VBJ December 22 Online

VOLUME 33, NUMBER 12 DECEMBER 2022 

HOLIDAY SAFETY TIPS FROM 

MURRIETA POLICE 

DEPARTMENT 

The Murrieta Police Department wants to ensure that 

the community enjoys a fun and safe holiday season. Here 

are tips to keep your home secure and stay safe while out 

and about in the community this holiday season. 

If you plan on traveling: 

• Don’t post on social media about traveling out of town. 

Thieves will know you are not home. 

TEMECULA VALLEY HOSPITAL OFFERS 

LATEST IN SURGICAL TECHNOLOGY 

THE DA VINCI® XI ROBOTIC SURGICAL SYSTEM 

SEE PAGE 6 

SEE PAGE 8 

HOLIDAY TRAVEL: 

IS YOUR ESTATE PLAN UP TO DATE? 

by Andrea Shoup 

by Ted Saul 

Many people travel during the holidays, whisking out of the 

country or off to the beach to escape the cold. Before you leave on 

vacation, do you have your estate planning up to date? It is always a 

good idea to make plans for the unexpected before going on vacation. 

Estate Planning Before Holiday Vacations 

Take a moment before the holidays to update your estate plan. If 

you have yet to make any estate plans at all, now is the time to set up 

a will or trust before you travel. 

TECH GIFT IDEAS FOR 2022 

Looking for that special gift idea for the tech minded? In this digital 

age there aren’t too many who would not like new innovation. Here are 

some ideas that might help fill your Christmas shopping list. 

Many music lovers have been returning to vinyl records but in order 

to do so, a turn table is required. There is a growing selection of units that 

connect to blue tooth enabled speakers. 

SEE PAGE 22 

SEE PAGE 10 

COMMUNITY 

TEMECULA VALLEY 

HOSPITAL’S NEW 

CHIEF NURSING 

OFFICER 

6 

LEGAL 

EMPLOYMENT-BASED 

IMMIGRATION: WHAT 

TO EXPECT DURING 

FISCAL YEAR 2023 

12 

REAL ESTATE 

REALTOR REPORT 

23 

AND... 

TEMECULA & MURRIETA 

HOLIDAY EVENTS 

TEMECULA VALLEY 

BALLOON & WINE FESTIVAL

THE VALLEY BUSINESS JOURNAL 

2 www.TheValleyBusinessJournal.com 

December 2022 

Celebrating 40 Years with the Biggest 

& Best Festival Yet 

by Katie Cook 

On the weekend of May 19-21, 2023, the Temecula 

Valley Balloon & Wine Festival will celebrate its 40th 

Anniversary with the biggest and best festival yet! Get 

ready to experience an incredible three-day event featuring 

the biggest names this festival has ever seen! Take 

in the breathtaking views from a hot air balloon overlooking 

the gorgeous Temecula Valley wine countryside. 

Whether you camp out with family under the stars 

or drive in for the day, you will get in on all the action 

including indulging in delicious festival foods, perusing 

the commercial court with over 100 vendors, all while 

sipping on premium beer and wine from the Temecula 

Valley and Southern California wineries and breweries. 

Take your experience to new heights by booking your 

sunrise hot air balloon flight over beautiful Lake Skinner 

or stay into the evening and watch as the hot air balloons 

ignite to create a stunning glow. 

The festival’s inaugural event took place in 1983. 

This staple event brings in over 38,000 local residents, 

fans of the featured musical artists, those who love enjoying 

time with friends and family, including thousands 

of visitors from all over the world. Temecula Valley 

Balloon and Wine Festival Board President, Scott Soares 

Sr., says, “We are taking this festival to the next level 

featuring extraordinary entertainment in celebration of 

our 40th Anniversary! The Temecula Valley Balloon & 

Wine Festival is no longer your neighborhood festival, 

we are a big deal and what we have planned for this 

event will create a buzz for years to come.” 

The Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival has 

announced their entertainment line-up for the 2023 festival. 

The national headliners of the festival will feature 

Grammy Award winner Country superstar Brad Paisley, 

Multi-platinum American rock band REO Speedwagon, 

and 2011 American Idol winner and Award-winning 

Country Music artist Scotty McCreery. Hitting the stage 

alongside these headlining bands are Night Ranger, Sara 

Evans, Colt Ford, The Lacs, Dylan Scott, Moonshine 

Bandits, George Shingleton, Tenille Arts, Callista Clark, 

plus more to be announced. 

Weekend packages are on sale now and can be 

purchased on the festival’s website at www.tvbwf.com. 

For ticketing questions contact (951) 234-5559 or 

tvbwf@completeticketsolutions.com. For general information 

email info@tvbwf.com. All concerts included 

with festival admission. Lineup subject to change. 

The festival will take place at Lake Skinner Regional 

Park/Recreation Area, 37701 Warren Rd, Winchester, CA. 

Champagne Hotel Package: $2,800 

Includes a 3-night stay at Hampton Inn & Suites, Shuttle, VIP Lounge 

Admission, Premier Parking Pass, Beverage Tickets & Souvenir Glass 

Champagne Camping Package: $2,500 

Includes Full Hook-up Camping, VIP Lounge Admission, Beverage 

Tickets & Souvenir Glass 

Merlot Package: $760 

Includes 3 Day Ticket Combo with VIP Club Access 

Chardonnay Package: $425 

Includes 3 Day Ticket Combo with Diamond Access (Front of the 

House) 

Moscato: $120 

Includes 3 Day Ticket Combo



www.TheValleyBusinessJournal.com 

3 

About Brad Paisley: 

Brad Paisley has earned his place in country music 

history as one of the genre’s most talented and decorated 

male solo artists. Over the past 22 years, his songwriting 

and unmatched showmanship have won him numerous 

awards, including three GRAMMYs, two American Music 

Awards, 15 Academy of Country Music Awards, and 

14 Country Music Association Awards including a highly 

coveted Entertainer of the Year honor and recognition as the 

most successful CMA Award co-host in history, alongside 

Carrie Underwood, for 11 consecutive years. A member 

of the Grand Ole Opry since 2001, Paisley has written 21 

of his 25 No. 1 hits, and in 2008 became the first artist to 

achieve 10 consecutive Billboard Country Airplay No. 1 

singles. The superstar’s past works have amassed over 

4.8 billion career streams. Forever a prolific entertainer, 

Paisley’s first prime-time special that aired on ABC, Brad 

Paisley Thinks He’s Special, garnered more than 18 million 

viewers. 

Paisley’s additional endeavors include his new “American 

Highway” Bourbon, his collaborations with Peyton 

Manning on the national Nationwide insurance ad campaigns, 

and his partnership with Boot Barn® to develop 

“Moonshine Spirit by Brad Paisley,” an exclusive line of 

jeans, hats, T-shirts, jewelry, belts, and woven shirts. 

BradPaisley.com | facebook.com/bradpaisley/ | 

twitter.com/BradPaisley | Instagram.com/bradpaisley 

| youtube.com/BRADPAISLEY 

About REO Speedwagon: 

Formed in 1967, signed in 1971, and fronted by iconic 

vocalist Kevin Cronin since 1972, REO Speedwagon’s unrelenting 

drive, as well as non-stop touring and recording 

jump-started the burgeoning rock movement in the Midwest. 

Platinum albums and radio staples soon followed, 

setting the stage for the release of the band’s explosive HI 

INFIDELITY in 1980, which contained the massive hit 

singles “Keep On Loving You” and “Take It On the Run.” 

That landmark album spent 15 weeks in the No. 1 slot and 

has since earned the RIAA’s coveted 10X Diamond Award 

for surpassing sales of 10 million units in the United States. 

From 1977 to 1989, REO Speedwagon released nine 

consecutive albums all certified Platinum or higher. Today, 

REO Speedwagon has sold more than 40 million albums 

around the globe, and Cronin and bandmates Bruce Hall 

(bass), Neal Doughty (keyboards), Dave Amato (guitar), 

and Bryan Hitt (drums) are still electrifying audiences 

worldwide in concert with hits and fan-favorites such as 

“Ridin’ The Storm Out,” “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” “Time 

For Me To Fly,” “Roll With The Changes,” “Keep On 

Loving You,” “Take It On the Run,” and many, many more. 

