Local News For Canyon Hills And The Surrounding Communities

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11/27/10 The 10 Commandants  - The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse is this -- you cannot post ' Thou Shalt Not Steal' 'Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery ' and 'Thou Shall Not Lie' in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians, it creates ahostile work environment. ... Larry the Cable Guy
< 11/21/10Feed The Pig. This is a great site to help with changing our spending habits and to divert money towards our own future. Advertising causes us to go out and buy things, gadgets, clothing, entertainment, etc. Think back on what retail stores were encouraging you to do with your money this last weekend. Go to www.feedthepig.org for more information.
11/20/10 Again, more and more power drains away from the homeowner to feed the vast reservoirs required by the Developer; and we have less and less say about the events which shape our future. We have a "homeowner" association in name only. Apparently, the association is only for the common areas and not for the safety of our community. Choices are made many times against the wishes of the involved homeowners and for the Developer's interests.
11/19/10 Life's tough ... it's even tougher if you're stupid .", John Wayne
11/17/10 Inland sales of homes take a hit. Amid an uncertain economy, figures in the two-county region are the worst for an October in three years, as potential buyers reacted to employment uncertainty, tight mortgage lending policies and expired government incentives. Builders have been struggling to produce houses they can sell at prices low enough to compete with foreclosures. New buyers are not in the mood. They are either fearful of losing their jobs or think home prices are going to fall or they don't know what will happen. They will sit on the sideline and wait.  The Press-Enterprise, page D1.  Canyon Hills started this year with 1699 billable home sites. After the government icentives expired we had increased billable home sites to 1748 and holding. Next year the Developer's forecast 1803 beginning in January, but we will have to wait and see.
11/16/10 Finance Committee Meeting , 5pm at Clubhouse. Check the link above for a copy of the minutes.
11/15/10 Child Safe Kits are available for your children and grandchildren. Go to http://ailchildsafekit.com/tips.aspx?Flag= Globe for more info. It would included picture, address, age, fingerprints, medical info and other vital information in case your child were lost. It would be ready to go in an emergency.
11/9/10 Neighborhood Watch , 6pm at Clubhouse.
11/8/10 Crime Reports for October. Canyon Hills continue to be a better place than Canyon Lake. I'm glad for our sake.
11/5/10Elections are finally over. You must continue to stay involved in politics. Elected officials will always need adult supervision.
11/4/10 House Painting . After 6 or more years in your house it's time to paint the exterior. Also, the fences will need painting.  He does it all and he just finished a house on Birchwood. Tony's Painting, 951 301 0202
11/1/10 RV Parking available in Lake Elsinore at SoCal RV Doctor, 29910 Ohana Circle, 951 471 3840. Near Main and I15. $75/mo in a secure area with video security. Indoor parking is also available.
10/27/10 Board Meeting last night . Not sure what happened last night. Did something go on in the back room meeting before the actual board meeting. No discussion regarding options for the 2011 Budget. They declined to have a special assessment this year and planned on spending $45,000 for tree trimming in December, rather than wait for January. The year would end with a significant deficit and deferred 2010 reserve fund expenditures. As for the 2011 Operating Budget, there was to be no increase in assessments and a projected deficit of about $250,000. Harry did not approve. Laura and Kevin spent time at the end of the meeting wringing their hands and saying they will work hard to reduce costs and sell more houses so as to reduce this deficit. Will need to wait and see what the letter to the homeowners says.  A $250,000 budget deficit does not make a budget. All we need to do is reduce expenses.

10/26/10 Board Meeting, 6pm , This is very important for the Homeowners. Several budget considerations have been discussed  for 2011. There is a major shortfall in funding. Reduction in HOA costs have not been taken seriously. So there are several proposals in consideration that create increases in monthly assessment and a special assessment.  It would be nice to only have a partial increase in assessments, the continuation of a Subsidy from Pardee, and some kind of funding for the Reserve Account. Stay tuned and come to the meeting. Homeowners have not mounted an adequate defense against increased assessments or special assessments. The FinanceCommittee has proposed increases less than the maximum. Pardee is just now thinking about reducing costs. Management got a cost reduction proposal from LUSA, but  not from other major contractors. They have been quite about reducing their costs.
