Cowboy Jubilee to benefit plateau

MURRIETA -- A musical celebration of the ranching and cowboy way of life July 25 and 26 will serve as a fundraiser for the children's education program at the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve.

Headlining will be the musical group Sons of the San Joaquin and cowboy poet Waddie Mitchell.

The jubilee and chuckwagon dinner begins at 6 p.m. July 25 with a "Cowboy Campfire" at Cottonwood Ranch.The Sons and Mitchell will be in attendance for an open microphone evening. Attendees can perform their own songs and cowboy poetry.

There will also be a performance by Kip Calahan, the Academy of Western Artists' Female Vocalist of the Year and rising star award winner.

On July 26, events will begin at 8 a.m. with a trail ride at Liberty Oaks Ranch. The cowboy jubilee and concert begin at 5 p.m.

The trail ride will travel around Santa Rosa Plateau and Cleveland National Forest. Led by local cowboy and trails historian Lynn Mattocks, the ride will celebrate National Day of the Cowboy.

The concert will feature performances by the Sons of the San Joaquin and Mitchell, as well as traditional cowboy cuisine, displays of art and memorabilia, live and silent auctions and a performance by country western singers from the Musician's Workshop.

Auctions will feature works by local sculptor Austin Casson.

Tickets cost $40 for July 25, $75 for July 26 or $100 for all events.

The education program serves seven school districts, 65 schools and approximately 8,000 third-grade students a year.

Tickets are available online at www.srpf.org or at West Dallas Western Apparel, Boots & Tack, 28007 Jefferson Ave., Suite D, Temecula, or the plateau's Visitors Center, 39400 Clinton Keith Road, Murrieta.

For information, call (909) 732-2209, visit www.srpf.org or e-mail SRPFJubilee@aol.com.

CLUB NEWS

Journalist to address community group

SUN CITY -- Freelance journalist Charles Wiley will to speak when Riverside County United Communities meets Saturday. Breakfast is at 8:30 a.m. and Wiley will speak at 9:30.

Wiley, who has spoken to groups aground the world, will talk about the power of the media and news bias.

The group meets the third Saturday of the month at Boston Billie's, 26850 Cherry Hills Blvd. For information, call 657-9319.

Chess club meets Sunday

TEMECULA -- The Temecula Valley Chess Club will meet from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday and Aug. 3 and 17 at Perks Coffee House.

The meetings are open to all ages and players are asked to bring a chess board.

Perks is at 26423 Ynez Road. For information, call 296-2320 or e-mail petersurowski@yahoo.com.

Radio club plans picnic

TEMECULA -- The Golden Triangle Amateur Radio Club will hold its Summer Family Picnic and Radio Demo Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 9 at Pala Park.

There will be radio and radio-controlled airplane demonstrations and drawings.

Reservations are due by Sunday by calling Mark Drake at 303-1677 or e-mailing markcdrake@hotmail.com.

Civitan club to get charter

TEMECULA -- Temecula Valley Civitan Club, a community service organization that raises funds to help youth clubs and organizations, will become an official California District Charter club during an installation dinner Monday.

There will be a formal installation with a program of speakers starting at 7 p.m.

The club meets at Mexico Chiquito Restaurant, 41841 Moreno Road.

For information, e-mail club president Greg Sommer at gemmsommer@aol.com.

Newcomers to meet

TEMECULA -- Nancy Hippert, a professor at Mt. San Jacinto College, will talk about women and World War II when the Temecula Valley Newcomers Club holds its monthly meeting and luncheon at 11 a.m. Monday at the Temeku Country Club.

Check-in begins at 10 a.m. and the cost is $18.

For reservations, call Norma at 652-5119 or Ramona at 609-0462. The country club is at 41687 Temeku Drive.

Lions meet in new 'den'

MURRIETA -- The Murrieta Breakfast Lions Club has moved its meeting location to the Grand Isle Apartments.

The club meets at 7 a.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of each month.

The apartments are at 24405 Village Walk. For information, call John at 677-8548 or 294-0305.

Lake Elsinore Citizens Committee to meet

LAKE ELSINORE -- Identifying fraud will be the topic when the Lake Elsinore Citizens Committee meets at 7 p.m. July 24 at Tuscany Hills Recreation Center.

De Leasandro Dean, a senior fraud investigator with the Riverside Sheriff's Department, and Dorothy Miller, from the Department of Public Social Services, will discuss avoiding fraud, such as scams on home remodeling, home repairs, car repairs, real estate and get-rich-quick schemes.

The committee meets quarterly with a mission of keeping residents informed about the progress and events taking place in the city.

The meeting is at 75 Summerhill Drive. For information, call 674-1989 or 674-2159.

Lions receive donation

MURRIETA -- Sue Ethridge, manager of the vision department at Wal-Mart in Murrieta, recently presented $1,000 to Murrieta Lions Club to be used for a variety of Lions Club sponsored programs designed to assist the visually impaired.

Wal-Mart also has been a major contributor to the Murrieta Lions Club annual White Cane Days, with those funds also going to Sight First and other vision support programs.

