 

different legal systems from South Africa 

but divine intervention took place when 

all of a sudden after we had arrived there 

was talk about April 15th everywhere, little 

did I know there were other tax deadlines. 

How did I start a business? I did not 

know that I had an entrepreneur spirit in 

me. It was not only about becoming my 

own boss. After spending years working 

for other CPA firms, and after the birth of 

my daughter plus the encouragement from 

my husband, something changed in how I 

wanted to pursue my career. It did not make 

sense to work 70 hours during tax season 

building wealth for someone else and miss 

out on the growth of my daughter. Therefore, 

I set out to pave my own path. The 

opportunity to sit across the table and listen 

to another business owner, what keeps 

them up at night, their dreams, family, issues 

with taxes and to be the one to come 

up with all kinds of legal tax strategies to 

help alleviate some of those fears and show 

them what’s possible using tax law to their 

benefit because I have already spent time 

acquiring knowledge and expertise to be 

their Tax Advocate, that’s gold! 

As a small business owner, I understand 

what challenges another business 

owner is facing. No matter the industry, 

there are common components to owning 

a successful business. You start out with 

excitement that you have this business idea 

and a few months later you realize that 

you missed a lot of steps, your foundation 

is not solid. You now wear many hats. It’s 

not just your product or service you need 

to focus on. 

It’s all the components of a business. 

Such as: a business plan, startup capital, 

office space, furniture and equipment, 

software to help your business run smooth, 

licenses/permits, credentials for your 

industry, marketing your services or product, 

how much to charge, managing your 

money, hiring employees, saving for retirement 

(It was easy to save for retirement 

when you were working for another big 

company. Now that you are on your own 

you need discipline). At the beginning you 

can do it all but to grow you need a good 

community of Professionals to help guide 

you, such as, a bookkeeper, accountant, 

attorney, insurance agent, financial advisor, 

business coach, etc). Most of all you need 

good systems. Be a perpetual learner and 

take action on everything you are learning. 

Being a small CPA firm, I have a 

great network of other professionals I can 

mastermind with to share ideas without 

competition with each other and that’s embracing 

an abundance mentality. I belong to 

large organizations who offer support and 

continuing education, such as, Certified 

Tax Coach (CTC), American Society of 

Tax Problem Solvers (ASTPS), American 

Institute of Certified Public Accountants 

(AICPA), California Society of Certified 

Public accountants (CalCPA), National 

Association of Tax Professionals (NATP). 

I also serve on Not for Profit Boards. What 

surprised me the most is acquiring the 

best leadership skills by simply taking on 

a leadership role in a not-for-profit. You 

can read all the books on leadership but if 

you are not in a leadership position it’s all 

just knowledge. It is the application of that 

knowledge that actually stretches you. For 

me, Toastmasters was my doctorate degree, 

when I served as the District Director in 

2015-2016. I never dreamed of leading a 

group of over 1,500 volunteers and motivate 

them to buy-in to my vision. I ran with 

the Theme Going for the Gold. Imagine the 

Possibilities! I had to be excited about it in 

order for my team to be excited. No matter 

the challenges we were facing I had to stand 

up, show up, and be the driving force behind 

our team of Division Directors, Area 

Directors, club officers and members as a 

whole. The District covered Riverside and 

San Bernardino counties. We completed the 

year as a President’s Distinguished District 

for the first time in 20 years. That is the 

highest recognition a District can achieve. I 

was grateful to all our members for finding 

their gold. Servant leadership is the key 

to learning. It is not one more thing to do. 

Listen, observe, you don’t have to talk all 

the time at a board meeting but contribute 

the best you can. I also learned a lot this 

past year serving on the Board of Directors 

for the Temecula Chamber of Commerce 

and being a member of the Rotary Club of 

Temecula for several years. 

It is scary to be a business owner but 

as Susan Jeffers said, “Feel the Fear and 

Do it Anyway”. I read a lot and one book 

that helped accelerate my goals was the 

12 week year, and learning the Scrum 

system. Taxes continue to be the single 

biggest expense for business owners. Did 

you know that an average amount the small 

business owners waste in taxes is $15,000 

per year and they don’t have to pay this 

money if they put certain 

legal tax strategies in 

place with the support 

of a Professional Tax 

Strategist? 

Some of the major 

services that we provide 

are: Tax Planning, Tax 

Resolution and Tax Preparation. 

What brings me joy 

after I have worked with a 

client and we came up 

with a tax strategy 

doing tax planning 

is to hear them say, 

I was able to reinvest 

all those 

tax savings into 

my business, my family was able to take 

vacation after a long time, I opened a retirement 

account, I like the entity structure 

that we now have because we can do more. 

That gets me to wake up and go to work. 

With Tax Resolution, we help give our 

clients a fresh start to rebuild their lives, by 

filing delinquent taxes, offer in compromise, 

negotiating installment agreements or 

bank levy or wage garnishment. Receiving 

an IRS letter or being audited can be an 

intimidating and complex process. I see 

my profession as a position of trust because 

people come to me with very sensitive information 

and that is where humility plays 

that major role. When I can see them as 

another human being who has dreams and 

goals and not just a transaction. 

Through Tax preparation we help with 

compliance, but our services are more than 

just putting numbers on a form to satisfy 

a filing requirement. We use this time to 

understand your situation and develop 

affordable strategies, we can help you 

avoid costly decisions. We follow our Core 

Values in working with our clients: Humility, 

Integrity, Respect, Excellence, Understanding 

and Service (HIRE US). I am 

passionate about empowering other women 

in my profession. I have been invited to 

speak about Women in Accounting by the 

State University of Utah, AAUW to speak 

to 8th grade girls at their annual STEM 

conference at the University of Redlands, 

and local high schools during their career 

day. I also give internship opportunities to 

college students. 

Here are some of the highlights and 

accomplishments we are grateful for and 

celebrating for reaching and passing the 

10 years in business: 

• 2016 Woman to Watch: Experienced 

Leader, CalCPA, and AICPA and its 

Women’s Initiative Executive Committee 

• 2016 President’s Distinguished District 

Director, Toastmasters International 

District 12 

• 2016 Milestone Award, Toastmasters 

International Region 10 

• 2014 Lead by Example Firm Leadership 

Award, American Woman’s 

Society of Certified Public Accountants 

(AWSCPA) 

• 2014 Best Selling Co-Author - “Why 

Didn’t My CPA Tell me THAT” 

• 2014 Excellence in Marketing, 

Toastmasters International 

• 2014 Spirit Award, Region 10 Toastmasters 

International 

• 2013 Sterling Business of the Year, 

Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce 

• 2013 “40 Under Forty”, Murrieta 


• 2013 one of the 25 Most Powerful 

Women in Public Accounting, CPA 

Practice Advisor 

• 2012 Division Governor of the Year, 

Toastmasters International District 

12 

• 2012 Lydia Boyd Leadership Excellence 

Team, Toastmasters International 

District 12 

Our CPA Firm is about quality not 

quantity when we work with clients. 

Being able to give our clients that Close 

Personal Attention is important. It’s been a 

great roller coaster ride of possibilities for 

the last 10 years. I am still imagining the 

possibilities and going for the Gold, while 

helping our clients discover that it’s not 

how much you make, it’s how much you 

keep! As Nelson Mandela said, “It always 

seems impossible until it’s done”. It’s 

great to live, work and serve in Temecula. 

Esther Phahla is a Certified Public 

Accountant and Certified Tax Coach in 

Temecula. She is the Best-Selling Co-Author 

of a tax planning book “Why Didn’t 

My CPA Tell Me That”. She also holds a 

Master’s of Science in Taxation. She can 

be reached at (951) 514-2652 or visit www. 

estherphahlacpa.com 

estherphahlacpa.com




Don’t Rush to Flush, Be Smart! 

A Message from: Eastern Municipal 

Water District, Elsinore Valley Municipal 

Water District, Rancho California Water 

District, and Western Municipal Water 

District 

When rinsed down the drain or 

flushed down a toilet, fats, oils, and 

grease (FOG); prescription and overthe-counter 

medications and personal 

hygiene products can wreak havoc on 

the sewer system. Take these simple 

steps from your local water districts to 

help maintain a healthy sewer, ensuring 

the safety of our communities and environment. 

Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) 

To properly dispose of FOG products, 

mix them with absorbent waste materials 

like paper towels, coffee grounds, 

or kitty litter and place it in the trash. 

Also, make sure to wipe food scraps from 

plates and pans and dump them in the 

trash rather than your garbage disposal. 

Personal Hygiene Products 

Throw flushable wipes, cotton pads 

and swabs, and other personal hygiene 

products into the trash can. While “flushable” 

wipes infer that they can be flushed 

down the toilet, these wipes and other 

personal hygiene products get hung up 

on pumps and in pipes which cause major 

blockage in sewer systems. 

Don’t Rush to Flush Medications 

Dispose of unused medications 

using a pharmaceutical or homemade 

drug disposal pouch. Information for 

the proper disposal of medications is 

available through the Riverside County 

Department of Waste Resources and can 

be found online at rcwaste.org/Waste- 

Guide/Medication. 

The U.S Food and Drug Administration 

also provides steps to making 

your own at-home drug disposal pouch. 

Without crushing tablets or capsules, 

simply mix your medications with dirt, 

kitty litter, or used coffee grounds; place 

the mixture in a sealable zip-top plastic 

bag; and throw the sealed bag away in 

your household trash. 