About Scotty McCreery: 

The North Carolina native achieved new heights in the 

last few years by earning three back-to-back No. 1 hits from 

his most recent album Seasons Change, the RIAA Gold-certified 

project which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 

Country Album chart: the RIAA Double Platinum-certified 

“Five More Minutes,” the RIAA Platinum-certified 

“This Is It,” which stayed at the top of the charts for two 

weeks, and RIAA Gold-certified “In Between.” McCreery 

co-wrote all 11 songs on Seasons Change, which Rolling 

Stone named as one of the “40 Best Country and Americana 

Albums of 2018.” 

All four of his albums have debuted at No.1 on a Billboard 

Albums chart, with current combined sales surpassing 

3 million copies. He’s earned one Double Platinum, 

four Platinum and two Gold singles; won the 10th season 

of “American Idol” in 2011; was named the ACM New 

Artist of the Year in 2011; won the CMT Music Award for 

Breakthrough Video of the Year (“The Trouble with Girls”) 

in 2012; American Country Awards for New Artist of the 

Year in 2011 and Breakthrough Artist of the Year in 2013; 

BMI Awards for writing One of the Top 50 Country Songs 

of the Year three times (in 2015 for “See You Tonight,” in 

2018 for “Five More Minutes,” and in 2019 for “This is 

It”); a Carolina Beach Music Award for National Dance/ 

Shag Song of the Year (“Barefootin’”) in 2018; and the 

NSAI Nashville Songwriter Award for One of the Top Ten 

Songs I Wish I’d Written (“Five More Minutes”) in 2018. 

McCreery released his first book, Go Big or Go Home: The 

Journey Toward the Dream, in 2016; it was re-released in 

paperback in 2020. 

McCreery launched his recording career by making 

history in 2011 as both the first country artist and the 

youngest male artist of any genre to debut his first studio 

album, the Platinum-certified Clear as Day, at No. 1 on the 

all-genre Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. 

FESTIVAL 

BALLOON & WINE




In this issue: 

Temecula Valley Hospital Offers Latest in Surgical Technology 1 

Holiday Safety Tips from Murrieta Police Department 1 

Tech Gift Ideas for 2022 1 

Holiday Travel: Is Your Estate Plan Up to Date? 1 

Celebrating 40 Years with the Balloon & Wine Festival 2 

Murrieta Brings Latest Technology to Town to Fight Crime 5 

Temecula Valley Hospital’s New Chief Nursing Officer 6 

Step it Up – Even During Wintertime 7 

JDS Studios: Year in Review 2022 8 

Scott A. Wilson Celebrated for Dedication to Tourism 8 

Holiday Events in Temecula & Murrieta 11 

Employment-Based Immigration: What to Expect During Fiscal Year 2023 12 

The Next Level Toastmaster’s Club 14 

10 Reasons to Walk More Often 15 

EXECUTIVE PROFILE | Kim Gerrish 16 

Eye Protection 17 

Pass Through Entity Tax 18 

EXECUTIVE PROFILE | Brian Connors 19 

Chamber Events 21 

Realtor Report 23 

EDITOR/PUBLISHER/CEO 

Linda Wunderlich 

Email: publishertvbj@verizon.net 

Criteria for Submitting Articles: 

ADVERTISING SALES INFORMATION 

(951) 461-0400 

CREATIVE DIRECTOR 

Helen M. Ryan 

VP OF DISTRIBUTION 

Dane Wunderlich 


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For questions, comments, or story ideas, please 

e-mail publishertvbj@verizon.net or call (951) 461-0400. 

1. Since the publication of articles is an added public relations feature for our advertisers, their articles 

will be given first priority. Other articles will be published on a space available basis. 

2. Articles should be submitted as a Word document file. 

3. Articles must be business-oriented and pertain to the author’s area of expertise. A photo of the 

writer is appropriate. 

4. All submissions are subject to editing by the publisher. 

5. Send completed articles by e-mail to: publishertvbj@verizon.net 

6. Article and advertising deadlines are the 15th of each month for the next issue. 

STAFF WRITERS/ 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Ted Saul 

Nicole Albrecht 

Julie Ngo 

Esther Phahla 

Steve Amante 

Monique deGroot 

Andrea Shoup 

Gloria Wolnick 

John & Christine Hamby 

Brian Connors 

Dr. Pat Utnehmer 

Bonnie Woodrome 

Haley Munson 

Don Hitzeman 

Dione Moser 

Diane Strand 

Kim Gerrish 

Katie Cook 

The Valley Business Journal is a California Corporation. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form, in whole or in part, 

without the written permission of the Publisher is prohibited. The publication is published monthly. The opinions and 

views expressed in these pages are those of the writer or person interviewed and not necessarily those of The Valley 

Business Journal. The Valley Business Journal hereby expressly limits its liability resulting from any and all misprints, 

errors and/or inaccuracies any advertisement or editorial may contain, to the credit of the specific advertising payment 

and/or the running of a corrected advertisement or editorial correction notice.




5 

MURRIETA BRINGS 

LATEST TECHNOLOGY TO 

TOWN TO FIGHT CRIME 

Locating vehicles 

involved in criminal 

cases is one of the 

first steps a detective 

or officer takes 

in their attempt to 

solve a crime and 

get justice for the 

victim or return the 

property to the 

rightful owner 

Did you know that approximately 

nine out of 10 crimes committed in 

Murrieta involve a vehicle? Locating 

vehicles involved in criminal cases is 

one of the first steps a detective or officer 

takes in their attempt to solve a crime 

and get justice for the victim or return 

the property to the rightful owner. 

With those goals in mind, the Murrieta 

Police Department is excited to announce 

the installation of 20 automated 

license plate reader (ALPR) cameras 

in strategic locations throughout the 

city. ALPR cameras are used by police 

departments throughout the country 

and are a proven tool to help solve and 

reduce crime. 

The cameras are built by Flock Safety, 

a public safety technology company 

that helps neighborhoods, communities, 

and law enforcement work together to 

fight crime. These cameras help law 

enforcement agencies investigate crime 

by providing objective evidence. They 

capture license plates and vehicle characteristics, 

NOT people or faces. They 

are not to be mistaken for red light 

cameras, which are not used in the city 

of Murrieta. 

To proactively prevent crime from 

occurring in Murrieta, the cameras send 

a real-time alert directly to our Dispatch 

and Officers when a stolen car or known 

wanted suspect vehicle from a state or 

national crime database enters our jurisdiction. 

They can also send alerts if a 

vehicle associated with a missing person 

in an AMBER or Silver Alert is detected. 

As a resource multiplier, all the police 

chiefs and the Sheriff in our county 

have chosen Flock-brand ALPRs and the 

system of cameras, numbering almost 

700 earlier this fall, has been stitched 

together so that each agency can share 

the valuable information the Flock AL- 

PRs provide. 

In the interest of transparency, the 

Murrieta Police Department maintains 

an updated policy around the use of the 

ALPR system which can be found on 

the City’s website (www.murrietaca. 

gov/860/Transparency). Each search 

requires justification, and the data is 

never sold or shared with third parties. 

These cameras will be used to solve 

and reduce property and violent crime 

and are not intended for minor traffic 

or parking violations. 

Are you a part of an HOA or local 

business interested in partnering with 

us and Flock Safety to help maximize 

our crime-fighting abilities? Contact 

Lieutenant Jeremy Durrant at (951) 

461-6317 or jdurrant@murrietaca.gov 

for more information. 

We are committed to reducing 

crime, and Flock ALPRs are a new 

way that we can do so in partnership 

with our community.




INTRODUCING 

TEMECULA VALLEY HOSPITAL’S 

NEW CHIEF NURSING OFFICER 

Temecula Valley Hospital is 

pleased to announce the appointment 

of Angie Camacho, MBA, MSN, RN, 

CCRN, as our new Chief Nursing 

Officer. 