10/24/10 Make our community look good. If your home looks good, other homeowners might want to make their home look good. When all of our homes look good we can raise the value of our community. Too many homes that lack adequate maintenance can bring down the value of all the homes in our community. The HOA is charged with trying to identify and bring those homeowners to hearings that are not properly maintaining their properties. Too many weeds, non landscaped areas, bare slopes and other problems cause our streets to look bad. This can deter potential buyers from buying in our community. Too many sellers and not enough buyers. If we can make every potential buyer want to live in our community, either thru a new home or a resold home, then we help to fix the forecloser problem. Do your part and make your property look good. Property values might just increase and you could qualify for a new mortgage with a lower interest rate.
10/23/10 Annual Fall Festival , Noon to 4pm at South Pool, Oct 23.
10/22/10 Taylor Cole,The Event/Vicky Roberts, watch it. All of the cast is great. We no longer have LOST to keep our minds occupied on Wednesday. Check out The Event on Mondays.
10/21/10 Crime Reports for September have now been posted. Go to the Safety link above and select Crime Reports. We are still doing pretty good.

10/20/10 Firearm Safety. Have you talked to your children about Firearm Safety? The Eddie Eagle program explains how you should train your young children. The NRA will send you free information for your use. In Texas, it is taught in the schools and the pediatricians ask the mothers about talking to their children. We are not a progressive state, but you as parents are responsible for your childrens safety. See the link above under firearm safety or go to the NRA website for further information. It's just like training your children about avoiding knives, the kitchen stove, fires, bbq's, chemicals under the sink, the fireplace and many other hazards around the house. Even if you don't have firearms, there is somebody in your neighborhood that your children play with that have firearms. Do the right thing for your children.
10/19/10 Grapes & Tomatoes, 951 244 8200, is planning to open in November. Wines, full featured menu with appetizers, soups and salads, pizzas, sandwiches, burgers, calzones, pastas, specialty entrees, desserts, and kids meals. No need to cook ever again. Go out to dinner everynight.
10/17/10 Vote for Values All citizens should stand up for their beliefs on Nov 2 and support the following: Constitutional government must be restored and socialism, in any form, is unconstitutional; the size of government (federal and state) must be minimized; deficit spending must end, except in a national emergency; personal and business taxes must be reduced; free speech must be supported and encouraged; private business sector must be supported to reach full empolyment; a strong military must defend our freedoms; and traditional family values must be fully supported.  ... David Compas, Lake Elsinore ....The Press Enterprise, 10/17/10, page A15.
10/16/10 Elsinore Ford will be helping to raise money for Lakeside High School's Athletic Department. On Saturday Oct 16 from 9am to 6pm test drive a 2011 select group of vehicles and $20 will be donated to the school.
10/9/10 Ask not what your country can do for you, ... because it is broke.
10/8/10 HAFA - Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program . The seller receives $3000 for relocation expenses, if your bank agrees, then no cost or out of pocket expenses. Bank pays for real estate commissions, back taxes, closing costs. Your credit score improves faster than having a Foreclosure or a Deed-in Lieu on your record.  Check out the government site for details.            http://makinghomeaffordable.gov/hafa.html
10/7/10 Short Sale . If you are current on your existing mortgage for the last year, no 30-day lates, then you may be able to purchase a home sooner (rather than wait the 2 to 3 years).
10/4/10 Bow Wow Bath House is now open. A fun family pet spa experience. Waist high tubs. Behind Carl's Jr. www.bowwowbathhouse.ca
10/3/10 Southwest Communities Animal Shelter is now open in Wildomar at 33751 Mission Trail (at Corydon). The 32,000 square foot shelter can house 300 animals. A grand opening ceremony will be held on October 23.
10/1/10 Rubbish Runners.  Great idea. Never forget trash day again. These "curbside couriers" will take out your trash cans and return them to your storage area. All this for $1 per week. Contact Trevin at 746 5662.
9/27/10 Republicans continue to debate how strongly their candidates should identify themselves with the Tea Party ...  while Democrats debate how strongly their candidates should identify themselves with the Democratic Party. ... Bruce Tinsley
9/26/10 It is important to be non-judgmental. Nobody is perfect, so nobody should judge anybody because we all have flaws and thus are not in a position to judge others. Then, who tells the idiots they're idiots? ... Stephen Pastis
9/25/10 Canyon Hills Board Meeting, Sept 28, 6pm. Join a committee: Neighborhood Watch Wednesday October 6 at 5pm, Landscape October 7 at 9am, Architectural October 7 at 11am, and Finance Thursday October 14th at 5pm.
