VBJ February 19

February 2019
Supervisor Kevin Jeffries Elected Chairman
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
At the first meeting of the Riverside
County Board of Supervisors in 2019,
three members of the Board were sworn
in (including two new ones), and the
elections for Chair and Vice-Chair of
the Board, as well as the Chair of four
Special Districts the Board serves as
directors for were held.
First District Supervisor Kevin
Jeffries was elected as Chair with the
unanimous support of his colleagues.
Fourth District Supervisor Victor Manuel
“Manny” Perez was elected Vice-
Chair of the Board of Supervisors, and
also as Chair of the Housing Authority.
Earlier in the meeting, Perez was sworn
in for his first full term as an elected Supervisor,
having previously served as an
appointee of Governor Jerry Brown, after
the death of Supervisor John Benoit.
Second District Supervisor Karen
Spiegel and Fifth District Supervisor
Jeff Hewitt were also sworn in after
winning their elections in November for
the vacant seats formerly represented
by John Tavaglione and Marion Ashley,
respectively. Supervisor Spiegel
was elected to serve as Chair of the
Flood Control and Water Conservation
District, and Supervisor Hewitt was
elected as Chair of the Waste Resources
Management District.
Supervisor Chuck Washington, who
had most recently served as Chair of the
Board of Supervisors, was elected as
Chair of the Regional Park and Open-
Space District.
Having been elected in 2012, Supervisor
Jeffries is not only the new Chairman,
but as a result of the retirements
of Supervisors Tavaglione and Ashley,
he is also the most senior member of
the Board.
Capitol Notes
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
As the new Vice Chair of the Senate
Health Committee, I look forward
to working with our new Governor to
create a healthcare system in California
that focuses not just on people having
insurance, but also one that provides for
genuine access to quality care for the people
who depend on government services.
Millions of people depend on Medi-Cal
for services, but the problem is that we
have too few doctors able to take these
patients because the reimbursement rates
are simply too low.
With a projected budget surplus of
$15 Billion, we have a tremendous opportunity
to create a workable healthcare
system that lets people receive the services
they need without increasing costs
to consumers. We can use the budget
surplus to increase Medi-Cal reimbursement
rates paid to doctors and healthcare
providers so these professionals can
afford to operate in our communities.
Over 10 years ago, the Medi-Cal
reimbursement rate paid to healthcare
professionals was cut – and that has
resulted in many providers either going
out of business or simply being unable to
THE VALLEY BUSINESS JOURNAL
www.TheValleyBusinessJournal.com
“Chair of the Board is primarily a
ceremonial position, whose primary role
is simply to run the Board meetings,
but I appreciate the support of my colleagues
for this position,” said Jeffries.
“I am looking forward to making the
meetings run a bit leaner and more efficiently
than has been the long-standing
practice of the Board. We have many
important issues to address in this
coming year, and I believe the public
wants to see us get to the business of the
meeting as directly and professionally
as possible, so we don’t waste their
valuable time, or the time of the various
county executives and staff waiting for
their items to be heard.”
“I look forward to searching for
solutions to the many challenges facing
our county with my new colleagues
and the entire Board of Supervisors,”
he continued. “This Board has a diversity
of experiences and expertise that I
hope will help us tackle issues with our
budget, ballooning pension obligations,
traffic congestion, public safety, and
how we deal with the growth of our
county. Finding a way to address our
continuing rapid growth in a sustainable
way so that current and future residents
both can enjoy our unique quality of
life is the critical problem we have to
resolve.”
Supervisor Jeffries represents approximately
450,000 residents from
the cities of Wildomar, Lake Elsinore,
Canyon Lake and most of the City of
Riverside. The district also covers the
unincorporated communities of DeLuz,
Gavilan Hills, Good Hope, Lake Hills,
Lake Mathews, LaCresta, Mead Valley,
Meadowbrook, Spring Hills, Temescal
Valley, Tenaja, Warm Springs, and
Woodcrest.
stay alive to keep providing the services
that help our communities stay healthy.