Camacho was a registered nurse 

for over two decades and transitioned 

into leadership roles when she saw 

their impact. “I learned how much 

value leadership brings to patients and 

employees,” said Camacho. “I wanted 

to continue helping people, but this 

way it would be employees as well 

as patients. If they feel valued, heard 

and supported, it positively affects 

patients.” 

Camacho most recently served 

as the Administrator and Chief Nursing 

Officer at Chino Valley Medical 

Center and San Dimas Community 

Hospital, where she was instrumental 

in maintaining the hospitals’ sequential 

Leapfrog A ratings, successful Joint 

Commission re-accreditation and 

attainment of initial Primary Stroke 

Center designation. 

Now, she serves Temecula Valley, 

where she currently resides, and she is 

excited to be involved in a healthcare 

organization that impacts her family 

and community. “This was a different 

sense of pride when you are serving 

your own community,” she said. “Feels 

more like home. There’s a different 

sense of ownership, of pride.” 

Camacho joined Temecula Valley 

Hospital in September and immediately 

noticed its unparalleled service. “I 

am very, very impressed at the collegiality 

and teamwork. Engagement is 

incredible. People really show up. You 

don’t see that everywhere.” 

She believes that this teamwork 

overall benefits the patients. “Staff, 

leadership, physicians, people at all 

levels interact with patients. People 

have a lot of pride working here and 

it’s evident in outcomes and patient 

experience.” 

We welcome Angie Camacho to 

our Temecula Valley Hospital family 

and wish her success in her new role! 

“I wanted to continue helping people, 

but this way it would be employees 

as well as patients. If they feel valued, 

heard and supported, it positively 

affects patients.” 

TEMECULA VALLEY HOSPITAL OFFERS SURGICAL TECH 

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 

The da Vinci® Xi Robotic Surgical 

System is the latest in technology for 

versatility and flexibility and is now 

available at Temecula Valley Hospital. 

da Vinci® Xi Robotic Surgical System 

allows surgeons to perform complex 

minimally invasive surgical procedures 

with precision and accuracy. The system 

is an advanced robotic platform designed 

to expand the surgeon’s capabilities and 

offer an option to open surgery. It provides 

multi-quadrant access and is used 

for a variety of complex procedures. 

Surgeons at Temecula Valley Hospital 

are now able to perform general and 

cardiothoracic surgical procedures using 

da Vinci Xi Robotic Surgical System 

robotic-assisted technology. For general 

surgery, this includes procedures such as 

inguinal hernia surgery, cholecystectomy, 

colon resection. For cardiothoracic 

surgery this includes lung resections and 

mitral valve repair. 

The first case to utilize the da Vinci 

Xi system at Temecula Valley Hospital 

was performed earlier this month by 

Francis A. Essien, MD. “As a surgeon, 

the da Vinci Xi Robot allows me to offer 

our patients expanded surgery options 

with the added benefits of safer operations 

with a faster recovery and less 

pain. I am excited for the surgeons here 

at Temecula Valley Hospital, and the 

community at large, as it enables more 

patients to have access to minimally 

invasive surgery.” 

“We are pleased to be able to offer 

our community this advanced option in 

minimally invasive surgery,” said Temecula 

Valley Hospital CEO Darlene Wetton. 

“The da Vinci Xi Robot is widely utilized 

in general surgery and we are proud to be 

the first in the region to offer cardiothoracic 

robotic surgery. Now our patients 

have more opportunities to choose TVH 

for their surgery.” 

Minimally invasive robotic surgery 

at Temecula Valley Hospital can provide 

a wide range of benefits to patients compared 

to traditional surgery, including: 

• Quicker recoveries 

• Shorter hospital stays 

• Quicker return to normal daily activities 

• Reduced scarring 

• Reduced pain and trauma to the body 

Not all procedures can be performed 

robotically, and not all patients are candidates 

for procedures that can be performed 

robotically. The surgeon will decide 

if your procedure can be performed 

robotically. More information can be 

found at: www.temeculavalleyhospital. 

com/robot 

About Temecula Valley Hospital 

Temecula Valley Hospital (TVH) 

brings advanced technology, innovative 

programs, patient-centered and family 

sensitive care to area residents. The 

hospital features 140 private patient 

rooms; emergency care featuring ER 

Reserve; advanced cardiac and stroke 

care; orthopedics; general and surgical 

specialties. TVH is nationally recognized 

for Patient Safety designated by The 

Leapfrog Group as a Top Hospital in both 

2017 and 2020. The hospital has recently 

been recognized by U.S. News & World 

Report’s Best Hospitals 2022-2023 for 

Heart Attack, Heart Failure and Stroke, 

as well as the Healthgrades 2022 Cardiac 

Surgery Excellence Award. 

TVH is a 2021 DNV Certified 

Comprehensive Stroke Center and has 

received seven Women’s Choice Award 

Achievements as One of America’s Best 

Hospitals for Stroke Care and One of 

America’s Best Hospitals for Patient 

Safety. 

Other accolades include: 

The American Heart Association/ 

American Stroke Association’s Get 

With The Guidelines® - Stroke GOLD 

PLUS with Target: Stroke Honor Roll 

Elite and Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor 

Roll, Mission Lifeline® - STEMI Receiving 

Center – GOLD PLUS, Mission 

Lifeline® - NSTEMI – SILVER, Blue 

Distinction® Center Designation for 

Quality in Knee and Hip Replacement 

Surgeries, The Joint Commission’s 

Gold Seal of Approval for Certification 

for Hip and Knee Replacement, the first 

Universal Health Services hospital in the 

country to achieve accreditation from the 

American College of Emergency Physicians 

(ACEP) as a Geriatric Emergency 

Department, 3 Star Medicare Hospital 

Compare Rating, the American College 

of Cardiology Chest Pain Center with 

Primary PCI and Resuscitation Accreditation, 

the honor of the Inland Empire’s 

Top Workplaces 2017 and 2018, has been 

designated an Aetna Institute of Quality 

Cardiac Care Facility for comprehensive 

heart and vascular treatment-including 

Cardiac Medical Intervention, Cardiac 

Rhythm Programs and Cardiac Surgery. 

For more information, 

Please visit 

https://www.temeculavalleyhospital. 

com




Step it Up – Even During Wintertime! 

7 

Entering the third driest year on 

record, California has adopted conservation 

as a regular part of everyday 

life. Elsinore Valley Municipal Water 

District (EVMWD) commends its 

customers for the huge strides made to 

be more water efficient. While it may 

be easier to forget about the drought 

during colder months, it is important 

to continue our collaboration yearround 

with small adjustments to our 

everyday lives. 

Water or snow from storms 

during winter months have a critical 

role in helping refill reservoirs and 

recharge groundwater basins. Water 

from just a few storms in Northern 

California can provide water for 

millions for everyday essential needs 

such as farming. 

Unfortunately, rainfall during 

the winter months can be difficult to 

predict and therefore it is critical that we 

evaluate our water use on a year-round 

basis and apply water efficient changes 

as the seasons change. EVMWD is 

committed to working together with our 

customers to rise to this challenge. 

One of the benefits of colder weather 

is that the climate requires less watering 

for landscaping and plants. Take these 

simple steps to help save during winter: 

• Adjust sprinklers to run after 6 PM 

and before 6 AM 

• Reduce the amount of watering to 3 

days a week max and limit run times 

to prevent runoff 

• Only water when the air temperature 

is above 40° F to ensure water is absorbed 

by plants 

• Turn irrigation off when it rains 

Being water-wise is about adapting 

to small changes that are beneficial for 

the environment and your wallet. To 

facilitate this, EVMWD has a variety 

of tools and water saving rebates. Visit 

www.evmwd.com/conservation for more 

information.




JDS Studios: Year in Review 2022 

by Yanessa Hernandez 

JDS Studios is grateful to have experienced 

another eventful and successful 

year, full of opportunities providing the 

community with creative and digital art 

experiences. 

