February 21 VBJ

VOLUME 32, NUMBER 2 FEBRUARY 2021 

THE ANNUAL AWARDS NOMINEES 

ARE OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED BY THE 

TEMECULA VALLEY CHAMBER 

OF COMMERCE 

ADDITIONAL FUNDS APPROVED FOR 

MURRIETA’S 

BACK-TO-BUSINESS 

GRANT PROGRAM 

SEE PAGE 246 

VISIT TEMECULA VALLEY ANNOUNCES 

2021 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Visit Temecula Valley, Temecula Valley’s official 

tourism destination marketing organization, now in 

its seventeenth year, announces its new Chairman, 

Executive Officers, and Directors. 

The Legislature Must Lead 

SEE PAGE 8 

The Murrieta City Council voted 

to reprogram an additional $90k 

in funds for the City’s Backto-Business 

Grant program. 

With this vote, $10k grants 

will soon be available for 

up to nine additional qualifying 

small businesses in 

Murrieta. 

This action builds upon 

six months of local small 

business grant support, led 

by the City in partnership with 

Riverside County’s Economic 

Development Agency. 

SEE PAGE 7 

By Assemblymember Marie Waldron 

COVID-19 has claimed the lives of about 1.8 million people 

worldwide, approximately 27,000 of which are right here in California. 

The virus captures our attention, while many other long-standing 

issues are ignored. 

SEE PAGE 21 

COMMUNITY 

EXECUTIVE 

PROFILE: 

GREG THOMAS 

TECHNOLOGY 

ARE YOU AND IT 

ON THE SAME 

PAGE? 

3 19 

COMMUNITY 

TVCC 

ANNOUNCES 2021 

BOARD OF 

DIRECTORS 

24 

AND... 

3G SUNSET TO AFFECT 

SECURITY SYSTEMS 

ARE YOU PREPARED FOR 

TAX FILING SEASON?

THE VALLEY BUSINESS JOURNAL 

2 www.TheValleyBusinessJournal.com 

February 2021 

Celebrating Rotarians Nominated for 

Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce Awards 

They say the busiest people are the ones you call when you want to get something 

done. This is evident in the list of Temecula Rotarians that are included in this year’s 

Temecula Chamber of Commerce award nominations. These busy business owners 

not only excel in their profession enough for their peers to take notice and nominate 

them, they also actively give back to our community with their time, treasure and 

talent through Rotary. 

TINA GOTTLIEB 

Congratulations to these outstanding Rotarians that go above 

and beyond in all they do! 

2020 Bronze Business of the Year Nominees 

Clear Blue Promotions 

Tina M. Gottlieb 

2020 Sterling Business of the Year Nominees 

Home Perfect Restoration 

2020 Gold Business of the Year Nominees 

Chick-Fil-A 

2020 Platinum Business of the Year Nominees 

Milgard Manufacturing 

CRAIG DAVIS 

2020 Ruby Charitable Organization of the Year Nominee 

Rotary Club of Temecula 

(Old Town Rotary Club was Nominated as well!) 

2020 Emerald Charitable Organization of the Year Nominee 

Michelle’s Place Cancer Resource Center 

Citizen of the Year Nominees 

Craig Davis 

Vickie Walker 

VICKY WALKER 

JUDY ZULFIQAR 

The Rotary Club of Temecula is over 100 members strong and has served the Temecula 

Valley since 1975. Fourteen years before Temecula became a city!! The Rotary Club of Temecula 

members have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars, tens of thousands of volunteer 

hours, and priceless mentorship and leadership into our community for over 45 years. 

“I am humbled and proud to be part of the Rotary Club of Temecula and Rotary International,” 

stated President Judy Zulfiqar. “I am awed by what our members have been able to 

accomplish in our local community and around the world!” 

The Rotary Club of Temecula is part of Rotary District 5330 which is comprised of 63 

clubs in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and part of Rotary International which has 

35,000 clubs and 1.22 million Rotarians around the world. A world where people unite and 

take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves. 

If you are interested in learning more about Rotary or attending one of our 

weekly meetings please visit our website http://rotarycluboftemecula.com/, 

email our membership director, Julie Ngo, at julie@sfjulie.com, or call Judy 

Zulfiqar at 951-434-4630.



www.TheValleyBusinessJournal.com 

3G Sunset to Affect Temecula Valley 

Security Systems 

3 

Transition to LTE means many security systems will no 

longer work properly 

Temecula, CA, February 1, 2021-As 

we all have experienced from our computers 

and cellphones, televisions and 

cars, and the means we communicate 

for work (remember FAX machines), 

technology marches on. 

Our nation’s cellular networks provided 

by carriers such as Verizon and 

AT&T are no exception. Often referred to 

as the “3G Sunset”, our nation’s cellular 

networks are undergoing the technological 

evolution of 3G to LTE cellular communications 

leading in the future to 5G 

communications. As cellular providers 

upgrade their networks from 3G (or 3rd 

generation) to LTE (or long term evolution) 

cellular communications, they turn 

off (or “sunset”) the 3G cellular network. 

This transition is happening right now! 

“Cellular service carriers are in the 

process of actively upgrading from 3G to 

LTE,” says Kathy Sizemore, Co-Owner 

of A-Bell Alarms Company. “This means 

the millions of security systems that rely 

on 3G to communicate, including many 

here in the Temecula Valley, will no longer 

work properly if not upgraded ahead 

of time. Time is of the essence, which is 

why we need to get the word out.” 

The detailed information from cellular 

carriers about actual 3G Sunset dates 

for particular areas such as the Temecula 

Valley has not been specific. 

What the major carriers have said is 

that the 3G Sunset will occur in February 

2022 for AT&T and December 2022 for 

Verizon. “While this might seem like 

a long time, these phase-out dates are 

misleading,” says Sizemore. “When a 

3G tower goes down for any reason, the 

provider replaces it with LTE. This means 

a security system could stop working at 

any time, creating a serious safety issue 

that will not be known until it’s too 

late. This is happening now all across 

the country. That’s why it’s critical that 

affected security systems are upgraded 

immediately to LTE to avoid a serious 

and potentially life-threatening security 

threat.” 

How does this affect you as a business 

or homeowner? Beyond affecting 

your Smartphone, which could require an 

upgrade if you still happen to be using an 

ancient iPhone 5 (Don’t laugh, my teen 

is using a cast-off iPhone 5S.), it could 

also prevent your security alarm system 

from being able to report alarm signals 

to the authorities. Your business, home, 

and loved ones would be left vulnerable 

to unreported burglaries. 

This communication “sunset” could 

occur without you even being aware 

that your system has lost the ability to 

communicate and report a burglary or 

intrusion. 

Historically, alarm systems used 

hardwire telephone lines to report their 

alarm signals. With the Voice over 

Internet (VoIP) communications revolution 

and the general abandonment of 

hardwired phone lines by businesses and 

homeowners to save money, this drove 

a conversion of alarm systems converted 

to cellular communications or, in some 

cases, network IP communications. In 

many cases, cellular communication 

was a more preferred communication 

path since it avoided issues with internet 

firewalls or router settings. An estimated 

10 million business and home alarm 

systems are still using 3G cellular communications. 

If you are currently using 

a security alarm system installed more 

than three to four years ago, there is a real 

possibility that it depends on 3G cellular 

communications to report alarm signals 

to the authorities. 

Once the 3G cellular network has 

been sunsetted in a particular area, any 

security alarm system using 3G cellular 

communications will cease to report any 

alarm signals. Worse again, depending 

upon the system, one may not be immediately 

aware of communications loss. To 

prevent this situation from occurring, we 

suggest that if your security alarm system 

is more than three to four years old, you 

immediately contact your security provider 

to determine if your alarm system 

will need a communication upgrade. If 

so, schedule the upgrade sooner than later 

since the exact time of the 3G Sunset 

cannot be fully known. 

With an estimated 10 million security 

alarm systems needing communications 

upgrades, alarm owners should not wait 

until the last minute to upgrade from 3G 

to LTE communication. As the deadline 

approaches, there is the real potential to 

have replacement equipment shortages 

and a lack of availability of alarm company 

technicians to make the conversion. 

Don’t put your business or home at 

risk. If you suspect that your security 

alarm system falls within the affected 

group, contact your security company to 

determine if your alarm system requires 

an upgrade and schedule the upgrade 

enabling your security system to continue 

protecting your home or business. 

With close to 65 years of combined security 

industry experience, Chris and Kathy 

Sizemore are known as the “Dynamic 

Duo of Security” in the Temecula Valley. 

Operating in Southern California since 

1971, their family-owned business A-Bell 

Alarms has been protecting homes and 

businesses’ in the Temecula Valley since 

1985. For more information about the 3G 

Sunset or to schedule a complimentary 

security analysis with A-Bell Alarms, 

please call (951) 302-3100 or visit 

www. abellalarms.com/the-3g-sunsetand-your-security-system 

Michelle’s Place Phase 1 Opens 

After two and half years of construction, 

a lot of blood, sweat and 

tears, Michelle’s Place Cancer Resource 

Center is proud to announce 

the completion of phase one of their 

Center. Michelle’s Place purchased 

their forever home in June of 2018. It 

was a 10,000 sq. ft. shell of a building. 

Staff and volunteers moved into one 

portion of the building while construction 

started on the other portion. 

While under construction, Michelle’s 

Place continued serving cancer 

patients, expanded their resources to 

serve all cancers and launched a massive 

fundraising campaign to build the 

regions first cancer resource center. 

Phase one includes the completion 

of a Reiki room, the Creative Space 

that will house the expressive art 

class, future cooking classes and other 

creative events. The new construction 

also houses staff offices, a fitting 

room, new bathrooms and a spacious 

workroom. 

Phase two is now under construction! 

Demolition of the old space began 

the first of the year and Michelle’s 

Place hopes to start construction on 

the space in early February. This space 

will include a new fitting room for wigs 

and prosthesis, the volunteer welcome 

station, multipurpose room and patient 

navigator offices. Upon completion of 

phase two, Michelle’s Place will open 

the regions only cancer resource center 

serving families facing cancer. 

Michelle’s Place looks forward to 

the day when they can offer multiple 

classes, support groups, yoga and much 

more. The Center is currently open by 

appointment for wigs, prosthesis and 

patient navigation services. All support 

groups and classes are hosted virtually. 

Visit www.michellesplace.org for 

meeting dates and times. Call 951- 

699-5455 from 9-3:30, M-F to make 

an appointment. If you or someone 

you know would like to help Michelle’s 

Place reach their fundraising goal to 

build the second phase of the building, 

please contact Kim Gerrish, 951-699- 

5455.