9/24/10 Relay for Life at Canyon Lake Middle School on October 9th.  Donate cans of food at the HOA business office.
9/23/10 Lake Elsinore Citizens Corps is in the works planning a disaster preparedness EXPO on October 16th at Lake Point Park, 12-5pm.
9/22/10 Save the Date. Annual Fall Festival on Saturday, October 23rd, Noon to 4pm at the South Pool. Chili Cook-off on Saturday, November 13th, Noon to 4pm.  Holiday Light Contest to be judged on December 16th.
9/17/10 Cottonwood Canyon Elementary held their Grandparents Day Celebration. Kids are glad to have their grandparents visit their classrooms. I also got pictures and videos from my grandchildren celebrating in the Texas schools.
9/16/10 The Canyon Hills Finance Committee will meet on 9/16/10 , to review the 2010 Operational Budget, the Balance Sheet, and the 2011 Operational Budget. As of 8/31/10 we have $135151 in Cash. A/P is $71280.97 leaving us with a net available cash of $63870.56. BUT, we owe Pardee Homes  from 2009 $50846.79 and from 2010 so far $131324.10. That would leave us with a negative $118300.30 in our cash account. We continue to NOT generate sufficient cash to cover our expenses. We will see what happens on Thursday. See the Finance Committee link above.
9/14/10 Congratulations to Tuscany Hills Elementary, the highest performing school in Riverside County, for attaining a 947 API score. This was a 10 point increase over last year. And they also met the federal Adequate Yearly Progress standard. Cottonwood Canyon Elementary scored 893 which was 50 points over last year and they met the AYP standard. Canyon Lake Middle school scored 830 a 9 point increase. Elsinore High School scored 781 a 21 point increase. Evans Ranch Elementary scored 880 a 37 point increase and they met the AYP standard. Morrison Elementary scored 823 a 5 point increase. Christensen Middle school scored 772 and Paloma High School scored 798 a 30 point increase.  More info at www.cde.ca.gov/apr/
9/11/10 Thank you to all of our Troops and the support personnel in the Military. We are AMERICA, the home of the Free because of the Brave.
9/9/10 FHA Short Financing. Homeowners who are current on payments but owe more than the house is worth could see payments cut. It must be your primary residence. You must qualify under standard FHA underwriting requirements and have a Fico Score of at least 500. The loan to be refinanced must not be FHA insured. The first lien holder must write off at least 10 percent of the unpaid principal. The homeowner must be able to afford the new monthly payment, no more than 31 percent of your gross monthly income on housing costs or more than 50 percent on housing and other recurring bills. For more info contact the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County at 951 682 6581. (from the Press-Enterprise, D3)
9/9/10 Budget Reality. Homeowner Associations take note. Hope is not a viable strategy for addressing government budget shortfalls. Cities and counties should not count on a sudden turnaround that will boost revenues, nor should they drain fiscal reserves to avoid hard choices. Local governments need sustainable budgets that realistically align spending with revenue, to cope with a long, slow climb back to prosperity. Press-Enterprise, A13.
9/8/10 Getting anything done in the HOA is like mating elephants. It's done on a very high level. There's a lot of stomping and screaming involved. And it takes two years to get any results.
9/6/10 Simple Truths: What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. There is no such thing as a free lunch. You can never  hire someone to provide a service for you cheaper than you can do it for yourself.
9/5/10 Job creation will likely remain weak for months or even years. Whenever companies start hiring freely again, job-seekers with specialized skills and education will have plenty of good opportunities; lawyers, scientists, and engineers. Education in higher skilled areas will be very important. Others will face a choice: Take a job with low pay — or none at all.  And those in between? Their outlook is bleaker. Economists foresee fewer moderately paid factory supervisors, postal workers and office administrators. 
9/4/10 CFL bulbs will save you money. I replaced most of my incandescent bulbs with CFL bulbs (same brightness) and reduced my installed light load by more than 1000 watts. Most ceiling lights were 65 watt R130 floods. They were replaced with 16W CFL floods (65W brightness). Then I replaced the 40 watt clear vanity lights with 7 watt CFL's.  And finally, the 65W hallway lights were replaced with 11W CFL bulbs. In all cases I prefer the CFL bulb with the outer shell for protection. Replace the lights that are used the most first.