Implementing these simple steps and 

having your sewer pipes inspected and 

cleaned periodically to eliminate harmful 

debris will ensure a healthy sewer system 

and a safe environment for our communities. 

For more information, please visit 

www.emwd.org/sewersmart 

emwd.org/sewersmart 

Water, Flood, Fire, Smoke, Mold Damage? 

With Pulido you are family. 

We will get you through this. 

The most trusted Restoration company in 

the Temecula valley since 1989 

Family Owned & Operated 

100% Background Checked Team 

Lic# 710901 

24/7/365 Emergency Service 

Fully Licensed, Bonded and Certified 

Insurance Approved and Preferred 

951-296-9090 

Teampulido.com 

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15 

EXECUTIVE PROFILE | Donald W. Hitzeman, Esq. 

I am the president and co-founder of the business 

law firm of Hitzeman & Evenson, APC, and have 

been practicing in the Temecula Valley since February 

of 2004 and have been licensed to practice 

law in California since 1983. My practice currently 

focuses on business transactional and litigation 

matters and estate planning. 

I was fortunate and honored to begin my legal 

career as an officer and attorney in the US Army 

Judge Advocate General’s Corps, serving for over 

8 years in Virginia, Europe, Washington, DC, 

and the Presidio of San Francisco. In the Army 

I practiced criminal law at the trial and appellate 

levels, and as a special prosecutor. I then spent 12 

years with the insurance defense firm of Parker 

& Irwin, as a shareholder and director, and was 

co-president/founder of Rosenstein & Hitzeman 

in Old Town Temecula. 

In addition to admission to the California Bar, I 

am also admitted to practice in the US Court of 

Appeals for the 9th Circuit, US Tax Court, US 

District Court for the Central and Southern Districts 

of California, and the US Court of Appeals 

for the Armed Forces. 

I am a graduate of Gonzaga University, Spokane, 

Washington, and Whittier College School of Law, 

serving as Executive Editor of the Whittier Law 

Review. 

I also served St. Catherine of Alexandria Church 

in various ministries, including its Parish Pastoral 

Council, beginning in 1996 and serving under 

three Pastors through January 2016, serving as its 

president for 11 of my 19 years on the Council. 

I also served on the Parish Finance Council for 

about 8 years and as Chair of two Building Fund 

Committees during that time. Mary and I are now 

pursuing studies and formation leading, God willing, 

to my ordination as a deacon in the Diocese of San 

Bernardino. 

We raised our five children in the Temecula Valley 

since moving here in late 1992, and Mary and I now 

enjoy spending time with our two grandchildren. 

We love this community and doing business where 

we live. 

Donald W. Hitzeman, Esq. 

NAFE Meeting in January to Feature Wanda Allen as Guest Speaker 

Come & Meet Wanda Allen, Author 

& Keynote Speaker Topic “Follow Up 

Sales Strategies” at the Temecula Nafe’s 

January 2nd meeting. 

Join Robbie Motter, Nafe Global Coordinator 

and Director of the Temecula 

Nafe Network on January 2nd at 6:00 

PM and hear a dynamic Speaker Wanda 

Allen, Author and keynote speaker. 

Please RSVP to Robbie Motter, 951- 

255-9200 or email rmotter@aol.com. 

Temecula currently has 39 members and 

is growing. 

This network meets the 1st Tuesday 

of each month at 6pm and each month 

there will be a dynamic speaker and time 

for networking and to let others know 

what you do and/or need as well as build 

relationships with other dynamic women 

like yourself. 

Wanda Allen is a National Keynote 

Speaker. Author and an expert on Follow 

Up strategies, so you will not want to 

miss this presentation. 

If follow up is a hard heavy “to do” 

then the Follow Up Sales Strategies 

Presentation is for you. You’ll learn that 

follow up is merely a matter of having 

effective habits and good systems in 

place. If you struggle getting your follow 

up work done, it’s not because you 

don’t have time, you’re not organized or 

you’re not good at sales...it’s because you 

haven’t learned the right skill set. Understanding 

this will help put you in the 

flow of ease of getting this all-important 

work done on a daily basis. 

In the Follow Up Sales Strategies 

Presentation, you’ll learn: 

• Why using a system is critical for 

success 

• Follow up systems that don’t work 

• How the right mindset will make the 

follow up process easier 

• Surprising sales statistics 

• Powerful results of effective follow 

up 

• Improving your follow up skills will 

help you get more clients and close 

more sales! 

About Our Speaker Wanda Allen: 

Wanda Allen is a national speaker, coach, 

author and award- winning business owner. 

She’s the author of Follow Up Savvy 

and Follow Up Sales Strategies. Wanda 

had a 25-year corporate career where she 

held the position of Senior Vice President 

for 15 years. She has a sales background 

and worked with sales teams throughout 

her corporate career. She gained extensive 

training on business development, 

maintaining client relationships and customer 

service. She has a strong skill set 

for developing systems and applied this 

skill to the follow up process. What she 

teaches is tried, tested and proven. After 

leaving the corporate world to pursue her 

own business ventures, Wanda founded 

her business, Follow Up Sales Strategies. 

She is an expert in helping entrepreneurs, 

business owners and sales professionals 

improve sales performance, increase 

pipelines and client retention and become 

more referable by developing strong 

follow up skills. 

Date: January 2, 2018 

Time 6:00 PM 

Location: Bamboo House 27473 Ynez 

Road, Temecula, CA 

Cost: $10.00 for Nafe Members, 

$15.00 for guests and then you order 

your dinner and pay the restaurant 

direct. 

RSVP to Robbie Motter 951-255- 

9200 or email rmotter@aol.com . Nafe 

soon will celebrate 46 years of serving 

women across the country. Our mission is 

to help women grow both personally and 

professionally. Check out www.wrnafe. 

com or www.nafe.com to learn more. 

In addition to the Temecula Nafe 

network, Nafe has others in Southern CA 

as well go to www.wrnafe.com and see 

a list of all our CA Nafe networks. Nafe 

Global Coordinator 951-255-9200 email 

rmotter@aol.com 

www.wrnafe.com www.nafe.com 

Marketing/PR Consultant, Event 

Planner, Author, National Certified 

Speaker, Host of Radio Show Diva Strategies 

for Success on Blog Talk Radio. 

https://www.facebook.com/robbiemottermenifee 

www.robbiemotter.com 

Monthly Staff Writer, Menifee & 

Murrieta Buzz, and E the Magazine for 

Executive Women 

www.menifeebuzz.com. VP of 

Membership for the GFWC Menifee/Sun 

City Woman’s Club - www.gfwcmenifeesuncity.com. 

PR Chair Menifee Valley 

Lions Club & GFWC.Menifee. Sun City 

Woman’s Club. Check out the link for 

Nafe networks www.wrnafe.com




PWR Features 

‘State of the Cities with 

Mayors Matt Rahn & 

Jonathan Ingram 

Make Your Estate Plan Your New Year’s 

Resolution 

by Andrea Shoup 

LEGAL 

by by 

Andrea Steve Fillingim Shoup 

The New Year is the perfect time to 

think of your family’s future and financial 

well-being, and one way to do that 

is through estate planning. By creating 

an estate plan, you give everyone the 

peace of mind that your affairs are in 

order, and they will be taken care of 

even when you are gone. 

What Exactly Does an Estate Plan 

Do for My Family? 

An estate plan is the best way to 

ensure that your assets and resources 

will be distributed in the best way, and 

free of complications or conflict. In the 

modern world it is really a necessity 

rather than a luxury to have a solid 

estate plan. 

Here are the main advantages of 

having an estate plan: 

• Maintaining control over your assets 

by choosing your representative 

• Asset distribution through a will or 

trust to your heirs 

• Avoiding probate court and inheritance 

statutes 

• Minimize estate taxes and capital 

gains taxes 

• Provide for minor children through 

a trust and guardian 

• Create powers of attorney for health 

care and financial decisions 

• Create an advanced health care directive 

to manage medical decisions 

• Charitable giving strategies and tax 

reduction 

All of these steps ease the stress 

and complexity of handling your resources 

when you die, and gives your 

family the assurance that you have 

given thought to your final wishes. 

If you don’t make an estate plan, 

then the distribution of your assets and 

care of children will be decided by state 

law and probate courts, and your family 

may have little say in the outcome. So, 

making an estate plan is one of the best 

gifts that you can give to your family 

members. 

How Do I Get Started on My Estate 

Plan? 

Most people will use an estate 

planning attorney to advise them on the 

best methods and documents for their 

own unique situation. An attorney can 

guide you through the entire planning 

process, draft the documents and be 

available at any time for questions or 

updates if there are changes in your 

family or finances. Working with an 

experienced attorney will ensure your 

family is protected and your plan is 

developed correctly. The nominal 

investment in creating your estate plan 

is truly a thoughtful and useful gift for 

your family, and you can take time in 

the New Year to share with them the 

details. It is a great way to show appreciation 

and bring the family closer 

together. 

If you have questions about estate planning, 

or want to get started on a plan, 

please contact Estate Planning Attorney 

Andrea K. Shoup at 951-445-4114. 

Mayor Matt Rahn 

Temecula Mayor Matt Rahn - Dr. 

Matt Rahn has over twenty years’ experience 

in higher education and university 

research, and as a land use and policy professional. 

