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.

The post Big Smiles and Big Catches at Free Kids Fishing Tournament appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Through a mix of funding from Google, taxpayers and potentially other private sources, the five-year deal would let Google avert a proposed state bill that could force tech companies to pay news organizations when advertising appeared alongside articles on the tech company’s platform.

The announcement was packed with praise for the effort to stabilize the news industry, which has faced layoffs and shuttered newsrooms as readership has shifted online.

“The deal not only provides funding to support hundreds of new journalists but helps rebuild a robust and dynamic California press corps for years to come, reinforcing the vital role of journalism in our democracy,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.

The trade group, the California News Publishers Association, called the agreement “a first step toward what we hope will become a comprehensive program to sustain local news in the long term.” The author of the bill, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, praised it for being a “cross-sector commitment” and called it “just the beginning.”

A union representing journalists, however, denounced the deal as a “shakedown,” and lawmakers who had been working for months on more comprehensive proposals criticized its scope. Also, the president pro tempore of the State Senate, Mike McGuire, questioned legislative support for the state’s share of the deal, which would require approval as part of the annual budget process.

“We have concerns that this proposal lacks sufficient funding for newspapers and local media, and doesn’t fully address the inequities facing the industry,” said Senator McGuire, a Democrat. He added that “the Senate was pursuing a global solution that would hold all of these companies accountable.”

The deal would establish a News Transformation Fund administered by the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, to preserve and expand California-based journalism. Twelve percent of the funding for the News Transformation Fund would be reserved for locally focused publications and those aimed at underrepresented groups.

Under the agreement, California taxpayers would provide the new fund $30 million in the program’s first year and $10 million in each of the next four years, to be allocated by the Legislature in budget bills. Google would contribute $15 million to the fund in the first year and at least $10 million in each of the following years, according to a summary provided by Ms. Wicks’s office.

Google would also provide $62.5 million over five years to create a National A.I. Innovation Accelerator, which would provide “organizations across industries and communities” with funding and other support to experiment with artificial intelligence “to assist them in their work,” according to the announcement. And the company would maintain $10 million a year in existing programs it has to support journalism.

For two years, Google had resisted the bill, saying it would create “uncapped financial exposure” and “a level of business uncertainty that no company could accept.”

Kent Walker, chief legal officer for Google’s parent company, Alphabet, called the agreement “a collaborative framework to accelerate A.I. innovation and support local and national businesses and nonprofit organizations.”

The Media Guild of the West, a local of the NewsGuild union, denounced the deal as “vague” and “opaque.”

“Not a single organization representing journalists and news workers agreed to this undemocratic and secretive deal with one of the businesses destroying our industry,” it said.

And Senator Steve Glazer, a Democrat who has sought to give news outlets a tax credit to employ local journalists, paid for with a fee on major tech platforms, said the deal gave Google a bargain; overlooked similar incursions on local news funding by other tech titans, such as Amazon and Meta; and “seriously undercuts our work toward a long-term solution to rescue independent journalism.”

“Despite the good intentions of the parties involved, this proposal does not provide sufficient resources to bring independent news gathering in California out of its death spiral,” he said.

Google has regularly said it is “one of the world’s biggest financial supporters of journalism.” Publishers get traffic from its ubiquitous search engine, it has said, and can monetize their businesses with Google technology that lets them find advertisers.

But the company has usually drawn the line at government regulations that have tried to force it to compensate publishers. Google fought bills in Australia and Canada that would have compelled such payments, arguing that paying for clicks went against the spirit of the open web. In 2021, the company threatened to leave Australia if it went ahead with its news media bargaining code.

Eventually, the company found a compromise. It rolled out News Showcase in Australia, a program in which it selects publishers to team up with and pay on its own terms. Google said it now had more than 180 publications on board in the country.

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BANNING, CA — A 98-year-old Banning man who was attacked and killed inside his home last month was formally identified Tuesday as Earnest Collins.

“Mr. Collins was a long-time Banning resident, who was known and loved by several people in his community,” Banning police said.

