The lakes, stocked with bass and catfish, welcomed young anglers ages 6 to 15, who collectively caught an impressive 141 fish. More than 600 attendees and volunteers participated in the event, highlighting strong community support for family-oriented activities.

The largest catch of the day was a 9.86-pound fish reeled in by 8-year-old Destiny Kuehn, earning her four Disneyland tickets, a $100 Disney gift certificate, and a trophy. The second-largest fish, weighing 8.8 pounds, was caught by 14-year-old Alfonzo Perez, who received two Disneyland tickets, a $100 Disney gift certificate, and a trophy.

Participants competed in two age divisions: Junior (ages 6–10) and Senior (ages 11–15). The top 10 finishers in each division received awards and prizes, including a birthday party for 50 guests, boat rental and fishing at Lake Perris, paintball passes, amusement tickets, and fishing passes.

The event also featured a variety of family-friendly activities, including a BBQ hosted by the Hemet Kiwanis Club, demonstrations by Boy Scout Troop #46, a fire truck appearance by Cal Fire Station 25, and interactive booths hosted by local organizations.

The tournament opened with a special aerobatic flyover during the National Anthem, performed by Doug Medore and Dave Mundwiler, with vocals by Linda Greilich of Golden Era Productions. San Jacinto Councilwoman Valerie Vandever served as Master of Ceremonies.

Thanks to generous sponsors and community support, every child received a t-shirt, breakfast snack bag, goody bag, fishing pole (if needed), and lunch.

Community feedback highlighted the importance of events like this, with attendees emphasizing the value of outdoor activities, family time, and positive youth experiences.

This annual event continues to strengthen community bonds while creating lasting memories for local families.

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Local dignitaries, including the Mayors of Hemet and San Jacinto, were present to show their support. Attendees also contributed generously to the evening’s canned food drive, benefiting both Valley Community Pantry and the San Jacinto Pantry.

Interfaith Council President Jon Ranes opened the program with a warm welcome and recognition of the diverse local congregations participating in the service: Temple Beth Am, Community Christian, Calvary Chapel, Pilgrim Congregational, United Methodist, St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, Hope in the Valley, the Baha’i Faith, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the Church of Scientology.

Pastor Dale Garland of Hope in the Valley Baptist Church offered the invocation.

A message of gratitude was delivered by the President of Valley Community Pantry, Jim Lineberger who expressed deep appreciation for the ongoing support provided by local congregations. He emphasized the positive, life-changing impact that community collaboration continues to make for families in need.

Pastor Jerome Roberts from the United Methodist Churches from Hemet and San Jacinto delivered a message of helping the community and his pantry in San Jacinto assists more than 3,000 per month.

The Children’s Interfaith Choir provided one of the evening’s most heartwarming moments with their rendition of “My Heavenly Father Loves Me.” This was followed by a moving presentation written by Stephanie Kittleson and presented by Adam Formica, which concluded with a reminder that:
“Love is not limited by religion… when we come together — Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and all people of faith and goodwill — we bring healing and light into a world that desperately needs both.”

A musical performance by Linda Greilich of the Church of Scientology, accompanied by Christina Ranes of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, continued the spirit of unity.

The keynote address was delivered by Hemet Police Chief Michael Arellano, who shared his personal connection to the valley and spoke passionately about his commitment to serving and protecting the entire community.

Following a communal singing of “God Bless America,” Pastor Lowell Thomas of Lighthouse Church offered the benediction. Drawing from his experience as a football coach at San Jacinto High School, he encouraged attendees to persevere in their goals through faith and determination.

The Hemet–San Jacinto Interfaith Council reaffirms its mission to:

1. Promote mutual understanding and respect among all faiths.
2. Address issues affecting local communities, the nation, and the world.
3. Strengthen faith in God and serve the needs of the valley.

Upcoming Events & Community Announcements

• Interfaith Holiday Party:
  December 11, 2025 — 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
  Mountain View Clubhouse, 24600 Mountain Ave., Hemet
• Food Donations Now Accepted At:
  • San Jacinto Community Pantry — 210 S. San Jacinto Ave.
  • Valley Community Pantry — Simpson Center, 305 E. Devonshire Ave., Hemet
  • Salvation Army Food Pantry — 340 S. Palm Ave., Hemet
• Living Nativity Walkthrough:
  Presented by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at Weston Park immediately following the Hemet Christmas Parade.

