Yesterday Menifee 24/7 reported on an incident where the Riverside County Sheriff's Department responded to an altercation at a Kindergarten school play. For those that missed it, here is the readers digest version.
A mother was blocking other parents from seeing their own children perform for Veterans in the audience. When she was politely
asked to move (repeatedly) she became violent, began swearing, and had to be forcibly removed by those same Veterans. Of course her sister chimed in and decided to ruin the play for everyone even further. Their excuse? People were being mean to them because they were black.
I have a message for this woman and for every parent who decides to get drunk and start a fight at kids' sporting events, for the parents who make childhood miserable. My kid is every bit as important as your precious snowflake. Go ahead and cheer for your child when it is appropriate, but understand that everyone else wants to cheer for their kid too. Go ahead and take a few photo opportunities, but let the people behind you do the same. Take your turn and move along. Every parent deserves to see their kids strut their stuff.
Please put your own ego aside and let's all enjoy our kids and their childhood. Let's teach them to be courteous human beings. Not entitled jerks.
MENIFEE –The Menifee Community Services Department is proud to announce that Community Services
Supervisor Jason Hendrix has been selected as the 2016 SCMAF (Southern California Municipal Athletic
Federation) Inland Empire President. SCMAF is a volunteer professional organization operated by local
agencies which provides year-round youth and adult athletic competitions in a variety of sports. SCMAF’s
charge is to grow recreation-based sports programming by supporting the efforts of its member agencies.
Supervisor Hendrix is responsible for facilitating general membership meetings, oversight of the association
budget, and overall responsibility for several culminating athletic tournaments including: youth basketball,
track and field, swimming, and Pitch, Hit, and Run. The Inland Empire Association of SCMAF includes thirty-four
agencies in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.
“I believe this opportunity will provide Menifee Staff with professional networking, training, and resources
that will improve upon already outstanding programs and services,” said Jason Hendrix, Menifee Community
Services Supervisor. “I am excited to begin working with my colleagues in surrounding agencies to offer the
best athletic experiences possible for Menifee residents.”
For more information, please contact the Community Services Department Office at (951) 723-3880 or visit us
online at www.cityofemenifee.us
Southern California Municipal Athletic Federation was established in 1949, and is a non-profit organization
comprised primarily of municipal recreation service providing agencies throughout the region.
SCMAF encompasses ten Southern California counties with over 225 cities and agencies serving a population
of over 15 million people. Through its seven associations, SCMAF's footprint extends from the Southern
San Joaquin Valley to the U.S.-Mexican border and from the far reaches of the Inland Empire to the Pacific
Coast, even extending beyond to Catalina Island. For more information on Southern California Municipal
Athletic Federation at http://www.scmaf.org .
Most people who know me will tell you that I am not a bible-thumper. I'm not an in your face, fire and brimstone, Westboro nut job. I do believe in God, however, and I'm not afraid to talk openly about my faith. If you don't believe what I believe, you go right ahead. I'll still talk to you, we can be friends. I'll ask you questions about your faith, or lack thereof, without judgement. I'll still treat you like a human being. If you want to join me and find out more, be my guest.
Who remembers this?
LUTHERAN
When I was born my family was Lutheran, and we went to the Incarnation Lutheran Church in Poway, CA. My dad was a Sunday School teacher there and I'm pretty sure I could recite the Lord's Prayer and all the titles of the books in the Old Testament before I could say the Pledge of Allegiance. For those unfamiliar with Lutheran 101, here are the cliffs notes. About 500 years ago a German Friar named Martin Luther (no not MLK) got mad at the Catholic Church. He felt it was getting too commercial, with the ability to atone for sin by buying God's grace with earthly money. He wrote a paper in Latin protesting (where we get the word Protestant) to this type of thing called The Ninety-Five Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgence and nailed it to the church door. Some drama ensued, he was kicked out, and he started his own church. I can only assume he dropped whatever passed as a microphone back then as he left.
What's Latin for: Like A Boss?
Even though we moved to Ramona, CA. in the second grade, we continued attendance and I was confirmed there in the fifth grade. I still remember my first communion, with the little wafers and that little shot glass full of - bleh! What was that?!
My face...probably
For me it was a social right of passage, more than a holy spirit kind of thing. I understood the words and sang the songs but if I'm going to be honest, at 11 years old I can't say I felt it in my soul.