9/3/10 Crime Report info for Canyon Hills and Canyon Lake have been posted for August. See the link above in Safety. There are a lot of reports within the gated community. The guards are screening the wrong direction of traffic. The problem is on the inside of the fence. Keep up the good work, Canyon Hills.
9/2/10 Washington State beats California. The average price of industrial electricity in Washington is 4.47 cents per kilowatt hour. 51% of the states exports come from the sale of transportation equipment (Boeing). The average annual salary for tech workers in the state is $97,900. The income tax for individuals and businesses in Washington is Zero. And 30% of the adults have at least one college degree. California is still struggling to put together a budget for the current year. Texas is also beating California .
9/1/10 Hot cars you must rent for a 3 day weekender to San Francisco or Las Vegas.  Jaguar XF@$325/day, Maserati Granturismo@$1250/day, Corvette Grand Sport@$399/day, Porsche Panamera@$699/day, Ferrari California@$2850/day, Ford Mustang Shelby GT500@$455/day, Smart Car@$89/day, Mercedes SL63@$795/day, BMW M5@$289/day, Porsche Targa 4S@$1499/day, and Lamborghini Gallardo@$2999/day.  You might have to skip the house payment for the month. Contact Midway Car Rental in Los Angeles. They will negotiate rates.
8/31/10 Population estimates for Canyon Hills. Current homesites in Brookside Village (170) and Canyon Hills (1748) and under development (331) for a total of 2249. Population estimate is about 5700. Canyon Lake has 4800 homes and lots with a population of about 11,000.
8/30/10 Common area improvements . Pardee Homes does a good job of making sure that Canyon Hills Rd is well maintained. There are always contractors out on this road to make it look good. Too bad that same effort can't be made towards maintaining the block ends, and street scapes within our community. Slopes are looked at every other month. If things are missed, oh well. Shrubs on block ends just aren't maintained the same as they are maintained on Canyon Hills Rd. As homeowners, you need to express this concern to the Board at the Board Meetings.

8/29/10 More Home Buyers . If you have more home buyers they will bid UP the price of the houses. If you have more sellers of homes they will be in control and will bid down the price of houses.  We all need to get our homes back up to at least cover our loan principle. If your neighborhood looks good, it will sell at a premium. If it looks bad, everything will be discounted. If there are houses on your street that look bad, maybe you and you neighbors could join together and help the owner of the problem house. Help them make their house look better. When I look at new model houses or a resale house, I will also drive the neighborhood. I am worried that if I buy a house, my neighbors might decide to let everything go and stop watering or caring for the front yard. By making your front yard look good, you increase the value of your neighborhood and you make it easier for the resale home and the new model to sell at a premium.  If the neighborhood has problems, the potential buyer might just go to another community.

8/28/10 Save Money on Groceries . Use coupons. Watch the store adds. Stater Bros  is always running meat ads. "It's our Meat that made us Famous!"   Chicken breast at $1/pound is a great buy.  It has some skin and the rib bones attached. Great for cooking on the BBQ.  Sprinkle some seasoning on the skin, cook bone side down. Maybe add some cooking oil to the skin for flavor and crispness.  Use freezer wrap bags for the extra pieces. You should be able to serve two people on one of these 1 pound breasts. Another favorite is the thick cut Top Sirloin at $1.47/pound. Slow cook on the grill, or slow cook in a crock pot/electric skillet. If you buy extra you can make 1" cubes and freeze them in bags in the right proportion for a family meal. It's great in stews and chili receipes.
8/27/10 The Big Question. Would you ever consider walking away from your home loan? Never (42%), Only If I Had To (38%), Yes (16%), Already Have (4%). The year the typical homeowner who is now under water will have some equity in his home: 2015. Hang in there. Number of US homeowners whose mortgage balance exceeds the value of their home, 11.3 Million. Source www.cnnmoney.com
8/26/10 Can you refinance your home loan? You might be able to save some on your monthly payment. If you don't have equity and don't have good credit, this might not be available to you.

8/25/10 Food Budget. Burger and Fries is a quick lunch. It's bad for you because of the calories and it takes a big bite out of your food budget. Coffee on the go is expensive.  Pack a lunch and make your own coffee in the morning. You could save $200 a month and use this money for better home cooked meals. Leftovers from homecooked meals can be used for your lunch. You control the calories. You get more protien and less fat.

