Community Award winners announced

A publisher, council member, Englishwoman, honor student and club that entertains the community are this year’s recipients of the Community Awards.

One of the ways the Canyon Lake Chamber of Commerce serves the community is by providing the community an opportunity to recognize leading citizens, groups and businesses with annual awards. A committee of chamber members selects the recipients from the nominations submitted and presents them with recognition awards at the chamber’s annual Awards and Installation Gala. This year’s selection committee contacted the winners last week. They are as follows:

  • The Friday Flyer is Business of the Year. This award is for a chamber member that provides exemplary customer service and superior products while supporting the Canyon Lake business community.
  • The Fine Arts Guild is Organization of the Year. This award is for a nonprofit organization or association whose programs of work have made a positive impact on the community.
  • Lyne Hall is Volunteer of the Year. This award is for an individual who has made a significant difference in the community through volunteerism.
  • Jordan Ehrenkranz is Citizen of the Year. This award is for an individual who has enhanced the quality of life in Canyon Lake through outstanding community involvement.
  • Ryan Hosking is Youth of the Year. This award is for a Canyon Lake student who has exhibited academic excellence while being involved in the community and participating in school activities.

The Friday Flyer is Business of the Year. Pictured, third from right, is publisher Chuck Golding surrounded by The Friday Flyer staff and columnists. Photo by MacKenzie Dore

Business of the Year

The Friday Flyer, owned and published weekly by Golding Publications, has played a vital role in the city, bringing community news to the residents of Canyon Lake for the past 29 years.

The first newspaper edition of The Friday Flyer hit the streets in 1990. Since that first edition, not a week has gone by without the newspaper arriving in Canyon Lake mailboxes.

“We’re extremely honored to be recognized by the Chamber of Commerce as the Business of the Year,” Chuck Golding, the newspaper’s publisher, said. “Our entire staff works long hours in all sorts of roles to make sure our newspaper is a valuable resource to its readers. We all take great pride in getting our newspaper in their mailboxes every week.”

Canyon Lake is fortunate to have a community newspaper available to its residents. Most surrounding cities have lost their newspapers and must rely on spotty social media reports for their news.

The Fine Arts Guild is the recipient of Organization of the Year award. Pictured, from left, are Guild directors Bonnie Dubbs, Larry Garland, Shari Skidmore, Lim Lafferty, Rhonda Pilto, Ron Martel and Corrie Tutt. Photo by Donna Ritchie

Organization of the Year

The Canyon Lake Fine Arts Guild is a non-profit, POA sanctioned club that has been providing quality music to the community for nearly two decades. The first fundraising concert was performed by the Inland Valley Symphony in 2001.

Over the past three years, the Fine Arts Guild has transformed into a resource of musical talent with rock, country and swing music, featuring tribute artists such as Elton John, Willie Nelson, Santana, Rolling Stones, Billy Joel, Bee Gees, Chicago and Rod Stewart.

The three-year transformation of the Fine Arts Guild has seen its membership double, allowing the club keep the price of concert tickets at a low $25.

In August 2018, the Fine Arts Guild hosted a free summer concert for the community at Holiday Harbor. The Fleetwood Mac tribute band entertained nearly 1,000 concert-goers who gathered in the park and in 75 boats on the lake. The club is sponsoring two more free concerts in the park for the community this summer.

In addition to providing entertainment to the community, the Fine Arts Guild has implemented a scholarship program for high school music majors who reside in Canyon Lake.

Other community contributions include a 2018 donation of $25,000 to the POA to go toward the construction of the new amphitheater at Holiday Harbor Park. The Fine Arts Guild also is leading a project this year to upgrade the sound and lighting in the Holiday Bay Room. The new addition will benefit the Guild’s concerts, POA’s concerts and other clubs who use the room for productions and performances.

Volunteer of the Year

Lyne Hall, Volunteer of the Year. Photo provided by Lyne Hall

Lyne Hall moved to Canyon Lake in 2011 and became active in the community the following year. She joined the Woman’s Club in 2012, Travel and Yacht Clubs in 2013 and the Fiesta Day Committee in 2016. She founded the Woman’s Club annual Mermaid Festival four years ago and the Witches Tea last year.

