January 2011 Archives

Make a weekend of free family activities with Science Saturdays at the Western Science Center in Hemet--held on the first Saturday of each month-- and then Riverside's First Sundays at several downtown museums and art galleries.

The Feb. 5 Science Saturday family day will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Activities will include playing a traditional Luiseño game, weaving a place mat and the popular "cookie excavations," that teach children how archaeologists work in a tasty, creative way.

Arrowhead replication specialist Jim Bowden will also perform a live flint knapping demonstration.

All activities are free and open to the public.

For more information on the downtown Riverside family activities the following day, read The Guide or visit Inlandsocal.com/iguide/family.

SCIENCE SATURDAY
Where: Western Science Center, 2345 Searl Parkway, Hemet
When: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 5
Cost: Free
Information: 951-791-0033, www.westerncentermuseum.org

After a break in January, First Sundays family activities in downtown Riverside are coming back Feb. 6. Several downtown organizations will hold free family-friendly activities from 1 to 4 p.m. Here are the details:

Mission Inn: Chinese New Year Paper Lanterns
Celebrate the Chinese New Year by viewing the Inn's collection of Asian artifacts and then participating in a Chinese paper lantern craft.

Riverside Art Museum: Art and the Science of Illusion
Graduate Fellow Hannah Schwadron will lead the GLUCK Undergraduate Dance Ensemble in an original choreographed show at 1 p.m. Then, storyteller Karen Rae Kraut will perform "Six Statues," a Japanese New Years story in the traditional Kamishibai style at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Other activities will include facepainting from 1 to 4 p.m., a Valentine's Day craft and mini scrapbook craft.

UCR ARTSblock (Museum of Photography and Sweeney Art Gallery): Blue Valentine
Learn about the photographic process of cyanotype or blue print. Visitors can use interesting objects, light, water and more to create prints for valentines.

Riverside Public Library: Snow and Magic Show
Visitors can create their own UV beaded bracelet from 1 to 2 p.m. and 3 to 4 p.m. with a break between for the Great White Shark Expedition performance by the group Ocean Adventures from 2 to 3 p.m.

Riverside Metropolitan Museum: Little Museum on the Prairie
Decorate and adorn a variety of objects one last time before the museum's Adornment exhibit closes. Visitors can also get their faces painted and dress up with hats, gloves, and other accessories for a photo shoot.

As moms, we frequently set the bar very high. And then we can't even reach it ourselves. For some, it might be about a dietary goal, an educational pursuit, or a volunteering endeavor.

For me, I struggle to set realistic expectations in these three areas: physical fitness, finances, and emotional wellness.

Dianne Bright
Guest Author

In the area of exercise, I'm fairly fit already, but I aim higher than my body can handle; subsequently, I pay for it by injury or stress later. For example, I try to get to the gym four to five times a week.

But, I usually only make it about two to three times per week since my mom-duties pull me in a hundred different directions. So I tend to jam in more miles and longer weight circuits instead of being gentle on my body.

Recently, I have found a more attainable goal for myself. I'm now running four to five times a week for shorter distances. Instead of aiming for seven miles on the treadmill, I'm upping my frequency out on the road, but limiting it to two miles instead.

The result is more peace and satisfaction along with healthier shins. I still squeeze the gym-time into my schedule, but now I don't feel as stressed if I skip it once in awhile.

When it comes to finances, my hubby and I have reduced all of our debts, other than educational loans and one of our cars. So we should feel really good about ourselves; but still, I have the tendency to feel pressured to do even better.

Written by guest author Carole Meyer-Reith:

Carole Meyer-Rieth
Guest Author

Sometimes I wonder if we turned the tables on ourselves as parents how we would match up to our expectations for our children. Here are a few questions we can ask:

1. Do I try eating any new (healthy!) foods?
2. Do I try eating something again that I didn't like before (i.e. I just ate mushrooms again last week for the first time in about twenty years! And....I liked them!)?
3. Do I use good manners at the table (i.e. I've been noticing that I talk with food in my mouth sometimes!)?
4. Do I greet people with politeness and kindness?
5. Do I have a clean bedroom?
6. Do I spend time being active or being outdoors?
7. Do I share with my friends?
8. Do I say please and thank you?
9. Do I always have something on to entertain me (i.e. TV, radio, computer), or can I entertain myself (i.e. books, puzzles, games, art, dance)?
10. Do I listen?

I have a hunch that as we improve in these areas, our kids will too!

Last week the Music Center of Los Angeles County announced the names of 90 high school students who will perform as semifinalists in the 23rd annual Music Center Spotlight Awards.

The artists were chosen from more than 1,200 Southern Calif. students who auditioned in six categories: ballet, non-classical dance, classical voice, non-classical voice, classical instrumental and jazz instrumental. Fifteen students were selected as semifinalists in each category.

Those selected from the Inland region include: Cassidy Marie Wolf and Stephanie Wolfe from Temecula in the non-classical dance category; Rachel Anacker from Highland in the classical voice category; Annie Cao and Xue Gong from Idyllwild in the classical instrument category; Jingfu Peng from Redlands in the classical instrument category; and Cammi Nevarez from Wildomar in the non-classical dance category; Samantha Cantoria from Norco in the non-classical dance category; and Alexandria Kissinger from Riverside in the non-classical dance category.

