Menifee Word Hunter 26: Win a Gift Card to The Beer Hunter!

Here are the next two letters in Menifee Word Hunter 26, a Menifee 24/7 game sponsored by The Beer Hunter sports pub, located in the Countryside Marketplace.

By guessing the correct letters to fill in the blanks, you will reveal a phrase or proper noun that has something to do with Menifee. If you are the first to email us with the correct guess, you win a $30 gift card to The Beer Hunter – which offers great food, a variety of beverages, and all the big sports events on big screen TVs.

Remember, this game is not Hangman or Wheel of Fortune. You don’t guess the letters. We reveal them to you – usually one letter a day, sometimes more – until someone guesses correctly. There may be duplicates of a revealed letter that are not yet revealed; just because we’ve shown you one letter S doesn’t mean there couldn’t be more.

Submit your guess in an email to menifee247info@gmail.com. Put “word hunter” in the subject line. The first person to correctly guess the phrase will receive a Beer Hunter gift card. Only one guess per day per email address.

Each day, the updated game will be posted simultaneously on our website and our Facebook page. But keep in mind, guesses posted as comments on our Facebook posts do not count as official guesses. Your guess must be sent in email form to menifee247info@gmail.com.

Good luck!

Melendez Authors Letter Asking Release of Marine in Mexico

A letter authored by state assemblywoman Melissa Melendez (R-Lake Elsinore) and signed by 20 other California legislators has been sent to President Obama, laying a legal and moral justification for the President to demand the release of Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi from Mexican authorities.

"As California legislators, we felt it was only right and honorable to try every avenue available to us to help Sergeant Tahmooressi," said Melendez, who represents Menifee, Murrieta and surrounding communities. "It is our sincere hope to highlight the existing code the President may use to help bring Sergeant Tahmooressi home safe as soon as possible.

"In anticipation of another court appearance, in a long line of misapplied justice, it is imperative we exhaust every option to ensure our Marine is allowed to come home immediately after this obvious misunderstanding.”

The Mexican government took Sgt. Tahmooressi into custody March 31 when he inadvertently crossed the California border into Mexico. Despite his cooperation, he has been kept in custody and is being held for trial. Tahmooressi had recently relocated to California to receive treatment for PTSD and has incurred substantial legal fees.

“We have a decorated combat veteran needlessly behind bars in a Mexican jail. As a Marine who has sworn to fight for us, it is our honor to stand up and fight for him,” said Melendez. “The Federal Government was recently reminded of its lack of commitment to its veterans, and I think we can all agree that Sgt. Tahmooressi deserves more from his government.”

Melendez circulated her letter to the entire California State Legislature on Monday. The following legislators agreed to sign the letter: Assembly members Travis Allen (Huntington Beach), Frank Bigelow (O'Neals), Tim Donnelly (Twin Peaks), Beth Gaines (Rocklin), Jeff Gorell (Camarillo), Shannon Grove (Bakersfield), Curt Hagman (Chino Hills), Brian Jones (Santee), Dan Logue (Marysville), Brian Maienschein (San Diego), Allan Mansoor (Costa Mesa), Brian Nestande (Palm Desert), Kristin Olsen (Modesto), Jim Patterson (Fresno), Donald Wagner (Irvine), Marie Waldron (Escondido), and Scott Wilk (Santa Clarita); along with Senators Ted Gaines (Rocklin), Bob Huff (Diamond Bar), and Mark Wyland (Escondido).

New Ordinance Regulates Use of Metal Shipping Containers

Metal shipping containers like these that are already in place will be allowed to remain. No additional containers will be allowed in Menifee.

An issue that has been discussed by city officials for five years was resolved in the July 30 Menifee City Council meeting when council members unanimously approved an ordinance regulating metal shipping containers within the city limits.

This ordinance pertains to the large shipping containers that often are loaded onto ships to transport items. They often are eight feet high, eight feet wide, and may be as long as 40 feet. There are an estimated 15,000 such shipping containers being used by residents in Menifee for storage, mostly on larger lots.