METHODIST
Sometime in middle school we started looking for a church closer to home. After trying out a few churches we landed at the Ramona United Methodist Church. The United Methodist Church has a few fun quirks of it's own. You see it was founded about 300 years ago by a minister named John Wesley, and his brother Charles.
The Brothers Wesley and their other friends at Oxford College founded the Holy Club where they would systematically go about their rounds, preach at the prisons, take communion weekly, and go about what they believed was a Holy Lifestyle in a very structured and predictable manner. They were so predictable that other students began calling them Methodists. The Wesleys said, hey that's not bad. So they took the name and ran with it. One of the most interesting things today about the Methodist Church is the fact that all the pastors serve a term limit, and then move to a new church. This rotation is called a circuit, named after the Methodist Circuit Riders from the 1700's that would go from town to town, spreading the gospel.
We were college hipsters before it was cool
I stayed with the Methodist Church through my teen years and young adulthood. It's where I was married and two of my kids were baptized. As I got older, work started taking more of my time, and I started to think of church as a social thing. Something expendable, that was better left in the past, like a childhood toy that was better left as a memory.
WHERE I AM TODAY
Over the last few years, I have seen my family cohesion begin to deteriorate, I've lost my job, I've engaged in some failed business ventures, and I think it's safe to say that I am at the lowest point I've ever been. Then one day not long ago it hit me like a ton of bricks, I haven't been to church in forever. I think I was so busy asking God for a sign that I failed to see what was right in front of me. I'll let Jim Carrey illustrate.
https://youtu.be/p68zH_Dw0Zw
I tried out a few Menifee Churches. I went to Renewal Of Life Christian Fellowship at Mesa View Elementary near my house. The congregation is small, but I immediately felt welcomed. Bishop G.W. Thomas told me the story of how they started, and I have to say for those of faith, you'll find it compelling.
Bishop Thomas lived in Riverside at the time, and since he hadn't yet found a church, he began to teach his children stories from the Bible on Sundays. Eventually his children invited their friends, and those children brought their parents. Eventually one Sunday he looked up and realized that he had close to 60 people in his living room. He looked to God at that moment and said "If this is your plan for me, so be it". Eventually they moved to Menifee, and gained access to the Mesa View multipurpose room, and they are still growing.
Then I got an invitation to check out Impact Church in Menifee, on New Hub Cir. off of Haun Rd. A church that was founded when two smaller churches combined their efforts, and through the grace of God they have grown, and are positioned to expand their facility. They believe in taking an active stance in their community and in the world.
Both churches had their own uniqueness to offer, and I believe that I would be doing my religious duty by attending either one, but obviously I had to do my best to figure out what God wanted me to do. After some prayer I realized that I could serve my best at Impact Church, so I filled out the volunteer paperwork, and I plan to attend the next available Point Of Impact class, a small group class designed to introduce people to the church.
I've already noticed a difference at home. I just pray that I'm able to serve in a way that is deemed sufficient, and that I listen more closely when prompted.
My youngest boy is now three and a half years old. About a year and a half ago he started to figure out that a lot of his older sisters toys were pink, whereas most of the toys he and his brother had were blue.
When he started refusing to play with "girl toys" that presented us with a little conundrum because a few of the toys that he played with were some of his sisters hand-me-downs. There was a pink Barbie flip phone, a red VW Bug with a flower on the side and several pink and pastel kitchen items.
We had a decision to make on how to handle it. Do we force him to play? Try and reason with a toddler? Been there done that, no thank you. Do we want to reinforce gender stereotypes and raise him to think that way? How will that thought process serve him in the world today? Not a very appealing option either. So we did the only thing we could do: nothing.
We didn't dignify the problem with a response. We told him, "Oh you don't want to play with that toy? Should we take it away?" For most parents they already know the answer. It should come as no surprise that he said "No!"
Eventually, by reacting that way we taught him that the color of the toy didn't matter. It was his decision to play with it or not. He got over it. Now our little chef loves to play in the kitchen and then go drive his trucks.
A few days ago an announcement from the City of Menifee caused quite the commotion on Facebook, much to the surprise of Sport Chalet employees. The store was flooded with calls from patrons asking about the store's reported closure. Even the district managers were taken by surprise. There was a meeting at the store this morning to clarify the situation for employees.