Collins was found unresponsive around 2:38 p.m. April 19 at his home in the 500 block of N. Allen Street. No arrests have been announced in the case and police say they are looking for tips.

“We thank the public for their assistance in bringing justice to Mr. Collins, his family, and friends,” the Banning Police Department said.

According to an obituary for Collins, he was born on Jan. 5, 1926, in Foreman, Arkansas, to Clay Collins Sr. and Caroline Johnson Collins.

He went on to be drafted by the U.S. Army in 1946 and received an honorable discharge. He married his first wife, Vera Odessa Collins, and together they had three children: Allen James Collins, Johnnie Earl Collins, and Jimmy Ray Collins, the obituary states.

From 1959 to 1979, Collins worked at a cotton mill in Calipatria.

“He was such a great people person that he quickly advanced to night shift foreman,” according to the obituary.

Following his retirement from the mill, Collins married his second wife, Lucille Sullivan.

Collins was preceded in death by both of his wives and two of his sons, Allen James and Jimmy Ray.

He is survived by sons Johnnie Earl of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Bobbie Lee Collins of Phoenix, Arizona, and eight grandchildren — Jason Anthony Collins, Michelle Lavette Collins, Dione Lamar Collins, Datrice Lanette Collins, Deandra Renae Collins, Dorian Ray Collins, Allen James Collins, Jr. and Lorraine Denise Collins — several great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.

Anyone with information about the killing is asked to contact the Banning Police Detective Bureau at 951-922-3170.

The post Beloved 98-Year-Old RivCo Man Killed In His Home, Police Seek Tips appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

I have spent years working in San Diego and have spent hours, many hours sitting on the 15 fwy knowing that I was so close to home, but easily still 2 hours away from being able to kick off my shoes and enjoy a nice homemade meal. That section of freeway needs work, but is this the right time? For Hemet & San Jacinto residents, you are going to run into construction traffic every direction you try to go when leaving town. There are still a couple of routes to get out, but with the majority of Hemet & San Jacinto funneling through those routes, the congestion is going to be intense.

The main focus of this project is to help the 15/215 interchange; if you have ever spent any time on that section of the freeway, you know how annoying staring at the same set of brake lights in front of you can be. The specifics of the job have not been listed yet, but 50million can go a long way. I’m not exactly sure if it’s going to be a lane widening (It’s already five lanes wide), or maybe extra bridges will be built to be used as on-ramps/off ramps are what the city is looking for.

Based on the budget and the amount of work that needs to be done in that area in order to fix the bottlenecking issue that happens at the 15/215 interchange, I expect the project to be at least a year to a year and a half long if everything goes according to plan and a good company is hired to do the work. With that being said, one thing is known for sure; this project is going to happen, Luckily for us, there is still quite a lot of work to be done before they break ground, Including; Survey, Drafting Blueprints, Architectural Design, and Bidding.

Before the job even begins, that means that all the other road enhancements going on around us have a possibility to be wrapped up before this project starts. Once more piece of information is available, I will let you know. I’ll be looking to get details on the kind of work they are looking to do and the time frame the city is giving the people for how long the work will last. Then I will provide you with a realistic time frame, so you know what to expect. Also remember, Speed Limits are reduced by half, and traffic tickets are doubled in construction zones. Keep that in mind as you travel through all this construction.

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Grandfathers for Golf is a non-profit, charitable 501(c)(3) program. They are staffed mostly by senior citizens, all of which are volunteers. The organization currently has 40-50 volunteers, all dedicated to teaching Golf to young children that come from both low-income families and financially solvent families, all at no cost. They are partnered with Golden Era Productions to use the Golden Era Golf Course in San Jacinto, as well as with Valley-Wide Recreation to use the Echo Hills Golf Course, in Hemet.

Everyone that is a part of Grandfathers for Golf is there for the betterment of the children’s lives, as well as to be a part of something bigger than the individual. President of the organization, Tony Viola, describes, ” I’ve noticed a phenomenon over the years that I have been here, and that is the fact that all of these volunteers out here have bonded together and become a family. They became their support system, helping each other throughout senior citizenship”.

