Here are a few highlights from 2015 – Part 1

This is the time of year to look back at all that has taken place in the community over the past 12 months. This week’s review will look at January through June 2015.

January

Canyon Lakers were delighted to wake up New Year’s Eve morning to the sight of surrounding hills covered in snow. Although several residents reported seeing snow fall overnight in Canyon Lake, it didn’t stay on the ground like it did in some neighboring communities. Still, the view from Canyon Lake was priceless.

With snow-capped mountains in the nearby hills, approximately 20 gutsy individuals put on their swim suits and took the plunge into the chilly lake for Polar Bear Day, January 3, the first community event of the new year and a 40-year tradition for Canyon Lake. The air temperature for those who rode early was a frigid 35 degrees with the water temp a hypothermic 49 degrees.

On January 6, the City of Canyon Lake filed an action in Superior Court seeking declaratory relief in connection with its contract to provide fire protection for its community. Declaratory relief actions force the court to interpret contract items disputed between the parties. The heart of this was to be a determination by the court that the City is entitled to a reduction in the cost of its fire services pursuant to specific contract language between the City, Riverside County and CalFire.

Subsequent to the City filing an action for declaratory relief, the County served a claim required by the Government Code demanding immediate payment of $903,646.10 for fire services provided between January 1, 2014 and September 30, 2014 (three-quarters of the calendar year). The actual cost of those services was the subject of that declaratory relief action filed by the City on January 6, 2015.

A resident who lives near Canyon Lake Dr. North and Red Setter posted a message on January 7 that a huge red-tailed hawk picked up her 13-pound dachsund from her backyard. After being challenged by her husband and 8-lb. Chihuahua, the hawk finally let go of the doxie.

The Canyon Lake Bassmasters held their first tournament of 2015 on January 10, with nine boats and 16 anglers participating. Fishing had been slow of late, but seven of the nine teams were able to bring in five-fish limits, with 37 fish weighed for a total of 104.02 pounds.

At a special meeting on January 21, the City Council appointed John Zaitz to serve the final two years of Nancy Horton’s term. Nancy was elected to the EVMWD Board in November 2014.

Sosy Robinson, Kassidy Oblad and Donna Ritchie were among the Canyon Lake residents who participated with thousands of other locals at the Guinness Book of World Records event at Storm Stadium on Saturday, January 17. The goal was to break the world record for the largest fitness circuit training session.

February

February 21 was Opening Day for Canyon Lake Little League and Girls Softball. Photo by Donna Kupke

Like the romantic fantasy “Somewhere in Time,” Richard Beck and Chris Greer were time traveling; for to step into Hotel Temecula was to travel back in time. Richard and Chris (husband and wife attorneys and Canyon Lake residents) purchased what was then a private residence in August 2014 with the goal of giving others a chance to experience old Temecula as it was in the days when area settlers and cowboys roamed the dusty streets.

The Canyon Lake Golf Course was getting a facelift. Tractors were removing dead grass from the 17.8 acres of perimeter areas scheduled to be replanted with low water-use plants and drought-tolerant landscaping, and most of the trees that were scheduled for removal had been removed.

The CLPOA launched a new website February 5, with many of the improvements suggested by member focus groups over the eight months it took to redesign the website.

Residents learned at the February meetings of the CLPOA Board of Directors and City Council that the lake was about to receive the fourth of five planned alum treatments. However, alum pre-application monitoring indicated that lake conditions prior to the scheduled application were very similar to those in February 2014, when “patching” occurred, so the treatment was postponed.

Equestrian Club members and horse boarders met on February 7 to clean up trails on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) property adjacent to Canyon Lake. They collected tires and posts encased in concrete as well as the usual trash, and they also groomed some of the local trails for Canyon Lake hikers, bikers and equestrians.

Kathy Barbay’s quilt, titled “Lola & Kathy’s Flower Garden,” won the Judge’s Choice Award at the Valley Quilters’ annual quilt show. Kathy is a member of the Quilters Dozen in Canyon Lake, which regularly meets to work on projects at the Senior Center.

February 21 was the Opening Day for Canyon Lake Little League and Girls Softball. Teams gathered on the field dressed in their uniforms, complete with team banners, and Storm’s Thunder was there to entertain. The National Anthem was sung by Bailey Suttle.

March

The big news coming out of the March CLPOA Board of Directors meeting was that annual dues would decrease by $48, or $4 per month.

By the time this picture was taken of police activity in the Towne Center on March 11, the prime suspect in a Westminster murder had already been taken away. At right, police questioned the driver, who was detained briefly and released. Photo by Sharon Rice

The City Council agreed to follow through on a campaign promise made by newly elected City Councilwoman Dawn Haggerty to investigate the possibility of Canyon Lake having its own police force to replace current contracts with the Sheriff’s Perris Station and Securitas Community Patrol.