Apparently in 2009 Sport Chalet corporate renegotionated a less expensive lease with Countryside Marketplace, but there was a clause that if another tenant approached with an offer to pay more, then the lease would be terminated. As it would seem Home Goods / Forever 21 have made the offer and it has been accepted by property management, although to date Sport Chalet has not received any legal termination notice. Store management is operating on a tentative closure date of January 31, 2016 until more information becomes available. Until then, it will be business as usual. There may be some items discounted when that date comes closer, but until then the store is not hanging out the "Everything Must Go" signs just yet.
According to Sport Chalet management the Menifee store is among the top producing stores in the company, and they may open another store in Menifee in the future, although right now it is too early in the process to tell. They want to remind their loyal customers that the company will still honor purchases and agreements made and that they have a store in Temecula for their convenience. For their scuba customers the closest store with a pool will be Redlands or Mira Loma and they will continue to offer classes there.
A disturbing trend on Facebook the past few months has been public bashing of Law Enforcement Officers. I have a number of friends that put on the uniform to serve and protect. Some of my friends even do it voluntarily. I had the opportunity to sit down with a few of them recently and discuss this situation, and how I could use my sphere of influence to help. This led to the idea of Stand With LEO. With this swag the user can show support for their local law enforcement, and 20% of all purchases will be donated to a local battered women's shelter.
I realize by chosing to publicly Stand With LEO I risk losing a few readers, but that is a risk I am willing to take. To find out how you can help and get some cool swag just go to www.manaboutmenifee.com or visit our Facebook page on your computer and click the "Products" tab.
Do you have a charity that would like to see featured with custom Man About Menifee swag? Let us know in the comments below.
One of my dad’s favorite stories to tell about his grandkids
comes from when my middle son, Jeremiah, was about 4 or 5 years old. My wife
and I were at work and he was on “Grandpa Duty”. The Men’s Group from church
was helping with some repairs at a local convalescent home. He signed himself
and my son up to paint the banisters outside. As he described for him the work
they would be doing, he asked Jeremiah if he understood why they were doing
this. My son simply responded, “Because they need our help?”
When I heard this I was instantly filled with pride. This
told me that my son was beginning to understand his place in the world, and
that he didn’t really need a reason to help someone. He is 11 years old now,
and while he may not be as sweet or innocent as he was back then, he is still a
pretty good kid. He reflects the values that I hold important and I can tell
that he is following my example.
That’s why when I first heard about Lion’s Club
International opening up a chapter in Heritage Lake back in April I was happy
to sign up. Through my many years volunteering with the Boy Scouts of America I
had worked plenty of charity events alongside various Lions Clubs. Lions Club
International is a civic-minded organization with Duty to God and Duty to
Community at it’s center, much like the BSA. Their motto is “We Serve” and Menifee
Heritage Lake Lions club has taken that motto to heart. There a few service
projects that we have already taken on:
We will be collecting toys and blankets for the Sheriff’s
Dept. to keep in their trunks as an emergency “care package” when an incident arises
involving children.
We are in the process of collecting toys, books,
clothing, toiletries, and common household items for a local battered women’s
shelter. For obvious security reasons then exact “who” and “where” are kept
quiet, but that doesn’t change the fact that help is needed.
We have been able to assist in adding much
needed transportation services for the community of Menifee at McCall Blvd &
Packard St. in collaboration with the Riverside Transit Agency – Dial-A-Ride
Program.
We are collecting pull tabs from beverage cans
to benefit the Ronald McDonald House in Loma Linda.
We are collecting eyeglasses for California
Friends in Sight to benefit those in need of prescription eyewear through
vision and eye exams at no cost to the recipient.
Story and Photos by David Baker Like most of the population of Menifee, my family and I were present for the annual Menifee Independence Day Celebration and subsequent fireworks display. Some of the usual sights were the Cub Scouts of Pack 374, and the Sheriffs Department Mounted Posse, who had a very busy weekend by the way (click here for more info on that). At 3 years old, my youngest son Joshuah was very pleased, and maybe a little confused, when I not only allowed him to step off the curb as vehicles were going by but also to pick up candy off the ground, thrown to him by strangers, the prefect trinity of preschooler no-no's.