He received his Bachelor’s and 

Master’s degrees from the University of 

Nevada Reno, his Ph.D. from UC Davis, 

and his law degree from the University of 

San Diego. Throughout his career he has 

tackled some of the most fundamental 

issues facing our region, including water 

quality, water management, public safety, 

wildfires, transportation, renewable energy, 

agriculture, and open space. Matt has a 

unique background that brings a valuable 

perspective and insight to the City. 

Matt began working in the City of Temecula 

in early 2000, ultimately engaging 

in some of the largest most consequential 

projects in our region. In 2005, he began 

representing San Diego State University 

in alliance with the City of Temecula, in 

the long seven-year battle over the Liberty 

Quarry. He has also worked on projects 

that have improved our infrastructure, increased 

our regional energy independence, 

Mayor Jonathan 

Ingram 

improved our air quality, and enhanced 

our overall quality of life. 

Murrieta Mayor Jonathan Ingram - 

Jonathan and his wife Melody of thirty 

years moved to Murrieta so that they could 

live in a beautiful and safe community. 

They also had their daughters in mind 

when they began to settle down and have 

children of their own. Jonathan wanted his 

grandchildren to be raised in a safe and 

friendly community. The remarkable residents 

of Murrieta embraced their family 

and today Jonathan is proud that his entire 

family lives and works in Murrieta. 

Jonathan has over thirty years of experience 

in the construction industry and is a 

master electrician and property construction 

specialist by trade. In the past he has 

worked with the PILOT programs across 

Southern California in the aftermath of the 

Northridge earthquake, was a subcontractor 

for major retail chains, biotechnical 

companies, with medical providers as 

a tenant improvement specialist, in the 

home inspection industry, and currently 

is a property management consultant who 

works closely with leasing brokers, storage 

facilities, contractors, stakeholders, 

small businesses, and business marketing 

professionals. 

This meeting is Thursday, January 4th 

from 11:15 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at 8bit Brewing 

Company located at 26755 Jefferson 

Ave., Ste. F in Murrieta. (951) 677-2322. 

RSVP is a must. The cost to attend the 

luncheon meeting is $20.00 for members 

and $25.00 for guests. Must pay online 

at www.pwronline.org the Monday before 

or $25.00 at the door for all. 

We meet the first Thursday of every 

month. Join PWR for our monthly lunch 

meeting. Registration begins at 11:15 a.m. 

For more information visit our website 

www.pwronline.org. The Professional 

Women’s Roundtable (PWR) is a 

non-profit, 501c3, women’s organization, 

dedicated to helping women succeed 

through mentoring by example, powerful 

speakers, educational workshops and, of 

course, networking! 

The Professional Women’s Roundtable 

invites all professional women and 

PWR members to attend the meetings 

every first Thursday of the month. For 

reservations and more information visit 

www.pwronline.org. For more information, 

please contact: Annette LaRocque: 

951-300-6676.




Eminent Domain: What You Need to Know Before Agreeing to Anything 

17 

LEGAL 

by 

John Messina, Esq. 

Eminent domain is the constitutional 

power that the government 

uses to acquire people’s property and 

convert it to public projects such as 

roads, sewers, and storm drains. Eminent 

domain can be used to take all a 

person’s property or only a portion of 

it. It is also used to acquire temporary 

use of the property or to compensate 

a person when a public improvement 

negatively impacts their property. 

Regardless of the taking, the Fifth 

Amendment provides the government 

may only exercise this power if they 

provide just compensation to property 

owners. 

Generally, the government, directly 

through their agencies or private 

sector real estate representatives, 

first tries to negotiate a “fair deal” 

with the property owner. In nearly all 

instances, negotiations are initiated by 

the government before any lawyers 

get involved. This is no accident – 

in general the government does not 

want you to have the benefit of your 

lawyer’s input during the process. 

The government representative, employing 

all the skills of a snake oil 

salesman, will attempt to persuade the 

property owner to take egregiously 

unfair government offers without 

being informed about things like just 

compensation and allocation of risks. 

Not to long ago we represented a 

property owner whose land was needed 

temporarily during the excavation 

and construction of a storm drain. This 

project involved the excavation of a 

400-foot ditch wide and deep enough 

to bury a nearly eight-foot diameter 

cement pipe. This was a substantial 

construction project involving numerous 

workers and heavy equipment— 

and 

Mary E. Gram, Esq. 

dangerous work to be sure. Not only did 

the city government make a ridiculously 

low offer of compensation, it included 

as a condition that the property owner 

would assume all liability if anyone 

was injured during construction. This 

city initiated project was of no benefit 

to the property owner, and the attempt 

to pass off liability onto him was clearly 

contrary to his best interest and quite 

frankly, offered in bad faith. 

In addition, along the pathway of 

the intended construction was a huge 

50-year-old pine tree whose roots 

would be severed while digging the 

ditch. While there was less than a 50% 

chance the tree would survive, the city 

offered no concession for the economic, 

aesthetic, and psychological impact to 

the property owner in dealing with the 

future consequences of the likely death 

of this huge tree after the government 

project was completed. 

The property owner realized he was 

being taken advantage of and retained 

our counsel. We were able to negotiate 

fair compensation for the property owner 

which was tens of thousands more 

than the initial offer and shift the risk 

of injury or mishap to the city where it 

rightfully belonged – exactly what the 

government hoped to avoid by negotiating 

without any lawyers involved. 

In another case, the governmental 

entity sought to acquire a commercial 

property located along the path of a 

freeway widening project. The building 

was fully occupied by high paying 

commercial tenants who enjoyed the 

visibility of their premises and signage 

to the hundreds of thousands of potential 

customers driving by each day on the 

freeway. Shockingly, before eminent 

domain negotiations were commenced, 

representatives from a governmentally 

retained non-public agency approached 

all the tenants and offered them money 

to move, leaving the owner without 

rental income until the suites could be 

re-leased. 

Then, after the eminent domain 

proceeding formally commenced, while 

purporting to establish fair compensation 

for the freeway-adjacent property, 

the government’s appraisers gave no 

weight to the fact the commercial property 

obviously substantially benefitted 

from its visibility to potential customers 

passing on the freeway. Instead, the 

government appraiser’s analysis of fair 

value was based on the visibility afforded 

to the property by the minimal traffic 

that passed on an adjacent frontage road. 

Based on this patently improper analysis 

of the desirability of the commercial 

location, the government’s initial offer 

was absurdly low. 

After receiving the lowball offer, 

the property owner wisely realized he 

needed legal representation, and before 

it was too late, he contacted our firm. 

An economic analysis performed by 

appraisers retained at our firm’s behest 

demonstrated that the government’s 

offer was more than a million dollars 

below the market value that this high 

visibility location warranted. Our firm 

was able to negotiate a final settlement 

for our client with compensation very 

close to our opinion of value. We were 

also able to obtain compensation for all 

lost rental income incurred because of 

the improper actions by government’s 

hired representatives. 

These are just a couple of examples 

of the types of potential harm a property 

owner can face when the government 

exercises its power of eminent domain to 

take property for public use. The lesson 

is clear --the time to retain counsel when 

you learn your property is targeted for 

eminent domain is immediately—when 

you are first approached. The sooner 

competent eminent domain counsel is 

brought in, the less likely you will be 

subjected to the dubious and, in many 

instances improper conduct of government 

representatives. 

You can rest assured that, behind the 

scenes, the government has lawyers with 

tons of experience on their side before 

they even begin the eminent domain 

process. Experience teaches us that they 

are not using all that knowledge and 

expertise to benefit the property owner. 

Property owners need representation 

from experienced eminent domain counsel 

to protect their interests and even the 

playing field. 

Messina & Hankin has a Temecula 

Valley Law Office – contact 

information (951) 894-7332 – 

JMessina@MessinaHankinLaw.com. 

“ 

The lesson is clear — 

the time to retain 

counsel when you learn 

your property is targeted 

for eminent domain 

is immediately — when 

you are first 

approached. The sooner 

competent eminent 

domain counsel is 

brought in, the less likely 

you will be subjected to 

the dubious and, in many 

instances improper 

conduct of government 

representatives.




Darlene Wetton, CEO, Temecula Valley Hospital, receiving the Top General 

Hospital Award on stage with Leah Binder, President and CEO, The Leapfrog 

Group, along with the Leapfrog Governing Board. 

Temecula Valley Hospital 

Earns National Award for 

Quality 

Youth Engaged in Serving Seniors 

Bringing the youth and senior community 

together proved to be just one way 

the Rotary Club of Temecula is making a 

difference in Temecula and surrounding 

areas. The Interact Clubs in Temecula 

and Murrieta and Boy Scout Pack 301 

rose early one Saturday to help Senior 

citizens who were in need. Many of our 

Senior citizens in the South Riverside 

area have fixed and limited incomes. In 

addition, many have health issues making 

it difficult for them to accomplish simple 

things such as changing a light bulb or 

weeding the yard. 

The Rotary Club of Temecula’s Senior 

Outreach Committee reached out to 

their sponsored high school Interact clubs 

(a junior Rotary program) and local Boy 

Scouts of America Pack 301 and invited 

them to participate in our Senior Service 

days and they said YES!!! The youth community 

along with our aging population 

have a chance to get to know one another. 

It provides an opportunity for local youth 

to learn more about the senior population, 

learn the value and reward of service, and 

help someone in need. 

aged in Serving Seniors (YESS) is 

always on a Saturday morning and coordinated 

by the Senior Outreach Committee 

of the Rotary Club of Temecula. Projects 

are scheduled from August 2017- May 

2018 and are funded by the Rotary Club 

of Temecula’s only major fundraiser 

“Taste of the World” and through Grants 

from Rotary International. To learn more 

about the Rotary Club of Temecula’s Taste 

of the World fundraiser and how you can 

help support the efforts of bridging our 

community’s youth and seniors visit www. 

rotarycluboftemecula.com. 

