Titled “Murder at the Mixer,” the performance is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, May 9, at the Hemet Public Library, located at 300 E. Latham Ave., according to a chamber news release.

    The show is written and directed by Stacey Bailey, a retired West Valley High School theater teacher who now serves on the Hemet Unified School District Board of Education.

    Local leaders and community members are stepping into character roles for the production. Among them are Linda Krupa, appearing as “Mayor Linda Coupon,” and Valerie Vandever, taking on the role of “Councilmember Valerie VanderBEE.” Hemet Unified Superintendent Christi Barrett will portray “Superintendent Christy Barista.”

    Additional cast members include Linda Greilich of Golden Era Productions as San Jacinto’s mayor pro tem, along with Derk Rodgers as Dr. Pleasant and Dan Goodrich as Detective Goodriddance. Chamber members Danica Wood, Debradawn Shockey, Monica Reichl and Drake Rodgers are also part of the ensemble, with a special appearance by chamber chairman Koka Lakshman.

    The event invites attendees to take part in the mystery, encouraging them to gather clues throughout the evening and piece together who committed the fictional crime. Two intermissions will give guests time to compare theories before making their final guess.

    Participants can purchase chances to name the culprit, priced at $2 for a single guess or $10 for six. Those who correctly identify the killer will be entered into a drawing for a gift basket valued at more than $100, according to organizers.

    Refreshments will be available for purchase during the event, including both alcoholic and nonalcoholic options.

    Tickets are priced at $20 and can be purchased through cast members, at the chamber office at 615 N. San Jacinto St. in Hemet, online at hemetsanjacintochamber.com, or at the door on the night of the event.

    For more information, the public can contact the Hemet-San Jacinto Valley Chamber of Commerce at 951-658-3211 or by email at info@hsjchamber.com.

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On Saturday January 11th from 11am to 4pm, Hemet Public Library hosted their third annual Get Your Comics On, where approximately 700 fans of the comic and graphic novel subculture gathered.

Hemet Public Library was under siege as vendors, artists, and creators of comic worlds merged in a celebration and exchange of ideas by enthusiasts.

Friends and fans of the comic subculture and entertainment arts went as far as dressing up as their favorite characters: there were Darth Vaders, Storm Troopers, Dragon Ball Z characters, Tomb Raiders and more – gallivanting around the event, talking with and supporting local vendors.

Brandon Noel, of Destiny Comix, took the necessary steps to breathe life into his idea for the annual event. “Three years ago, I came to the library and asked them about putting on a comic book convention. I had to get approval from the library council, the city, and pitched a proposal.” It’s not Comic-Con, but Noel assures that Hemet is not joking around, in saying, “We have big names, legends of the comic world coming here to Hemet.”

Vendors offered everything from movie posters and trading cards, to face painting, and of course, comics! Guests could attend discussions from big names in the industry on topics such as politics in comics, and an interview with Jason Inman and Ashley Victoria Robinson of the popular podcast, Geek History Lesson.

This year guests were able to see Mike Senna alongside his remote-controlled R2D2 robotic replica and hear how he built it from scratch, with full functioning movements and that unmistakable whistle that lit up the eyes of guests.

Local artists were of all ages and many felt inspired by 10-year-old, Jonathan Thiessen, who authored and got published his very own comic, Plasma Man.

Downstairs you could discover your hidden talents in drawing through “Anime Your Way” Drawing Class, with Carlos Nieto III, where guest received lessons on how to portray emotions in Anime-style drawing.

Anybody that knows anything about comics knows the name Scott Shaw. Shaw, in case you didn’t know, is the Emmy award-winning animator of comics such as Simpsons, Sonic the Hedgehog and has also worked as a story-boarder for Jim Henson’s Muppet Babies, and other leaders in the industry.

Shaw’s presentation showcased the evolution of his own story, the story of a meager beginning in cartooning. It portrayed his progress and perseverance from the esoteric underground comix to big name success. His advice was simple, “If you love it, do it every day.”

Get Your Comics On is a great example of what your public library can do for you, mentions Senior Librarian, Kathye Caines. “This is a library-card event, we don’t want to charge people . . . just an example of all the many things you can get for free with your library card.”

For more information on Destiny Comix, visit www.destinycomix.com, and for upcoming events at Hemet Public Library, visit https://hemet.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default

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Home Instead’s “Be a Santa for Seniors” Event a huge success

Hundreds and hundreds of caring volunteers joined Home Instead owners Jason and Debbie Baker and family to celebrate the, “Be a Santa to a senior” program, held Wednesday, December 18 at the Hemet Library.

According to Debbie Baker, “We are here to wrap presents for seniors in our community who otherwise would not be getting a present. Home Instead provides companionship, meal preparation, medication reminders, personal services and other care services to seniors in our community, and this is just another way of giving back to the people who have given us so much,” said Baker.

While there was a joyous, raucous, cheerful feel to the festivities, Home Instead co-owner Jason Baker was able to oversee the event with precision due to having been through this before. “This is a Home Instead event, and we’ve been holding the event in the valley for 14 years. We work with approximately 35 different senior organizations such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities, mobile home parks, etcetera, so they give us the name and gift ideas of people within their facilities who would like a gift or need a gift. We had between 1,500 and 1,600 names that were given to us this year.” That might seem a daunting amount of needy people but Baker says, “…we had about 150 names left over…but we were able to match them up with miscellaneous gifts which were given to us, and so we were able to meet the needs of everyone. These things included blankets, toiletries, warmers, etcetera, so we were able to help everyone.”

The Destination Coffeehouse and Bistro was on-hand as a food donation vendor as was Jersey Mike’s. The Bank of Hemet, Desert Hills Memory Care Center, The Medicine Shoppe, SJ Medical Group, Pacifica Senior Living and Arbor Hospice were among those who gave monetary donations. “We put names on tags, along with the needed gift, at places like Walmarts and malls, the Hemet Hospital…and the people of the community stepped up as they always do, and donated to us.”

Volunteer and Mrs. Riverside, Valerie Vandever said, “It’s a great time to be down here, and a great sense of community. We’re having a wonderful time wrapping gifts for our seniors. We love this and we’ve done it every year for fourteen years.”

Volunteer, AFLAC Representative and Hemet-San Jacinto Chamber of Commerce member Laurel Netherton said, “I’m here to help the community. We love this event. I’m so thankful for all of the support given us by this community and we just feel that it’s only right to give back to the community.”

To donate your time or dollars, or to donate gifts next year, please visit Home Instead at 414 S. Palm Street in Hemet or call (951) 929-1050

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