Midnight Ride
We got to the end of the parade route, had a nice picnic dinner to the sounds of Midnight Ride, a pretty decent cover band, consisting of Drummer Alejandro, Bassist/Vocalist Shawn, Guitarist Eddie, Lead Vocalist Trent. The crowd seemed to become a little more involved when they covered Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train".
Ryder Lawrence age 7
Next we enjoyed Gale Webb's Extreme Sports Show. We've seen their act in years past. Our family favorite is always Ryder Lawrence, now 7 years old. We first saw him perform when he was 4. His dad has been riding BMX bikes for years and this apple did not fall far from the tree. At 7 this kid is more proficient than I ever could have claimed to be. To this day I have yet to even pop a wheelie. To her credit Gale Webb has an inspiring story too. She was a skydiver 30 years ago whose parachute didn't open. She broke her neck and back, and was told she wouldn't walk again. She proved them wrong and went through years of physical therapy to relearn how to walk. While she was in recovery her best friend died of a drug overdose. She made a promise then to spread a just-say-no message wherever she goes.
VFW Post 1956
As I walked around there were a number of different food vendors, and gift shops selling various gadgetry. Amid all the commercialism, however, there were a few noteworthy service organizations present as well. I saw the Sun City VFW Post 1956 collecting donations, the Menifee Valley Community Cupboard selling some of their holiday themed merchandise, the Faithful Servants Outreach collecting donations and painting faces. The Menifee Police Department was there to put on demonstrations, and Valleywide Recreation even did a cakewalk. Nearby I saw a Rock wall and line up of bounce houses. Through all of this hustle and bustle I was thankful to realize the meaning of the day was not lost.
No, they do not
I began to see people decked in patriotic garb. I saw families embracing, people laughing, and even a group of boys breaking out into a spontaneous game of catch on the baseball field. To me that is what the holiday is about. Celebrating the freedoms that we have earned through generations of work and sacrifice. I am incredibly thankful. The evening concluded with a wonderful fireworks display and a thrilling marshmallow fight out in left field. Thanks everyone for a great night.
There's something ironic when a group of Ozzy fans listens to Crazy Train in polite formation
The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, popcorn, peanuts, and cracker jacks, are all iconic symbols of the United States of America. They are so ingrained into our culture that I didn't even have to specifically mention the word baseball for you to understand what I was talking about. Like so many kids out there I played baseball as a kid. I played at church, at school, and even on a Pony baseball team for a few years. There were some great times I had doing it too. I learned to catch, throw, steal bases, but most of all I learned that my future was not in athletics. Don't get me wrong, I know my way around a field and could probably hold my own in a friendly neighborhood game. However if my family's livelihood depended on it we would be eating a lot of hamburger helper. Still I look back on those years and experiences with extreme fondness. This weekend another generation of youngsters got to celebrate making another season of memories too.
A mother and son play catch before the ceremony
This was the scene at 8:30 this Saturday morning as families gathered to celebrate and acknowledge achievements made throughout the season. As I walked around, people greeted me with smiles and waves. I saw families arriving with ice chests, and barbecue grills ready for a fun summer's day. There was even a bounce house and obstacle course for the kids, courtesy of ABC Bounce Co.
As the MVLL called the ceremonies to order. parents and players lined up in the outfield and faced a table laden with trophies. Everone turned towards the flag and recited the pledge of allegiance, and then gave their traditional promise: "Trust in God, Love my Country. I'll play fair and strive to win, but win or lose I will always do my best." followed by a rousing cry of, "PLAY BALL!" Many awards were given that day. While all were significant, one of the more noteable awards went to Amy Ross Frahn. Ms. Frahn received the Jesse Zingg "Making a Difference Award" for her contribution to MVLL as well as the community in general. The award was named for Jesse Zingg, a former player of many years who passed away at the age of 21 due to a car crash, however his donated organs saved five lives. Board elections and Fall signups began Saturday as well. For more detailed information please visit the official MVLL website at http://www.eteamz.com/mvll/
Bounce House provided by ABC Bounce Co.
The awards table had plenty to hand out courtesy of Anady's Trophies and Awards in Hemet
Players and their families await the beginning of the ceremony
It's time to reveal a peek behind the curtain here at the offices of Man About Menifee. We have some terrific new spotlight articles to be featured on the website and Facebook page. Your response to our Athlete of the Month has been superb, thank you. I wanted to share with you some other ideas that we will be rolling out in the next few weeks. Precious Pets: Who says Fido can't have his fifteen minutes of fame. We welcome you to send us a picture and story of your furry, scaly, or feathered companions. Living Spaces: Have a recently remodeled home that can't wait to be shown off? Show it off here. Tell us your story, let us see the before and after.