EXECUTIVE PROFILE | John Hamby 

John, Christine and their two children settled in Temecula in early 

2000. The decision to move to the Temecula area was based on a 

desire to relocate to a family friendly and safe environment as John 

was due to deploy in January of the coming year. Temecula was still a 

small town but a very safe place to raise our children. As luck would 

have it, John was deployed for much of the first 3 years. Fortunately, 

Christine is a rock and through the separation, was able to manage 

all the task involved in the growth and education of our children with 

the resources available in the community. 

AFFILIATIONS 

Member of the Home Care 

Association of America. Lifetime 

member of the 1st Marine Division 

Association. Whitehead Leadership 

Fellow at the University of Redlands. 

President of the Temecula 

Valley Golf League. President of 

the Temeku Hills Men’s Golf Club. 

Member of the Temecula Valley 

and Murrieta/Wildomar Chambers 

of Commerce and Chairman of the 

Wine Country Classic Tournament 

Committee. 

BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY 

Treat people with dignity and 

respect and do what you say you 

are going to do. After many years 

as a U. S. Marine and several years 

of work in the defense industry, my 

wife and I decided to find a way to 

give back to the community that has 

given us so much. In our current 

business, our goal is to make a difference 

in people’s lives. Treating 

all with dignity and respect is the 

foundation we build on in pursuit 

of service excellence. 

GOALS 

Our culture of care is client and 

caregiver centric. Our immediate 

goal is to continue to grow our business 

allowing us to reach and serve 

more people in our community while 

providing employment to the extraordinary 

people who make up our 

team. In conjunction with growth, we 

continue to improve and standardize 

our recruiting processes. As providers 

of caregiver’s, it is imperative 

that we only hire the very best and 

most trustworthy. Trustworthiness, 

compassion and a gift for caring is 

essential to providing the exceptional 

service we vow to provide. 

EDUCATION 

Bachelor of Science (summa cum 

laude), Excelsior College. 

MA in Management, University 

of Redlands – Whitehead Leadership 

Fellow 

SPORTS 

I am an avid golfer and Georgia 

Bulldog fan. Although I can’t play 

golf as much as I like, I know there 

will come a time when all the work 

will be done, and the 

grass truly is greener 

on the other side. I 

enjoy the outdoors 

and look for every 

opportunity to be out 

in the open air. 

As for Georgia, 

the last two years have 

been awesome but 

disappointing at the 

same time. However, 

my Georgia flag will still go up every 

fall and Saturday’s at my house will 

continue to be a festive and “lively” 

event. Go Dawgs! 

RESUME 

Retired as a Marine Sergeant 

Major with more than 26 years of 

honorable service. Participated in 

Operations Enduring Freedom and 

Iraqi Freedom in the Global War On 

Terrorism. Transitioned to the civilian 

sector in March of 2004 joining 

the team at Navigator Development 

Group, Inc. where he was elevated to 

Vice President of Client Programs. 

Departed NDGI in the summer 

of 2008 to pursue entrepreneurial 

opportunities. Created Military 

Consulting, LLC in the summer of 

2008 to provide consultation services 

to industries developing military 

technology. Current owner and 

President of FirstLight Home Care 

providing services to members of 

the community that need assistance 

with activities of daily living in the 

comfort of their own homes. 

BIRTHPLACE 

Marietta Georgia. 

In this issue: 

Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Nominees Announced 1 

Visit Temecula Valley Announces 2021 Board of Directors 1 

Additional Funds for Murrieta’s Back-to-Business Grant 1 

The Legislature Must Lead 1 

TVCC Awards Celebrating Nominated Rotarians 2 

3G Sunset to Affect Temecula Valley Security Systems 3 

Michelle’s Place Phase 1 Opens 3 

EXECUTIVE PROFILE | John Hamby 4 

Time to Update IT? Consider This 6 

EVMWD Offers Hot Water Recirculating System Rebate 7 

Temecula’s 2021 SWCLC Chair Representatives 7 

Understanding the Risk of Hiring Private Caregivers 9 

Estate Planning: Learning the Basics 10 

Are You Prepared for Tax Filing Season? 11 

Mileage Log 12 

EXECUTIVE PROFILE | Greg Thomas 13 

6 Tips to Prevent Home Burglaries 15 

The Ripple Effect of Migraine Headaches on the Workplace 16 

Eye Protection 17 

Anxiety Is Normal Until Its Not 18 

Are You and IT on the Same Page? 19 

What a Long, Strange Trip It’s Been 20 

TVCC Announces 2021 Board of Directors 24 

Digifest Temecula 5th Year in the Making 25




5




Time to Update IT? Consider This 

A growing business will need to 

update their IT systems eventually. Most 

will look at what compute, storage and 

network resources are required to operate 

the business efficiently. Compute covers 

the processing end that is comprised of 

laptops, desktops, mobile devices along 

with back end servers. Storage includes 

anything from a local hard drive to a 

remote data farm for storing and maintaining 

key information both current and 

historical. Networking devices connect 

it together and may include both internal 

networks and connecting to the internet. 

The correct switches and routers need 

to be in place and maintained ensuring 

access for both employees and customers. 

Consider this when researching new 

technology. It’s important to understand 

how the new equipment stands up against 

three key IT concepts; Scalability, Redundancy 

and Environmental Footprint. For 

example, scalability looks at how easily 

and quickly additional compute power can 

be added in case of sudden growth. This 

may mean deployment of additional individual 

workstations or expanding the use 

of mobile devices. Applying scalability to 

storage considers how quickly additional 

space can be added with the least amount 

of service interruption. If the business 

were to suddenly see large growth in traffic 

to its website, networks must be easily 

updatable to handled increased demand. 

Large corporations rely on redundant 

environments to ensure their business is 

available 24x7x365. Whether manufacturing 

goods, providing online services 

or selling a product, the world-wide 

marketplace means someone may need 

to access data from your business at any 

time. Redundant storage arrays, servers 

and networking equipment ensure that if 

one piece of hardware fails, another takes 

its place seamlessly. Each business owner 

large or small has to decide how much 

downtime they can risk and purchase 

accordingly. 

Finally, environmental footprint. 

Technology manufacturers today put 

a great deal of effort into reducing the 

amount of power required for their 

compute, storage and network devices. 

Purchasing the most efficient for you IT 

strategy not only shows environmental 

responsibility but can also improve your 

bottom line. The expense of power and 

cooling can be one of the highest on the 

P&L so finding the best solution that 

matches your IT environment needs is key. 

There are other factors to consider 

but let these three be your guide in getting 

started. What it cost now in research will 

be a good investment by proper purchases 

for the future. 

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 TedSaulBiz@gmail.com. 

by 

by 

Ted Saul, 

Steve Fillingim 

Sr. Staff Writer 


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EDITOR/PUBLISHER/CEO 

Linda Wunderlich 

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STAFF WRITERS/ 

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Ted Saul 

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Stefani Laszko 

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Julie Ngo 

Tom Plant 

Esther Phahla 

Steve Amante 

Monique deGroot 

Andrea Shoup 

Gloria Wolnick 

Dr. Drake Levasheff, PhD 

Mort J. Grabel, Esq. 

John & Christine Hamby 

Brian Connors 

Tristin Collopy 

Dr. Pat Utnehmer 

Bonnie Woodrome 

Haley Munson 

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7 

ADDITIONAL FUNDS APPROVED FOR MURRIETA’S BACK-TO-BUSINESS GRANT PROGRAM 

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 

The City wrapped up phases one 

and two of its Back-to-Business Grant 

program in December, distributing a total 

of $250k in $10k grants to 25 local small 

businesses. Because this money comes 

from re-purposed federal dollars, there 

is no impact to the City’s General Fund. 

Murrieta Mayor Scott Vinton expresses 

strong support for helping local 

businesses at a time when need remains 

high. 

“While Murrieta has fared better than 

many cities, with unemployment and 

vacancy rates well below regional and 

statewide norms,” he explains, “small 

businesses continue to face a crushing, 

long-term burden as they work through 

closures, safety requirements, and a reduced 

customer base. Our ability to offer 

additional Back-to-Business Grants is 

one small way we can contribute to the 

economic vitality of our community and 

help ensure that Murrieta businesses 

remain strong.” 

Eligibility requires that more than 

half of an applicant’s employees must 

have incomes at or below 80% of the 

local median. 

Currently that is $40,250 for a family 

of one, $57,450 for a family of four. 

Businesses must also have 15 or fewer 

employees and show a need for funding. 

The City will begin reviewing unfunded 

applications from the previous 

grant cycle and will re-open applications 

if needed. Visit www.MurrietaCA.gov/ 

grants for additional information on 

criteria and applications. For additional 

information, contact Louie Lacasella in 

the City Manager’s Office at 951-461- 

6008, or llacasella@MurrietaCA.gov. 

EVMWD Offers Hot Water Recirculating System Rebate 

Rebate helps Customers Save Water, Money 

Elsinore Municipal Valley Water 

District’s (EVMWD) Hot Water Recirculating 

System rebate provides a 

simple solution for its residential customers 

to save water by allowing hot 

water to be instantly available at the 

tap and eliminating the need for water 

to run down the drain while waiting for 

it to warm. 

“This program allows our customers 

to quickly and easily save water,” 

said Water Use Efficiency Specialist 

Haley Munson. “On average each home 

saves 4,500 gallons of water per year – 

enough water to fill five football fields.” 

It is connected to a customer’s 

main water supply via their water 

heater. Water is continually introduced 

to the system as water is used through 

home fixtures, including faucets, showers 

and washing machines. The cold 

water that would normally go directly 

down the drain is recycled back to the 

heater through a dedicated pipeline to 

be reheated and ready for later use. 

About the Hot Water Recirculating 

System Rebate Program: 

• Visit evmwd.com/who-we-are/water-efficiency 

for full detail and to fill 

out an application. 

• Fill out the online application (preferred) 

or download and fill out an 

application and mail it back to the 

District. 

• Rebate only applies to newly installed 

hot water recirculating systems. 

• Rebate amount is up to $175 for one 

system. Tax is not included. 

• EVMWD will review applications and 

contact customers once approved. 

• Applicants must be a customer of 

EVMWD and systems must be purchased 

and installed between 7/1/2020 

and 6/30/2021. 

• Funds are allocated on a first-come, 

first-served basis until the funds are no 

longer available. 

In addition to these rebate programs, 

EVMWD offers its customers 

several other rebates to help them maximize 

water savings, including rebates 

for turf replacement, sprinkler nozzles, 

weather based controllers, toilets, washers 

and dryers and more. 

This program is funded through a 

cost-share effort with Western Municipal 

Water District. 

EVMWD provides service to more 

than 140,000 water, wastewater and 

agricultural customers in a 96-square 

mile service area in western Riverside 

County. EVMWD is a sub-agency of 

Western Municipal Water District and a 

member agency of California’s largest 

water wholesaler, Metropolitan Water 

District of Southern California. 