He continued, adding, “The kids and volunteers all come from different backgrounds and cultures, and they’ve meshed very well. They learn from each other’s differences and use them to have a great experience”.

Another volunteer, Bob Wadlow, has volunteered with Grandfathers for Golf for three and a half years. He tells of his experience, “Helping the kids every day gives us a chance to give back. I’ve been volunteering my whole life, helping children, and not only is it a good experience for us but at the same time, we are helping these children learn the game of golf, the proper etiquette of the sport, the behaviors, and mannerisms. It gives life a purpose”.

The Grandfathers offer beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes. They have programs every season of the year. For the fall, winter and spring programs, their charter partners with the San Jacinto Unified School District to have busses at every middle school in the valley to provide the kids with transportation to every class.

Once enrolled, GFG provides every child with a golfing hat, shirt, and their own set of clubs, free of charge. Parents are always welcomed to come to watch and can be down on the course, taking every step of the session alongside their children.

A new volunteer, Ron Davis, found a few hours of his time that he could dedicate to such a positive and impactful cause. Davis, who lives in Huntington Beach, called the organization, “inspiring” and “welcoming.”

Many of the volunteers, like Davis, found out about the organization through their Men’s and Women’s Club, where adults gather and hang out, around the game of Golf. On Thursday mornings, they meet at the Golden Era Golf Course, at 7:30 a.m. For the mere price of $25, you will receive a continental breakfast, lunch, and 18 holes of Golf. $5 of the $25 is entered into a prize pool, while the rest of the proceeds go directly to Grandfathers for Golf. This is a great way to meet the volunteers and gather more information on what the Grandfathers are all about.

Another option, as Davis suggests, is, “…to come down and hang out. See everything that these guys have going on here. You see the difference it makes for these kids once you’re here helping them out”.

Viola praised his volunteers, but also the donors, stating that, “Golden Era Productions, San Jacinto Unified School District and Soboba are our main contributors, along with the many other individual donors here in the valley.”

He also spoke on the lasting effect that his organization has had on families. He described a young boy with autism, whose parents signed him up with Grandfathers. He was nonverbal, and they took him in and taught him Golf. He was able to socialize with the children, as well as with the Grandfathers. In the end, they helped him towards becoming verbal. Years later, Viola receives a call from the boy’s parents, saying that he is doing well and has a job. They credited the Grandfathers for Golf as the ones who changed that boy’s life, forever.

This one example is a perfect representation of what Viola, Wadlow, Davis, and the rest of the organization stands for. They wake up each morning, looking forward to walking onto the course, and sharing their knowledge and wisdom with the children of our community. Seeing the smiles on the faces of our youth is their biggest goal. As they put it, “Volunteers come in all types: men, women, older, younger, liberal, conservative. The core value that unites them all in a single purpose is that they want to make a difference in a child’s life”.

The Grandfathers for Golf are always looking for more volunteers, and are ready to welcome you to the golf course. They plan on pursuing future growth, changing their official name too, “Grandfathers for Golf, Inc.” If you are interested in volunteering or getting your children involved, please visit: www.grandfathersforgolf.org

The author of this story can be contacted at villalobos3fidel@gmail.com

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“We value the Hemet and San Jacinto communities,” said TMI Executive Director Rachel Harris. “Our clients love it there, and the community partnerships we have established are helping us to make a meaningful difference in their lives.”

The TMI Employment Solutions program seeks to assist their clients with finding employment if they desire and/or help them integrate into the community by volunteering at local businesses in order to be contributing members of society. Their Riverside County programs are funded by Inland Regional Center (IRC).

Currently, TMI has 15 workgroups volunteering throughout Hemet and San Jacinto at 40 local businesses. One such group is Corey, Michael, and Stephen, who volunteers at the Bread Basket Food Bank in Hemet with the support of their TMI Job Coach Alejandro “Alex” Verduzco. The team assists with flipping bread, making sure all bread is fresh, carrying boxes, bagging potatoes, and other day to day needs of the Food Bank.