It’s because of volunteers like Lyne that the Woman’s Club was able to donate more than $40,000 last year to its charitable causes and to Canyon Lake students in the form of scholarships.

Lyne served four years on the Woman’s Club Board of Directors. Her positions included ways and means chair and publicity chair. She served on the Home Tour Committee for three years, one year as chair and two years as co-chair of the annual Fashion Show and chair of the five pre-parties leading up to the Fashion Show.

Lyne founded the annual Mermaid Festival four years ago. She served as chairperson for the community-wide event three of the last four years, helping to raise more than $15,000 for the Woman’s Club philanthropy projects. She has volunteered to chair the event again this year.

In 2018, Lyne founded the Woman’s Club Witches Tea, an event that raised several thousands of dollars. She has volunteered to serve as chairperson for the event again this year.

Lyne joined the Fiesta Day Committee in 2016. This year will be her fourth year serving as Parade Coordinator.

In the Travel Club, Lyne served one year as social chair and the past two years as chair of the multi-day trips. As a member of the Yacht Club, Lyne gives back to the community by participating in the club’s annual Lake Cleanup.

In addition to her volunteer work in Canyon Lake, Lyne volunteers for local shelters by fostering several animals.

Citizen of the Year

Jordan Ehrenkranz, Citizen of the Year. Photo provided by City of Canyon Lake

It is rare indeed when an emcee can begin, “For the man who needs no introduction…” Yet, it can apply each time Jordan Ehrenkranz is introduced at a Canyon Lake event. He has possibly attended more Canyon Lake events than anyone.

Jordan has stepped up and committed himself to serve at the highest levels of public office in the community not once or twice, but repeatedly over a period of many years. He served five years on the POA Board of Directors, three of which he served as president. He was elected to the Canyon Lake City Council in 2008 and served as mayor in 2012 and 2015. He is currently serving his third four-year term on the City Council and was appointed mayor pro tem in December 2018.

Serving the community is not a one-time thing for Jordan, it’s his way of life.

Youth of the Year

Ryan Hosking is the recipient of the Youth of the Year award. The Canyon Lake teen will be honored at the chamber’s annual Awards and Installation Gala on Jan. 26. Photo provided by Michael Hosking

Ryan Hosking is a student at Murrieta Mesa High School where he is a member of the mountain bike team, varsity water polo team and Navy Jr. Reserve Officer Training Corps. program. The seventeen-year-old senior has a 3.8 GPA.

Ryan is an Eagle Scout in Troop 444 of Menifee where he has a leadership position in the Arrow Society of Boys Scouts of America and has performed in the Bridging Ceremonies for Canyon Lake Cub Scout Pack 346. In November 2018, Ryan completed his last merit badge in Boy Scouts. He completed all 137 merit badges that the Boy Scouts of America has to offer. Ryan is one of less than 400 Boy Scouts who have accomplished this task since Boy Scouts of America was formed 109 years ago.

For the past three summers, Ryan has served as a volunteer camp ranger at the Boy Scout camp Emerald Bay on Catalina Island.

Ryan is a PADI rescue diver and a member of the Menifee Fire Explorer program where he volunteers his time.

For the past two years, Ryan has properly and respectfully retired all the America Flags left in the retired flag box in front of Pack, Wrap and Post in the Canyon Lake Towne Center.

Awards and Installation Gala

The chamber encourages residents to attend the Gala on Saturday, Jan. 26, at 6 p.m. in the Holiday Bay Room at the lodge. Tickets are $50 and include dinner. The reservation date has been extended to Jan. 21. For reservations, contact Alison Burrafato at the chamber at 951-244-6124.

Dave McCrory is emceeing this year’s Gala. Dignitaries attending the event include city officials, members of the POA board, representatives from Senator Jeff Stone’s office, Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez and EVMWD Director Darcy Burke.

Event sponsors include CR&R, Sports Stop Bar & Grill, Canyon Cowboy and Caregiver Provider Inc. The Community Award Sponsors include Southern California Edison, Canyon Lake Chamber of Commerce, Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant & Cantina, Pack Wrap & Post, Sports Stop Bar & Grill and Jordan and Jennie Ehrenkranz.




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