The ordinance represents a compromise of sorts as a result of discussions between council members, a recommendation of the Planning Commission and the work of an ad hoc committee. After hearing input from all parties, including a public hearing on July 30, the council adopted an ordinance which states, in part:

-- All existing metal shipping containers placed on residential properties within 30 days of the effective date of the ordinance will be allowed to remain.

-- No additional shipping containers will be allowed in the city.

-- Shipping containers may be used for personal storage or for keeping materials used in a particular trade.

-- Containers located within 300 feet of a public right-of-way must be screened from view.

-- Containers must be kept in good condition and may not be connected to utilities.

-- Size of the container may not exceed 8x8x40 feet.

Previous discussion of eliminating existing shipping containers led to objections from the public. As a result, an ad hoc committee was formed consisting of council member Greg August, resident Roxann Thompson and Mike Machado, a consultant who advises rural residents on such issues.

The ordinance will be brought forward for a second reading and adoption on Aug. 6.

Council member John Denver, who was in favor of eliminating or reducing the number of existing shipping containers, agreed to join August, Wallace Edgerton and Mayor Scott Mann in voting to approve the ordinance. Council member Tom Fuhrman was absent while recovering from injuries sustained in a fall on his ranch.

"While this is half a loaf, I will vote for this because it's better than what we have," Denver said.

Thompson thanked the council for considering input from residents in making the decision.

"Many of us believe that being part of the process is crucial," she said. "Everybody we've approached about this has felt we've come up with a much better solution."

Owners of existing shipping containers will be required to provide written notification of this to the city within a year of the ordinance going into effect. There is no registration fee.

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Menifee Maze: This is the Third Piece of the Puzzle

Here’s the third piece of the puzzle in Menifee Maze 59, sponsored by Texas Roadhouse. The scene pictured is a specific location in Menifee. Every day, we will reveal another piece of the puzzle until someone can name the exact location.

Submit your guess in an email to menifee247info@gmail.com. The first person to correctly guess the location pictured will receive a “dinner for two” gift card at Texas Roadhouse, where the Great Steak of Texas is served just the way you like it. Only one guess per day per email address.

Each day, the updated "maze" will be posted simultaneously on our website and our Facebook page. But keep in mind, guesses posted as comments on our Facebook posts do not count as official guesses. Your guess must be sent in email form to menifee247info@gmail.com.

Menifee Bicycles Has Everything You Need For Family Fun

Advertorial Supplement:

Summer vacation may be coming to a close but that doesn’t mean that spending time together has to end too. Family fun is important all year round and at Menifee Bicycles they make it easy to get everything you need for a family bike ride.

Riding bikes together as a family promotes not only physical health but also bonding and quality time spent doing something positive. What a great way to be together while exercising.

Menifee Bicycles offers bikes in all sizes from toddler and child, to teen and adult. Stop on by and let them help you get everyone in your family set-up with the correct size bicycle. Because one size does not fit all it’s important to get the right size frame for each rider which will make riding much more enjoyable, comfortable, and safe.

For little ones who aren’t quite ready to ride solo, but want to come along for the fun they carry iBert baby seat carriers that attach to your adult bike. Baby seats start at just $90 and are safe, secure, and comfortable for babies and toddlers. They also offer child trailers that tow behind a bike for additional comfort for the kiddos.

In addition to actual bikes, they carry an extensive offering of accessories to keep your loved ones safe including helmets for toddlers through adults in a variety of colors, styles, and brands so you can find one that suites your look.

No matter what you are looking for to make your ride more enjoyable and your riders more comfortable, you are sure to find it at Menifee Bicycles.

26100 Newport Rd., Suite A-20
Menifee, CA 92586

Phone: 951.672.1637
Website: Menifee Bicycles
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Menifee 24/7 Adoptable Pet of the Week: Nikki

Animal’s Name: Nikki

Breed: Domestic Medium Hair

Age: 3 1/2 years

Color: Gray/white with green eyes

Gender: Female, spayed

Nikki's Story: Beautiful Nikki was rescued as a pregnant stray who gave birth to a litter of five kittens last September. Nikki has a beautifully fluffy dark gray and white coat. She has a gray nose and large green eyes. Nikki’s kittens were adopted, but Nikki is still waiting for a loving home of her own. Nikki is sweet, easygoing, and quiet. She’s afraid of strangers, as many cats are, and will need time to adjust to her new home and learn to trust her new guardian. She just needs someone to give her one-on-one attention and TLC. She's healthy and has been spayed, vaccinated, dewormed and tested negative for feline leukemia virus. Nikki is no trouble at all.