In 2022, JDS Studios strived to give 

back to the community through its five 

entities: JDS Creative Academy, Spirit 

of Innovation, DigiFest Temecula®, 

JDS Actors Studio, and JDS Video & 

Media Productions. Co-founders Scott 

and Diane Strand are always seeking 

ways to promote growth, inclusion, and 

accessibility and this past year has been 

filled with just that. 

JDS Creative Academy (JDSCA) 

kicked off 2022 as Positive. TV’s nonprofit 

of the month for January, an opportunity 

where the #JDSFamily shared 

their message with the network’s viewers. 

JDSCA is excited to be asked back 

to collaborate with them this December 

and throughout 2023 - make sure to keep 

a lookout for a familiar face! 

In March, JDSCA welcomed the 

Temecula Valley Chamber (TVCC) and 

its members to the Studio for the March 

evening mixer, and the following month 

JDSCA was honored with winning the 

TVCC Emerald Nonprofit of the Year 

Award, which brought buzz and excitement 

to staff, job training participants, 

and creative arts students! It was an 

award-winning year for JDSCA as they 

also won two Anthem Awards: a bronze 

Anthem award for “Diversity, Equity, 

and Inclusion,” and a silver Anthem 

Award for “Best Local Engagement” 

which recognized the JDSCA job training 

participants’ hard work on SOI Update - 

their weekly local news program. 

While being recognized for hard 

work and dedication is an honor, the 

#JDSFamily also has a passion for giving 

back.One of their largest donations of 

2022 was their Art in a Box donation to 

Michelle’s Place, a local nonprofit that 

serves as a free cancer resource center 

for the community. 

Diane was inspired to put together 

this thoughtfully curated art curriculum 

with supplies for Michelle’s Place when 

Kim Gerrish mentioned that offering art 

classes was becoming an unobtainable 

expense for the organization. As an advocate 

for the arts, Diane knew that if 

anyone could help them, it was JDSCA! 

This is just the beginning for JDSCA, as 

the Arts Across California campaign is 

set to launch in 2023. 

JDSCA also had a successful year 

of creative classes and events during the 

spring and fall. The spring showcase was 

a hit with its production of West Side 

Story, which showcased the dedication 

and talent of musical theater and fashion/ 

backstage design students. This month, 

the community can enjoy the winter 

showcase performance on December 

17 and 18. Fall classes also held their 

7th annual Haunted Studio fundraiser, 

presented by the design, build and haunt 

class, which raised over $4,500.00 in 

scholarship funds. 

DigFest Temecula® celebrated its 

6th annual event, bringing in digital 

work from around the world along with 

renowned Emmy-winning presenters and 

speakers.Submissions for DigFest 2023 

are open. Get your digital entries ready 

and plan to attend the 7th annual event 

on April 21, 22, and 23, 2023. 

Spirit of Innovation, JDSCA’s magazine-style 

news showu\, had a great year 

of sharing Riverside County’s good-toknow 

and need-to-know news. In June, 

the Spirit of Innovation team sent host, 

Mia Digenan, off with good wishes due to 

her Achilles heel injury, which provided 

an opportunity to highlight community 

stakeholders as guest hosts. 

JDS Actors Studio and JDS Productions, 

also kicked off the year with 

the exciting news, with a nomination 

for Bronze business of the year by the 

TVCC. This fall, JDS Actors Studio 

launched some new acting careers with 

their industry showcase, not only was the 

showcase a success, but JDSCA connected 

five participants from the job training 

program with an agent who specializes in 

representing adults with developmental 

disabilities. Scott and Diane Strand’s 

personal highlight was the release of 

their highly anticipated published book, 

SHOW BUSINESS Breaking into the 

Industry as an Actor, which quickly became 

a #1 best-seller in the performing 

arts industry. Be on the lookout for their 

next book on entrepreneurship coming 

in 2023. The little actors acting class is 

back for ages 4-6 on Mondays beginning 

January 9 from 4-5 p.m. 

Going into the new year, the community 

can expect another year dedicated 

to creating pathways in the visual, 

performing, and digital arts. JDSCA 

spring classes kick off Monday, January 

23, 2023. Actors Studio classes resume 

Thursday, January 5. Be sure to keep up 

with the #JDSFamily, on JDSCA.org and 

JDSActorsStudio.com. or, call the studio 

at (951) 296-6715. 

Scott A. Wilson Celebrated for Dedication to 

the Field of Tourism 

Scott A. Wilson has been included 

in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis 

Who’s Who biographical volumes, 

individuals profiled are selected on the 

basis of current reference value. Factors 

such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, 

visibility, and prominence in a 

field are all taken into account during the 

selection process. 

Backed by years of practiced expertise, 

Mr. Wilson presently excels as the 

President and Chief Executive Officer 

of Visit Temecula Valley. Previously, he 

worked as the director of hotel sales with 

Pechanga Resort & Casino, and Vice 

President of Sales for Monterey County 

Convention & Visitors Bureau. During 

the early stages of his career, Mr. Wilson 

also gained valuable expertise in executive 

roles with Aramark, the Las Vegas 

Convention and Visitors Authority, and 

Caesars Entertainment Corporation. 

Outside of his current work, Mr. 

Wilson contributes to his community as 

a board member of Visit California, a 

member of the board of directors for the 

California Travel Association, and he 

works with the Temecula Valley Chamber 

of Commerce on their community workforce 

development committee. Scott has 

also been involved with the Temecula 

Murrieta group of business professionals 

and often partners with the Temecula 

Valley Wine Growers Association and the 

Old Town Temecula Association. Scott 

and his wife Deidre are supporters of Michelle’s 

Place, a local full-service cancer 

resource center. Before embarking on his 

professional journey, Mr. Wilson earned 

a Bachelor of Business Administration in 

Finance from Michigan State University. 

In recognition of his professional 

achievements, Mr. Wilson won the 

Director of Sales and Marketing of the 

Year Award through Omni Orrington 

Hotels in 1998 and the Home Run Award 

from Starwood Hotels in 2001. Over the 

years, he also won the Rookie of the 

Year Award through the Pacific Grove 

Chamber of Commerce, the Sales Excellence 

Award through Aramark Sports 

& Entertainment, and the Ambassador 

Award at the Visit Temecula Valley Xenia 

Awards. While his career has been 

filled with highlights, he takes the most 

pride in being able to grow responsible 

tourism for his community. In the coming 

years, Mr. Wilson intends to continue to 

work with his Board of Directors and 

community leaders to expand responsible 

tourism within Temecula Valley and 

surrounding communities. Scott and his 

wife Deidre have three grown children 

and four grandchildren.




9




Holiday Travel: Is Your Estate Plan Up to Date? 


Here is a checklist to consider: 

1. Review Your Will or Trust: 

The fact is, the unexpected 

can occur at any time, even 

if you’re on vacation. If you 

haven’t reviewed your trust 

in awhile, be sure to spend 

some time looking it over and 

making sure you are on board 

with all of your instructions 

you’ve set. 

2. Update Beneficiaries: Read 

through the beneficiaries and 

make any changes that are needed. 

For example, was there a birth 

since the last time you updated 

the will? Have there been any 

divorces, marriages, or deaths in 

the family? You can also take the 

opportunity to name guardians for 

your minor children. 

3. Set up Medical and Financial 

Directives: Name trusted people in 

your life to appoint as your Medical 

Power of Attorney so you have 

a responsible person to step in and 

make medical decisions on your 

behalf. You will need a Financial 

Power of Attorney to access your 

bank account and pay any bills if 

you were to be incapacitated. 

4. Review Life Insurance Policies: 

Read through your life 

insurance policy. Do you have 

a policy that covers accidents 

that may happen while traveling? 

What about sicknesses or 

natural causes of death? You 

can also update the amount on 

the plan and the beneficiaries. 

The best thing to gift yourself is 

peace of mind before your holiday 

travel. Do not waste a moment before 

traveling without an estate plan. 

In case the unexpected occurs while 

you’re on holiday, your loved ones 

will know exactly what to do when 

you have planned ahead. 