“Our team enjoys working at the Food Bank because the people we work with are enjoyable, welcoming, and treat each of us with respect. We are a family,” Verduzco said. “The Food Bank has clearly expressed to us multiple times how much they value our help. They have also communicated to us that they could not operate as efficiently without us. The team feels a sense of worth and accomplishment in giving back to the community. We see the need for food in the community and the appreciation of the patrons when they receive food that our team helped put together.”

The mission of the Bread Basket Food Bank is to feed souls spiritually and physically. The Food Bank is operated through donations and is available to anyone to shop by donation. There are no applications or qualifications needed. There are a variety of breads and different foods available each week. Emergency food is also available.

“Alex and his young men are an amazing help and make our work so much easier,” Bread Basket Food Bank Coordinator Lynnea Hiebert said. “All are hard-working men and a joy to be around and talk with as we serve others. They are also committed, prompt, neat, and personable. Because of their help, they save us hours of time.

There are truly no words to explain what help the TMI teams are to the Food Bank.” Additional local businesses that have partnered with TMI to provide volunteer opportunities for their clients include: Cops 4 Kids, Hemet Public Library, San Jacinto Senior Center, My City Youth Center, Old Hemet Theater, Cagliero Ranch Nursery, Harvard Street Music Exchange, San Jacinto Chamber of Commerce, and the Salvation Army, among many others.

“Before working for TMI, I was a supervisor at a warehouse, and I didn’t see the need in our communities for companies like TMI until I started working here,” Verduzco added. “There’s so much to do for our clients and not so many resources available. I am glad God put me in this type of job. I enjoy every day, and every minute I get to work with these guys. I thank TMI for the opportunity they gave me and hope the government can do more for people with disabilities.”

Another TMI group making a difference in the Hemet Community is Harry, Christopher, and Andrew, who recently began volunteering at the Hemet Chamber of Commerce. The team assists with housekeeping, as well as promoting upcoming events within the community by passing out flyers and visiting new businesses around Hemet.

“The group had some anxiety about starting something new and unknown, but with confidence and teamwork they have become the ultimate trio,” TMI Hemet and San Jacinto Division Manager Jose Mayorga said. “These gentlemen have become active role models within the community and have become a strong force of unity. We are extremely excited to see the continuous growth and confidence rise within these young men. Not only are they helping the Hemet and San Jacinto community grow, but they are also becoming positive advocates for individuals with autism and other disabilities.”

TMI believes that disability does not mean inability and that the three cornerstones of a strong life foundation are: living as independently as possible, having the opportunity for real work for real pay, and all children belong in safe and caring homes.

In addition to Employment Solutions, TMI offers Assessment and Intervention Services in Hemet and San Jacinto, which is designed to provide person-centered services and supports to individuals with IDD to maintain the least restrictive environment within the context of family homes, group homes, and independent living arrangements.

If you know of a local business who could benefit from TMI volunteers or employees, please contact TMI at (800) 877-5452 or visit their website at tmi-inc.org. Toward Maximum Independence (TMI) is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation that has provided services for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 1981 and the deaf and hard of hearing since 2000.

It is the mission of TMI to provide personalized services to those who require support, enabling them to make informed choices regarding how they live, work, and function productively and independently in the community. With offices in San Diego, Temecula, El Centro, and Corona, TMI currently serves more than 800 children and adults.

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Since Gilman Springs is still under construction, and Hwy-74 will be under construction for the next couple of months, getting in and out of town could be difficult for drivers.
Some people do not like sitting on the 91-parking lot, but coming through Ramona Expressway/Cajalco road may be the easiest way out of town.

The biggest project will be an 18-mile re-paving of tarnished and crumbling material. Crews will only get so many hours to work on these panel replacements. One shift will consist of Closing off a lane, Demolition of existing concrete, Rebare, Dowl, and Basket Installments, and then pouring the concrete back. Depending on the size of the panels, the crews will only be able to do so many feet per night before having to get off the freeway and opening it up for rush hour traffic.

