News Briefs

Canyon Lake pair arrested, charged in $15.9 million COVID-19 scheme

Amber Singleton, 42, and Emanuel Tucker, 42, both of Canyon Lake, were charged in an alleged scheme to obtain $15.9 million in PPP and EIDL funds through fraud according to charges filed by the Department of Justice in the Central District of California.

The indictment included the two being charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering.

During a two-year period beginning in April 2020, Amber and Emanuel and other co-conspirators allegedly submitted 41 fraudulent PPP loan applications and 13 fraudulent EIDL applications on behalf of various companies that they owned and controlled, according to court documents.

These applications allegedly contained material misrepresentations about the companies, including the number of employees, average monthly payroll, gross revenue, cost of goods, and supporting documents.

The top count carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

“The Criminal Division and our partners are committed to identifying and holding accountable those who exploit the COVID-19 pandemic for their own gain,” Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, said.

“As these cases demonstrate, we are unwavering in our determination to prosecute those who have defrauded relief programs meant to help struggling Americans during the pandemic.”

Paddling witches hope to bring breast cancer awareness to Canyon Lake

Canyon Lakers dressed as witches are taking to the lake on their paddle boards on Halloween morning to promote breast cancer awareness. All Canyon Lake witches are invited to join them.

The Annual Witches of Canyon Lake Halloween Witch Paddle will depart from Moonstone Beach at 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 31. Instead of broomsticks, the witches will cruise around the Main Lake on paddleboards and kayaks.

Participants are encouraged to wear a witch costume or hat. Non-witches are invited to come out to the shore and cheer the witches on, Joanne Stribling, one of the organizers, said.

Parade of Frights Oct. 29, needs volunteers

The Canyon Lake Chamber of Commerce is looking for volunteers to work at its annual Parade of Frights on Oct. 29 in the Canyon Lake Town Center.

Volunteers are needed in all categories, including event set up from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., event clean-up from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., information/check in booth from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Costume Contest Monitors from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m and carnival game attendants from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

For questions or to sign up for volunteering, contact the chamber at canyonlakechamber@outlook.com.

Golf Course closed until Nov. 1

The Canyon Lake Golf Course will be closed through Oct. 30 for its annual overseeding. Likewise, the Canyon Lake Country Club Restaurant at the golf course will be closed through Sunday for annual maintenance.

Overseeding is the process of planting new grass seeds directly over the existing turf. This process keeps the fairways green year-round. In the cooler fall and winter months, perennial ryegrass is overseeded. In the warmer months, the golf course’s Bermuda grass, which tolerates the heat well, keeps the course green.

CPR Training Centers named Business of Month

CPR Training Centers was selected by the Canyon Lake Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors as its September 2022 Business of the Month.

CPR Training Centers is located in the Canyon Lake Town Center, 31534 Railroad Canyon Rd., Suite E.

CPR Training Centers offers both classroom and online courses to accommodate its customers’ training needs. They are a supporter of the HeartSafe Neighborhood Foundation. This is a non-profit organization that strives in organizing HeartSafe Neighborhoods.

The business has shown support of both Chamber Member and Chamber Community Events such as The Parade of Frights and Born to Yell Bingo.

Calling all witches to the annual October gathering

Mark those calendars for Saturday, Oct. 29 and come join the Canyon Lake Woman’s Club for its annual Gathering of the Witches at the Canyon Lake Senior Center.

Tickets are $35.00 for witches over the age of 18 and $20.00 for those witches in training who are under 18. Tickets include lunch and one drink of choice and additional drinks are available for purchase.

Tickets are limited and will sell out quickly. Don’t miss out on all the witchy fun. The event is open to the entire community, not just members of the Woman’s Club. Bring friends and let them see just how spell-binding the Woman’s Club can be.

The Gathering begins at 11:00 a.m. and lasts until the last witch leaves at 3:00 p.m.

Purchase tickets by contacting Samantha Goreell at 951-265-9432.

Senior Center Holiday Boutique taking vendor signups

With its annual Holiday Boutique just a few weeks away, The Canyon Lake Senior Center is getting the word out to its potential vendors that It’s time again to reserve a spot to sell holiday items.

The popular boutique will be held on Nov. 5 and 6 at the Senior Center.

Promoting the event now enables vendors to not only reserve their spaces, but to begin creating their wares to sell. Once again, all items sold at the boutique must be handmade.

Table sizes are listed for pricing purposes only as tables are not supplied, but must be brought by the vendor.

“If you have a six or nine foot space against the wall, you are only able to use the wall space directly behind you,” Grace Ward of the Senior Center said. “We are not allowed to put anything on the floor in front of your space as we have to have room for the shoppers. We are simply supplying the indoor space necessary for your display space.”

Spaces are expected to fill quickly, so potential vendors are encouraged to not delay in making reservations.

For information, contact Grace at canyonlake.ca.seniorcenter@gmail.com.

Theater Group to hold elections

The Canyon Lake Community Theatre Group will be holding elections for board of directors on Nov. 16. Anyone interested in joining the board of directors needs to submit a letter of intent no later than Wednesday.

Those interested can visit the website at www.clctheatre.com and click on the elections tab. The letter of intent needs to include the reason for wanting to be on the Board of Directors and must include contact information, email and phone number.

Election meeting will be held at the EastPort Building on Nov. 16 and anyone interested in being on the board needs to be present.