The fact is, the unexpected 

can occur at any time, even 

if you’re on vacation. If you 

haven’t reviewed your trust 

in awhile, be sure to spend 

some time looking it over 

and making sure you are 

on board with all of your 

instructions you’ve set. 

SHOUPLEGAL.COM 

LEGAL 

by 

by 

Andrea Steve Shoup Fillingim




11 

Holiday Events 

City of Temecula 2022 Holiday Schedule 

It’s The Most Wonderful Time of The Year in Temecula! The 

City of Temecula has a full line-up of free events and offerings 

sure to bring holiday joy and cheer to all. The City of Temecula 

Community Services Department proudly presents the Special 

Events 2022 Holiday Schedule (listed below). For more detail 

on each event, please visit TemeculaCA.gov/Events. 

MON, NOV 28, 2022 @ 7:00 pm 

Christmas Tree Lighting @ The Pond 

FRI, DEC 2, 2022 @ 7:00 pm 

Santa’s Electric Light Parade 

THU, DEC 15, 2022 @ 5:00 pm 

Temecula On Ice – Grand Opening on Main Street 

SAT, DEC 31, 2022 @ 6:00 pm to 12:00 am 

New Year’s Eve Grape Drop @ Civic Center 

Temecula Mayor Matt Rahn states, “Temecula has something 

for everyone in our community this Season. The spirit of 

Christmas comes alive at all our signature holiday events, 

especially at Santa’s 

Electric Light Parade. We encourage all to come celebrate with 

us this season in Temecula.” 

Stay tuned for more Community Services information, events, 

and updates by following @TemeculaParksAndRec on social 

media, and by visiting our website at TemeculaCA.gov/TCSD. 

City of Murrieta Kicks Off the Holidays 

with Week of Magic 

The City of Murrieta will bring the holiday magic to town with an 

entire week of fun kicking off on Saturday, December 3, 2022. Residents 

and visitors are encouraged to attend one or all of the free, 

family-friendly activities. 

Saturday December 3, from 9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m 

Little ones can get a treat along with a visit with the main man himself 

at the Donuts with Santa event. The event will take place at Murrieta 

Town Square Park and Amphitheater (11 Town Square, Murrieta, CA 

92562) between the Murrieta Public Library and amphitheater. Thanks 

to event sponsor The Winfield Group Real Estate Team, Dunkin’ 

Donuts will be on site to provide donuts for the little ones and coffee 

for the adults to enjoy, along with holiday crafts and a photo op with 

Santa. Donuts will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis to 

the first 400 children. While there is no fee to attend, the City asks that 

attendees bring one can of non-perishable food as a way to support 

the City’s Holiday Toy and Food Drive. 

Murrieta Town Square Park Tree Lighting December 3 

5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. 

Visitors can enjoy crafts, character appearances, a holiday story 

reading, and festive entertainment from a brass quartet and jazz trio. 

They will perform all of your favorite holiday songs as you enjoy 

an evening under the stars. Santa will also be a part of the fun and 

available for photos during the event. At 6:30 p.m., the City will 

hold its official tree lighting. The 40’ pine tree is located in the heart 

of Town Square between City Hall (1 Town Square, Murrieta, CA 

92562) and the Murrieta Police Department. The event is also a part 

of the Murrieta Holiday Toy and Food Drive. 

Santa in the City Polar Express themed community 

gatherings throughout Murrieta 

Monday through Friday, December 5 – 9 from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., 

families can enjoy visits with Santa, Polar Express activities, music, 

crafts, treats, and more at the location closest to their home. Come 

down in your favorite holiday pajamas to one of the following Santa 

in the City events: 

• Monday, December 5: Murrieta Community Center 

• Tuesday, December 6: Vintage Reserve Park 

• Wednesday, December 7: Alderwood Clubhouse 

• Thursday, December 8: Antelope Hills 

• Friday, December 9: Copper Canyon Park 

Murrieta’s Holiday Home Decorating Contest 

Maps of participating homes will be available so families can tour 

the festive homes and neighborhoods. Winners will be shared on the 

City’s social media accounts. 

Letters to Santa and Santa Hotline 

Letters to Santa templates are on our website. The Santa Hotline is 

(951) 461-6086. 

All events and activities are free to attend. For additional information 

about the City’s holiday activities, please refer to the City’s Special 

Events Web Page or contact staff at (951) 304-PARK (7275).




Employment-Based Immigration: What to Expect During Fiscal Year 2023 

By Ednna Meraz Ibarra, Esq. 

The United States Department of 

State reported on October 1, 2022 that, 

in fiscal year 2022, a total of 281,507 

visas were issued among its five employment-based 

preference categories 

– a number that is over double the 

annual allotment of 140,000 employment-based 

visas. For fiscal year 2023, 

the Department of State projects a total 

of 197,000 employment-based visas 

will be issued. This number includes 

approximately 57,000 unused family-based 

visa numbers from fiscal year 

2022. The projected numbers for fiscal 

year 2023 come with disappointment 

given the record number in fiscal year 

2022. A lower employment-based visa 

limit translates to longer wait times for 

U.S. employers before their prospective 

immigrant employee can enter the 

U.S. and commence employment. This 

may leave many employers with the 

crucial need for labor. 

Employers seeking to hire immigrant 

workers from India and 

China in the second and third employment-based 

preference categories are 

particularly at a shortfall as the priority 

dates for these categories are current 

only for those who filed prior to 2018 

and, in two instances, prior to 2012. Further, 

the priority dates retrogressed in the 

second employment-based category for 

immigrant workers born in India. Each 

intending immigrant employee is given 

a priority date upon the filing of a PERM 

labor certification or Form I-140, Immigrant 

Petition for Alien Worker by their 

prospective employer. An immigrant employee 

cannot move forward with their 

process for an immigrant visa until their 

priority date is current. Every month the 

Department of State publishes its Final 

Action Dates Visa Bulletin, wherein the 

cut-off priority date is shown for each 

employment-based preference category 

according to the immigrant employee’s 

country of birth. If an immigrant employee’s 

priority date is earlier than the 

cut-off priority date, then their priority 

date is current. Visa retrogression has 

long been a topic of concern within the 

U.S. immigration system, affecting both 

family-based and employment-based 

immigration. Visa retrogression occurs 

when the number of individuals seeking 

an immigrant visa exceeds the number of 

visas available in the applicable employment-based 

preference category. Indian 

and Chinese immigrant workers living 

abroad now find themselves with a long 

wait ahead before being able to enter the 

U.S. with their immigrant visa. 

By the same token, those Indian and 

Chinese immigrant workers temporarily 

legally residing in the United States must 

wait until their priority dates are current 

before an immigrant visa is available to 

them through which they can adjust their 

status to a lawful permanent resident. 

However, the Department of State also 

publishes a Date of Filing Visa Bulletin 

that allows immigrant workers legally 

residing in the United States to file their 

application to adjust status to a permanent 

resident so long as their priority 

date is earlier than the cut-off priority 

date shown for their category and country 

of birth. These immigrant workers will 

continue residing in the United States 

legally while their application is pending 

and will not obtain an immigrant visa and 

thus permanent resident status until their 

priority date is current. The Date of Filing 

Visa Bulletin is especially useful for an 

employer seeking to retain an employee 

who faces the risk of falling out of legal 

status. Once an immigrant employee falls 

out of legal status or, in other words, their 

legal status in the U.S. expires, additional 

hurdles arise for the employer and 

immigrant employee. 

The goal of an employer seeking to 

hire an immigrant worker is to grow its 

workforce with qualified employees. 

In light of the information published 

by the Department of State and its projection 

for fiscal year 2023, it is in the 

best interest of an employer to begin 

the process of petitioning an immigrant 

worker and obtain a priority date for 

them as soon as possible. As for those 

immigrant employees legally residing 

in the United States, it is important to 

be vigilant of the Visa Bulletins published 

by the Department of State so 

they do not lose the opportunity of filing 

an adjustment of status application 

or urging the United States Citizenship 

and Immigration Service to move their 

application along, as an immigrant visa 

may be otherwise readily available. 