Elks collecting donations

LAKE ELSINORE -- The Lake Elsinore Elks are seeking donations for their annual Christmas Tree Lane.

The Dec. 6 event is the club's largest annual fundraiser, with proceeds going to scholarship.

Themed trees are decorated to be worth $1,000 each, then are raffled off.

For information, call Joanne Johnson at 674-5353 or the lodge, 674-6804.

WHAT'S HAPPENING

District offers band night

MENIFEE -- The Menifee Union School District will host the first of two band equipment rental nights from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Callie Kirkpatrick Elementary School.

The event is for elementary students wishing to be in band, as well as middle school students who need to rent instruments.

An event for A track students will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 13.

Callie Kirkpatrick Elementary is at 28800 Reviere Drive.

Artists to show works Thursday

TEMECULA -- Muralist Rip Reed and photographer Megan Franks will have an art showing from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Doti Design of the Interior.

The works Franks will be showing range from Temecula Wine Country and uniue sunrise balloon flight scenes to European landscape and architectural prints.

It is the first gallery showing for Franks, a Temecula residents for 18 years.

The gallery is at 1555 Margarita Road. For information, or to RSVP, call (800) 548-9912 or e-mail megan@sunriseballoons.com.

Workshop focuses on vision problems

MURRIETA -- A free workshop to identify if vision problems are leading to a child's ability to learn will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Center for Vision Development.

The workshop will give practical tools to help build school performance by enhancing vision and how to perform assessments and tests of vision skills.

The center is at 24710 Washington Ave., Suite 4. For information, call 461-2256 or visit www.koehjohnsonod.com/wrkshp.htm.

Employment seminar planned

TEMECULA -- A seminar titled "Hiring A Quality Workforce" will be offered by the Hemet/Temecula Employer Advisory Council from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Sizzler. The speaker will be attorney Bruce Matlock.

At the meeting, the group will recognize scholarship recipient Eric Hermosillo.

The cost is $20 for council members and $25 for guest in advance. The cost is $5 more at the door.

Reservations are required by calling Laura Harris at 955-3381. The restaurant is at 27717 Jefferson Ave.

Azusa Pacific to host meeting

MURRIETA -- The Azusa Pacific University Murrieta Regional Center will host a free graduate/credential information meeting at 6 p.m. July 23.

The APU Murrieta Regional Center offers programs to obtain a variety of credentials, a Master of Arts degree in education or leadership and organizational studies and a combined credential and Masters program.

The center is at 39573 Los Alamos Road. For information, contact Abena Salvant or Maria Buffington at 304-3400 or murrieta@apu.edu.

Conference offers open house

MURRIETA -- A free community open house will be offered July 30 as part of the Writing Educator's Symposium at Calvary Chapel Conference Center.

The 7:30 p.m. open house will feature teachers, authors and curriculum developers as well as book signings.

The center is at 39405 Murrieta Hot Springs Road. For information on the conference or open house, call (800) 856-5815 or visit excellenceinwriting.com/?q=wes.

Polynesian dance classes planned

LAKE ELSINORE -- Polynesian dance classes for all ages and levels will be offered next month at the Lake Elsinore Community Center.

Classes will meet Tuesdays from Aug. 5 to 26. Ages 5 to 8 meet at 4:30 p.m.; 9 to 13 at 5:30 p.m. for beginners. An intermediate classes, for ages 14 to adult, meets at 6:30 p.m.

The cost is $45 for four classes and advanced registration is recommended.

The center is at 310 W. Graham Ave. For information and registration, call 245-0442.

Gospel festival auditions planned

TEMECULA -- Auditions to perform in the Temecula Gospel Music and Arts Festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 16, at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater.

The Sept. 26-27 festival features Christian contemporary and gospel shows, workshops and arts events.

Auditions are open to Christian musical acts of all sizes and genres. Producers are also building a choir and a praise and worship youth show choir to perform throughout the weekend.

To audition, register at www.gospelfest08.org.

The Temecula Gospel Festival will benefit Oak Grove Center for Treatment Education and the Arts' performing and literary arts program, offering opportunities in the in the arts for the at-risk and special needs children at the school.

Murrieta library offers test aid

MURRIETA -- The public can access practice tests in subject areas such as advanced placement, college entrance exams, civil service, real estate and business writing through the Murrieta Public Library's online Learning Express Library database.

The free database is available at any time from any computer with Internet access.

To access the database, visit www.murrieta.org/services/library and click on the "Free Tutorial Classes and Tests" link located in the box marked "Library Databases."

For information, call the library's reference department at 304-2665 or visit the Murrieta Public Library at 8 Town Square at Adams Avenue and Kalmia Street.

Local artist receives recognition

TEMECULA -- Danielle Olivyea of Temecula received a Special Recognition Merit Award for her artwork in the 10th Annual Judeo-Christian Juried Online International Art Exhibition hosted by Upstream People Gallery.

Her piece was titled "The Missionary."

The international exhibition received approximately 250 entries from around the world by 50 artists.

The exhibition can be viewed online in the archives section at www.upstreampeoplegallery.com.