As Vice Chair of the Senate Health Committee,
I look forward to working with
my colleagues and the medical industry
to find a way to increase reimbursement
rates to let doctors and medical professionals
do what they do best – keep their
patients healthy.
Here in Riverside County, we have
several challenges that need the attention
of the Legislature – we need more doctors
in our community; we need more access
to affordable and quality healthcare; and
we need a system that lets medical professionals
properly treat patients in our
local neighborhoods.
As the Legislature gets to work over
the coming months, I will be focused on
working to create a healthcare system
that is affordable for families, accessible
to patients, and functional for the doctors,
nurses, and medical professionals who
work every day to provide the essential
services to keep Californians safe and
healthy.
27
Soft Opening for Oak Grove Center’s
Culinary Creations Storefront in Old Town
Oak Grove Center CEO Tammy
Wilson announced recently that their
Culinary Program: Oak Grove Culinary
Creations, has opened a storefront in
Old Town Temecula.
“We are so proud that because of
the generosity of Bernie Truax, CEO
of Truax Development, who owns
the building in which we now have
a storefront, we are up and operating
out of ground floor space in the Truax
Building in Old Town through the
foreseeable future,” said Wilson. “We
can’t thank him enough for his kindness
and demonstration of confidence in our
ability to succeed here.” Wilson stressed
that Truax has donated the space to Oak
Grove Center’s Culinary Creations to
give the special program a quick start
to commercial success.
“This remarkable program at Oak
Grove Center is teaching students not
only how to prepare a wide variety of
cookies, cakes, pies, and pastries as well
as specialty coffees, it also teaches them
teamwork, the need for a strong work
ethic, and skills they can use recreationally
or commercially for years to come,”
said Wilson, noting that the program has
existed for years at their main campus
in Murrieta, but this new storefront is an
amazing opportunity for expansion. All
proceeds from the retail sales of the pastries,
catering and other items to visiting
patrons get returned into the program to
sustain it and enable it to grow.
“This incredible opportunity is
allowing Oak Grove Center to better
showcase the talents of the students
and the quality of products and service
provided. The renowned center’s culinary
program works in tandem with
“Coffee for Compassion”, owned and
operated by Rosie Taranto who is also
the Fund Development Coordinator of
Oak Grove and is teaching youth how
to make hand-crafted lattes and other
hot drinks. Robin Mc Coy with Robins
Nests Desserts and Catering is teaching
the skills of baking and hospitality. In
addition to their storefront location they
are also able to cater to local businesses
and organizations for special events
such as parties, weddings, birthdays,
corporate meetings, and other special
occasions.
Children that have difficulty with
expression have found that this program,
as well as the other art-related alternative
programs available at Oak Grove
offer them a non-traditional means of
initiating healing in a safe and supportive
environment.
“Our new storefront location is
open not only to our current students
to work there, but also for graduates of
Oak Grove and other young adults who
have gone through the foster system and
are looking for this type of training and
skill sets,” said Wilson, who naturally
hopes that the word spreads far and wide
about this sweet new culinary operation,
so they can become a self-sustaining
tenant in the Truax building.
Oak Grove Center is a remarkable
nonprofit residential, educational and
treatment center with multiple campuses
for children throughout California who
have psychological, emotional and
behavioral problems and special needs.
Oak Grove Center’s stated mission is
to rebuild the lives of at-risk children
and their families through education,
healing, restoring relationships, building
character and instilling hope. And
it’s very important to note that they are
helping to rebuild the lives not only of
the children themselves, but also their
families, since everyone is affected in
one way or another.
“Culinary Creations is simply another
way that Oak Grove center empowers
success and transforms lives,’
added Wilson, who also noted that a
Grand Opening celebration will be announced
very soon.
For anyone interested in learning more
about this special program, you are
invited to visit cullinarycreations@
oakgrove.org or call 951-677-5599 extension
2271. Tammy also encourages
you to visit them for delicious cookies,
desserts, coffee, breads and other specialty
items in Old Town Temecula at
41923 Second Street around the corner
from City Hall.