Ednna Meraz Ibarra is an attorney 

with Reid & Hellyer, APC, in its 

Murrieta office, where she practices 

business law and immigration law. She 

may be reached through our website 

at https://rhlaw.com/attorneys/ednna-meraz-ibarra/ 

or at (951)695-8700. 

Ednna Meraz Ibarra, Esq.




13




by Diane Piela 

THE NEXT LEVEL 

TOASTMASTER’S CLUB 

Are you glossophobic? Do you have gloss-o-pho-bia? What is it? 

Glossophobia is the fear of public 

speaking. You are not alone if you do 

fear public speaking. I have and greater 

than 75% of our population has had it. 

It’s not easy for most people to stand up 

and talk in front of people whether it’s 

5, 50 or 500! Most people want to be 

better communicators but don’t know 

where to start. 

How have I and more than 300,00 

people worldwide conquered this fear? 

Toastmasters. 

The Next Level Toastmasters Club 

(www.7160293.toastmastersclubs.org) 

invites you to be our guest to breakdown 

communication barriers while 

not breaking your budget! Members 

and guests meet weekly to grow their 

speaking and leadership skills. The Next 

Level Toastmasters Club Members will 

help and support you as you experience 

remarkable growth that will leave you 

feeling amazed with your progress. The 

club meets every Thursday 12:10-1:10 

PM PST at 29995 Technology Drive, 

Suite 203, Murrieta, California, 92563. 

Besides meeting in person, we also meet 

at the same time on Zoom for those who 

can’t attend in person. Our Zoom ID is 

820 4926 8435. For more information, 

contact me, Diane Piela at diane@diane 

speaks.com or (951) 723 7691. 

“Toastmasters has helped me to not 

only become a more confident speaker 

and leader but also to find a new purpose 

in life” says Dr Diane Piela, co-founder 

and Secretary of The Next Level Toastmaster’s 

Club. “You see, I became a disabled 

Family Medicine Physician in 2004 

after 20 years of working with patients in 

Rochester, New York. I loved medicine 

and helping my patients lead healthier 

lives. However, I was diagnosed suddenly 

with Multiple Sclerosis and Cerebral 

Hemorrhage which ultimately led me to 

make a heart wrenching decision to take a 

medical retirement. I couldn’t mentally or 

physically be a physician anymore. With 

lots of personal development and growth 

through many years, I found myself in 

Toastmasters. As I developed the skills of 

becoming a more confident speaker and 

leader I found a new purpose in life - still 

helping people but in a different way. 

Now I am an inspirational speaker 

and published author. Through my 

speaking, 

I inspire and motivate people to: 

1. Never Give Up 

2. Not be limited by a disability or challenge 

3. Make that challenge or disability the 

beginning of the next journey.” 

Dr. Diane Piela says,” So many people 

suffer medical, financial, relationship 

or job related challenges and become 

lost, giving up too easily. Through speaking, 

I inspire people to continue in life, 

discover new skills and core reasons to 

live. I know because I have been there.” 

As a professional speaker, Diane has 

spoken at the American Association of 

University Women in Kona, Hawaii, as 

well as The Kona Brain Injury Support 

Group. (www.dianespeaks.com) She 

recently spoke at Randy Powell’s The 

Envision Success Showcase and Envision 

Success live. Mentor of The Next 

Level Toastmasters Club, Randy Powell 

is a Professional Speaker, Published 

Author and Certified Envision Success 

Coach from Temecula. (www.randypowellspeaks.com) 

Toastmaster’s International is a 

nonprofit educational organization that 

helps members improve their public 

speaking and leadership skills. It does 

this through a worldwide network of > 

300,000 members in 14,000 clubs in 140 

countries. Toastmaster’s International 

has helped people from diverse backgrounds 

in all walks of life to become 

more confident speakers and leaders. To 

maximize your potential and experience 

unlimited growth, visit a Toastmaster’s 

Club near you!




15 

10 Reasons to More Often 

by Helen M. Ryan 

Walk 

Want a FREE GUIDE to help you fit walking and movement 

into your busy day? Grab your copy here: 

https://walkingandtalking.zone/walkguide 

Walking is a great form of exercise 

that burns calories and reduces stress 

in just 30 minutes. It’s a low impact 

activity that doesn’t require any special 

equipment. If you want to amp things 

up, a good pair of shoes—and maybe a 

walking stick for uneven surfaces—will 

help you get the most out of your trek. 

Here are ten reasons why walking 

should be part of your daily routine: 

1) Walking is free. You don’t need 

any special equipment. 

2) Walking is easy to squeeze into 

a busy day. You can walk before 

work, during breaks, your lunch 

hour, or when you get home. Power 

tip: Schedule a walking meeting 

at work. It’s a win-win. 

3) Walking is fun. There are so many 

places to explore, and you can 

listen to your favorite tunes, a podcast, 

or an audiobook while you’re 

hitting the road (or treadmill. 

Check out my walking podcast 

Walking & Talking with Helen for 

a motivational coached walk. 

4) Walking helps keep your bones 

strong and your muscles toned. 

5) Walking helps you maintain a 

healthy weight while losing body 

fat. 

6) Walking improves your mood, 

memory, and sleep. 

7) Walking reduces stress and tension. 

8) Walking is good for the environment. 

It reduces air pollution and 

greenhouse gas emissions. 

9) Walking is good for social connections. 

It encourages people to talk 

to each other, so walk with a friend 

of family member and catch up on 

your day. 

10) Walking is good for business. It 

boosts productivity, focus, and 

creativity. 

Get motivated to walk. The Walking 

& Talking with Helen podcast is 

free and available on all major podcast 

platforms, or visit the show website at 

https://walkingandtalking.show.




EXECUTIVE PROFILE | Kim Gerrish 

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: 

I am honored to be a Rotarian. 

I am a member of the Temecula 

Rotary Club and look forward 

to serving as their President in 

2022-2023. 

I currently serve as the President 

of the Association for Fundraising 

Professionals, Inland 

Empire Chapter. 

I am a member of the Economic 

Development Coalition 

and the Loma Linda University 

Medical Center – Murrieta Community 

Partnership Council. 

I enjoy service work outside 

of Michelle’s Place events and 

activities. Rotary allows me to 

help our community through other 

means of service with like minded 

people. Rotary reminds me a lot 

of the volunteer activities we did 

as kids. My dad always ensured 

we helped families in need during 

Christmas and Thanksgiving. We 

would also provide help to seniors 

with their yard maintenance and 

other minor chores. 

Serving on local healthcare 

and business committees ensures I 

am aware of the needs of our community 

and the always changing 

business environment. 

BUSINESS PHILOSOPHIES: 

Be the change! It’s one of my 

favorite quotes. Volunteers, action 

oriented leaders, change makers, 

advocates for those who can’t speak 

out are all changing the environment. 

It’s not always easy to take the risk. 

It’s typically not popular to speak 

against the majority, but that’s how 

change happens. We can’t simply sit 

back and complain or do nothing. We 

need to be the change. It doesn’t have 

to be a big move, it can be a small 

act of kindness to someone who isn’t 

very kind. That may just change their 

course of action that leads to more 

acts of kindness. Big or small, get 

involved and be the change. 

FAVORITE DSPORT: 

I enjoy watching football. Sadly, 

I am a girl without a team. Born 

and raised in San Diego, I was a 

dedicated and loyal Charger fan. I 

followed them to LA vowing not to 

ever spend any money to support the 

ownership, but cheer on my favorite 

players. Sadly, my favorite quarterback 

has retired and I am again, a girl 

without a team… I don’t know who 

I will cheer on this year, it’s open for 

discussion. 

I enjoy camping with my husband, 

kids and friends. I enjoy riding 

Razors, quads and dune buggies. Is 

that a sport? 

I also enjoy hiking and riding 

bikes on the beach. 