For more information, contact EVM- 

WD’s Water Use Efficiency Specialist 

Haley Munson at (951) 674-3146, ext. 

8247, or hmunson@evmwd.net. 

Announcing Temecula’s 

2021 Southwest 

California Legislative 

Council Committee 

Chair Representatives 

The Southwest California Legislative 

Council (SWCLC) is a business 

advocacy coalition led by four local 

Chambers of Commerce who focus on 

sustainable job growth for our region 

and the state. 

Each month, the Council meets 

to discuss a variety of bills before 

the legislature from the perspective 

of the bill’s impact on local business 

owners. The Council communicates 

these positions and encourages elected 

officials to listen to the voices of their 

constituents. 

Each of the four participating 

Chambers elect representatives to 

the Council. The Temecula Valley 

Chamber of Commerce is pleased to 

announce its 2021 representatives. 

Chairman 

Adam Ruiz, 1st Action Real Estate 

Adam Eventov, SoCalGas Company 

Joan Sparkman 

Dennis Frank, D.R. Frank Associates 

Chris Sizemore, A-Bell Alarm Systems 

About the Southwest California Legislative 

Council 

Founded in 2004, The Southwest 

California Legislative Council is an 

advocacy coalition of the Lake Elsinore, 

Menifee, Murrieta/Wildomar, 

and Temecula Valley Chambers of 

Commerce representing more than 

3,500 employers dedicated to promoting 

job growth, economic expansion, 

and preserving the overall global 

competitiveness of California. 

To learn more about the SWCLC, 

please visit https://southwestca.net/ 

or call (951) 205-1911.




VISIT TEMECULA VALLEY 2021BOARD OF DIRECTORS 


Visit Temecula Valley Chairman of the Board for 2021 is Bill Wilson, Owner, 

President, C.E.O. at Wilson Creek Winery. Wilson has served as a Visit Temecula 

Valley Executive Officer for the past 15 years. 

“I am honored to take the reins and shout from the rooftops how awesome this 

area is. Temecula Valley offers a fantastic getaway with world class wineries, breweries, 

restaurants, and accommodations – all within a short drive for more than 21 

million people,” states Chairman Wilson. 

“As we approach the new normal moving forward, we have to continue to put our 

best foot forward and let Southern California and the world know how far we have 

come in the past 5, 10, 15 years.” Wilson continues, “We are not stopping and resting 

on our laurels and we will continue to make Temecula Valley Southern California 

Wine Country a great place to live, work, stay, and play for generations to come.” 

Other newly elected Executive Officers are: 

1st Vice Chairman of Board-TID Ken Westmyer, Quality Inn 

1st Vice Chairman of Board Karl Kruger, South Coast Winery Resort & Spa 

2nd Vice Chairman of Board Spencer Szczygiel, Temecula Valley Winery Management 

Secretary Melody Brunsting, Melody’s Ad Works 

Treasurer Cherise Manning, A Grape Escape Balloon Adventure 

Newly elected Board Members are: 

Christina Belvedere, Embassy Suites 

Pamela Bradley, Springhill Suites 

BJ Fazeli, Fazeli Cellars 

Michael Feeley, Temecula Creek Inn 

Chris Johnson, Home2 Suites 

John Kelliher, Grapeline Wine Tours 

Jeffery Kurtz, Promenade Temecula 

Jan Smith, Inland Management Group 

Ken Smith, Galway Downs 

The most recent tourism impact report shows 2019 direct travel spending for 

Temecula Valley was $1.125 billion. Year over year, the destination has seen an 

increase in visitor spending. The same report also showed annual visitation at approximately 

3.14 million. 

This past year brought unprecedented devastation to the tourism industry with the 

COVID-19 pandemic. Temecula Valley hospitality businesses were deeply affected 

including lodging, restaurants, retail, wineries, breweries, recreation, entertainment, 

and events. 

Chairman Wilson says, “I am excited and a bit intrepid about taking the helm 

of such an important organization in these unprecedented times. If you told me a 

year ago what the hospitality industry would go through in 2020 I would have said 

“no way possible!” We really have to roll up our sleeves and work even harder to 

get Temecula Valley back up and running again.” 

Wilson and the entire Board of Directors do not underestimate the challenge 

before them. They hold realistic optimism as a united force working to move the 

region’s tourism industry into a recovery phase in 2021, and eventually restoring it 

to be the thriving industry it was prior to 2020. 

ABOUT VISIT TEMECULA VALLEY 

Visit Temecula Valley is the region’s official tourism marketing organization 

and resource for visitors. For visitor information, please call (888) 363-2852 or go 

to VisitTemeculaValley.com.




9 

Understanding the Risk of Hiring 

Private Caregivers 

by John & Christine Hamby 

Most seniors prefer to remain in 

their own home for as long as possible. 

For many, this means eventually needing 

to hire a caregiver to assist with dayto-day 

needs. There are two main ways 

to hire a caregiver. You can hire a private 

or independent caregiver yourself or go 

through a home care agency. 

While it often seems less expensive, 

hiring a private in-home caregiver can 

be a challenge and may have legal implications 

for the employer. But knowing 

the risks and responsibilities can help 

protect you and provide peace of mind. 

Some of the most important factors 

to consider when hiring a private 

caregiver are the additional costs associated 

with conducting background 

checks, meeting tax obligations, legal 

compliance, and obtaining the required 

insurance coverage to protect your personal 

assets. 

Background checks. When hiring 

a private caregiver, you should conduct 

your own background checks. Verifying 

the potential caregiver’s references is also 

critical when making hiring decisions. 

If you hire a caregiver through an 

agency, they will handle the background 

and criminal checks, as well as contact 

references during the hiring process. 

Some agencies also require drug screenings, 

which can add a layer of protection 

for you. 

Payroll and taxes. If you hire a 

private caregiver, you become the 

employer. This means you will need 

to handle the payroll and follow all tax 

laws, as well as be familiar with paying 

minimum wage and overtime. You also 

need to consider what taxes need to be 

withheld, including social security and 

unemployment. 

When a home care agency is in 

place, the company takes responsibility 

for all payroll and taxes, including 

regular and overtime pay. 

Insurance coverage. Independent 

caregivers typically don’t carry professional 

liability insurance, and you must 

consider what you would do in the case 

of theft, abuse or exploitation. There are 

risks to seniors and/or their caregivers 

that can include physical, emotional, 

medical and financial abuse or neglect. 

You may need protection in the event of 

illegal actions or accusations. 

If there is no Workers’ Compensation 

Insurance and your independent 

caregiver were to get injured while 

working in your home, you may be 

responsible for their medical expenses 

and paying their lost wages until they 

can return to work. 

If an accident were to happen in 

your home, the private caregiver can sue 

you; if you were abused or mistreated in 

any way, you could sue your caregiver. 

The difference is, the caregiver can take 

advantage of all your assets as a homeowner, 

whereas you can only sue for the 

assets of your private caregiver which 

may not be sufficient to cover the loss. 

If you hire a caregiver through a 

home care agency, the agency will have 

professional liability insurance and will 

manage claims for worker’s compensation. 

Accusations of abuse, exploitation 

or neglect are also handled by the agency. 

Hiring an agency that does thorough 

background checks, drug testing, and 

personal interviews mitigates risk. 

In closing. There are many variables 

to consider when faced with the question 

of whether to hire an independent or 

private caregiver or to use a home care 

agency. Many people underestimate the 

time, stress, risks and responsibilities of 

hiring and managing private caregivers. 

Just know that you should be prepared 

for all possible scenarios. 

If you chose to hire a private caregiver, 

please protect yourself. Needing 

help in the comfort of your home 

shouldn’t be another worry on your 

plate, it should provide piece of mind. 

If you chose to hire from an agency, 

FirstLight Home Care can help. At 

FirstLight Home Care, all are caregivers 

are background checked, drug tested, 

trained, bonded and fully insured. No 

caregiver is ever assigned without a personal 

introduction. All are required to 

participate in ongoing training courses, 

and our Field Supervisor visits regularly 

to ensure customer satisfaction 

and compliance with all regulatory 

requirements. 

This article is provided by John and 

Christine Hamby Owner, FirstLight 

Home Care of Temecula serving the 

Temecula Valley. For more information, 

visit us online at www.temecula. 

FirstLightHomeCare.com or call us at 

(951) 395-0821. 

TEMECULA.FIRSTLIGHTHOMECARE.COM




Estate Planning: Learning the Basics 

When it comes to estate planning, 

knowing what to do (and what not to 

do) is critical to your peace of mind 

and your family’s. The time of a loved 

one’s passing is a difficult and stressful 

for everyone. But a proper estate plan 

can help your family avoid time in 

court, maintain control of your assets, 

avoiding infighting, and minimize delays 

and costs. 

As we take a look at the basics of 

estate planning, keep in mind that your 

goal is to protect your assets for your 

heirs and future generations. 

What is an Estate Plan? 

An estate plan guides the courts 

and your heirs as to how you want 

your estate dealt with after your death 

or upon your incapacitation. It’s a legal 

structure for the management and 

future disposition of your current and 

future assets. An estate plan provides 

legal access and instructions to someone 

you designate to step in for you if 

something should happen. 

What is the Purpose of an Estate 

Plan? 

The goals of having an estate plan 

in place are to . . . 

• Maintain control of your assets 

• Decide who steps in and represents 

your interests 

• Avoid court proceedings 

• Avoid unnecessary delays 

• Avoid unnecessary expenses and taxes 

Common Mistakes with Estate 

Planning 

Having no plan in place is perhaps 

the biggest mistake people 

make. No plan actually means your estate 

defaults to using the government’s 

plan, which leaves everything up to 

the probate courts. Probate is a court 

process of transferring assets from one 

person to another when someone passes 

away. It’s a very lengthy process, 18 

to 24 months on average if everything 

goes smoothly (and it rarely does). It’s 

also a very public process. Where you 

bank, your bank account numbers, and 

even your balances all become public 

record. It’s also very costly. 

Having no plan is also problematic 

should you become incapacitated 

(unable to manage our financial 

affairs or provide for your care). In 

these instances, it’s back to court for 

what is called a conservatorship. This is 

when a judge designates another person 

SHOUPLEGAL.COM 

LEGAL 

to act for you because you can’t act for 

yourself. This too is a lengthy, public, 

and costly process. 

Some people only prepare a living 

will, but there’s more to estate planning 

than that. A will is essentially a 

set of instructions for a judge to follow. 

Of course, since a judge is involved that 

means we’re dealing with the courts 

and that’s something we want to avoid. 