The concrete needs to get dry and cure, so the company will use a hot mix that is ready to be driven on within a couple of hours after being poured. That means it will be a fast-paced process that leaves very little room for error. Cal-Trans is very strict on what times they allow companies to take lanes and what times they have to give lanes back. Penalties and fines can start to stack on top of each other quickly if companies aren’t careful with the amount of work done in one night. Sometimes, it is better to be conservative in the square footage estimate per night than have to pay because you can’t give the lane back on time.

The standard shutdown times are 10:00pm-4: 00 am. These times will vary depending on the day of the week or holidays. The time window isn’t huge, but they can have it done with the right crew companies. Granite, Ames, and Atkinson have crews who specialize in panel replacement/re-paving and have lead the way doing this type of work in our surrounding area.

Crews will be seven days a week doing Panel replacements and shoulder work during the weekdays and complete shutdowns and re-paving on the weekends. It’s going to crowded and busy on the 60 for the next few months so keep that in mind as you try to head out of town.

The post Another massive construction project is coming appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Some people get too impatient trying to get to work, get home, or get tired of looking at the same set of brake lights in front of them. No matter the reason, it is never an excuse to drive irresponsibly on any road or on that particular highway. With so many blind turns, there are very few safe places to pass on the road. Most of the highway is only two lanes with minimal shoulder area on either side. At some point, it is needed to sit back and think if is it better to show up fifteen minutes late or die 30 years early.

So what is being done about this? First of all, they installed a traffic light midway through the highway where Bridge street is. This security measure should help the people who are merging out of bridge street onto Gilman Springs. In the past, some people get impatient waiting for a legal opening and instead try to squeeze through a gap that was not ideal for the situation causing many opportunities for car accidents.

Personally speaking, I spent the better half of my construction career driving through that road at 3:00 in the morning, and coming through their after it got dark. It could be frustrating to being so close to home, yet it feels like it is so far away, but that does not make it worth it.

It seems that the community’s pleas were heard because they are adding a barrier in between the lanes now. Unfortunately, it is not the kind of barrier the community wants. It is what we call in the construction industry a false sense of safety. The nine-mile highway will get a center barrier of cones that should help guide distracted drivers and prevents them from crossing over to the other side. It is going to cost over 100k in materials but should take too long to perform.

The problem with these types of barriers is that they are only a visual deterrent. A drunk driver can easily still cross over to the other side of the road, causing severe accidents.
Ideally, the road needs an extension and a concrete barrier. This project sounds better than it is practical. In order to place a concrete barrier, the lanes would need to be nearly doubled what they are right now.

For that to take place, multiple pieces of private property will need to be purchased, and then there is the actual construction of the project. Even though it is not necessarily steep, still there are parts of the highway that have cliff type edges. Massive columns, stem decks, and bridges would have to be installed in order for the road to be widened and center medians installed. We are talking about a project that would cost millions of dollars and a couple of years to finish, having only two options to get out of town in that direction, Lambs Canyon or Ramona Expressway — talking about traffic issues.

In conclusion, all these options are possible, but are they logical? For sure, Things need to change on the highway, either a future construction, more police force, or people paying more attention to their surroundings.

The post Is it going to make a difference? appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Coaches drafted players for their teams based on the combine and other information they had from each player’s past football experience. 7G Foundation’s Cassie Molkentin said players were chosen based on the desire to keep the teams as balanced and fair as possible.
Bellingham, Washington residents and teammates Arthur Felix and Watiko Leighton said the experience had been fantastic. Both are from the Lummi Nation, which has about 6,500 members.

“I’ll be starting as a free safety, but I’ve played running back and wide receiver before.” Said Felix, who played football in eighth and ninth grades, and then returned to the sport in his senior year. “I love the feeling of being in the game and making plays; I love the atmosphere.”
He said members of the newly-formed team got close during the few days leading up to the big game and felt like they had known each other for a long time.
“I came from practically nothing, and my childhood wasn’t so great. This experience has taught me that anything’s possible if you work hard,” said Felix, 19.