The Rotary Club of Temecula meets 

every Wednesday 12:00pm at the Claim 

Jumper Restaurant, 29540 Rancho California 

in Temecula, and we invite you to 

visit to learn more about our local projects 

that are making a difference in our community. 

Come be a part of the effort and 

enjoy a free lunch on us! 

Highlighting its nationally recognized 

achievements in patient safety 

and quality, Temecula Valley Hospital 

was named a Top General Hospital by 

The Leapfrog Group for the first time. 

The Leapfrog Top Hospital award is 

widely acknowledged as one of the 

most competitive honors American 

hospitals can receive. The Top Hospital 

designation is awarded by The Leapfrog 

Group, an independent hospital watchdog 

organization. 

“Receiving the Leapfrog Top Hospital 

honor is something that our physicians 

and staff should be very proud of. 

Only 6 hospitals in California received 

the Top General Hospital award,” said 

Darlene Wetton, CEO, Temecula Valley 

Hospital. “Our team values quality and 

patient safety as the core of the care 

we provide to our community. The 

Top Hospital designation is the gold 

standard for comparing hospitals on 

safety, quality, and efficiency, empowering 

patients the lifesaving information 

they need to make informed decisions 

on where to receive their healthcare.” 

Among thousands of hospitals in 

the country, Temecula Valley Hospital 

received a Top General Hospital distinction, 

recognized nationally alongside 

45 Top General Hospitals, 6 of them 

in California. 

Performance across many areas of 

hospital care is considered in establishing 

the qualifications for the award, including 

infection rates and the hospital’s 

capacity to prevent medication errors. 

The rigorous standards are defined in 

each year’s Top Hospital Methodology. 

“We are proud to recognize Temecula 

Valley Hospital as a 2017 Leapfrog 

Top Hospital. This demonstrates extraordinary 

dedication to patients and 

the local community. The entire staff 

and board deserve praise for putting 

quality first and achieving results,” 

said Leah Binder, president and CEO 

of Leapfrog. 

To qualify for the Top Hospitals 

distinction, hospitals must submit a 

Leapfrog Hospital Survey. The selection 

of Top Hospitals 2017 is based on 

surveys from nearly 1,900 hospitals. To 

see the full list of institutions honored 

as 2017 Top Hospitals, visit www. 

leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals. 

About the Leapfrog Group - Founded 

in 2000 by large employers and 

other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group 

is a national nonprofit organization 

driving a movement for giant leaps 

forward in the quality and safety of 

American health care. The flagship 

Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects 

and transparently reports hospital performance, 

empowering purchasers to 

find the highest-value care and giving 

consumers the lifesaving information 

they need to make informed decisions. 

The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, 

Leapfrog’s other main initiative, assigns 

letter grades to hospitals based on 

their record of patient safety, helping 

consumers protect themselves and 

their families from errors, injuries, 

accidents, and infections. 

About Temecula Valley Hospital 

- Temecula Valley Hospital brings 

advanced technology, innovative 

programs, patient centered and family 

sensitive care to area residents. The 

hospital features 140 private patient 

rooms; 24 hour a day emergency care; 

advanced cardiac and stroke care; 

orthopedics; and general and surgical 

specialties. For more information, visit 

www.temeculavalleyhospital.com 

temeculavalleyhospital.com 

Azusa Pacific University Faculty Speaking at 

February 7th School of Education 

Information Meeting 

The School of Education at Azusa 

Pacific University (APU) equips teachers 

and school counselors for excellence 

and leadership in educational settings. 

The APU Murrieta Regional Campus 

is hosting a free Graduate & Credential 

Information Meeting on Wednesday, 

February 7, 2018, from 5:45 pm – 7:30 

pm at 40508 Murrieta Hot Springs Road 

(to the right of Sam’s Club). Attendees 

will be entered into a raffle. 

This information meeting will cover 

key topics including: program information, 

admissions requirements, navigating 

the application process, and important 

dates and deadlines. This meeting is 

also a great opportunity for prospective 

students to speak with APU School of 

Education faculty and/or advisors. 

The APU Murrieta Campus offers a 

variety of graduate degrees and teaching 

credentials. Among these are Kindergarten 

through 12th Grade combined 

teaching credentials and master’s degrees 

plus the Masters in School Counseling 

programs. 

Boy Scout pack 301 members 

APU’s School of Education has 

earned these notable accreditations: 

WSCUC Western Association of Schools 

and Colleges Senior College and University 

Commission, CTC (Commission on 

Teacher Credentialing), CAEP (Council 

for the Accreditation of Educator 

Preparation, a national accreditor), and 

the NASP (The National Association of 

School Psychologists). 

APU is a leading Christian university 

and continues to be recognized annually 

among the nation’s best colleges by U.S. 

News & World Report and The Princeton 

Review. The APU Murrieta Regional 

Center is proud to be a part of Southwest 

Riverside County for over 30 years. 

The February 7th information meeting 

is for adults and their guests (age 

18+). To RSVP for the event go to: 

murrieta@apu.edu. If you have questions 

or would like to RSVP by phone, 

please call (951) 304-3400. To learn 

more about APU and these programs 

visit www.apu.edu/murrieta 

apu.edu/murrieta



EDUCATION 

by 

by 

Drake Levasheff, PhD. 

Steve Fillingim 

January is the season for resolutions, 

and if you are like most people, you probably 

have a few. Perhaps they’re related 

to self-improvement: exercise or eating 

habits, the amount of TV you watch, or 

your use of technology. 

For a few of us, the resolutions lead 

us to a better life, greater intentionality, 

or a healthier body. But if you’re like 

me, you run into problems and end up 

dropping most of your resolutions by 

the start of February. I’ve got to admit 

that I faith to keep my resolutions every 

year; but, for some reason, I get to 

January and assume that something’s 

going to be different this year. I want 

to live a better life, and I think, maybe, 

I’ll be able to bring greater discipline or 

commitment to the process this time. I 

know I’m not alone in this! By the time 

March rolls along, the die is cast, and all 

we have left as evidence for our efforts 

are lightly used fitness equipment and 

unwanted credit card charges. While it’s 

great for the broader economy, it isn’t for 

our personal economy. (Though I guess 

an old dumbbell can sometimes come 

in handy!) 

If resolutions aren’t going to help us 

make the change we want, then what do 

we do? Eugene Peterson, pastor and au- 



thor of The Message Bible translation offers 

this suggestion based on the thought 

of ethicist Stanley Hauerwas: “If we want 

to change our way of life, acquiring the 

right image is far more important than 

diligently exercising willpower. Willpower 

is a notoriously sputtery engine 

on which to rely for internal energy, but a 

right image silently and inexorably pulls 

us into its field of reality.” 

In other words, a compelling narrative 

or vision carries us farther than 

brute-force determination. So, we are 

well served to latch onto an inspirational 

story or a vivid picture of what could be 

if things come together. Because such 

images carry us forward. 

What does it mean for me? One of 

my greatest desires is to avoid being 

distracted by my cell phone and infotainment, 

and to give more time to my 

daughter Jessie, who will be a teenager 

before I know it. To that end, I think 

about my father-in-law and consider the 

difference his attention made on my wife 

when she was a preteen. I concentrate 

on the smile on Jessie’s face that comes 

when she feels valued and deeply connected 

to me. When I hold those images 

in my heart, I can do anything. 

What does it mean for you? Only 

you can decide that. But, to start, perhaps 

means setting aside recycled resolutions 

from last year so that you can concentrate 

on a vision for a better future, a picture 

of the good that may come. 

Dr. Drake Levasheff is Senior Director 

of Azusa Pacific University’s Murrieta 

Regional Campus. He can be reached 

via email at dlevasheff@apu.edu. 

dlevasheff@apu.edu 

19 

Azusa Pacific University Information 

Meeting: Bachelor Degrees in Psychology & Criminal Justice 

Make your next career move! 

Come start the conversation about 

finishing your bachelor’s degree in 

Psychology or Criminal Justice. Azusa 

Pacific University (APU) Murrieta 

Regional Campus is hosting a free Information 

Meeting on Thursday, February 

8, 2018, from 5:45 pm – 7:30 pm 

at 40508 Murrieta Hot Springs Road, 

Murrieta (to the right of Sam’s Club). 

The information meeting will 

cover program information and admissions 

requirements. This is an 

excellent opportunity to hear from 

and speak with the Program Directors. 

Attendees will be entered into a raffle. 

The benefit of APU Murrieta is 

that students living or working in the 

Inland Empire can earn a degree from 

APU right in their backyard! 

• APU offers degree programs that 

are non-impacted along with rolling 

enrollment that allows students 

to enroll at six different start times 

throughout the year 

• Accelerated programs allow students 

to finish their degree faster 

• Convenient scheduling with classes 

just one or two nights per week 

• Classes offered face-to-face on campus 

• Classes become a community with 

fewer students per class, individuals 

can connect more closely with their 

peers and instructors 

• Tuition discounts are available for 

qualifying applicants 

Attention to excellence has earned APU 

notable accreditations including: 

• Western Association of Schools and 

Colleges Senior College and University 

Commission (WSCUS) 

• American Psychological Association 

(APA) 

APU is a leading Christian university 

and continues to be recognized annually 

among the nation’s best colleges 

by U.S. News & World Report and The 

Princeton Review. The APU Murrieta 

Regional Campus is proud to be a part 

of Southwest Riverside County for 

over 30 years. APU is a Yellow Ribbon 

University, Military Friendly School, 

and Best for Vets College. 