Probate is expensive. Fees are generally 

determined based on a percent of estate 

value, often ranging from 2% to 8% of 

the estate’s value. 

Take Care of Business with a Trust 

Probate can be avoided with a 

Trust. You’ve probably heard the terms 

“Revocable,” “Family,” and “Living” 

Trusts. These are essentially the same 

thing. With a will, you’re saying “This 

is how I want my stuff distributed after 

my death, and here’s who I want doing 

it.” A Trust does essentially the same 

thing (by appointing a Trustee instead of 

an executor), but a properly drafted and 

funded Trust does not need to go through 

probate. That’s key. 

There are several roles people assume 

with a Trust: 

• Trustmaker, Trustor, Grantor — this 

is the person who creates the Trust. 

• Trustee — this is person who manages 

and makes decisions for the Trust. 

• Beneficiary — this is the person (or 

persons) who receive the benefits of the 

Trust. 

When the Trustmaker is alive, he 

or she plays all three roles. Upon the 

Trustmaker’s death or incapacitation, 

however, the Trust assigns these roles, 

including the beneficiary (or beneficiaries) 

who receive distributions according 

to the Trustmaker’s wishes, not at the 

discretion of a court. 

Important Things to Know About 

Trusts 

Not Properly Funding the Trust: A 

Trust can only control Trust property. For 

example, ownership of your home is most 

likely deeded to you (and your spouse, 

if applicable). For a Trust to control the 

property, though, the property needs to 

be deeded to the Trust through what is 

called a Trust “transfer deed.” If this is 

not done, the house is not controlled by 

the Trust and the courts will need to get 

involved. 

Not Updating Trust at Time of Life 

Events: A birth, death, marriage, divorce, 

move, or property purchase or sale are all 

life events that can affect Trusts. When 

such events take place, it’s a best practice 

to review the Trust. Absent necessary 

updates, beneficiaries can be left out or 

left in, which could lead to costly court 

proceedings. 

No Power of Attorney: A power of 

attorney gives power to someone to act 

on your behalf for financial and medical 

reasons. While a Trustee has similar 

powers, those powers apply only to Trust 

property. Power of Attorney would apply 

to things such as retirement accounts 

(which can’t be Trust assets), paying 

personal taxes, paying car insurance, utilities, 

etc. For medical reasons, it applies 

to medical decisions, such as end of life 

treatment. 

Not Planning for Blended Family: 

When families split or join due to divorce 

or remarrying, this can affect how a Trust 

applies to inheritance. One common issue 

is called “inadvertent disinheritance.” 

Let’s look at an example: a husband and 

wife, married for decades, has children 

from previous marriages. They live their 

lives as a single-family unit. When the 

husband dies, his share of the Trust goes 

to the wife, meaning her share is now 

100%. When she passes, according to 

the government, 100% of the Trust will 

go to the wife’s children because they 

are her natural heirs. Thus, the husband’s 

children are inadvertently disinherited. If 

we take our example a step further, what 

if the wife were to remarry before passing? 

If she and her new husband haven’t 

planned well, upon her death, 100% of 

her Trust assets go to the new husband 

and subsequently his kids. 

Informal Planning: This common 

mistake occurs when the Trustmaker 

has the mindset, “I told my kids what 

I want to have happen.” Unfortunately, 

this approach does not work. Informal 

planning is not honored by the courts. 

Do-It-Yourself Planning: Similarly, 

DIY planning through online 

venues is common. But beware the 

false sense of security it provides. Our 

experience is that many DIY plans 

are not adequate to withstand court 

scrutiny. Often, they are too vague or 

confusing to address specific situations, 

even if the intent of the Trustmaker is 

well-known to the family. 

Not Just for the Elderly: If you 

have a family, you need to plan for the 

unexpected accident or health emergency 

... and keep those plans up-to-date 

throughout your lifetime. 

Got Questions? 

If you have questions about estate 

planning, we can help. We are experts 

at estate planning and helping our 

clients secure their assets and protect 

their heirs. Contact the attorneys at 

Shoup Legal, A Professional Law Corporation, 

at 951-445-4114 or info@ 

shouplegal.com to discuss your unique 

situation today. 

by by 

Andrea Steve Fillingim Shoup


Are You Prepared for Tax Filing Season? 

FINANCIAL 

Esther Phahla, 

CPA, CTS, MST 

The IRS announced that tax season 

will start on Friday, February 12, 2021, 

when the tax agency will begin accepting 

and processing 2020 tax year returns. 

The February 12 start date for individual 

tax return filers allows the IRS time to 

do additional programming and testing 

of IRS systems following the recent tax 

law changes. 

The IRS anticipates those who e-file 

a return claiming the earned income 

credit (EIC) or additional child tax credit 

(ACTC) will begin receiving their refund 

the first week of March, assuming 

no issues are detected. The IRS urges 

taxpayers and tax professionals to file 

electronically. 

As taxpayers you probably have 

lots of questions this tax season ranging 

from: stimulus payments (Round 1 and 

2), the recovery rebate credit, the taxability 

of your unemployment income, 

the paycheck protection program loans, 

economic injury disaster loan advance 

grant, which provisions were extended 

and other miscellaneous provisions. This 

is where preparing comes handy. 

Why, What, When, Where and How to 

Prepare 

Why? Well-organized tax records 

make it easier to prepare a tax return and 

they help provide answers if your tax 

return is selected for a tax examination 

or audit, or to prepare a response if you 

receive an IRS or State notice. Devoting 

time to organize your tax-related documents 

makes it easier for you to prepare 

your tax return. 

What? Individuals, keep records 

that support items of income or a deduction 

or a credit appearing on your tax 

return, such as receipts, canceled checks, 

mileage logs and other documents (W2s, 

Form 1099s), until the period of limitation 

expires for that tax return. 

What? Small Business Owners, 

keep all your employment tax records, 

any records documenting gross receipts, 

proof of purchases, expenses and assets. 

Examples include cash register tapes, 

bank deposit slips, receipt books, purchase 

and sales invoices, credit card 

charges and sales slips, Forms 1099s, 

canceled checks, account statements, petty 

cash slips and real estate closing statements. 

Electronic records can include 

databases, saved files, e-mails, instant 

messages, faxes and voice messages. 

Note what’s new for 2020: The IRS 

introduced Form 1099-NEC for reporting 

independent contractor income 

of $600 or more, officially known as 

“non-employee compensation”. Form 

1099-MISC is still around and is used 

to report miscellaneous income such 



as royalties, rents, prizes, and other 

income. 

When? Ideally throughout the year, 

not just at tax filing time. This will give 

you enough time to avoid missing important 

deductions and credits because 

you are trying to remember a year later. 

Where? You can have a manual 

system where you use folders kept in 

your home or office, or electronically if 

you are moving to a less paper system. 

There are lots of programs that are available 

now. 

How? As you receive your tax related 

documents, such as W2s or Form 

1099s, have a designated place for all of 

them. This will make preparing your tax 

return easier, and it may also remind you 

of relevant transactions. 

You are now ready to file your tax 

return before or by March 15, 2021 

for S corporations and partnerships or 

April 15, 2021 for Individuals and C 

corporations. 

You can also file an Extension should 

you not have all the required documents 

or if you are not Prepared by the due 

date. Remember, an Extension to file is 

not an extension to pay, if you owe. 

Esther Phahla is a Certified Public 

Accountant and Certified Tax Strategist 

in Temecula. She is the Author of tax 

planning books: “ Why Didn’t My CPA 

Tell Me That” and “10 Most Expensive 

Tax Mistakes That Cost Business Owners 

THOUSANDS”. 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 

“ 

As taxpayers you 

probably have lots of 

questions this tax 

season ranging from: 

stimulus payments 

(rounds 1 and 2), the 

recovery rebate 

credit, the taxability of 

your unemployment 

income, the paycheck 

protection program... 

11




Mileage Log 

FINANCIAL 

presented by 

Nicole M Albrecht EA 

Do you have a mileage log that will 

survive an IRS audit? If so, good for you! 

If not, get ready to give up all (not some, 

but all) of your vehicle tax deductions for 

not just one year but three years, as you 

will see in this true story. 

The story is about Therone Johnson, 

president of Diversified Innovative Products 

Co, Inc. (Dip Co), a corporation in 

Colorado that manufactures and sells 

disposable ink pans for printing presses. 

Mr. Johnson and the rest of Dip Co’s 

management work from home offices 

because the manufacturing facility does 

not have enough office space for all of 

them to work there regularly. 

Need for the Mileage Log 

Tax code Section 274 imposes strict 

substantiation requirements for business 

mileage. 

As the court noted in this case, for 

expenses such as the pickup truck Mr. 

Johnson used for business purposes, he 

had to substantiate the following with 

adequate records or with sufficient evidence 

corroborating his own statement: 

• The amount of the expense 

• Mileage for each business use of the 

pickup, as well as the total mileage for 

all purposes during the taxable period 

• The time and place Mr. Johnson used 

the pickup 

• The business purpose of the use 

Planning note. Don’t latch on to the 

“with sufficient evidence corroborating 

his own statement” thinking that you 

have a real alternative to keeping a good 

mileage log. From the myriad court cases 

we have read regarding the mileage log, 

this is an impossible task. 

The Outlook Calendar 

The primary evidence Mr. Johnson 

submitted to the court (and previously 

to the IRS) in support of his claimed 

travel-related and car and truck expense 

deductions was a Microsoft Outlook 

calendar reflecting his travel during the 

periods at issue, supplemented by his 

testimony. 

He used the calendar for all appointments 

and events, including those related 

to his work at the ranch, his work for Dip 

Co, and his personal activities. 

But many of the entries in his calendar 

noted only that he traveled to and/or 

from a ranch; they did not note the purpose 

for his visit (hay farming business, 

Dip Co work, property maintenance, or 

personal). 

The Court’s Take on the Calendar 

The court noted that without the 

business purpose information, it could 

not determine which of Mr. Johnson’s 

trips were for business purposes as required 

by tax code Section 162. It then 

cited various cases that disallowed the 

expenses because the taxpayer 

• could not establish the business purpose 

for each expense, 

• did not differentiate between business 

travel purposes and personal travel purposes, 

or 

• gave broad testimony and receipts that 

were insufficient to establish the business 

purpose of travel. 

Ruling 

Because the court could not determine 

that Mr. Johnson’s business use of 

the truck for Dip Co and the ranch exceeded 

50 percent of Mr. Johnson’s total 

use as required by Section 179, it simply 

denied the entire Section 179 deduction 

and the other car and truck expenses for 

the three years before the court. 

Takeaways 

The failed mileage log cost Mr. Johnson 

all of his car and truck deductions, 

not just in Year Three when he purchased 

and expensed the pickup truck. Also 

gone were all his deductions for depreciation 

of his prior vehicle—and all gas, 

insurance, and repair deductions for a 

combined three years. 