Agency: Rescue and Rehome, a small private no-kill rescue.

Adoption details: $25 adoption fee; cash only, which is to help reimburse for a portion of expenses of cat rescue and rehabilitation. An adoption contract is required.

Location: Quail Valley/Menifee, Southwest Riverside County. Local adoptions only within 75 mile radius because they deliver the animal to its new home to do a home check. They are looking for adopters who want to give a rescued animal a permanent home and give it a second chance at a good home and happy life. Adopters must be willing and able to care for the animal for its lifetime (15+ years).

Contact: If interested, please email rescuenrehome@gmail.com or phone and leave message at 951 244-3215 with a little info about you, your family, your pets, and where you live.

Hours of Operation: Animals are shown by appointment.

Website: Rescue and Rehome
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'Bag of Books for a Buck' Event Returns to Sun City Library

Friends of the Sun City Library will sponsor a "Buy a Bag of Books for a Buck" sale on Saturday, Aug. 16 at the library, located at 26983 Cherry Hills Blvd.

The event will take place in the community room from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Customers pay just $1 for as many books as you can fit into a shopping bag (provided by the library). You can purchase as many $1 bags as you wish.

Books have been donated to the Friends of the Sun City Library by local residents. There is a wide selection. Proceeds are spent on the programs, circulation and equipment for the library.

Menifee 24/7 Classified Ads Listings

PROVECHO GRILL IS HIRING
Looking for an experienced line cook, dishwasher and a bartender.
Come in and apply. Provecho!
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DoTERRA ESSENTIAL OILS CLASS
Now you can be in control of your family's health. DoTerra -- naturally safe, purely effective essential oils. Contact Megan at 951-301-5284 for more information.

BABYSITTER
Babysitting services offered in Menifee. I am 15 years old and have lots of experience and references. I will babysit any children 6 months and up. I have my own transportation. Call 760-898-4318.

Menifee 24/7 classifieds work! For just $15 a week, your ad will be seen by thousands of local residents. Classifieds will be posted on our main news feed and Facebook page once a day and are easily found by clicking on the classifieds tab at the top of the home page. To submit your ad, email menifee247info@gmail.com and include your phone number.

Ballot Measure to Adjust Menifee Mayor's Salary is Approved

The Menifee City Council has unanimously adopted a resolution that will ask voters to approve a salary adjustment for the position of mayor.

The argument in favor of Measure K, sponsored by the City Council, states that salaries of the four City Council district representatives was set at $6,000 per year when the city voted in 2010 to create electoral districts. A separate initiative set the mayor's salary at $8,000 per year. However, only the salaries of council district representatives were approved for a 5 percent per year raise from that point on.

As a result, council district representatives this year are making $7,800 per year. Unless Measure K is passed, the mayor's annual salary of $8,000 will fall behind in compensation at the next pay raise.

Unlike the other city council members, who are elected for four years, the mayor is an at-large position with a two-year term. Scott Mann's term is up in November and he is running for re-election.

By a 4-0 vote at its July 30 meeting -- council member Tom Fuhrman was absent while recovering from injury -- the council approved placing the measure on the Nov. 4 ballot. It would set the mayor's salary structure the same as other council members, plus providing a $100 per month adjustment -- guaranteeing a $1,200 annual difference between district-elected council members and the mayor.

"It's in our best interests to have an at-large mayor who has to run every two years," said District 3 representative Wallace Edgerton before the resolution was approved. "That gives the council some leverage. But not all the work we do is what you see behind the dais and especially for the mayor. I spend hours answering emails and attending meetings, and the mayor's position involves more than that. I will vote to approve this action and would approve a larger raise if I could."