The February 8th information meeting 

is for adults and their guests (age 18+). 

If you have questions or would like 

to RSVP please call (951) 304-3400. 

To learn more about APU and these 

programs visit www.apu.edu/murrieta 

apu.edu/murrieta




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The Most Surprising 

Thing You Can Do to 

Save Money 

21 

When you think about saving money, 

you probably picture yourself going 

on a “financial diet” of sorts. Maybe 

you know that you overindulge in daily 

coffees, go out to the movies too often 

when you could stay at home and use 

Netflix, or some other regular indulgence 

that seems a bit frivolous. And sure, you 

could save five bucks here or ten dollars 

there, but these aren’t enormous changes 

that will drastically renovate your budget. 

For many of us, there are one or 

two lifestyle changes we could make 

right now, that might save us thousands 

of dollars in the long run. And it might 

surprise you to learn what those are. 

Exercise regularly. Exercise isn’t 

just for people who want to look good in a 

swimsuit or compete in athletic events. It’s 

one of the best things you can do for your 

health! People who exercise regularly are 

less likely to be overweight, or develop 

heart disease or many other chronic 

problems like diabetes. They also tend to 

be happier overall, and live longer lives. 

Fix your diet. A recent study by 

Johns Hopkins University found that 

only 11 percent of adults eat the proper 

amount of fruits and veggies each day 

(three servings of vegetables and two 

servings of fruit, that is). So why does 

this matter? A diet low in produce can 

lead to the following diseases and disorders 

(and these are just a few examples): 

• Night blindness from low vitamin A 

• General weakness from magnesium 

deficiency 

• Hemorrhaging from vitamin K 

deficiency 

• Irregular heartbeat from low potassium 

• Depression from low vitamin B 6 

• Anemia and GI tract problems from 

a lack of folate 

• Constipation, hemorrhoids, and diverticulitis 

• Cancers of various types 

• Diabetes 

• High blood pressure 

• Heart disease 

• Obesity and all of the complications 

that come along with being overweight 

Okay, you already knew these 

changes can keep you healthy. But how 

do they save you money? 

The answer: Healthcare! No matter 

what type of health insurance you have, 

you probably have some deductible, copays, 

and so on. You might have to pay 

for part of prescription medications and 

a portion of each doctor visit. And what 

about days or weeks off of work, when 

you’re ill or need treatments? Your health 

can seriously impact your career, along 

with your earnings. 

Then there’s retirement to think 

about: The average 65-year-old couple 

retiring today can expect to spend about 

$245,000 on healthcare over the course 

of their retirement years (according to 

Fidelity Investments). Not only will poor 

health cost you money now, it will impact 

enjoyment of your retirement years when 

you’re living on a fixed income. 

Yes, healthy food might cost slightly 

more (although it doesn’t always, 

depending on your current diet). But a 

healthy lifestyle is well worth it in the 

long run. You can prevent many chronic 

health problems from ever developing, 

just by exercising regularly and eating 

your fruits and veggies. 

Of course, health insurance premiums 

can be a difficult obstacle for 

everyone. Now that Open Enrollment 

is rapidly approaching, give us a call to 

schedule a chat. We can help you compare 

your options and locate the right 

health insurance plan for you. 

Steve Amante is the owner of Amante & 

Associates Insurance Solutions, Inc. He 

can be reached at 951-676-8800 - www. 

amanteandassociates.com 

amanteandassociates.com 

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Living 

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Cholesterol - The Big Fat Truth 

An interesting phenomenon seems 

to occur every year around this time, and 

after much self-analysis and reflection I 

have come to a most likely causation of 

this phenomenon: I love food. And it 

appears I love it enough to possibly eat 

to much, which may explain why I need 

a new belt for Christmas. That being 

said, I thought to implement a plan to 

counter my well-earned plumpness, and 

so I decided to increase my fitness routine 

along with the Ketogenic “diet”. 

To those unaware, the Keto plan is 

high fat, moderate protein and very low 

carbohydrate. I mentioned this to a few 

of my patients and friends and some of 

the responses I got back shook me up a 

bit. “Don’t you know what that will do 

to your cholesterol levels?”, “that diet 

is so hard on your kidneys”, and many 

other comments from my well-meaning 

friends. Because we could take up this 

entire journal debating the pros and cons 

of the hundreds of “diets” circulating 

around out there, just know I am confident 

and comfortable with the Ketogenic 

diet, for me, and we can leave it at that. 

Statement #2- Total cholesterol 

levels in the blood have almost zero influence 

on cardiovascular disease(CVD) 

and/or stroke. 

Statement #3- Saturated fat (butter, 

meats, bacon, etc.) intake has no effect 

on CVD. Now that I have dropped that 

bomb, lets dig a little deeper into the 

realities of those statements. 

75% of your bodies cholesterol is 

produced by your liver, with the remaining 

25% arriving via your food intake. 

Increasing your intake of healthy fats 

raises the levels of good HDL cholesterol 

and decreases the level of triglycerides 

and bad LDL cholesterol, which are the 

true markers for CVD, not total cholesterol 

as many people believe. Processed 

carbohydrates, grains and sugars along 

with polyunsaturated fats (soybean oil, 

corn oil and sunflower oil to name a few) 

release cytokines into the system which 

in turn creates an aggressive inflammatory 

reaction within the vessels. It is this 

chronic inflammation which causes the 

scarring and subsequent narrowing of the 

blood vessels. 

With over 25% of the U.S. population on cholesterol 

lowering statin drugs and the incidence of 

cardiovascular disease and stroke climbing every 

year, the truth needs to be told. 

What I can’t leave alone are the outdated 

and incorrect misconceptions regarding 

cholesterol, fats, carbohydrates and how 

they affect your health and longevity. 

With over 25% of the U.S. population 

on cholesterol lowering statin drugs 

and the incidence of cardiovascular disease 

and stroke climbing every year, the 

truth needs to be told. There continue 

to be individuals and/or organizations 

even today which push the low-fat, high 

carb diet as a means to lose weight. If 

you are seeking obesity, type II Diabetes, 

cholesterol abnormalities and metabolic 

syndrome as your long-term goal, then by 

all means, low-fat-high carb it is. 

The next few statements may startle 

some, and will most likely aggravate 

some, but my hopes are that they will 

awaken others to stay up to date on the 

current research as it pertains to your 

health. 

Statement #1- Dietary cholesterol 

has almost zero influence on your blood 

cholesterol levels. 

The Standard American Diet (SAD) 

has Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratios somewhere 

between 15:1 and 30:1, when a 

healthy ratio is close to 3:1. Switching 

over to healthy oils such as avocado, 

olive and coconut in addition to adding 

grass fed butter and meats would bring 

us much closer to a healthy ratio. Please 

don’t be sucked into the old school thinking 

that fat makes you fat. Eating the 

wrong fats in combination with dumping 

your system with too much Insulin, as 

a result of excessive bad carbs, is what 

contributes to fat gain. Next month I 

will tie this in with the current research 

on statin medications and the pros and 

cons as they relate to your health as well 

as specific research articles relating to 

todays discussion. I pray you all had a 

blessed year and that 2018 is better yet. 

Dr. Derek K. Albrecht D.C. is a partner 

at OsteoStrong in Murrieta as well as 

continuing in his private practice. For 

more information, call (951) 461-9584.


Time for 



23 

January seems like the perfect time 

to reset in several areas of our lives. 

It’s also a great time for detoxification. 

When a new year begins many of us are 

motivated to re-organize our lives to 

become healthier, happier, and more in 

control. Detoxing is the perfect way to 

revive our bodies so they can function 

more efficiently and gain resilience. 

Unfortunately, conventional medicine 

doesn’t always acknowledge toxicity 

as an important health concern, but 

numerous studies have shown that it can 

be the underlying cause to may chronic 

symptoms. You can compare toxins in 

your body to dirt in an engine. A dirty 

engine cannot run well because the parts 

won’t make contact with one another. 

When our bodies “biological engine” 

is full of toxins the communication 

between its major systems won’t run 

well. That’s why it’s important that we 

make time to clean our engines! 

How do you start a detox? Begin 

by lightening your toxic load. 

Eliminate coffee, alcohol, cigarettes, 

saturated fats, and refined sugars even 

if it’s just for a short time. These are 

all obstacles in your healing process. 

A diet that supports eliminating toxins 

consists of plenty of organic, fresh vegetables 

and fruit and moderate amount 

of water. Exercise is also a great detoxifier 

as well as a great night’s sleep. A 

probiotic with at least 8 to 10 strains of 

organisms enhances nutrient absorption 

and decreases inflammation. 

Once you have things running 

smoothly on the inside, it’s time to focus 

on the outside. Start by exfoliating 2 

to 3 times a week with cleanser that has 

exfoliating particles. Using a clay mask 

1- 2 times a week is also a helpful way 

to pull out impurities in the skin. Now 

that you’ve whisked away the oil and 

dead skin, maintain it by using a moisturizer 

with sunscreen and antioxidants 

like Vitamin C. 

I encourage you to start off this 

year with a detox! There are also 

several programs out there that you 

can research that fit your budget and 

schedule if you’d like to have a specific 

plan. Make this year the year that you 

reclaim your health! 