So, the vehicle deduction equation 

for you is clear: if you want to keep your 

vehicle deductions, you need a good 

mileage log. 

If you would like our help with your 

mileage log, please contact our office at 

951-719-1515. 

“ 

Do you have a mileage log that will survive an 

IRS audit? If so, good for you! If not, get ready 

to give up all (not some, but all) of your vehicle 

tax deductions for not just one year but three 

years,




13 

EXECUTIVE PROFILE | Greg Thomas 

Greg Thomas serves as the General Manager of the Elsinore 

Valley Municipal Water District and has lived in the Valley for 

nearly 20 years. Thomas started his career serving in the US 

Marine Corp, which gave him an opportunity to live and work 

connect: ghassler@atwork.com 

in places across the globe. When his tenure with the military was 

complete, Greg and his wife, Carla, chose Southwest Riverside 

County as their place to raise family and start his career in the 

water industry. 

The quality of life and the people 

drew us to the area. The opportunity 

with EVMWD, which came 

just under two years ago, allowed 

me the opportunity to work and 

live in the same community and 

offered new challenges in my 

career. 

I spent 22 years with the U.S. 

Marine Corps, serving time in 

the Middle East and East Africa, 

leading several large civil and 

water related projects, ultimately 

serving as the Facility Maintenance 

Officer for Marine Corps 

Base Camp Pendleton, where I 

was responsible for all buildings, 

roads, water, sewer, gas, and electric. 

After my retirement from the 

Marines, I spent seven years in 

private engineering/construction 

consulting, then served over 6 

years as General Manager for the 

Rincon Del Diablo Municipal 

Water District. Embracing opportunity, 

I arrived at EVMWD 

in 2019 and it is here that it continues 

to be a pleasure to serve as 

general manager and be part of 

a leading-edge organization in a 

burgeoning community. 

AFFILIATIONS: 

Being part of the community and 

making a change, I belong to 

several veteran, community, and 

water industry associations. I 

am a big proponent of ‘Water for 

People’, an international charity 

which focuses on creating sustainable 

access to water and sanitation 

in nine countries. The effort has taken 

me to South America, where I have 

helped play a central role in helping 

communities create and maintain new 

water and sanitation systems. I am 

also active in fund-raising for WFP 

and other charities. 

I also serve as the architectural committee 

chair for my church and am 

proud to be part of the team who 

orchestrated a new preschool/administration 

facility, which is finished 

design and will begin construction 

this summer. 

BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY: 

A passage from Lincoln on Leadership: 

Executive Strategies for Tough 

Times speaks greatly to my philosophy: 

“It is your duty to advance the 

aims of the organization and also to 

help those who serve it. If you once 

forfeit the confidence of your fellow 

citizens you can never regain their 

respect and esteem”. 

This notion is my compass to leadership. 

It guides me in vision, mission, 

goals and ensuring teamwork 

to accomplish those goals. It also 

reminds me to be humble, respectful 

and genuinely care. 

FAVORITE SPORT: 

I love many sports- golfing, hiking, 

skiing, soccer, football. I love to 

watch and participate, though some 

I haven’t participated in since high 

school. I want to change that, though, 

as I’m interested in finding a local 

soccer league for guys my age! 

GOALS: 

Personally and professionally, my 

goal is always to be the best I can 

be, to continue to learn and grow, to 

give back, and to follow the path God 

leads me on. 

MENTORS: 

My parents were great mentors; 

they instilled good old fashioned, 

mid-Western values in me. I am also 

grateful for the many military leaders, 

community leaders and colleagues 

who have advised and mentored me 

to be the person and leader I am today. 

FAVORITE READING: 

My favorite leadership book is 

Lincoln on Leadership by Donald 

T. Phillips. Seven Habits of Highly 

Effective People by Stephen Covey 

is a great guide for personal and 

professional growth. I am also a 

fan of the Civil War epics Gods 

and Generals by Jeff Shaara and 

Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. 

The Bible is definitely the top 

favorite. 

BIRTHPLACE: 

Merrillville, Indiana



14 February 2021




15 

6 Tips to Prevent Home Burglaries 

Did you know that most burglaries 

happen between 10am and 3pm? 

When you are out of the house, make 

it harder for a burglar to break in with 

these simple and safe tips. 

1. Landscape strategically- A few wellplaced 

motion-sensor lights, some 

thorny bushes or plants, and a couple 

of prune trees can do wonders for 

your home security! The basic idea 

is to make your home more visible 

and make it harder for burglars to 

get into your house. 

2. Do not advertise your vacation- 

Since most burglaries take place 

when people are out of the house, 

don’t make thieves jobs any easier 

by telling everyone and their mothers 

that you’ll be away on vacation! 

That goes for posting your travel 

plans on social media too. Wait 

until you are back to post all those 

amazing photos and selfies in front 

of landmarks. It’s also a good idea to 

make sure your house doesn’t look 

uninhabited by simply setting your 

lights and/or TV’s on a timer. 

3. Hide your phone lines- An electronic 

home alarm system is a great way 

to protect your household, and it 

can help you sleep better at night 

too! Many of the standard alarm 

systems transmit their alerts over 

telephone lines. So, if you have an 

alarm system, make sure your phone 

cables aren’t easy to spot, because 

they may also be easy to cut! Talk to 

your alarm company or your phone 

provider to see if it’s possible to hide 

your phone lines or set up a cellular 

signal, which has become more 

popular. 

4. Secure sliding doors- Just tossing 

a steel rod in the door channel is 

an easy way to secure your sliding 

doors. That will reduce the chance 

of someone lifting it out of the track 

or forcing it open. 

5. Deadbolt your doors and secure 

windows- Strong deadbolt locks 

and secure windows can discourage 

potential thieves just by making their 

jobs a little bit harder. Make sure 

your external doors and windows 

are dead bolted and locked from the 

inside. 

6. Ring Doorbell- Lastly, it is more 

affordable than ever to set up a Ring 

Doorbell or other similar product 

and add cameras around your home 

and property for added safety and 

peace of mind. 

Craig Davis is an agent for Farmers 

Insurance and the owner of Craig Davis 

Family Insurance located at 27645 

Jefferson, Suite 113, in Temecula. He 

may be reached at (951) 699-1776. 

cdavis@farmersagent.com. 

CDAVIS@FARMERSAGENT.COM 

INSURANCE 

by by 

Craig Steve Davis Fillingim 

“ 

Did you know that most burglaries 

happen between 10am and 3pm? 

When you are out of the house, make 

it harder for a burglar to break in with 

these simple and safe tips. 

Hired someone new? 

Launched a new product? 

Won an award? 

Invented something? 

Re-opened? 

Have a new service? 

Share your news with us! 

The Valley Business Journal 

publishertvbj@verizon.net




The Ripple Effect of Migraine Headaches on 

the Workplace 

The best 

WAY 

to 

LAUNCH 

See how advertising in 

in the Valley Business Journal can help. 

publishertvbj@verizon.net 

(951) 461-0400 

HEALTH 

by 

Dr. Tina Gottlieb, D.C. 

For 25 years now I’ve been working 

closely with patients who suffer from 

chronic Migraine Headaches. It is important 

to note that a Migraine Headache 

is nothing like a typical headache. In fact, 

most Migraine patients would prefer they 

not be compared. Those who suffer from 

chronic Migraine can go from feeling 

great to a 10 on a pain scale in a matter 

of minutes. 

I’ve seen firsthand the ripple effect 

that Migraines can have on a workplace, 

family, and every aspect of a patient’s 

life. 

Even if you do not have Migraines, 

the likelihood of it still impacting your 

workplace is large. 

• Migraines affect 1 in 4 people in the US. 

• 90% of sufferers are unable to work or 

function normally during a Migraine. 

• There are 157 million workdays lost 

annually due to Migraine Headaches. 

• When at work with a Migraine, effectiveness 

is shown to be reduced to 41%. 

• Lost productivity costs are estimated at 

$36 Billion in the US annually. 

Let me share portions of 3 stories 

from my patients to give you a better 

understanding (See their full stories on 

our website): 

“I was diagnosed with Migraines at 

about 13 or 14 years old. Day 2 of being 

an employee of Dr. Tina’s I had a horrid 

Migraine. I cried and cried because I was 

so afraid that I was going to lose this job! 

I came into work, sunglasses on, and 

quickly she realized that I was miserable. 

She told me that she could help. Not 

going to lie, a little part of me laughed. 

Everyone said that they could help me. 

No one was able to. About 6 months into 

care, I was at about 80% Migraine free. 

After about a year, I was 95% Migraine 

free. I felt free, I felt like I had my life 

back. I was able to do all the things I 

wanted to do and all of the things I used 

to do that I couldn’t anymore because I 

was under the control of Migraines. But 

not anymore.” Angela 

“Everything is impacted…I know 

that I am way less productive and my 

ability to make mistakes when I have a 

Migraine is definitely higher. The ability 

to look at a computer and talk on a 

phone all day is miserable not only for 

the clients, but for the employees as well. 

I feel like the days that I have pushed 

myself to go to work with a Migraine 

has actually made the Migraine worse. It 

also impacts the team that you work with. 

When you’re trying to push yourself to do 

things that you shouldn’t while you have 

a Migraine, there are so many domino 

effects that happen with coworkers. They 

have to correct your mistakes or pick up 

the slack.” Nichole Lucas 

“In my line of work I need to be 

confident with my ability to communicate 

verbally. Clients, contractors, city officials- 

any number of consultants might 

call. I may have to present a project to 

a group. Clearly, I must be confident 

in my ability to put words together in 

a meaningful and enthusiastic manner. 

Over twenty years ago this ability was 

seriously jeopardized. My confidence 

was badly shaken and I could not count 

on my readiness to respond spontaneously 

at any time or any place. 

When it came down to preparing 

myself for public speaking, I experienced 

a brand new sensation: FEAR! My vision 

would be interrupted by “auras” and I 

would lose my ability to utter intelligible 

sentences. These visual episodes would 

last from half an hour to over an hour. 

Only occasionally would I have the fullblown 

headache and nausea that comes 

with the typical migraine. But my ability 

to speak was seriously impaired for 

sometimes as long as two hours or more. 

I no longer feel insecure when 

scheduling meetings with city officials, 

appearing in front of groups, or presenting 

to clients. In the nearly four years 

that I have been seeing “Dr. Tina” I am 

almost completely symptom free! And… 

NO FEAR!! “ Walt 

If you have Chronic Migraine please 

do not stop looking for solutions. Even if 

you think you have tried it all. There is 

hope! So many people, myself included, 

found solutions with Upper Cervical Chiropractic 

care. If you run a business with 

employees who suffer from Migraines I 

urge you to share this article with them 

and reach out to me. I would be happy 

to schedule a Zoom meeting to discuss 

options. 