Leighton has been playing football since second grade and will be playing for Southern Oregon University in the fall. He said he has never lost his passion for the game.
“We have all had a connection from the get-go here,” said Leighton, 18. “I’ve never been on a team of all-natives before – it felt like home.”
He said the days consisted of an early breakfast and then off to the football field at The Oaks to practice plays, formations, and techniques for the game.

When they were not practicing, players relaxed at the nearby Soboba Casino Resort’s hotel or took short road trips to see some SoCal sights. Team Wagon Burners and Team Hy’shqe faced off at the game that began about 6 p.m. on June 29. They were introduced to the spectators by an announcer who also told them: “You not only represent your tribe but Native Americans everywhere. We are proud to have you honor us in this field.”

The 7G Foundation is based on the Pauma Reservation, south of Temecula. It provides the youth of indigenous communities with the tools necessary to translate their athletic dreams into tangible, real possibilities. It offers leadership skills, community development capabilities, and a dependable, truly native network/framework of real-time support. To this end, the Indigenous Bowl provides a great opportunity, whether it is the recent high school graduate’s final game or a preview of what they can expect when they enter college in the fall.

“We have some amazing talent within our own communities that have volunteered their time to share with these athletes, and help propel them to the next level, which includes pairing their athleticism with scholastic goals.” Said Bennae Calac, Executive Director and President of the Board of Directors for the 7G Foundation.

The greatest purpose of 7G is to build a bigger future for young people. Youths are taught to transform their success into progressive, multi-generational change for themselves, their families, and their tribes.
Molkentin said the Foundation’s long-term goal is to have the Indigenous Bowl be the go-to event that college and professional sports scouting agents will attend to recruit players. There were 54 Tribes/Nations represented by the athletes at this year’s event.

Team Wagon Burners players and their tribal affiliations were: Lane Allen (Assiniboine/Gros Ventre), Demarius Benson (Navajo/Southern Paiute), Brant Bremner (Blackfeet), Clayton Franklin (Kashia Pomo), Tristan Hall (Blackfeet), Jevon Heard (Dry Creek Rancheria), Edward Hill (Luiseño/Creek/Cahuilla), William Keller (Blackfeet), Keaton McBride (Yankton Sioux Nation), Notah McCabe (Apache/Navajo/Comanche), Quillie Morgan (Kashia Pomo), Drake Olivar (Apache), Ethan Rogers (Picayayune Rancheria), CJ Smith (Blackfeet), Tyson Sutherland Assiniboine/Sioux/Chippewa Creek), Terrell Toledo (Navajo), Jacob Waiter (Choctaw), Jhadi Harjo Nick Wkaos (Pasqua Yaqui), Ethan Wolf (Luiseño) and Casey Young (Gros Ventre).

Team Hy’shqe players and their tribal affiliations were: Demetrius Begay (Navajo), Tyrell Boyd (Navajo/White Mountain Apache), Mondo Calderon (Tule River), Jacob Castilleja (Warm Springs/Nez Perce), Arthur Felix (Lummi), Raynathan Foolbear (MHA Nation), Stanley Holder (Wichita), Tyrrell Holiday (Navajo), Kiezer Johnson (MBCI Choctaw), Jacob Lablanc (Dakota), Watiko Leighton (Lummi), Antonio Marquez (Dry Creek Rancheria), Silas Miles (Cheyenne), Kyal Shoulderblade-Sampson (Yakama/Cheyenne), TJ Talamoni-Marcks (Upper Lake Tribe), Jeremy Tallsalt (Navajo/Hopi), Jermaine Toby (Lummi) and Corbin Wabasha (Dakota).
Information, www.7gfoundation.com

The post Soboba hosts Indigenous Bowl appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

Youth are provided with a collaborative network to encourage empowerment, foster positive relationships and identities and to develop leadership attributes. The summer program for those who are age 14-21, gives them a chance to try new things and learn about possible career paths.