GOALS 

I look forward to completing 

construction of the regions only 

cancer resource center before the 

end of the year. I envision hundreds 

of cancer patients milling around the 

10,000 sq. ft of space. The sound of 

happy voices filling the halls will be 

a dream come true. 

MENTORS 

My parents are my greatest 

mentors. They provided a wonderful 

example of a loving and caring relationship, 

what it means to be family, 

loyalty, true friendship, community, 

giving and support. 

My business mentors include 

Linda Kissam, my first employer 

in Temecula. She is a wonderful 

teacher and listener. She provided 

me direction and advice as I started 

my journey in the nonprofit world. 

I have so many amazing, strong 

women in my circle. I lean on them 

regularly for direction and support. 

RESUME 

I attained my Bachelor’s degree 

in Journalism with a minor in 

marketing from San Diego State 

University. I worked for Dayton 

Association Advertising Agency 

in San Diego until we moved to 

Temecula in 1999. I worked for 

the Temecula Valley Winegrowers 

Association until I was hired by 

Michelle’s Place Breast Cancer 

Resource Center in 2003. I was 

their first employee. 

I received my CFRE (Certified 

Fund Raising Executive) 

certification in 2018. 

BIRTHPLACE 

I was born and raised in El 

Cajon, CA.


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 

“ ...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




Pass Through Entity Tax 

Here’s an easy question: Do you need more 2022 tax 

deductions? If yes, continue reading. 

HOLIDAY SAFETY TIPS FROM MURRIETA PD 


• Set your alarm if you have one. 

• Have a friend or neighbor keep an 

eye on your home while you’re 

away. This includes picking up 

mail and newspapers and bringing 

in trash cans. 

• Put your lights and TV on a timer or 

use an app to schedule them to turn 

on when someone would typically 

be home. 

• Disable your garage door opener 

emergency release and lock the 

garage door. 

At home: 

• Request a signature for packages if 

possible. 

• Ask a neighbor to bring packages 

inside if you won’t be home when 

you know something will be delivered. 

• Have items delivered to your work 

if possible. 

• Request in-store pickup if available. 

• Have items delivered to a PO box 

or U.S. Post Office location if you 

can. 

When shopping: 

• Never leave your purse or wallet 

unattended. 

• Save receipts and use one or two 

debit/credit cards for all purchases 

so you can track your activity (and 

check for fraud) easily. 

• Lock car doors. 

• Don’t leave shopping bags in view 

inside your vehicle. 

• Be aware of your surroundings. 

If you suspect something suspicious, 

whether at home or while out in 

the Murrieta community, don’t hesitate 

to call Murrieta PD at (951) 696-3615. 

Next easy question: Do you need a 

replacement business vehicle? 

If yes, you can simultaneously solve 

or mitigate the first problem (needing 

more deductions) and the second problem 

(needing a replacement vehicle) if 

you can get your replacement vehicle in 

service on or before December 31, 2022. 

Don’t procrastinate. 

To ensure compliance with the 

“placed in service” rule, drive the vehicle 

at least one business mile on or before 

December 31, 2022. In other words, you 

want to both own and drive the vehicle 

to ensure that it qualifies for the big 

deductions. 

Now that you have the basics, let’s 

get to the tax deductions. 

1. Buy a New or Used SUV, Crossover 

Vehicle, or Van 

Let’s say that on or before December 

31, 2022, you or your corporation buys 

and places in service a new or used SUV 

or crossover vehicle that the manufacturer 

classifies as a truck and that has a gross 

vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 6,001 

pounds or more. This newly purchased 

vehicle gives you four benefits: 

The ability to elect bonus depreciation 

of 100 percent 

The ability to select Section 179 

expensing of up to $27,000 

MACRS depreciation using the fiveyear 

table 

No luxury limits on vehicle depreciation 

deductions 

Example. On or before December 

31, 2022, you buy and place in service a 

qualifying used $50,000 SUV for which 

you can claim 90 percent business use. 

Your business cost is $45,000 (90 percent 

x $50,000). Your maximum write-off for 

2022 is $45,000. 

2. Buy a New or Used Pickup 

If you or your corporation buys and 

places in service a qualifying pickup 

truck (new or used) on or before Decem- 

ber 31, 2022, then this newly purchased 

vehicle gives you four big benefits: 

1. Bonus depreciation of up to 100 percent 

2. Section 179 expensing of up to 

$1,050,000 

3. MACRS depreciation using the fiveyear 

table 

4. No luxury limits on vehicle depreciation 

deductions 

To qualify for full Section 179 expensing, 

the pickup truck must have a 

GVWR of more than 6,000 pounds, and 

a cargo area (commonly called a “bed”) 

of at least six feet in interior length that is 

not easily accessible from the passenger 

compartment. 

Short bed. If the pickup truck passes 

the more-than-6,000-pound-GVWR test 

but fails the bed-length test, tax law classifies 

it as an SUV. That’s not bad. The 

vehicle is still eligible for either expensing 

of up to the $27,000 SUV expensing 

limit or 100 percent bonus depreciation. 

If you would like to discuss vehicle 

strategies, please call me on my direct 

line at 951-633-1040. 

Nicole M. Albrecht EA, CTC 

Elite Tax Partners, Inc. 

FINANCIAL 

NIcole Albrecht




19 

EXECUTIVE PROFILE | BRIAN CONNORS 

Brian Connors has lived in Murrieta for more than 30 years. 

As a kid in the 70’s, he and his family would drive the old 395 

from Escondido to visit Vail Lake and enjoy the water slides. 

Ownership of a new home for 

my wife (Marleen) and I became 

a dream of ours in 1990. We had 

been married for four years and 

wanted to start a family. 

We thought that this valley provided 

the right atmosphere and 

affordable housing for which we 

desired. We thought we would buy 

a small home, then turn around 

and sell it and then move back 

down to the North County area. 

Little did we realize that our hearts 

would be firmly planted here 

just after the first year. We never 

looked back. 

AFFILIATIONS 

I served on the Temecula Valley 

Chamber of Commerce Board of 

Directors three years as Chairman 

and the previous year as 

Past Chairman of the Board representing 

Southwest Healthcare 

System which operates Inland 

Valley Medical Center and Rancho 

Springs Medical Center. 

BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY 

I remember long ago my dad 

had on his desk a plaque that 

said, “There’s no such word as 

CAN’T.” I believe in hard work 

and giving it all you’ve got with 

a positive attitude by serving others 

and never expecting anything 

in return. When I’ve done this, 

I’ve discovered great things can 

happen. 

FAVORITE SPORT 

It would have to be a toss-up between 

baseball and football. I love following 

the San Diego Padres, Aztec 

Football & Basketball and Charger 

(San Diego for life!) football. On an 

individual basis, I love to play golf, 

racquetball, ski and pickleball. My 

favorite ski destination is Kirkwood, 

CA near Lake Tahoe. 

GOALS 

To live my life to the fullest with a 

positive attitude while serving others 

each and every day. When I focus 

on daily personal development and 

living with daily discipline, my personal 

and professional goals always 

seem to fall in place. 

MENTORS 

After graduating from SDSU, my 

dad took me under his wing. He 

offered me a chance in his ad agency 

but had me earn my keep by working 

my way up the ladder. His passion 

for his faith, family and his career 

helped make me who I am today. 

FAVORITE READING 

I enjoy faith-based, historical and 

empowering books. My favorite 

authors are Jeffrey R. Holland, D. 

Todd Christofferson, and David 

McCullough. Hal Elrod’s “Miracle 

Morning” is an excellent source for 

empowerment. 

RESUME 

For more than 20 years I ran full 

service advertising agencies which 

serviced local and regional clients 

throughout the United States. I now 

serve as the Director of Marketing 

for Southwest Healthcare System 

which operates Rancho Springs and 

Inland Valley Medical Centers. 