Monique deGroot is the owner of Murrieta 

Day Spa which is located at 41885 

Ivy St. in Murrieta. 

Healthy 

Living 

by 

Tina Monique M. Gottlieb, deGroot D.C. 

Michelle’s Place Hosts Educational Seminar on 

Nutrition and Cancer 

Michelle’s Place is thrilled to host 

an educational seminar - Nutrition and 

Cancer: New Research and Resources 

- Tuesday, January 9th from 6:30 - 8:00 

pm at the Center in Temecula. Jerry 

Hizon, MD is a family medicine and 

primary care sports medicine physician 

in Murrieta will lead the seminar. 

Good nutrition is important for 

cancer patients. Eating the right kinds 

of foods before, during, and after cancer 

treatment can help the patient feel better 

and stay stronger. Nutrition therapy 

is used to help cancer patients keep a 

healthy body weight, maintain strength, 

keep body tissue healthy, and decrease 

side effects both during and after treatment. 

Recently, the ketogenic diet has 

received attention for its successes in 

reducing tumor size. This will be a major 

focus of linking nutrition and cancer. 

Jerry Hizon, MD, specializes in 

family practice and medical services 

for athletes, people who enjoy sports 

recreationally, and those interested in 

complementary medicine. In the past, 

he has worked as a sports physician for 

a number of professional football events 

including serving as the medical team 

physician for the San Diego Chargers. 

As a sports physician and nutrition 

coach, Dr. Hizon is proud to serve his 

community as well as his private practice 

patients. 

Over the past two years, he has 

transitioned to a ketogenic diet, and has 

researched the many benefits it can bring 

to cancer patients. A ketogenic diet can 

help to increase energy, alleviate stress 

level and achieve an overall decrease in 

physiological inflammation. Whether 

you’re looking to lose weight, manage 

a chronic medical condition, or simply 

want to overhaul your eating habits, 

changing your diet for the better is one 

of the best ways to improve your overall 

health. 

This seminar is open to the public. 

To RSVP visit michellesplace.org/ 

seminar-rsvp or call (951) 699-5455. 

Michelle’s Place is a full-service breast 

cancer resource center providing free resources 

to women and families impacted 

by breast cancer in our community. The 

Center is located at 27645 Jefferson 

Avenue, Suite 117 in Temecula.




To our greatly valued advertisers and 

friends - thank you for your business 

in 2017. It has been a pleasure helping 

you reach your goals, and we look 

forward to serving you again in 2018. 

We wish you a wonderful new 

year filled with abundance, joy, and 

treasured moments. 

May this year be your best 

year ever! 

Linda Wunderlich, 

~ Editor/Publisher/CEO


Coasting Downhill in Neutral 



25 

REAL ESTATE 

by by 

Gene Steve Wunderlich Fillingim 

Well, we’re in the home stretch of 

2017 and we’re just kind of coasting 

through the next few weeks, down a 

gentle slope applying neither gas nor 

brakes. Kind of like when you were in 

college and too broke to buy gas so you 

saved a few pennies by free-rolling your 

car whenever you could. (Or was that 

just me?) With the possible exception 

of Congressional Republicans, there’s 

no sense of urgency right now. Let’s 

get through this year and see what 2018 

brings. Depending on what H.R.1. finally 

looks like, and which ‘expert’ you listen 

to, the housing market will either be a 

little better, a little worse, or about the 

same next year. I agree. 

Regardless, we’ll still be facing a 

housing shortage of staggering proportion 

in California - about 1 million units 

short of what’s needed over the past decade. 

Our region currently leads the state 

in construction job growth right now so 

that means our cities are addressing the 

issue. Thank you. I know it’s a balancing 

act between adding more residents, 

keeping traffic moving, and bringing in 

more commercial base and jobs, but our 

region appears to be doing a far better job 

than many parts of the state. 

We’re finally starting to see an influx 

of those long-anticipated Millenial 

buyers moving into the market. Economists 

have been predicting this wave 

for the past five years and the leading 

edge of that wave started in 2017, albeit 

with a trickle rather than a flood. That’s 

probably good news because with the 

constrained inventory, a flood of new 

buyers would simply force prices into an 

even steeper appreciation incline which 

would, in turn, eliminate many of those 

new buyers from the market. In 2017, 

first-time buyers held steady at 34% of 

the market nationwide, (-30% in CA), but 

that’s well under the 40% historical rate 

considered to be a ‘normalized’ market. It 

should come as no surprise that if you’re 

a millennial living in California, buying 

your first home doesn’t come any harder, 

according to a recent survey. California 

ranked as the toughest state in the nation 

for first-time home buyers. 

Closer to home, November sales 

were a little more lackluster than anticipated. 

Not only were sales down 11% 

month-over-month (941 / 837), they 

were down 14% from last November. 

Based on pending sales in the pipeline 

for December, my prediction of 12,000 

sales for the region this year may be a 

bit rosy. We should still finish the year 

slightly ahead of last year, but by a slim 

margin of 2% of less. 

But while sales are definitely slowing 

toward year-end, prices continue 

their upward trajectory rising another 

1% month-over-month and maintaining 

a 7% lead year-to-date over 2016. Our 

regional price appreciation is slightly 

better than the state median increase of 

6.1%, while our median price remains 

nearly $200,000 below the state median 

(CA: $546,430 / SWCA: $350,009). 

Price stratification is forcing buyers out 

of coastal and urban core areas to more 

affordable inland areas. That same stratification 

prompts buyers who may find 

themselves priced out of local markets 

like Temecula and Murrieta to find their 

dream home in Menifee, Perris and 

Hemet. 

Inventory continues to be the sticking 

point, dropping another 7% monthover-month 

and declining 22% from last 

year. Our inventory has been on an almost 

steady decline. Since hitting peaks of 

2,500+ units back in mid-2015, it’s just 

1,618 units today. It doesn’t take a math 

major to figure out that if your inventory 

has been dropping for the past three 

years while sales have been increasing, 

you’re exerting upward price pressure 

as demand continues to outstrip supply. 

The statewide Housing Affordability 

Index (HAI) fell to 29% last month, 

meaning just 29% of our residents could 

afford a median price home in the state! 

Our region currently enjoys a 39% HAI, 

which isn’t great but better than most. 

Across the region we’ve got just a 1.9 

month supply of homes for sale, which 

is less than the 3 month supply statewide, 

and homes are flying off the market at a 

median time of 22.2 days. 

IF some forecasts are accurate, that 

enactment of H.R.1 slows demand and 

drops prices by some percent, maybe that 

will provide the breathing room our communities 

need to get ahead of the housing 

curve and infrastructure demand. I am 

very doubtful that the bill will have any 

negative impact on the housing market 

and will continue to suggest that SUPPLY 

= SOLUTION! Wishing you a healthy 

and prosperous New Year! 

Gene Wunderlich is the Government 

Affairs Director for Southwest Riverside 

County Association of Realtors. If you 

have questions on the market, please contact 

me at GAD@srcar.org or to keep up 

with the latest legislative and real estate 

trends go to http://gadblog.srcar.org/.




Transforming in 2018 

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 

Dust off the business plan and see 

how you executed over the past year 

looking for improvement opportunities. 

Self-inspect with an honest 

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities 

and Threats (SWOT) analysis and develop 

appropriate initiatives and mitigation 

plans. To prime your thinking 

consider these two areas. 

No matter what industry, how large 

or small your business, how can you 

provide better value and innovation? 

In their book Blue Ocean Strategy, 

Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne talk 

about value innovation, where “instead 

of focusing on beating the competition, 

you focus on making them irrelevant 

by creating a leap in value for buyers 

and your company, thereby opening 

up new and uncontested market 

space”. It is true that industries never 

stand still and they are continuously 

evolving. How about your industry? 

Think back a few years observing how 

it has changed. Hopefully you have 

come along with it. Do you offer new 

products or services? How are they 

delivered and marketed? Do you offer 

something that makes you the number 

one choice of customer’s? 

A second wave of change making 

its way through industry is Digital 

Transformation. This is simply about 

turning technology into business 

transformation. This might include 

flexible capacity capabilities or cloud 

and hybrid cloud usage. Both will be 

at an all-time implementation high 

this year. The questions to ask are, 

how do you use technology today and 

what better ways can you use it in the 

New Year? The use of tablets to bring 

point of sale to the customer or product 

information in the hands of the on-floor 

personnel are excellent examples. Is it 

time to upgrade some technology and 

implement a new style of IT? Lots 

of questions to ask in this area but be 

assured, your competition is looking 

at it. The best to you in 2018. 

Ted Saul is a business coach that assists 

with Business Plans and Project 

Management. He holds a master certificate 

in project management and has 

earned his MBA from Regis University. 

Ted can be reached on LinkedIn, 

TedS787 on Twitter or emailing Ted@ 

tsaul.com. 

by 

by 

Ted Saul, 


Sr. Staff Writer 

Share your expertise 

Your Local Chambers 

Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce 

www.temecula.org 

Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber of Commerce 

www.MWCoC.org 

Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce 

www.menifeevalleychamber.com 

Lake Elsinore Valley Chamber 

www.lakeelsinorechamber.com 

Hemet/San Jacinto Valley 


www.hsjvc.com 

See how the chambers can help your business. 

People are looking for what you know. 

Write articles for The Valley Business Journal 

and be the expert in your field. 

Contact publishertvbj@verizon.net for more information.