Harold Arres is the Regional Prevention Manager for the TANF Prevention Resource Center located on the Soboba Reservation. A meet and greet luncheon there on June 20 gave participating workers an opportunity to meet with their soon-to-be supervisors and/or other representatives from the department they have been assigned to work at for 24 hours a week through July.

“They go through the hiring process just like any other Soboba Tribal employee,” said Arres, who has two daughters in this year’s program. “They all undergo a background check, drug screening, get identification badges and have a new employee orientation with HR; we make it as realistic as possible for them.”

All documentation goes through Human Resources and each applicant is also required to submit an essay to the TANF program. A three-person panel scores everything anonymously and then conducts a face-to-face interview. The highest scoring applicants are usually able to get their first-choice job site.

“We also contact all the departments and see if they are willing and able to take on some youth workers,” Arres said. “It’s a big undertaking to train someone on top of all their regular duties.”

Soboba was able to provide jobs within its cultural resource, environmental, public works and TANF departments as well as Noli Indian School and Soboba Tribal Preschool. Santa Rosa Band of Cahuilla Indians has provided worksites in its tribal administration for youth who live in the Mountain Center area.

Soboba Tribal Council Chairman Scott Cozart applauded the young men and women for taking the necessary steps to be included in the summer job training program. Tribal Administrator Michael Castello said it is a wonderful opportunity for them.

“Their biggest emphasis should be on showing up,” he said. “During the summertime, there are a lot of distractions and showing up is hard, but it is rewarding. I hope to see how proud they are of themselves at the end of the program, knowing how much they’ve accomplished and how much they’ve grown.”

TANF Program Specialist Olga Gomez said WE LEAD offers career skills that will be valuable to the youth throughout their lives.

“It’s a big deal to work with and for the Tribe,” she told them.

Victor Hurtado, 14, will be working at Noli Indian School where he is already spending time this summer in training for the football team he’ll be playing on as a freshman.

“He did everything he was supposed to do to get the job,” said his mom, Kelli Hurtado, who is also Soboba Tribal Council Treasurer. “I hope he enjoys it and learns a lot.”

At the age of 13, Hurtado said she worked with a similar program – CIMC (California Indian Manpower Consortium) – and was a receptionist at Soboba’s Old Tribal Hall. 

“It is good to learn how to interact with others and that’s what I’m hoping for all the kids who signed up for this program,” she said. 

Her son is looking forward to the experience and hopes to learn a lot from his supervisor, Andrea Helms, who works as a school resource officer for the reservation school’s campus. Victor will be the first youth to complete a work experience position there and will be setting an example for future summer employees at the worksite.

Even before the Department Orientation Checklist for New Employees was completed by Will Booth, he shared some insights to the mechanic’s job that 14-year-old Francisca Rivera requested.

“We’ll be doing fleet maintenance,” said Booth, an employee at Soboba Public Works for about five years. “She’s the first female to work in our department but it is becoming more and more common to see women in our industry.”

He said he enjoys teaching others about something he cares about, especially when they are as interested in learning as Francisca is. Booth said she will get more experience working in a variety of projects since his department uses the summer months to do major services on the fleet of Noli buses, Public Works and Public Safety equipment and machinery used by the Cultural Department’s Traditional Land Resource Management Crew.

Sisters Jasmine and Jayden Basquez are both new to the program and happy they have been placed at the Soboba Tribal Preschool. Jayden, 14, will work in the three-year-olds’ classroom alongside Melissa Arviso and Ana Garcia.

“We are excited to have them both at the preschool,” Arviso said. “It’s always good to have extra hands to assist with the little ones.”

Jasmine, 16, has been assigned to the kindergarten classroom to work Cindy Lee and Antonia Venegas.

“I like to help kids to experience new things and help them get to the next level,” Jasmine said. “It will be nice to work with the kids while I’m learning at the same time.”

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