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San Jacinto High School’s golf coach, Jim Stull, has organized an annual boys’ match play event for several years. Inspired by its success, Stull decided to extend the format to female golfers this year—and the response was overwhelmingly positive.

The tournament took place at the Golden Era Golf Course on the 24^th and 25^th of September and featured players from five local high schools:

• La Quinta High School
• San Jacinto High School
• Liberty High School
• Lake Elsinore High School
• Hemet High School

Parents, coaches, and spectators gathered to watch the girls compete in a match play format—a one-on-one style of play that differs from the more common stroke play. This style encourages strategy, mental toughness, and individual matchups rather than total scores over all holes.

Coach Stull praised the experience: “This worked out so well. The girls got a lot of golf and enjoyed themselves. In match play, coaches can be on the course with the players, offering direct support and strategy. One player from Elsinore even had her boyfriend as a caddie—it added a fun and personal element to the event.”

San Jacinto’s assistant coach echoed the sentiment: “This is great experience for the girls to come together to play. With this type of play, even lower-level players get a sense of what it’s like to compete.”

Liberty High’s head coach added: “It’s a lot of fun. The girls are used to stroke play, so this is new for them. But after two or three rounds, they really start to get the hang of it.”

Parents also shared their appreciation. Nathan Wheelock, whose daughter Trinity played, said: “I like this very much. It’s unique. It gives kids who are used to stroke play a chance to try something new. You can have one bad hole and still win the match—that’s a good learning experience.”

La Quinta coach Mark Williams noted how impactful the boys’ match play has been for his team: “The boys who played last year still talk about it and want to come back. That’s why I brought our girls this year—to give them that same experience.”

Coach Stull also highlighted the community support behind the event: “Golden Era doesn’t charge us to use the course, which is huge. I collect a small entry fee from the teams, and those funds go directly to support the San Jacinto girls’ golf program.”

Lunch for this event was prepared by the Hemet Sportsman Club.

Final Results

Championship Division (highest skill level):

🥇 Joanna Bushnel-Crist – 1st Place

🥈 Trinity Wheelock – 2nd Place

Silver Division:

🥉 Priscilla Guillen – 1st Place

🥉 Audrey Tranley – 2nd Place

Looking ahead, Coach Stull shared that the Boys’ Match Play Tournament is tentatively scheduled for February 2026 at the Golden Era Golf Golf Course.

For more information about the upcoming boys’ tournament or next year’s girls’ event, contact San Jacinto High School’s golf coach.

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The Inland Valley League, made up of five competing high schools—Lakeside (Lake Elsinore), Heritage (Menifee), Vista Del Lago (Moreno Valley), Moreno Valley High, and Perris High—witnessed a historic season as the Panthers blazed through the competition.

Leading the charge is longtime head coach Aaron Nering, a dedicated Agriculture Science teacher who’s been molding raw talent into skilled golfers for the past 13 years. Many of his players joined the team never having touched a golf club. Today, they’re consistently posting scores in the 40s and 50s over 9 holes—a testament to their growth and his guidance.

“Golf is a game of success through failure,” Coach Nering explained. “You begin with something simple, like putting—it gives students a chance to win early, which builds confidence. The real magic happens when they learn to bounce back from mistakes. That’s where the character is built.”

Perris High’s home course for the past two seasons has been the Golden Era Golf Course, a partnership Coach Nering credits as crucial. “Golden Era has been a phenomenal support system, not just for us, but for visiting teams as well. It’s rare—most courses don’t want teenagers around. We’re incredibly grateful.”

The Panthers’ recent win over Lakeside High sealed their perfect season and earned them a promotion to a more competitive league next year. Coach Todd Naylor of Lakeside—a 30-year golf veteran and professional golfer—praised Nering’s coaching: “He puts in the time. He understands the swing. He’s a heck of a great coach.”

As the Panthers prepare for tougher competition and face the departure of some of their top senior golfers, the question looms: Can the next generation rise to the challenge?

With Coach Nering at the helm and a summer to train, the odds are in their favor.

Stay tuned—golf greatness is just getting started in Perris.