Tina M Gottlieb, D.C. is an Upper Cervical 

Chiropractor in Temecula. If you 

have any questions please let her know 

951-699-5161, Tina@drtinachiropractic. 

com, www.DrTinaChiropractic.com 

For more Tina Tips follow her 

on Facebook and Instagram 

@drtinachiropractic 

“ 

Those who suffer from chronic Migraine can 

go from feeling great to a 10 on a pain scale 

in a matter of minutes.


Eye Protection 

by Pat Utnehmer 



17 

Eye injuries in the workplace are 

very common. The National Institute for 

Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 

reports that every day about 2,000 U.S. 

workers sustain job-related eye injuries 

that require medical treatment. However, 

safety experts and eye doctors believe 

the right eye protection can lessen the 

severity or even prevent 90 percent of 

these eye injuries. 

Chemicals or foreign objects in the 

eye and cuts or scrapes on the cornea are 

common eye injuries that occur at work. 

Other common eye injuries come from 

splashes with grease and oil, burns from 

steam, ultraviolet or infrared radiation 

exposure, and flying wood or metal chips. 

In addition, health care workers, 

laboratory and janitorial staff, and other 

workers may be at risk of acquiring 

infectious diseases from eye exposure. 

Some infectious diseases can be transmitted 

through the mucous membranes 

of the eye. This can occur through direct 

exposure to blood splashes, respiratory 

droplets generated during coughing, or 

from touching the eyes with contaminated 

fingers or other objects. 

Workers experience eye injuries on 

the job for two major reasons: 

1. They were not wearing eye 

protection. 

2. They were wearing the wrong 

kind of protection for the job. 

A Bureau of Labor Statistics survey 

of workers who suffered eye injuries revealed 

that nearly three out of five were 

not wearing eye protection at the time of 

the accident. These workers most often 

reported that they believed protection was 

not required for the situation. 

The Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration (OSHA) requires workers 

to use eye and face protection whenever 

there is a reasonable probability of injury 

that could be prevented by such equipment. 

Personal protective eyewear, such 

as goggles, face shields, safety glasses or 

full-face respirators must be used when 

an eye hazard exists. The necessary eye 

protection depends upon the type of hazard, 

the circumstances of exposure, other 

protective equipment used and individual 

vision needs. 

Workplace eye protection is needed 

when the following potential eye 

hazards are present: 

• Projectiles (dust, concrete, metal, wood 

and other particles) 

• Chemicals (splashes and fumes) 

• Radiation (especially visible light, 

ultraviolet radiation, heat or infrared 

radiation, and lasers) 

• Bloodborne pathogens (hepatitis or HIV) 

from blood and body fluids 

Computer Vision Syndrome, also referred 

to as Digital Eye Strain, describes a 

group of eye and vision-related problems 

that result from prolonged computer, 

tablet, e-reader and cell phone use. The 

average American worker spends seven 

hours a day on the computer either in the 

office or working from home. 

The type of safety eye protection you 

should wear depends on the hazards in 

your workplace: 

• If you are working in an area that has 

particles, flying objects or dust, you 

must at least wear safety glasses with 

side protection (side shields). 

• If you are working with chemicals, you 

must wear goggles. 

• If you are working near hazardous radiation 

(welding, lasers or fiber optics) 

you must use special-purpose safety 

glasses, goggles, face shields or helmets 

designed for that task. 

Know the requirements for your 

work environment. Side shields placed 

on your conventional (dress) glasses do 

not provide enough protection to meet 

the OSHA requirement for many work 

environments. 

In addition, employers need to take 

steps to make the work environment as 

safe as possible. This includes: 

• Conducting an eye hazard assessment of 

the workplace 

• Removing or reducing eye hazards 

where possible 

• Providing appropriate safety eyewear 

and requiring employees to wear it 

Your optometrist can assist your 

employer and you in evaluating potential 

eye hazards in your workplace and 

determining what type of eye protection 

may be needed. 

There are four things you can do to 

protect your eyes from injury: 

1. Know the eye safety dangers at 

your work. 

2. Eliminate hazards before starting 

work by using machine guards, 

work screens or other engineering 

controls. 

3. Use proper eye protection. 

4. Keep your safety eyewear in 

good condition and have it replaced 

if it becomes damaged 

Dr. Patrick Utnehmer, Promenade Optometry 

& Lasik, (951) 296-2211. 

“ ...survey of workers 

who suffered eye injuries 

revealed that 

nearly three out of five 

were not wearing eye 

protection at the time 

of the accident. 

Visit us on Facebook: 

@ thevalleybusinessjournal




Anxiety Is Normal Until Its Not 

City of Temecula Partners with Covid 

Clinic, Inc. to Provide Covid-19 Testing 

Will provide drive-thru COVID-19 testing at three different City 

parking lot locations in Temecula. 

Anxiety is a normal and often 

healthy emotion. However, when a 

person regularly feels disproportionate 

levels of anxiety, it might become 

a medical disorder. Anxiety disorders 

form a category of mental health diagnoses 

that lead to excessive nervousness, 

fear, apprehension, and worry. 

Anxiety is a reaction to many 

kinds of events and situations in our 

lives and is one of our internal warning 

systems that alerts us to danger or 

other threats and prepares our bodies 

to fight back or get out of a dangerous 

situation. 

Anxiety is a problem when it 

becomes overwhelming or unmanageable 

and it comes up unexpectedly. 

Anxiety disorders are mental illnesses 

that have a big impact your life. People 

may avoid going about their daily 

lives to avoid anxiety. They may experience 

a lot of uncomfortable physical 

sensations and physical health 

problems. Many people say that they 

know their anxiety is not based on 

reality, but they feel ‘trapped’ by their 

thought and feelings. Anxiety disorders 

can be treated. It is important to 

seek help if you are concerned about 

anxiety in your life. 

Normal anxiety... 

Is related to a specific situation or 

problem 

Lasts only as the situation or problem 

Is proportional to the situation or 

problem 

Is a realistic response to a realistic 

problem or situation 

When someone experiences an 

anxiety disorder... 

Anxiety may come up unexpectedly, 

for seemingly no reason the anxiety 

response to a situation or problem 

may be much stronger than expected. 

May experience a lot of unrealistic 

anxiety, such as fear of a situation that 

likely will never happen 

Anxiety may last for a long time, even 

when the situation or problem has 

been resolved 

Anxiety may feel impossible to control 

or manage and you may avoid 

situations or things that they believe 

to trigger anxiety symptoms 

Five strategies you can use to 

try to stop a panic attack when you 

are having one or when you feel one 

coming on: 

1. Use deep breathing 

2. Recognize that you are having 

a panic attack 

3. Close your eyes 

4. Find a focus object 

5. Use muscle relaxation techniques 

Most importantly do not suffer 

in silence, this may be the time to 

seek professional help to manage this 

emotion. This is an emotion characterized 

by feelings of tension, worried 

thoughts, and physical changes like 

increased blood pressure. 

Matthew Taylor, MHRT, AODC, 

CCFP 

HEALTH 

by 

Matthew Taylor 

The sites are Margarita Recreation Center at 29119 

Margarita Road, Patricia H. Birdsall Sports Park at 

32380 Deer Hollow Way, and the Temecula Community 

Center at 28816 Pujol Street. Appointments 

are required; to schedule an appointment visit http:// 

covidclinic.org//testing-sites. 

Covid Clinic will offer a free (no out-of-pocket 

cost) COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) 

diagnostic test (with laboratory results in a few days) 

to Temecula Residents that wish to receive this test. 

In addition, Covid Clinic offers other COVID-19 

tests that require payment up front, including rapid 

results testing at a cost outlined on their website. 

http://covidclinic.org/ 

Testing is available for those with and without 

COVID-19 symptoms. Hours and days of operation 

may change depending on demand. 

“ 

Anxiety is a problem when it 

becomes overwhelming or 

unmanageable and it comes up 

unexpectedly. Anxiety disorders are 

mental illnesses that have a 

big impact your life.




19 

Are You and IT on the Same Page? 

TECHNOLOGY 

by 

by 

Stefani 

Steve 

Laszko 

Fillingim 

Your relationship with your IT department 

or IT provider may be one of 

the most difficult business relationships 

you have. Often times you may feel 

you are speaking two entirely different 

languages. Effectively communicating 

is crucial to the success of your 

business and your bottom line. Those 

in the IT industry are generally pretty 

good at working with those who don’t 

necessarily know IT lingo but problems 

often arise around time and budgetary 

expectations. 

The business owner or decision 

maker will say I want this or that done 

and the IT person may not communicate 

what all will be needed to accomplish 

the goal. 

These misunderstandings can be 

all but eliminated with a couple key 

discussion points: the desired outcomes, 

what will it take, what happens if the 

plan derails and what’s next. 

The first step in making sure you 

and IT are on the same page is to 

thoroughly discuss what you want to 

accomplish. If you tell someone that 

you’d like a new server and they don’t 

ask why before giving you a quote you 

should be skeptical of their motives and 

their knowledge. 

A seasoned IT professional is going 

to want to know what you are looking to 

accomplish and how it fits into your current 

infrastructure. They should be providing 

you with additional suggestions 

as needed, not necessarily to sell you 

more, but to make sure the end result 

works exactly the way you want it to. 

Next you need to talk about time 

and money, which to a decision maker 

are essentially the same thing. What 

is the estimate for the hardware and 

software required to complete the project? 

How many man hours does the 

IT professional need to complete the 

job? Will you have to lose productivity 

during normal business hours? Does 

your staff need to be trained on the new 

technology? 

Arguably the most important discussion 

is timeline and potential speed 

bumps. You must agree on an acceptable 

timeframe for the project to be accomplished 

and how to handle speed bumps. 

If possible, get it in writing. 

Any project is going to run into 

some form of speed bump regardless of 

how well it is scoped. Product pricing 

sometimes changes between the time of 

quote and purchase. Sourcing hardware 

has been made difficult by the negative 

effects of the pandemic on the supply 

chain. 

A project could be in the final stages 

and it’s discovered that some software 

is not compatible. Your IT professional 

gets called away on an emergency. The 

list goes on and they can all happen. 

How do you want the IT professional 

to communicate with you or your designated 

staff member? Do you only want 

updates on milestones? Are you only 

okay with a 10% margin of change on 

the price quote? 

Once all of this is covered you 

should have a couple more questions 

about the future. How long will this new 

system be relevant? Is there any ongoing 

maintenance costs that you need to 

include on your annual budget? What 

does the next step up look like? 