Radical Rides: Do you own a classic car? Maybe you've put months or even years of work into restoring it? Maybe you just have a new toy and you can't wait to share it with the world (at least or corner of it)? Send us your story with photos, and we'll publish it here. Do you have a story you can't wait to tell? Do you have an idea that we missed? Let us know. Email us at manaboutmenifee@gmail.com or leave a post here. As always thank you for your support. We love this town!
I've been a father for a few years now. My oldest of the four kids is 20 years old and the youngest is 3 years old. That job description means I have seen plenty of injuries over the years. I've also seen at least a few pool or water related accidents, luckily none ended in tragedy. The only losses we've experienced have been a couple of cell phones.
Naturally I was pretty surprised when I read this article from the Huffington Post describing something called "Secondary Drowning". For those that want to skip to the meat and potatoes of it, this happens when a small amount of water is left in the lungs, just enough to keep the lungs from oxygenating the blood. The scary part is the symptoms don't start until later, and look a lot like a kid that's played too hard at the beach.
So for those with pools please be aware, be careful, stay safe, and trust your instincts. Go to the doc if you even suspect something is wrong. Better safe than sorry.
I remember sitting in the back as a Scout Parent listening to a recruiting presentation one night. I had sat through many versions but this one was very different. The Cubmaster pulled out a string, stretched it out to 10 feet and had two boys hold it on either end.
"Most doctors estimate that with advances in medicine, our children will live to an average age of about 100 years old, and this 10 foot string represents that timeline, with one decade per foot," he said.
"The average parent over 30 today is estimated to live to the average age of about 75 years old. If your son was born when you were about 25, then that gives you about 50 years on this earth together," and he cut the string in half leaving 5 feet.
"Of course these 50 years aren't all under one roof, because kids move out eventually - we hope - sometime in their twenties," and he cut the string in half again, leaving 2.5 feet.
"Naturally, however, these aren't all formative years. It would be nice if kids listened all throughout their teens, but we all know that music, friends, and other social activities tend to fill their vision and mind and our voice begins to fade into the background between 12 and 13 years old," and he cut it in half again, leaving 1 foot 3 inches left.
At this point the two scouts had moved comically close. The audience gave a chuckle.
"Now for those boys that are here that just graduated kindergarten you are between 5 and 6 years old. I hope your parents consider that time well spent because it is in the past," and he cut it in half one last time, leaving a piece about 7.5 inches long. He held it up.
"Parents, this is the time left that you have left to make a strong meaningful impact in the person your son becomes," he said. "Yes, we will go on camping trips, participate in various patriotic parades, and community service. We will have fun with Pine Wood Derby races, and other types of Scout Crafts. Our most important task, however, is to prepare these boys to be young men with a strong sense duty to god, and duty to country. We've been doing it for a century, so we've got it pretty well figured out by now," he smiled.
Next week Pack 374 in Menifee with host their recruitment night. Any parent of a child who is finishing Kindergarten through Fourth Grade is welcome to attend. The meeting will be held in the Multipurpose Room of Ridgemoor Elementary at 25455 Ridgemoor Rd. in Menifee and it will start at 6:30 pm. Please come and check out the fun.
For several years there has been an annual tradition here in Menifee on Father's Day. Fathers and children of all ages gather together at La Ladera Park, pitch their tents, and engage in a variety of fun and frolic.
In years past there have been carnival style games, craft projects such as Lowes Build-and-Grow, and even nighttime stargazing with a high-powered telescope.
The contract and responsibilities have shifted over the years from the County of Riverside, to Valleywide Recreation, and now that responsibility is held by the city of Menifee.
Right now we know the dates are Saturday and Sunday, June 20th and 21st. We know the cost is $15 for adults and $10 for kids. The variable right now is approval from the city of Menifee on the actual registration flyers. Once the city approves the flyers then registration can begin. Registration is expected to be similar to years past where participants will fill out a registration form and email it in to reserve a spot.
As soon as more information is available it will be posted here.