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There is a long history of women serving our country. American women have served their country going back to the Revolutionary war where women like Deborah Simpson disguised themselves as men and engaged in combat.  Other women have supported war efforts through nursing and other essential services which have carried on until this day. The ban on women in combat roles was lifted in 2013 which is a testament to the valor and competence of women who have been serving under fire since America’s earliest conflicts.

The Master of Ceremonies was Virginia Blumenthal and her Co-MC was the Honorable Mark Johnson.

Virginia is a strong supporter of Veterans and an advocate for women.  She is also one of the top 100 trial attorneys in the United States. Virginia serves on a number of prestigious boards in Riverside County yet she made time to honor these amazing women.    

Honorable Mark Johnson is a highly decorated Colonel of the United States Army who retired after 28 years of military service. He became a Superior Court Judge and presided over the Riverside County Veterans Court which he helped develop.  He is now the author of the newly released book, “Scars and Strife”. Virginia said, “I made Mark give me a pre-release copy of the book and I can tell you it is good!”

The opening remarks of the ceremony by Virginia was, “… we are here today honoring the military women and civilian supporters whose invaluable contributions have shaped our nation’s military history and today, it is an amazing list of women being honored. “

Reverend Jannet Guzman from the Loma Linda Veteran Affairs opened the event with an invocation followed by the Patriot Guards riding in on their motorcycles presented the colors.   Linda Greilich of Golden Era Productions sang the National Anthem. Together they created a reaction a rousing applause from the audience.

The first honoree was Theresa Seaton.  Theresa served in the Army Air Corps was 1949 to 1954. She is a member of the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians and has been a cast member of the Ramona Pageant since 1940.   She has just celebrated her 94^th birthday.

The second honoree was Barbara Barron.   Barbara a retired Army Veteran of 26 years.  She was the President of the Federal Employee Women Adelphi Chapter in Maryland.

Dr. Stephanie Bruce was the third honoree.  She served in the Army for over 7 years which included Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield. She went on to create a non-profit, Black Voices of the Valley of which she is the Executive Director.

Martha Sylvia Zaragoza the fourth honoree gives more than 70 hours a week to service veterans. She is a daughter of a WWII Veteran, a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and the Patriot Guards.  She along with the Patriot Guards attend funeral services every Wednesday morning at the Riverside National Cemetery for our military heroes who have no families.

The fifth honoree was Ramonita Cruz who was a Marine deployed 3 times to Iraq and Afghanistan.  Since 2018 she has worked for the Riverside County Veterans Services to assist Veterans and their families.

Jackie Wayman the sixth honoree served in the U.S Army in Vietnam. While she may not have served in combat, she was posted as the Colonels driver and bodyguard. The Colonel is quoted as saying, “You don’t need to be afraid of me, you need to be afraid of her.” She is now the President of OC Cultural Pride and an advocate for Military women in pursuit of holistic healing.

The last but not least honoree was Arlene Jackson. She is the founder and the CEO of Restoring Hope Community Services in Perris and for more than 16 years has been caring for Veterans.  She created a 14 bed shelter for homeless Veterans on her own and if you ask anyone who knows her will tell you she is unstoppable.  

The honorees were personally handed certificates and acknowledged by:  Hemet City Councilwoman, Linda Krupa; State Senator Roth’s office Representative, Altie Holcomb; State Senator Ochoa Bogh’s Office Representative, William Boyd; Delida Jaafar, the President of Hemet Rotary and Michael McGuinness of Veterans Circle of Friends.

In addition certificates were sent in and presented from U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, Congressman Raul Ruiz, Congressman Mark Takano, County Supervisor Yxtian Gutierrez and the City of San Jacinto.

Jackie Wayman said, “I am so happy I am going to tell my family all about this because no one has ever done this before. I have never been acknowledged before.”

Theresa Seaton had tears in her eyes and said, “I had such a wonderful time and I hope I can sleep after this.”

Ramonita Cruz’ daughter was in the audience beaming with pride when her mother was honored.  

At the end of the ceremony Martha Sylvia Zaragoza went around to each honoree giving them a special beaded keep sake to personally thank them.

Overall, the reaction from the audience (which included men and women veterans) was a stirring of pride as all these Veterans felt truly acknowledged for having served to keep our country free.

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