A seasoned IT professional should 

be able to answer every single one of 

these questions and provide you with 

references on past projects. The last 

thing you want to figure out when you’re 

half-way through the project is that your 

hired the wrong person for the job. Follow 

these steps, do your own research 

and you’ll soon have the desired outcome 

you’ve been waiting for. 

Mythos Technology is an IT consulting 

and management firm that provides 

Managed Services including hosted 

cloud solutions. For more information, 

please visit www.mythostech.com or call 

(951) 813-2672. 

MYTHOSTECH.COM 

Get 

MAXIMUM 

Exposure for 

YOUR BRAND 

“ 

These misunderstandings can be all but 

eliminated with a couple key discussion 

points: the desired outcomes, what will it 

take, what happens if the plan derails and 

what’s next. 

Contact us for advertising opportunities 

in The Valley Business Journal. 

publishertvbj@verizon.net 

(951) 461-0400




What a Long, Strange Trip It’s Been 

REAL ESTATE 

by 

Steve Fillingim 

by 

Gene Wunderlich 

What a year that’s finally in our 

rear view mirror, eh? A year of ups and 

downs, possibly more of one than the 

other depending on your perspective. 

A year of political shenanigans and 

chicanery that’s just winding down for 

one administration and just winding 

up for another. New faces in DC and 

Sacramento, and even a few of you 

receiving this letter for the first time. If 

it is your first time, congratulations. I’ll 

be sending this local housing summary 

out every month with more information 

that you care to read. If you ever 

have any specific questions about some 

element of our housing market, please 

don’t hesitate to contact me for details. 

So, let’ not waste another moment. 

Despite a nearly two month shut down 

of our industry, 2020 posted the highest 

sales volume for our region since 

2010! I know I forecast that we would 

come in above 2016 and just under 

2017, but December sales volume blew 

past my predictions and brought us in 40 

units higher than 2017 (11,685 / 11,725). 

Still a bit off the 2010 pace of 12,216 but 

given the fact that we are essentially out 

of inventory to sell, not a bad finish. 

What a year it might have been if 

we had adequate inventory and a wideopen 

market!! Of course, without the 

COVID push and adequate inventory, 

prices would not have appreciated as 

they did either. 

If you remember back to Q1, our 

year started off strong. In spite of the 

pull-back in mid-March, we were off to 

our best 1st quarter in years. With a very 

slow Q2 it was impossible to say where 

the market would be going. Our national 

Chief Economist was forecasting a V 

shape recovery for housing, but even 

he was hedging his bets. But once our 

market started to bounce back in June, 

we haven’t slowed down. We ended the 

year on a high note with December sales 

volume not only a 10% improvement 

over November (1,033 / 1,149), but fully 

25% higher that last December (860). 

Our median and average prices also 

ended the year on a surge. December 

median price was up a full 15% over last 

December ($385,900/$454,500), pushing 

the year to a 9% appreciation over 2019 

($386,413/$424,422) and more than double 

the regional median from 2010 ($198,862). 

Propelled by 134 sales of properties in 

excess of $1 million, Temecula established 

a new average price peak this year 

of $601,027, besting last year’s $555,320. 

Murrieta posted 92 $million+ sales 

bringing their average price to $525,487, 

just $7,000 short of their record year of 

$532,902 set in 2008. Menifee and Perris 

also set new average price peaks this year 

while other cities pulled within a few 

thousand dollars of new records. Last 

year there were 174 sales in excess of $1 

million, this year there were 259. 

Obviously COVID was not a detriment 

to everybody. 

Again, our scariest number is the 

inventory of homes for sale. With just 

598 homes currently on the market, this is 

our lowest inventory ebb since December 

of 2012 when inventory dropped to 581 

units. Back then we had 2 months where 

sales exceeded inventory, this year sales 

have exceeded available inventory for the 

past 7 months. 

Buyers today have just 1/3 the inventory 

of homes to select from than 

last December (1,720). Rather than being 

measured in months, our inventory 

across the region is currently standing at 

just over 2 weeks. And we’re all aware 

of what happens when you have strong 

demand with very limited supply (see 

previous paragraph re: pricing). 

So, whats ahead for 2021? With interest 

rates continuing at record lows, urban 

and coastal buyers seeking larger homes 

with offices and classrooms, and Millenials 

increasingly entering the housing market, 

there are no prognosticators calling for any 

decline of the market in 2021, fueling the 

12th year of our housing market run-up. 

Of course, we’re also likely to 

continue the trend of nearly 60% of 

California sellers seeking greener pastures 

out of state, so that should help 

inventory a little. Our level of distressed 

properties, currently less than 1% of 

the market, may also be impacted as 

we see increased business closures. We 

are fortunate in our region that nearly 

70% of our residents are homeowners. 

That means we’ll see less of an impact 

from eventual rental evictions and foreclosures 

than areas like Santa Monica, 

with just a 22% rate of homeownership. 

It makes a difference. 

And, of course new policies out 

of D.C. and Sacramento will have an 

obvious impact. While we’re not yet 

sure of the direction the federal government 

will take, Sacramento has already 

sent down 2 bills seeking to extend the 

rental eviction moratorium through next 

December with no relief for landlords. 

Those sorts of things will leave a mark. 

Well, here’s to you and yours for 

a healthy and prosperous 2021. 2020 

hasn’t been all bad. 

Gene Wunderlich is Vice President, 

Government Affairs for Southwest Riverside 

County Association of Realtors. 

If you have questions on the market, 

please contact me at GAD@srcar.org.




21 

Covid 19, Although Terrible, 

Allowed 46 Co-Authors to Come Together 

in a Book that in One Day Made 

Although the Covid 19 has been a 

terrible thing for the US and Internationally, 

it was also a time when women had 

more time to do things that they have 

wanted to do for years, but always put 

it in the back burner like writing a book, 

but now because of the lock down had 

time and stepped out of their comfort 

zone and did it! 

I am Ms. Robbie Motter the Founder 

of Global Society for Female Entrepreneurs, 

GSFE www.globalsocietyforfemaleentrepreneurs.org 

a 501 c3 

non-profit. 

For years I have been telling women 

about my two mantras “It’s All About 

Showing Up, and the POWER is in the 

ASKING. I also wanted for several years 

to do a book on this very subject with 

SHOW UP and ASK stories from my 

members and get it published. I found 

that over the years of sharing that more 

and more women where learning about 

the power of those words. 

I always say that SHOWING UP is 

like a treasure map you never know what 

treasurer you will find and they were 

finding treasures and they were finding 

ways to start ASKING. 

So in 2020 I stepped out to my members 

and said this is what we are going 

to do and gave them a deadline and told 

them “I am 84 years old and in March 

2021 on International Women’s Day I 

will be 85 and now is the time to get this 

book out. 

So 46 of my members said yes they 

wanted to be in the book and each week 

I reminded them of the deadline and they 

submitted their 2500 word stories and 

their photos and contact information on 

US Best Seller and the Next Day 

International Best Seller 

time and the book became a reality, It 

was launched on Facebook live at 10:00 

am pst on Friday January 22nd 2021 and 

on that day it made US best seller and 

late Saturday January 23, 2021, night 

it made also International Best Seller on 

Amazon, its also listed in Barnes and Noble 

and its a heartfelt book from women 

of all ages and all ethnic groups and all 

types of businesses, entrepreneurs and 

small business owners who shared their 

heartfelt stories of what happened in their 

lives when they showed up and ASKED. 

Plus 16 individuals wrote fantastic 

testimonials about the book. 75% of 

these authors it was their first time ever 

being in a book. Can you imagine what 

being a number 1, US and International 

best seller means to them, In fact one of 

my members designed the cover and her 

publishing company published the book. 

So, although times have been gloom 

for many, there are some bright moments 

and so you can imagine how these women 

feel. Every story has a lesson and those 

reading the book will learn and grow 

from it and no two stories are alike. 

My heart is overflowing with gratitude 

to all who have bought the book in 

not only the US but Internationally as 

well. It is still selling everywhere. 

I know you get hundreds of books to 

mention but we would be honored if you 

would perhaps consider to give a shout 

out for our book on Amazon, “It’s All 

About Showing Up and the Power is in 

the Asking, Robbie Motter. 

Individuals until the 29th of January 

can still buy the ebook for $1.99 

and Amazon has a free ebook reader 

all you have to do is download it. The 

book is 374 pages with 46 co authors. 

The soft cover book is also available for 

$24.95 plus shipping and handling. As 

the person with the idea and making it 

happen person I am so thrilled to see it 

out there as this book is going to change 

lives and already has. Each co-author 

put their heart into the book and I know 

each story will be touching the lives of 

those that read the book. The profits 

from the book go back to the non-profit 

to continue our work with women. Our 

mission is “To empower, inspire, mentor 

and educate women so they become 

successful entrepreneurs.” 

We have 12 GSFE networks and 

three of them are on zoom so that means 

no matter what State or Country a 

women lives she can join GSFE. Since 

1975 I have been on a mission to help 

women soar as in my years of working 

in corporate America in top positions 

women were not helping women, in fact 

I remember one incident where I asked a 

women to teach me something and she 

looked at me and said “I will not teach 

you or any woman.” 

That blew me away and that day I 

made a pact that whatever I learned I 

would share with other women. Women 

need to know we are not in competition 

with each other as really its not about us 

but how we can touch others and together 

we can do more and from that it comes 

back in so many ways, so, since the 70’s, 

I have been on a mission to do that. 

I formed the non-profit in 2017 and 

no one is paid on my board we all provide 

our love and expertise to help women 

soar. You can find this book on Amazon 

and Barnes and Noble. This book in a 

few days is already all over CA, New 

York, Virginia, Maryland, Texas, North 

Carolina, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Georgia 

and numerous other US locations and 

Internationally its already in the UK, 

Denmark, Canada, Bahamas, Brazil, 

Ecuador, Canary Islands, and many other 

locations and still moving into other 

states and other International locations 

and we are getting great reviews on 

Amazon. 

These co-authors are women who 

have a story to share and put their heart 

into getting it out. A shout out from YOU 

would be the greatest gift they could ever 

wish for. 

By Robbie Motter 

THE LEGISLATURE MUST LEAD 


We aren’t prepared for the next 

drought, wildfires pose an ever-increasing 

threat, and our insufficient power 

grid has led to rolling blackouts as a fire 

prevention tactic. Violent crime is rising 

and our already-failing education system 

is in shambles after almost a year of 

COVID-19. Homelessness is a national 

disgrace. The exodus of Californians into 

more livable states is chipping away our 

tax base and could cost us congressional 

representation. The opioid epidemic is 

still devastating families and communities. 