Golfers invited to the Kiwanis Club’s golf tournament

John Grande of Canyon Lake Solar, who is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Temecula Valley, invites golfers to join in this year‘s golf tournament to be held at the Canyon Lake Golf and Country Club on Nov. 14.

Check in at 10:00 a.m., followed by a putting contest at 11:00 a.m. with tee time at noon.

This is a four person scramble, so sign up as a team or singles will be matched with a team.

Entry fee is $75.00 which includes banquet, awards and driving range, with a green fee of $37.00, cart rental of $17.00 for a total of $129.00.

Contests include closest to the hole, longest drive, closest to the line fairway, putting contests and more.

The Kiwanis Club is a distinguished service club dedicated to the needs of the community in the greater Temecula Valley, focusing on serving the needs of the community with an emphasis on children.

For questions, contact John at 951-318-1917 or JohnGrande@CanyonLakeSolarCo.com.

Woman’s Club looking for homes for its Holiday Tour

Don’t let the triple-digit weather fool you. Christmas is on the minds of those planning this year’s Canyon Lake Woman’s Club Annual Holiday Home Tour and they need your home.

“We are excited for the tour to be coming back this December,” Shawna Bowen, the club’s president, said. “Your home could be one of the select few featured on our 50th Anniversary Tour. We do all the work. You just open your home for all to enjoy.”

The event is a Holiday Home Tour, not just a Christmas Tour and Shawna emphasizes that all winter holidays are welcome to be considered for the tour.

“This event is looked forward to by so many in the community,” she said. “People invite family and friends to come and make a whole day of it.”

The tour starts at the Lodge where everyone picks up their tour maps, partakes in some provided refreshments and shops the vendors displaying holiday items for purchase. Everyone then heads off on a self-guided tour of the homes on the map.

The afternoon ends back at the Lodge where several themed and decorated Christmas trees, wreaths, and centerpieces are auctioned off.  In past years, there have even been celebrities’ homes on the tour.

The tickets are $15 each and children over 10 are welcome on the tour with a paid ticket.

Those tickets will go on sale as December approaches. Right now the club is seeking houses that want to participate being on the tour.

“Are you thinking of showing your home, but do not know what is involved?” Shawna said. “It’s simple. You decorate and we do the rest. We provide a docent in each room you choose to display. Not every room of the house needs to be part of the tour. We have fun and clever ways of keeping “Santa‘s Workshop” and “Elf’s Sleeping Quarters off limits.”

Required booties are provided and must be worn to enter each home. The Woman’s Club can also help decorate the homes by providing teams of helpful elves, Shawna said.

“We can do all the work and the community gets to enjoy your beautiful décor,” she said. “You will be helping us raise funds that go back into our philanthropic efforts in the community.”

For those interested in being on this 50th Anniversary Home Tour, reach out to Jill Batinich at 951-396-9252. Those wishing to be a vendor at the beginning of the tour can also contact Jill for information.

Senior Center looking for bridge players

The Canyon Lake Senior Center invites community members to join other bridge players for regular games at the center.

“We are looking for bridge players and would love to meet you,” Peggy Clark said. “You don‘t need a partner.”

The group plays every Thursday at 12:30 p.m. and on the first, third and fifth Tuesdays at 6:00 p.m. at the Senior Center.

Those interested in playing should phone either Nancy at 951-244-1182 or Peggy at 951-244-1107.

Ballots being re-mailed after Tract 3961 Special Meeting adjourned again

Ballots are being re-mailed to those who haven’t already voted, as a courtesy, to Tract 3961 members in preparation for a rescheduled Nov. 2 special meeting.

After the Adjourned Special Meeting of the Members Tract 3961 scheduled for last week didn’t meet quorum, the Canyon Lake POA adjourned the meeting again until Nov. 2 in an attempt to collect the number of votes needed.

A raffle is being held by the POA to encourage those in this tract to vote. All who vote will be entered into a raffle for one of two $100 Canyon Lake POA Gift Cards.

The purpose of this election is to see if a majority of Tract 3961 would vote to change the 20-foot setback restriction of trailer parking on driveways to 5 feet from the curb.

The original election date was June 8, however, the quorum was not met, so the adjourned meeting was required to be scheduled. Tiffany Cribbs, CLPOA Senior Communications Specialist, calls the November adjournment “a last-ditch effort” to obtain the number of votes required to open the meeting.

The Guild wraps up year with Motown Tribute Concert Nov. 5

Stone Soul, an eight-piece, horn-blowing, foot-stomping Classic Soul Motown Tribute Band will take the stage Nov. 5 in the Canyon Lake Fine Arts Guild’s final concert of the year.

The band has built a reputation as one of the hardest working and most entertaining classic Soul Motown bands. The concert will be held at the Holiday Bay Room with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and concert starting at 7:00 p.m.

Stone Soul, with their snazzy suits and spot-on renditions of Classic Soul and Motown hits, will have you dancing The Jerk, The Mashed Potato and The Twist to smash hits from Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, Otis Redding, James Brown and more, the Guild said.

Tickets are now on sale for the concert and can be purchased for $25 for general admission and $45 for VIP tickets. General admission tickets can be purchased at the Canyon Lake POA offices in the Canyon Lake Town Center and general admission and VIP tickets are available from www.brownpapertickets.com for a small fee.

For more information, go to the Guild’s website, www.canyonlakeguild.org or email it directly at canyonlakeguild@gmail.com.