The Canyon Lake Middle School Competition Cheer Team and Song Team competed at the USA Jr. Spirit Nationals on March 1. CLMS Cheer performed an almost flawless routine in prelims and made it to finals for the first time ever at Jr. Spirit Nationals. Cheer placed 3rd overall and Song placed 3rd overall. One of the Stunt groups placed 1st overall, winning the Jr. National Stunt title.

For the first time in Temescal Canyon High School history, Girls Soccer won the CIF-Southern Section Division 6 Championship.

There was major police activity in the Canyon Lake Towne Center March 11. With the assistance of Sheriff’s deputies from Canyon Lake and Menifee, investigators from Westminster arrested a prime suspect in a March 8 murder in Westminster.

The suspect (Daniel Duvall, 37, not a Canyon Lake resident) had been under surveillance at a house in Canyon Lake. He was a passenger in a Nissan Titan pickup that was followed to the Towne Center, where a full felony car stop was made with guns drawn.

The City announced that Keith Breskin had resigned from his position as the City Manager of Canyon Lake. Ariel Hall would be the Acting City Manager while the City Council determined the best course of action to fill the position.

Representatives from Canyon Lake continued to press forward at the county level on the rising costs of public safety. On March 9, Councilman John Zaitz made an impassioned plea at a meeting of the California League of Cities to band together and let Sacramento legislators know that the current approach with pensions and contract negotiations would soon bankrupt many California cities.

BBVA Compass Bank in the Canyon Lake Towne Center was robbed midday on March 27.

A witness who was inside the bank said a person presented a note to the teller at the window next to him. The witness did not see a weapon. After the robber and witness left the bank, bank officials called police and locked down the bank. After deputies arrived, they cordoned off the parking lot in front of the bank.

The dispute between the Canyon Lake Property Owners Association and the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District heated up as the water district board, on March 28, rejected Canyon Lake’s claim that EVMWD owes the Association more than $6 million.

The CLPOA Board of Directors refused to pay the $344,000 quarterly lease payment due March 15, then filed a lawsuit against EVMWD.

On March 18, the water district filed a notice of default and warned the CLPOA that the lease could be terminated, resulting in the loss of recreational privileges on the lake.

On March 20, the CLPOA filed a lawsuit against EVMWD challenging the potential lease termination.

On March 26, EVMWD filed a cross-complaint on the CLPOA lawsuit and rejected Canyon Lake’s claim that the district owed more than $6 million.

April

these cute “bunnies” demonstrate, the annual Easter Carnival and Egg Hunt on April 4 at Holiday Harbor was a great success. Photo by Donna Kupke

CLPOA President David Eilers announced at the April 7 Board meeting that the Board had voted unanimously to make the lake lease payment to the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District. Prior to David’s announcement, Legal Counsel Scott Levine reported that EVMWD had contacted the CLPOA that afternoon and agreed to sit down for talks if the Association made its lease payment. He noted that the reason for withholding the lease payment in the first place was to get EVMWD to the table, and the strategy appeared to have worked.

Hundreds of Canyon Lakers and their friends were at Holiday Harbor for the annual Easter Carnival and Egg Hunt, put on by the Jr. Women’s Club and the Men’s Golf Club.

At the April 7 CLPOA Board meeting, the decision was made to allow outside play on the Golf Course. Many residents interpreted this decision to mean that the Golf Course would be opened to the public. A POA press release dated April 14 indicated that the Board’s decision does not make the course “open to the public, nor does it change the status of the Golf Course.” It was explained that the intent was to give the Association the ability to market to outside players the blocks of time that are not being used by Canyon Lake members.

The Aquatechnex boats were back on the lake April 9 and 10 to spray alum in the East Bay. The desired results (reduced algae and greater water clarity) were not immediately evident to casual observers. Mark Norton, water resources and planning manager for the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA), said water officials had not yet received the water quality analysis from pre- and post-monitoring of the East Bay prior to his commenting; however, based on recent photos, Norton said, “It appears the nutrient levels still remain persistently high enough to result in algae blooms in the East Bay coves, despite the recent alum application.” Nevertheless, the Technical Advisory Committee was optimistic about the benefits of alum in the Main Lake.

Woman’s Club Fashion Show Co-chair Lyne Hall, second from left, was joined by organizers in tie-dyed shirts, representative of the Fashion Show theme, “Swinging Sixties,” on April 24. Photo by Bob Ireland

Tie-dyed shirts and mini-skirts, go-go boots and a yellow submarine – these were just a few of the iconic sights from the 1960s that filled the Lodge for the Canyon Lake Woman’s Club’s “Swinging Sixties” Fashion Show on April 24. Organized by Terri Ireland, Lyne Hall and the rest of the Fashion Show Committee, it was an event that reminded many of those in attendance of their youthful years, while giving them a look at fashions that are now in style 50 years later.

Acting City Manager Ariel Hall released an announcement on April 30, that sought to explain the ongoing litigation with CalFire/Riverside County Fire. She opened her comments by saying, “”The City is continuing to act in the best interests of its residents to continue the best possible fire services. The City has and will continue to update the community on the progress made in its declaratory relief action and the provision of fire services after June 30, 2015. Unfortunately, at the same time as the County uses scare tactics, the County has required confidentiality in those negotiations.”