Economic devastation is spreading, 

and even many businesses that remained 

open are teetering on the brink. Thousands 

of Californians are struggling to 

receive unemployment benefits they are 

owed due to massive EDD failures. 

Last year, COVID-19 closures cut 

short the legislative session, limiting our 

ability to respond. This year, lawmakers 

must get to work and stay at work despite 

the pandemic. Suffering Californians 

deserve no less. 

The governor is well intentioned but 

incapable of fixing problems on his own. 

The persistent issues at EDD prove that. 

Big announcements, with task forces and 

strike teams that accomplish nothing are 

not the answer. I stand ready to tackle 

these issues in a bi-partisan manner. Last 

session, for example, my colleagues and 

I called for a special session to stay and 

work, but our requests were ignored. 

Things only got worse. 

The COVID-19 health crisis quickly 

morphed into an economic crisis. Our 

duty is to make the changes and reforms 

needed to get California moving again, 

to give every person the opportunity to 

thrive – in a safe environment – so all can 

achieve their potential and their dreams. 

Let’s get started. 

Assembly Republican Leader Marie 

Waldron, R-Escondido, represents the 

75th Assembly District in the California 

Legislature, which includes the communities 

of Bonsall, Escondido, Fallbrook, 

Hidden Meadows, Pala, Palomar 

Mountain, Pauma Valley, Rainbow, 

San Marcos, Temecula, Valley Center 

and Vista.




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23




Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce 

Announces the 2021 Board of Directors 

The Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the 2021 

Board of Directors led by Chairman of the Board, Al Rubio of DCH Auto Group 

Temecula. The board of directors had 7 open positions for the 2021-2023 term 

and the ballot boasted over 20 nominees. The new electees and executive board 

will be installed at the January 2021 Board Meeting. 

“I am proud and honored to have been re-elected as the 2021 TVCC Chairman 

of the board. As we all know, 2020 was a challenging year. We faced these 

challenges with resolve and confidence, and I have faith that our Board of Directors 

and staff will apply these same values in 2021 to continue to support our 

membership and each other. Our 2021 Board of Directors comprise a diverse, 

experienced, and dedicated group of business leaders. I look forward to working 

with all of you, I remain positive for the opportunities that await us in the coming 

year” says Al Rubio. 

2021 EXECUTIVE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: 

Chairman of the Board – Al Rubio, DCH Auto Group Temecula 

1st Vice Chairman – Mike Noon, Noon & Associates CPAs, Inc. 

2nd Vice Chairman – Kim Kelliher, Grapeline Wine Tours & Stryder Transportation 

Treasurer – Esther Phahla, Esther N. Phahla, CPA, A Professional Corporation 

Secretary – Jackie Steed, Reliable Realty 

2021 BOARD OF DIRECTORS: 

Peter Baker, Loma Linda University Medical Center Murrieta 

David Beshay, Corner Bakery Café 

Adam Eventov, SoCalGas Company 

BJ Fazeli, Fazeli Cellars Winery 

Kimberly Freize Uhler, Clear Blue Promotions 

Jeff Kurtz, Promenade Temecula 

Dave Lester, Abbott 

Cherise Manning, A Grape Escape Balloon Adventure 

Tammy Marine, Habitat for Humanity Inland Valley 

Andrew Masiel, Sr., Pechanga Development Corporation 

Julie Ngo, Julie Ngo Agency State Farm 

Paul Nolta, Inland Empire Small Business Development Center 

Akash Patel, Akash Winery & Vineyards 

Robert Rosenstein, The Law Offices of Rosenstein & Associates 

Bernie Truax, Truax Management Group 

Darlene Wetton, Temecula Valley Hospital 

A special thank you our outgoing Board Members for your dedication and 

service: Brian Connors, Leslie Doherty, Soledad Escobedo, Donna San Miguel, 

and Linda Wunderlich. 

About the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce 

The Mission of the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce is to promote 

positive economic growth while protecting the environment for all businesses 

and by doing so, support the programs which preserve and improve the quality of 

life for the entire community. To learn more about the Temecula Valley Chamber 

of Commerce, please visit www.temecula.org or call (951) 676-5090. 

THE ANNUAL AWARDS NOMINEES 

ARE OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED BY THE 

TEMECULA VALLEY CHAMBER 

OF COMMERCE 

2020 Bronze Business of the Year 

Nominees: 

Barragan Corp International 

Be Kekoa Apothecary 

Clear Blue Promotions 

Nothing Bundt Cakes -Temecula 

Ranch RV & Self-Storage 

Reliable Realty, Inc. - Jackie Steed 

Sebaz Video Productions 

Tina M. Gottlieb Chiropractic, APC 

Wellness Diagnostics & Medspa 

2020 Sterling Business of the Year 

Nominees: 

AppleOne Employment Services 

California Bank & Trust 

Fabozzi & Miller, APC 

FirstLight Home Care of Temecula 

Home Perfect Restoration 

The Law Offices of Rosenstein & 

Associates 

Pacific Western Bank 

Promenade Temecula 

2020 Gold Business of the Year 

Nominees: 

Avensole Winery 

Chick-Fil-A Temecula 

CR&R Environmental Services 

Danza del Sol Winery 

Michael Baker International 

Wiens Family Cellars 


Each year, the members of the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce nominate 

businesses, non-profit organizations, and individuals who serve as leaders in 

community service, business ethics and economic development. Winners are announced 

at the 55th Annual Awards Gala which is anticipated to take place in May 

or June 2021 at Pechanga Resort & Casino. This grand black-tie event is generously 

sponsored by Abbott and Pechanga Resort & Casino. In addition to the nominees 

listed, awards will be given for: Ambassador of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, 

Chairman’s Choice and Welty Tourism. 

Congratulations to the following businesses and individuals on their nomination: 

(Nominees are recognized for their contributions and performance for the entire 

year of 2020.) 

2020 Platinum Business of the Year 

Nominees: 

Loma Linda University Medical Center 

Murrieta 

Milgard Manufacturing 

Southern California Gas Company 

Southwest Healthcare System 

Wilson Creek Winery 

2020 Ruby Service/Charitable 

Organization of the Year Nominees: 

Charity For Charity 

Dive Guardians 

Old Town Rotary Club 

Rotary Club of Temecula 

SAFE Family Justice Centers 

Temecula Education Foundation 

2020 Emerald Service/Charitable 

Organization of the Year Nominees: 

Assistance League of Temecula Valley 

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Temecula 

Michelle’s Place Cancer Resource Center 

2020 Valley Young Professional of the 

Year Nominees: 

Krystal Aponte 

Eric Bunge 

Barbie Ray 

Stephanie Santana 

2020 Citizen of the Year Nominees: 

Eric Bunge 

Robert Cooke 

Craig Davis 

Kristara-Marie Munoz 

Teri Sue Parker 

Barbie Ray 

Jim Toth 

Vickie Walker 

Denyse Wilson 

About the Temecula Valley Chamber 

of Commerce 

The Mission of the Temecula Valley 

Chamber of Commerce is to promote positive 

economic growth while protecting 

the environment for all businesses and 

by doing so, support the programs which 

preserve and improve the quality of life 

for the entire community. To learn more 

about the Temecula Valley Chamber of 

Commerce, please visit www.temecula. 

org or call (951) 676-5090. 

Al Rubio, 

2021 Chairman of the Board 

Violet June Photography




25 

DIGIFEST TEMECULA’S 

5TH YEAR IN THE MAKING 

It’s that time of year again where 

JDS Creative Academy amps up the 

brainstorming, starts to secure locations, 

books the line-up and calls for creatives 

from all over the world to submit their 

best work into their unique competition, 

festival and conference, DigiFest Temecula. 

DigiFest Temecula, now in its fifth 

year, was designed to bring innovation 

together from talent of all levels, honoring 

creativity in several medium formats, 

as well as being a place for like-minded 

entertainment and digital media industry 

individuals to have a sense of community 

in the beautiful Temecula Valley of Riverside 

County. 

DigiFest 2020 transitioned into a virtual-live 

streamed event, DigiDay, which 

was a jam-packed day full of all that DigiFest 

has to offer. DigiDay had a stacked 

panel of industry professionals, LIVE 

entertainment from Kanan Road, and a 

guest appearance from Teddy Lane Jr. 

who provided some belly-aching laughs. 

This virtual-live aspect will continue to 

be a part of DigiFest in some capacity for 

future DigiFest to come. 

DigiFest and JDS Creative Academy 

are determined to not let the current 

pandemic stop the community from 

celebrating all things digital, as they are 

busy creating and producing DigiFest 

Temecula 2021, scheduled for April 

16, 17 & 18, 2021. This event will take 

place virtually, accompanied by some 

in-person socially-distant activities such 

as drive-in screenings and other outdoor 

entertainment and presentations. 

Whether you are a creator or just 

someone who enjoys the arts, and you’re 

looking for a place to experience digital 

media in many creative and artistic 

forms, DigiFest 2021 is for you! Those 

many forms include video, fine art, illustration, 

photography, animation, music, 

podcasts, website design and gaming 

entries. Two new categories that will be 

added to DigiFest this year include acting 

and scriptwriting. Digifesttemecula.org is 

a great place to see all the categories and 

types of work the competition accepts, 

as well as rules and terms for entries. 

The festival aims to offer a place for 

all to have an opportunity and have an 

inclusive experience. Speaking of inclusivity, 

this year the festival will also 

feature a category to appreciate artistic 

expressions from people with different 

disabilities and backgrounds. 

Entertainment aside, the festival is 

a place to learn about industry advancements, 

how to pursue a career in the industry, 

and how to incorporate digital arts 

into the economic culture. The purpose 

of the event is to inspire the community 

to be creative and encourage investment 

in passions and ideas! 

DigiFest can’t wait to see all the 

creative submissions. Whether they are 

quarantine projects, your first project or 

something you have been working on 

for years, put it out there for a chance to 

win a Digi! 

Early submissions are open until 

February 10, 2021 and the late entry 

deadline is March 22, 2021. Submissions 

DIGIFESTTEMECULA.ORG 

are accepted on digifesttemecula.org as 

well as on FilmFreeway.com. 

Be a part of Temecula’s only digital-media 

festival, whether you submit 

your own work or admire the creativity 

of others. The beauty of our evolving 

technical world is the ability to share 

FILMFREEWAY.COM 

across different platforms from the most 

distant places. So, whether you join in 

virtually or attend in person, DigiFest Temecula 

looks forward to another digital 

extravaganza! Like Albert Einstein said, 

“Creativity is contagious, pass it on.”




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




27 

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INFLUENCER 

Advertise with us and 

share your expertise 

Your articles printed in our 

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on social media. 

Contact us today: 

(951) 461-0400 • publishertvbj@verizon.net



28 February 2021

February 21 VBJ

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