The proposal was opposed by resident Anne Pica, who was the author of the resolution that originally created council districts and set the mayor's position as a two-year, at-large position. She argued that Mann pushed for this resolution only for personal gain and that it would "overthrow the vote of the people in 2010."

In response, Mann said he abstained the last time such an issue was voted on and that staff members brought this forth for council consideration in order to "create language that is consistent with the intentions of the original measure."

Council member John Denver pointed out to Pica and the audience that the resolution would affect the mayor's position and was not just intended for Mann.

"There's nothing on this proposal that has the name Scott Mann," Denver said. "This wouldn't even take effect during his current term."

The document arguing in favor of the measure stated that "the mayor is the only member of the city council who is elected by all the people of Menifee. That stature alone justifies higher compensation. California law recognizes that principle and allows the electorate to set any compensation it chooses for a directly elected mayor."

If approved by voters, the pay adjustment would go into effect in December, when the new council members are sworn in.

Man Arrested in Wildomar With Vehicle Stolen From Menifee

A Lake Elsinore man was arrested after a vehicle and foot pursuit July 30 in connection with the theft of an auto from Menifee.

Douglas Keith Vierra, 39, was booked into Southwest Detention Center on charges including possession of stolen property, possession of a stolen vehicle and resisting arrest.

The pursuit began when deputies from the Lake Elsinore Station observed a possible stolen vehicle in the area of Grand Avenue and Ontario Road in Wildomar. The vehicle fled through a dirt field near Corydon Road and Union Street. The vehicle was located unoccupied several minutes later, with the help of two community members, near Boggs Lane and Orange Avenue.

The vehicle was reported stolen out of Menifee and it was determined the suspect had switched the vehicle’s license plates. Deputies continued checking the area and located Vierra. As deputies attempted to stop Vierra, he fled on foot. A perimeter was set up, a Sheriff's Department K9 was called and a yard-to-yard search was conducted on Boggs Lane.

Vierra was found hiding in a back yard in the 21000 block of Boggs Lane. The K9 was utilized to affect the arrest.

Fundraiser for Matt Carp Family Aug. 1 in Temecula

This event will raise funds for the family of Matt Carp, the bicyclist who was killed in a traffic accident July 23 in Menifee.

Chino Man Arrested in Connection With Sexual Assault, Theft

A Chino man was arrested this week on suspicion of sexual assault and theft involving several victims in the Lake Elsinore area, and police are seeking information about additional victims.

Andrew Michael Hernandez, 48, was arrested July 28 and booked into the Southwest Detention Center. He is accused of sexually assaulting a 48-year-old female and stealing her items, valued at $65,000. An investigation identified five additional victims and investigators believe there may be more. The crimes were committed in Lakeside Village, an unincorporated area of Riverside County.

If you have any information, or were victimized by Hernandez, contact Investigator Cornett at 951-245-3357, or by email at LakeElsinoreStation@RiversideSheriff.org.

Missing Person Report: Have You Seen Her?

Law Firm of Davis & Wojcik, APLC Opens New Temecula Office

Contributed content:

The law firm of Davis & Wojcik, APLC announced today that it has opened a new office in Temecula. The firm has been serving residents throughout Menifee, Hemet, San Jacinto and the surrounding areas for nearly two decades and will now be expanding its footprint to better serve its clients in Southwest Riverside County.

The new office is now open and located in the heart of Old Town Temecula at 28544 Old Town Front Street, Suite 201, Temecula, CA 92590.

Founded in 1998, the firm has represented both individuals and business alike in matters ranging from complex civil litigation involving real estate and corporate transactional disputes to estate planning and probate litigation. Additionally, Davis & Wojcik handles criminal defense representation in both misdemeanor and felony complaints.

“We are thrilled to be able to expand our presence in the County,” said Robert Davis, partner at Davis & Wojcik. “With a growing number of clients in the Menifee, Murrieta, and Temecula areas, it was natural for us to have a more formal presence in this part of the region.”

Partner Joseph Wojcik also added, “We hope that we continue to grow with the community while also providing the same high-quality legal representation that we have always been known for.”


For more information about the firm, visit www.DavisandWojcik.com or contact them at (951) 652-9000 to set up a case evaluation at one of their local offices today.