May

On May 3, nearly 100 women gathered in Canyon Lake for the 2nd annual luncheon of “100 Women Strong.” The idea was for 100 women to donate $100 each, equaling $10,000. Members of 100 Women Strong listened to and talked with the four presentors, then wrote checks directly to GenerateHope (support for survivors of sex slavery), Restorative Tattoo (restoration after breast cancer or reconstructive surgery), Lions Club Bike Project (purchase of adaptive bike for Donald Graham Elementary School) and the Menifee Valley Humane Society (animal rescue and support).

At the CLPOA Annual Meeting and Election in May, incumbents Eric Spitzer and Bruce Yarbrough, at left, were reelected to the Board along with newcomer Ted Horton.

For Mother’s Day, May 10, several adult mother-daughter duos, fortunate to live near each other in Canyon Lake, responded to a Mother’s Day request made by The Friday Flyer. They shared Mother’s Day traditions and talked of having a relationship in the same community.

Two Canyon Lake students, Blake Echt and Bailey Hanson, were recognized as Students of the Year on May 11.

The CLPOA Annual Meeting and Election was held on May 14. After the votes were tallied, it was announced that the winners for the Board of Directors were incumbents Eric Spitzer, with 769 votes, and Bruce Yarbrough with 732 votes. Ted Horton joined them on the Board with 518 votes; although Paul Queen was only one vote behind with 517.

The Board members voted among themselves to name the following officers for 2015-16: President David Eilers, Vice-President Doug Gordon, Secretary Ted Horton, Treasurer Bruce Yarbrough and Director Eric Spitzer.

President Eilers provided a list of improvements since last May that included: renovation of the Lodge, new mailboxes in the Fairway Estates, upgrades at Outrigger Park, new playground at Indian Beach, playground repairs and replacements at Holiday Harbor and Harrelson Park, new Equestrian Center pavilion, new activity room structure at East Port Park and repair/replacement of docks at Moonstone Beach and the Lodge.

Yacht Club members Bob Templeton and Jan May dressed for the theme, “Fiesta Under the Big Top,” during last May’s Fiesta Day, held Memorial Day weekend. Photo by Donna Kupke

The Turf Reduction Program on the Golf Course was completed on May 21, and CLPOA Director Bruce Yarbrough was prepared to give a tour of the Golf Course to representatives from the Metropolitan Water District, who would then issue a rebate check for some $1.5 million.

Five new banners were added to the Military Banner Program for residents to honor active duty military personnel and veterans who reside in Canyon Lake. The new banners were placed on light poles in the parking lot east of the Veterans Monument. The first six banners were hung in January on light poles along Railroad Canyon Rd. There are now a total of eleven military banners in Canyon Lake.

Many residents and organizers who attended the May 23 Fiesta Day said they have never seen such a huge crowd for the annual event. “Fiesta Under the Big Top” began with a parade that included dignitaries, community groups, the TCHS band, equestrians and lots of golf carts. Crowds by the hundreds, many also dressed up, lined Canyon Lake Dr. to whoop, watch, wave and collect candy as the parade passed.

On the Lodge grounds, the Big Top tent kept guests enthralled throughout the day with magic, circus shows and music/dancing. There were dozens of food and vendor booths as well as roving circus acts, a kid zone, Cardboard Boat Challenge and Ski and Wake Board Show.

Canyon Lake Little League finished regular play for the 2015 Spring season, with closing ceremonies held May 30 at Gault Field. According Commissioner Jim Wagoner, about 225 kids played for CLLL this season.

June

The ever-popular, summertime Taco Tuesday returned June 2 and was held weekly through the end of August. ShowCal Skiers provided several shows in the Jump Lagoon.

A highlight of Learn-to-Ride Day on June 6 was a wakeboarding demo by pro wakeboarders JD Webb and Jacob Valdez. Photo by Mike Clary

The CLPOA Board of Directors voted at the June 2 regular meeting to create a Lake Lease Advisory Committee.The Board found that the professional input, opinions and recommendations of qualified members of the Association are desirable with respect to the litigation between the Association and the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District.

The Canyon Lake Wakeboard Club held one of several Learn-To-Ride Days on June 6. According to Wakeboard Club President Dave Clarke, approximately 80 riders took advantage of the event, which was supported by three wake boats and their drivers. A highlight of the day was when JD Webb, a world-ranked professional wakeboarder from Florida, teamed up with Canyon Lake’s Tour Pro Jacob Valdez to dazzle the crowd with a dual-rider demonstration of many wakeboard skills and tricks.

The question on the minds of many residents was how much longer Station 60 would be able to serve Canyon Lake. The contract with Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire was due to expire at the end of the month. The cost of fire protection services had doubled in the past few years and revenue increases were not keeping pace with increasing costs.

For Fathers Day, The Friday Flyer invited sons and daughters to think of something their dad does (or did) very well or something their dad taught them. Kids of all ages responded with heartfelt stories of their fathers.