BIRTHPLACE 

La Jolla, CA




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21 

CHAMBER EVENTS 

December Events 

December 2 - VYP December Coffee Connection 

December 5 - Manufacturing Industry Job Fair 

December 6 - VYP December Leadership Committee Meeting 

December 7 - Member Appreciation Night and Annual Meetingr 

December 14 - December Chamber Brief 

December 15 - Ribbon Cutting - Coldwell Banker Commercial SC 


December 1 - Monthly Mixer at Rancho Springs Medical Center 

December 6 - Ribbon Cutting for Urbane Flooring & Designs 

December 7 - Chamber Business Briefing 

https://members.temecula.org/events 

December 7 - Multi-Chamber Mixer at Ontario Reign 

December 8 - Networking Breakfast State of the Chamber 

December 8 - Thirsty Thursday Multi Chamber Mixer 

December 15 - Ribbon Cutting Coldwell Banker Commercial SC 

December 21 - Small Business Roundtable 


https://business.murrietachamber.org/events 

December 3 - CPR & Safety Course at the Menifee Chamber 

December 6 - Wake Up Menifee @ Cherry Hills Golf Course 

December 7 - Menifee City Council Meeting- Menifee City Hall 


December 14 - Evening Business Social - Mingle Jingle 


December 21 - Menifee City Council Meeting 

https://business.menifeevalleychamber.com/events


22 www.TheValleyBusinessJournal.com 


TECH GIFT IDEAS FOR 2022 


This helps save room and make the 

music more portable. Match up music 

output with a new sleep mask that not 

only blocks out light but also plays music 

to help one relax. Speaking of portability, 

there are lines of printers from a number 

of manufacturers to print directly from 

a camera or other devices anytime and 

anywhere. Sharing the printed picture 

immediately will add to the fun at gatherings. 

Is someone in need of a stand-up 

desk but doesn’t want to commit to 

or have the funds to replace their old 

workstation? Look for standing desk 

converters which can be placed on an 

existing desk and adjusted to the proper 

height. Tired of standing? It can be easily 

removed or lowered. 

To fill up the desk with technology, 

consider the ever-increasing popular 

wireless charging units. As phones are 

developed, many will have this capability. 

Simply place a phone or smart watch 

on the charging platform and off it goes. 

There is only one set of wires to deal with 

from the unit to the wall. 

Another popular device is the phone 

sanitizer. Protect oneself and others from 

germs by placing the phone in the unit to 

safely clean and disinfect a phone especially 

if shared with co- works or family. 

Do you know someone who likes 

being in control? This year has provided 

us with new and improved devices like 

smart light bulbs, wi-fi enabled plugs, 

outdoor and indoor cameras making it 

easier to ensure that property is lit-up 

and protected. Most of these devices are 

fairly inexpensive. 

For the writers who would rather 

write than type, there are pen and smart 

writing tablets. What is written on the 

tablet can be digitized and stored for future 

reference. Also, improved wireless 

keyboards for typing connect to your 

phone or other device. The perfect gift 

for the “fat-fingered” typist. 

There is much to choose from this 

year in the tech world. Happy Shopping! 

Ted Saul is a business coach and writer 

that assists with Business Plans Project 

Management and Career Management. 

He earned his MBA from Regis University 

along with a Masters in project management. 

Ted can be reached on LinkedIn 

or by emailing TedSaulbiz@gmail.com. 

by 

by 

Ted Saul, 

Steve Fillingim 

Sr. Staff Writer 

...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.




23 

Welcome to the 

REALTOR® Report 

It’s Election Day, and I hope you 

have exercised your right to vote! You 

can’t complain about politics if you 

aren’t willing to participate. I hope 

everyone made educated votes and 

wish everyone luck as we wait for the 

results. 

There isn’t a lot of change in the 

big picture of the real estate market. 

You can see on the following slides 

that many trends continue to move 

in the same direction. While it’s easy 

to focus on the details in front of us, 

we must remember to look at the big 

picture (as referenced in a comic on a 

later slide). 

If we look at the negative, sales 

are down, as are median home prices. 

Inventory is relatively flat, and the 

days on market is slightly up. Sound 

familiar? But let’s look at the market 

over the past couple of years to put 

things into perspective. 

The pandemic may have been a 

challenging time for many reasons, 

but it also created a lot of opportunities 

in the housing market. As 

people left offices and remote work 

became more regular, our region saw 

many transplants from the bay area, 

Orange County, and other high-cost 

areas. The value of what could be 

purchased here vs. there was quickly 

realized, and those buyers cashed in 

and relocated here. Many paid over 

the asking price as inventory was at 

an all-time low. Combine that with 

record-setting low-interest rates, and 

you had a market that was on fire! That’s 

great for sellers, but buyers had a challenging 

time, which wasn’t a healthy or 

sustainable market. 

As we transitioned out of the pandemic, 

rates increased, prices rose, and 

affordability became an issue. Since 

then, we have leveled out and remain in 

a neutral market. It would be hard and 

unfair to compare today’s market to last 

year’s atypical market. Stepping back and 

looking at the big picture, things aren’t 

so bad. Please also remember that the 

equity in your home is only relevant when 

you are planning to sell or refinance. If 

you’re staying put for a while, you should 

be fine. 

Staying on the positive, we know 

that California has yet to keep up with 

population growth when it comes to 

building homes. However, even when 

other areas are seeing developers rescind 

or put projects on hold, Southwest Riverside 

continues to plan ahead, with tens 

of thousands of units being developed in 

the near future. 

Let’s take a closer look at the numbers 

for our region. 

The median home price in Southwest 

Riverside County was down 2% from a 

month ago ($560,000/$573,000) but was 

up 4% from a year ago ($538,000) and up 

24.4% from 2 years ago ($450,000). Unsold 

inventory remained at 4 months (6 

months is considered a healthy market), 

and the median time on market increased 

again from last month to 25 days. This is 

up from 9 days last year and significantly 

higher than 2 years ago when it was 6 

days. Unit sales decreased by 12% from 

the previous month and are down 38% 

from last year. Unsold inventory was flat 

compared to the previous month but is 

considerably up from last year, with an 

increase of 81%. 

Median prices were up in most of our 

local cities, with only a few seeing a dip 

compared to last year. Remember that 

the median price is the price right in the 

middle, so a one-off low or high-priced 

sale can impact this figure. Please refer 

to the slide that also shows ”Average 

House” for more information. 

I attended an informative economic 

update from our State Chief Economist 

and am including some of his presentation 

slides for your review. It covers some 

great information on the effect of rising 

interest rates, best-case and worst-case 

rate predictions for 2023, and the California 

Housing outlook for 2022 & 2023. 

On the Legislative Front, I’d like 

to mention a Federal Bill, H.R. 9015. 

As you may be aware, capital gain exemptions 

have been set at $250,000 for 

single filers and $500,000 for joint filers 

for the past 25 years. With rising prices, 

some potential sellers are not able or 

willing to sell as they would be subject 

to taxes exceeding the current capital 

gains exemption. H.R.9015 would raise 

the capital gains exemption to $500,000 

for single filers and $1,000,000 for joint 

filers, and it would also include an annual 

inflation adjustment to the increased 

amount. This bill could be a significate 

by 

Steve Fillingim 

REAL ESTATE 

by Adam A. Ruiz 

help to sellers and help to open more 

inventory for buyers. While this bill 

won’t make it through this year, it has 

already received bipartisan support and 

is planned to be brought back in early 

2023. I will track this bill and keep 

you updated on any progress it makes. 

While things remain busy, I hope 

I have covered everything that affects 

you and your business. Please let me 

know if I left anything out or if you 

need anything explained further. 

If you’d like a copy of my entire 

report including the mentioned slides, 

or to be added to the distribution list, 

Please email me at Adam@srcar.org. 

As always, I am available if you 

have any questions about the report. 

Until next month.



24 December 2022




25 

YOUR LOCAL CHAMBERS 

Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce 

www.temecula.org 

Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber of Commerce 

www.MWCoC.org 

Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce 

www.menifeevalleychamber.com 

Lake Elsinore Valley Chamber 

www.lakeelsinorechamber.com 

Hemet/San Jacinto Valley 

Chamber of Commerce 

www.hsjvc.com




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28 December 2022

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