8/24/10 Check your insurance coverage. Deductibles can be increased to give you an additional reduction on your insurance bills.
8/23/10 Cell phone bills sometimes just get out of hand. I like AT&T's nationwide coverage with rollover minutes.  If you have too many minutes and don't use the rollover minutes, then it's not that good of a deal. Data and Messaging add a lot of extra charges. You can add an extra line for $9.99 but may have surcharges if you use messaging or data. Just make sure you need all the features and extras that are on your bill.
8/22/10 Review your TV Expenditures. There is a lot of competition between  cable and satellite companies. You could reduce your monthly expenses.
8/21/10 Pardee's LivingSmart Homes are best selling new homes in Inland Empire. They have sold more than 80 homes in just six months. The total includes homes sold in Canyon Hills in Lake Elsinore, Tournament Hills in Beaumont, and Sundance in Beaumont.
8/19/10 Cars (13%) are one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gas, but livestock (18%), and especially beef, is a bigger source of greenhouse gas. Cattle require the most feed to produce a pound of meat, and as ruminants, the animals emit methane gases during digestion.
8/18/10 There are costs of walking away from an upside-down mortgage. If you choose to default on your mortgage even if you can afford the monthly payments - it will take a significant toll on your credit rating. Read more ...
8/17/10 Pardee Homes submitted an application in May 2010,  to the City of Lake Elsinore, to amend the Canyon Hills Specific Plan. The plan change appears to involve the property at the corner of Hillside and Canyon Hills Road. PA19 (single family, 6.3 acres, 35 lots) will be combined with PA36 (multifamily, 12 acres, 216 units). It will all be designated multifamily. This could then be developed like Brookside Village (next to Stater Bros.) or like Edgewater and Riverbend.
8/16/10 C.E.R.T. - Community Emergency Response Team -is about readiness, people helping people, rescuer safety, and doing the greatest good for the greatest number. CERT is a positive and realistic approach to emergency and disaster situations where citizens will be initially on their own and their actions can make a difference. Through training, citizens can manage utilites and put out small fires; treat the three killers by opening airways, controlling bleeding, and treating for shock; provide basic medical aid; search for and rescue victims safely; and organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective. Call 951 674 5170 to register for training September 7, 8, and 9th. Contact Helen Jeong Recruiting sector 2 Captain at 951 442 5875.
8/15/10 Paper bags require four times more energy to manufacture than plastic bags. Plastic bags do have a downside: They don't degrade easily and can pose hazards to animals.  Use a cloth tote instead, and if you insist on plastic, at least reuse - or recycle - the bag. If you use cloth tote, make sure to wash them often, because they can harbor harmful bacteria.
8/14/10 Stay Cool in the Summer. Keep the heat out by closing blinds, drapes and shutters on windows facing the sun. As much as possible, turn off incandescent lights and heat-generating appliances. Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents because they use a fifth the energy and heat. Plant trees and shrubs to shade air conditioning units while not blocking air flow. An A/C unit operating in the shade uses less energy. A ceiling fan can make a room feel as much as seven degrees cooler, but it will mix the warmer upper air with the cooler lower air. Since humidity makes a room feel warmer, try to avoid showering, cooking, and using the dishwasher, clothes washer/dryer during mid-day. If you need to use these things, use an exhaust fan to remove the moisture from the air. Thank you Helen Jeong for these tips. 
8/13/10 School has started. Slow down and watch for children. After dark, children and adults should be wearing bright or reflective colors to be seen by motorists. As a pedestrian, be defensive. Look both ways before going into the street.
8/4/10 New Sheriff in Town. Captain Dave Fontneau was recently appointed as the Captain at our Lake Elsinore Sheriff Station on Limited.
8/2/10 School starts in a couple of weeks. Our community is divided between the Lake Elsinore Unified School District and the MenifeeValley School District. The boundary is east of Hillside Dr. Another anomaly is the new Menifee Elementary School that is being constructed on the south side of Canyon Hills. Apparently, it will be for those house located south of Canyon Hills Drive. The houses located north of Canyon Hills will be bused about 10 miles to the Evans Ranch Elementry School. Unfortunately, the middle school students will be bused to the Menifee Vally Middle School rather than be allowed to attend our local Middle School.

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