Southwest Healthcare System Recognized 


Southwest Healthcare System was recently 

recognized for being a long-standing 

member of the Temecula Valley 

Chamber of Commerce for 35 years. For 

over three decades, the hospital system has 

been a strong supporter of the chamber and 

its mission to promote positive economic 

growth while protecting the environment 

for all businesses and by doing so, assisting 

in supporting the programs which 

preserve and improve the quality of life 

for the entire community. 

Southwest Healthcare is one of the 

leading employers in Southwest Riverside 

County and partners with a wide variety of 

local and regional businesses. When the 

hospital system looks to develop a healthcare 

related event, a strategic business 

relationship, or to work with institutions 

of higher learning, they focus on local or 

regional businesses so that the hospital, 

business, and our communities, reap the 

benefits of people helping people and 

business helping business. 



“It is an honor to receive this recognition 

and more importantly it is with gratitude 

that we serve alongside the business 

community enhancing our already vibrant 

and thriving communities,” stated Brad 

Neet, Chief Executive Officer. 

Inland Valley Medical Center is the only 

hospital in the region to offer Level II 

Trauma Services, the region’s only Total 

Joint Center and is a nationally recognized 

center for weight-loss surgery by the 

Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation 

and Quality Improvement Program. 

Rancho Springs Medical Center features 

the largest Women’s Center in the region 

which includes the Rady Children’s Neonatal 

Intensive Care Unit (Rady San Diego: 

Ranked 5th in the nation for neonatal 

care) and the da Vinci © Robotic Surgical 

System performing the region’s first virtually 

no-scar single site procedures. 

“ 

It is an honor to receive this recognition 

and more importantly it is with gratitude 

that we serve alongside the business 

community enhancing our already vibrant 

and thriving communities,” stated Brad 

Neet, Chief Executive Officer 

27 

How Reliable is Your Backup? 

TECHNOLOGY 

by 

by 

Stefani 


Laszko 

If you are still reading this after 

reading my title, thank you -- though 

I am sure you’re thinking why is there 

another article on backup, right? Though 

this topic has already been covered we 

are still finding companies not protected. 

In the last 3 months we have had 2 new 

customers come to us with significant data 

loss. We’re talking shut the business down 

loss. Thankfully in both situations we were 

able to recover the data but what these 2 

companies also have in common is they 

thought they had a sufficient backup solution 

in place. They also spent thousands of 

dollars with us in man hours and expensive 

software to recover their data. 

Many considerations go into determining 

what type of backup makes the 

most sense for your business data. Onsite 

versus offsite, how much retention, how 

many computers and servers, how often 

you want to backup, etc. are all things to 

be considered. The three main options of 

computer backup are tape drive, disk to 

disk and cloud. 

Tape drive backup is the oldest 

method of backing up but it is still very 

reliable when used correctly though it 

does require human intervention. Along 

with being relatively expensive, a tape 

drive backup will not be of any use if the 

tapes are left onsite and a disaster occurs. 

I’ve heard of employees taking the tapes 

home with them but then you also run the 

risk of something happening to it when 

it’s out of the office. 

USB drives, external hard drives 

and network drives are all examples of 

Disk to Disk (D2D) backup systems. 

Compared to a tape backup system, 

a D2D solution is less expensive and 

much quicker. Again though, human 

intervention is involved and 

for higher level of protection the 

devices should not be kept under 

the same roof. 

Cloud backup solutions are 

understandably becoming the standard 

among small to medium size 

businesses. Most importantly, cloud 

solutions are safe from burglary and 

natural disasters, easily accessible 

from an Internet connection and 

there’s no physical device to lose 

or break. Human intervention is 

also minimal; often you are just 

looking for a “backup successful” 

indicator. The downside is that 

you’re entrusting your information 

to someone else so you must feel 

comfortable with a company you 

are working with and ensure that 

they are utilizing proper safeguards 

such as encryption. 

Back up is a boring topic but ridiculously 

important. You may even think 

you’ve got a stellar system in place but 

have you tested it? Do you have an onsite 

backup for quick retrievals and an offsite 

backup for complete restores? As much 

as you’d like to deal with this topic once 

and then move on it really does need to 

be an ongoing business function much 

like balancing your books every month. A 

backup system can be reporting positive 

backups but if you are not periodically 

verifying the integrity of the data, you 

may have a false sense of security. 

Regardless of the method you 

choose, proper setup, ongoing verification 

of successful backups and periodic 

testing is the key to protecting your data. 

Just ask someone who has lost their 

QuickBooks files or years of customer 

data and they’ll tell you how important 

it is to have a proper backup solution in 

place, giving you the peace of mind that 

your data is protected. 

Mythos Technology is an IT consulting 

and management firm. For more information, 

please visit www.mythostech.com




Senator STONe Honors 


On Thursday, December 14th, 

Senator Jeff Stone (R-Riverside County) 

presented his 2017 ‘Large Business 

of the Year” Award to BMW Management, 

owners and operators of Sizzler 

restaurants in the 28th Senate District 

and across California. 

“It was an honor to present this 

award to Gary and Sally Myers and 

BMW Management for all they have 

done for more than 34 years in our 

community,” said Senator Stone. “Not 

only have they been great business 

leaders in the community, they’ve been 

good friends.” 

In 1983 Gary and Sally moved to 

Temecula and decided to take a chance 

and open their first Sizzler restaurant 

on Jefferson Avenue. At that time the 

population of Southwest Riverside 

County was less than 15,000 people 

and Temecula had only three, small 

restaurants. 

Within five years, BMW management 

opened new Sizzler restaurants 

in Moreno Valley, Fallbrook, Banning 

and Lake Elsinore. These days BMW 

management operates nearly two 

dozen Sizzler restaurants from Sacramento 

to San Diego. The company 

employs over 1,000 people, many of 

them 10 to 15 year veterans. 

“It’s not easy to do business here 

in California,” Senator Stone said. 

“But Gary and Sally have the formula 

down. They know how to build more 

restaurants, and create more jobs, and 

for that we’re grateful.” The Myers 

are committed to their family business 

and are passionate about the hospitality 

industry. “This is a very special honor, 

especially when you know the gentleman 

who is presenting the award and 

all he has accomplished,” said Sally 

Myers. “It’s nice to know that we are 

working together with Senator Stone 

to bring together community spirit, 

to lead by example and to also show 

people that we care.” 

This year marks the 26th anniversary 

of the Student of the Month 

program which was founded by Sally 

Myers in Temecula in 1991. The program 

has since expanded to include 

school districts in Murrieta, Lake Elsinore 

and Perris/Menifee. “We don’t 

give enough recognition to our young 

people,” said Senator Stone. “The 

Student of the Month program sends a 

positive message to our students here 

Southwest Riverside County.” 

That same day Senator Stone presented 

his ‘Small Business of the Year’ 

Award to The Mill Restaurant in Murrieta. 

Co-owner Adam Bouvet accepted 

the award on behalf of his partner 

Linda Westfall and the restaurant staff. 

“Since opening more than two decades 

ago in Downtown Murrieta, The Mill 

has been Murrieta’s hometown restaurant,” 

said Senator Stone. “In addition, 

their charitable efforts have supported 

hundreds of events over the years and 

contributed greatly to the quality of 

life in Southwest Riverside County.” 

The Mill celebrates Murrieta’s rich 

history. The restaurant is named for 

the century-old elevated grain mill on 

the city’s west side that served farmers 

from across the region for decades. 

PHOTOL JOHN HUNNEMAN




29 

Temecula Now Offering Indoor and Outdoor 

Pickleball Courts by Popular Demand 

The City of Temecula is excited 

to announce that Pickleball is now 

available at various city locations. The 

game is a cross between tennis, badminton, 

and ping pong. Players use a 

graphite paddle and a hard, lightweight, 

plastic whiffle-ball to play on a badminton-sized 

court. 

Pickleball is a fast-growing sport 

that is fun for people of all ages. Many 

people around the country are finding 

that Pickleball is fun and provides physical 

activity without the wear-and-tear 

of other sports. We invite you to come 

check out the sport at one of the three 

locations. 

INDOOR COURT: Community 

Recreation Center (30875 Rancho Vista 

Road) Courts are open for adults 18 

years of age and older on Sunday from 

5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Courts are open for 

teens (upon request) Monday through 

Friday from 2:45 pm to 4:00 pm. Equipment 

is available for checkout. Please be 

sure to check the monthly gym calendar 

for future open play time changes at 

www.TemeculaCA.gov/gym. 

OUTDOOR COURTS: Margarita 

Community Park (29119 Margarita 

Road) Pala Community Park (44900 Temecula 

Lane) Outdoor courts are open 

on a first come, first served basis from 

8:00 am to 10:00 pm. Please bring your 

own equipment, as it is not available for 

checkout at these two locations. 

For more information on Pickleball 

or other Sports inquiries, 

please call (951) 694-6480 or visit 

www.TemeculaCA.gov. 

TemeculaCA.gov 

1099 vs w2 


Considering the hefty penalties that 

come along with misclassification, it is 

vital to be aware of the many different 

variables that come into play when 

distinguishing between an independent 

contractor and an employee. This article 

will provide a basic understanding of the 

key points to focus on when hiring and 

filing from here on out. 

The IRS breaks this question down 

into three general categories: 

1. Behavioral Control: Does the 

company dictate how the worker 

does his/her job? The bullets below 

outline some examples of what may 

be taken into consideration when 

making this distinction. 

• When and where the work will 

be done. 

• What tools or equipment will 

be used. 

• Who will be hired to provide 

assistance. 

• Where any supplies or additional 

services will be purchased 

from. 

• Who will perform specific aspects. 

• What sequence the work will be 

performed in. 

2. Financial Control: Does the worker 

have a large amount of reimbursed 

business expenses? Who 

is responsible for covering fixed 

ongoing costs towards completing 

the work? Is the worker available 

to seek new business on the open 

market? Is the worker paid a salary/ 

on an hourly basis or are they paid 

a flat fee for the work? (Exceptions 

to the last factor would be lawyers, 

personal trainers, etc. who are independent 

but paid on an hourly 

basis.) 

3. Relationship: Does the worker 

receive employee-type benefits 

like insurance, 401k, vacation/sick 

pay, etc.? What does the contract 

between the company and worker 

state about the intended relationship? 

Although the information above is a 

great place to start, much like anything 

else with the IRS, there are countless 

intricacies that come into play when deciding 

how to properly classify workers 

who receive compensation from your 

company. Please give us a call at (951) 

719-1515 if you would like to sit down 

with one of our tax specialists to ensure 

your company is in total compliance with 

the IRS and their regulations.




Regional On-Air News for 

Riverside County 

Riverside County has a lot to offer 

their residents but there is one thing 

missing – A Local News Program. Turn 

on the television and you’ll see news 

from San Diego or Los Angeles, but 

not Riverside County. The nonprofit 

JDS Creative Academy plans to fill 

that gap with Riverside County News. 

Through their partnership with the Inland 

Regional Center and Mount San 

Jacinto Community College, JDSCA 

will start producing a weekly regional 

current event and community information 

news analysis program all while 

providing hands-on job training skills to 

young adults with autism. In addition, 

JDSCA’s state approved apprenticeship 

is staffing up with MSJC’s students to 

earn while they learn all while providing 

a local county news program for its 

citizens. 

“Both the Apprentices and the Inland 

Regional participants will learn all 

aspects of video production, which includes 

running a Production Studio and 

putting out a regional community news 

show,” said JDSCA Founder Diane 

Strand. “A great thing about learning a 

trade in the arts is that it lends itself to 

cross training opportunities. Producing 

a news program will teach skills in 

logistics and scheduling, technology, 

communications, and engineering. It’s 

our goal to give these young adults the 

knowledge and job-skills needed that 

allow them to become independent 

and prosper – whether they work in 

television news, another related Production 

Art trade or a different industry 

altogether.” 

JDSCA is a state-approved apprenticeship 

program is currently interviewing 

applicants to fill key production 

roles. In addition, JDSCA is looking 

for Entertainment-industry experienced 

professionals to provide instruction, and 

ensure that the program is consistently 

produced and distributed. JDSCA plans 

to launch Riverside County News in 

early Spring, 2018. 

JDSCA also has a full slate of 

events scheduled for the 2018 year: 

On Sunday January 21st, 1:30 – 4:00 

p.m. JDSCA is bringing back their 

popular Artist Experience event, which 

features an open mic talent show and 

a fine art exhibition. Talent and Artist 

Submissions now being accepted. This 

event is open to the public and costs 

just $5.00 to attend. The money raised 

by this event will go towards JDSCA’s 

At-Risk Youth Scholarship Fund. 

JDSCA’s 2nd annual three-day Digifest 

Temecula event will be held April 

13th, 14th, 15th and will consist of various 

digital exhibits, renowned industry 

speakers, workshops, screenings and a 

grand finale awards banquet. Digifest 

offers a competition with a unique 

opportunity for students, amateurs and 

professionals to present their exceptional 

digital work in several digital mediums. 

Entries will be accepted through 

March 30, 2018. For information, go to 

digifesttemecula.org. 

JDSCA’s Spring semester programs 

begin the week of January 29, 2018. 

For more information about classes and 

events, go to JDSCA.org, call 951- 296 

6715, or stop by and take a tour. They 

are located at 28069 Diaz Road, Suite 

D, E, & F, Temecula, CA 92590 

JDS Creative Academy (JDSCA), is 

a nonprofit 501c3 organization in Temecula, 

servicing the entire Temecula 

Valley and surrounding regions with a 

mission to inspire, educate, and enhance 

achievement in workforce development 

by providing job skills and hands-on 

training in the visual, performing and 

digital arts. JDSCA works with foster 

and at-risk youth, autistic young adults, 

and the mainstream population, creating 

cross-collaborative enrichment creative 

environment for job skills training and 

enrichment.




31 

10th Annual Rock the Oaks 

Oak Grove Center rings in the 

New Year with the 10th Annual Rock 

the Oaks, live music festival benefitting 

the Arts and Autism Programs. 

Rock the Oaks has evolved over the 

past decade expanding the audience 

as well as its connection to local and 

regional artists. The 10th Annual 

Rock the Oaks will include a handful 

of new artists performing for the first 

time and bring back Fan Favorites 

from the past decade. Rock the Oaks 

kicks off its first show Friday, January 

26th at 7 pm, at The Bridge Church 

and continues through the weekend 

with a matinee show on Saturday, 

January 27th at 2 pm leading into 

their final show Saturday evening 

at 7 pm. 

Rock the Oaks showcases artists 

of all kinds, from Pop, Rock and 

Country singers to Gospel, Blues and 

Broadway performances; the show 

is filled with great entertainment for 

the entire family! Each show has an 

unique line-up including all different 

genres. The Saturday matinee show 

goers are in for some fun as there will 

be a live sing-off between 3 groups to 

compete for the “Golden Mic Award” 

and the audience will cast their vote 

for the winner. 

Rock the Oaks will be returning 

to the state of the art, 1500-seat venue 

at The Bridge Church in Murrieta. 

Tammy Wilson, Oak Grove CEO, 

is excited to see artists from the past 

return this year to celebrate the 10th 

year milestone. “This will be a year 

of great talent as well as celebration 

for all that has been accomplished 

through the arts over the past decade. 

The Bridge’s theater and the 

wonderful production elements they 

have made this show engaging for 

everyone. As our primary fundraiser 

for the Arts and Autism programs at 

Oak Grove, we are able to provide our 

kids with much needed artistic outlets 

such as visual and performing arts, 

dance, drama, music and more - that 

we would otherwise not be able to 

offer. The Arts are very important to 

their growth and healing.” 

Oak Grove Center is a 24-hour 

treatment center for at-risk and special 

needs youth. Funds from Rock 

the Oaks allow Oak Grove Center to 

implement life-changing art, music, 

dance and performing arts enrichment 

activities for all at-risk and special 

needs children and 

Tickets available for purchase 

on OakGroveCenter.org – Group 

discounts and 2-day festival tickets 

available. 

Show times: 

Friday, January 26th 7 pm, 

Saturday, January 27th 2 pm, 

Saturday, January 27th 7pm 

The Matinee performance on 

Saturday also includes a spotlight 

performance by the Oak 

Grove Performance Team. 

OakGroveCenter.org 

Melody’s Ad Works Wins Polaris Awards from Public Relations Society of America 

Melody’s Ad Works, Inc./Melody 

Brunsting won Public Relations 

Society of America (PRSA) Polaris 

awards for the 2017 Temecula Valley 

Balloon & Wine Festival Press Kit 

and Broadcast Media Relations at the 

PRSA-Inland Empire Annual Awards 

Banquet in November 2017. 

Independently judged by the Central 

Michigan chapter of PRSA, 61 entries 

in various categories were judged based 

upon research, planning, execution, 

evaluation, and outcome. The Polaris is 

the highest award in each category based 

upon total points earned. Melody’s Ad 

Works, Inc was one of nine entries in 

the Inland Empire. 

The 2017 Temecula Valley Balloon 

& Wine Festival press kit had followed 

the Festival theme of “Be There. Why 

Not?” and included a bumble bee cork 

wine stopper with the media kit. The 

marketing materials presented to PRSA 

contained all press releases, public 

service announcements, audio and 

video clips, photos and other pertinent 

information on a flash drive that 

was encased in the Bumble Bee Wine 

Stopper. 

The press kit and media relations 

also won top honors from the International 

Festivals and Events Association 

(IFEA) in September 2017. The 2017 

campaign generated 82.625 million 

impressions and an ad value equivalent 

of $1,093,852. 

Brunsting is among 5,000 active 

accredited Public Relations Practitioners 

(APR), as designated by the 

Public Relations Society of America. 

Accreditation is given to professionals 

who successfully complete a comprehensive 

examination process, and 

demonstrate their knowledge, experience, 

skills, and abilities in communication 

theory, planning, management 

science and practice of public relations. 

“It is an honor to win awards from 

an organization that represents the finest 

professionals in public relations,” 

Brunsting said about the awards. 

About Melody’s Ad Works, Inc. / Melody 

Brunsting - Melody’s Ad Works Inc. has 

been serving the Inland Empire since 

1989 with integrated public relations 

and marketing campaigns for special 

events, non-profits, and shopping districts. 

Melody Brunsting, president, 

serves on the ‘Visit Temecula Valley’ 

board of directors as Secretary. She has 

promoted the Temecula Valley Balloon 

& Wine Festival for the past 17 years 

and created several signature events 

in Old Town Temecula for the City of 

Temecula, including the popular, annual 

New Year’s Eve Grape Drop. 

Website: melodysadworks.com 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ 

MelodysAdWorksInc/ 

Twitter: @Melsadprwrks 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/ 

in/melody-brunsting-apr-3381566

January 2018

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