The semifinalists will attend special master classes on performance techniques, training and professional life. Each semifinalist will then audition again before a new panel of judges, who will select the top two finalist performers in each category.

The Music Center will name 12 finalists in March and the final competition at the Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion will take place April 30.

For more information on the Music Center Spotlight Awards, call 213-972-3300 or visit musiccenter.org.

The University of Redlands is getting a special visitor Wednesday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. - someone who's been on the New York Times best sellers list and has been knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

Sir Ken Robinson will present, "Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative" at the Memorial Chapel on the University of Redlands campus. The lecture is free and open to the public.

The evening event is presented by the Office of Campus Diversity & Inclusion at the University of Redlands, the Montessori school and The Grove School in Redlands, in conjunction with the Johnston Center for Integrative Studies and the University's School of Education.

Sir Ken Robinson is an internationally recognized leader in the development of creativity, innovation, human potential and the people side of organizations.

Robinson's latest book, "The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything" (Penguin/Viking 2009), is a New York Times best seller and is being translated into 18 different languages. His TED Talk (http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html) has been distributed widely around the Web since its release in June 2006.

He works with governments in Europe, Asia and the U.S., as well as with international agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and some of the world's leading cultural organizations. In 1998, he led a national commission on creativity, education and the economy for the UK Government. The resulting report, "All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education" (The Robinson Report) was published to wide acclaim in 1999.

For 12 years, he was professor of education at the University of Warwick, where he is now professor emeritus. In 2005, he was named as one of Time/Fortune/CNN's "Principal Voices." In 2003, he received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the arts.

More information about Robinson can be found at his website: www.sirkenrobinson.com

Written by guest author Carole Meyer-Rieth

I once visited a friend and was enjoying a chat over cups of tea when she suddenly began to cry and apologized for the house being such a mess. "You call this messy?" I asked her incredulously. I didn't test the mantle for dust, but I certainly expected a house with two small children to have a few toys laying around!

Carole Meyer-Rieth
Guest Author

With the juggling act that many of us are facing every day between home and work, the pendulum tends to swing dramatically from one direction to another in terms of time we spend with our families and time we spend maintaining a home that is at least somewhat clean. We can feel a lot of pressure to be perfect when people come over to visit. Generally, for me, if the bathroom is clean, the dishes are clean and guests can walk into our dining room and living room without falling over anything, I feel pretty good! On the other hand, I have found that the stress levels and the level of comfort for our own family in our home is directly affected by the amount of clutter. So, how do I balance wanting a relatively clean home with work in addition to time with my family? The answer: Everyone gets in on the cleaning, and everyone gets more time for playing!

I have discovered that cleaning up after our kids without including them in the process does me as great a disservice as it does them. It sets up a dynamic of expectation that I am there to clean up their messes, and they miss out on opportunities to learn and be empowered by their own growing abilities. I realized with a shock when my son was three that he didn't know how to peel a banana because I had always peeled it for him! Whether it is peeling a banana or cleaning up a mess, of course it will always be faster or easier for parents to complete the task themselves. However, when we take a step back and make room for our children to take action, I am confident that we will be surprised and impressed.

I have several "mentors" in this area, as it is an area of continual challenge and growth for me:

1. In the fantastic book "It's Hard to Make A Difference If You Can't Find Your Keys," Dr. Marilyn Paul writes of learning to pay attention to set-up and clean-up as part of the process and follow-through of an activity, among many other helpful concepts and exercises. Finally, an author to whom I can relate in this area versus someone to whom keeping an immaculate home just "comes naturally!" For example, when painting with my daughter, I make cleaning up and washing the brushes part of the process for us, and she is so proud when she takes good care of them!

2. In the "FlyLady book" and on her website (www.flylady.com), Marla Cilley suggests "baby steps" and a schedule for cleaning our homes in zones that I have found helpful as a guideline when I do find or make some time to clean.

3. The Montessori school of thought has been influential in how I have been trying to arrange our home and our children's toys in a way that is more manageable for all of us to maintain. In a nutshell, my understanding of the Montessori approach is to encourage our children to learn practical life skills, to gain a sense of their own capacity and power, and to grow as a kind and contributing member of the home and the world. "How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way" by Tim Seldin and Vanessa Davies is a book with a rather intimidating title, but it is an incredible resource and an inspiring read. There are helpful suggestions as to what children are able to do at various ages, and obviously my expectations for my 3 and 5-year-olds will change as they get older. The idea is not to make my children my work force in the home, but to build a collaboration among us as a family.

Other resources are too numerous to list here, but these are a great start! My hope is not to achieve perfection in terms of a clean house, but to make it a comfortable home in which we all participate and share in welcoming each other and others. And that's a good way to grow.

The University of Redlands Summer Piano Camp is inviting the community to a benefit concert featuring University of Redlands faculty and Piano Camp faculty. The 4 p.m. concert will be held on Sunday, Jan. 30 in the Frederick Lowe Performance Hall of Watchorn Hall at the University of Redlands.

The proceeds of the concert will benefit the University's Summer Piano Camp Scholarship Fund. This event is being held in association with the Music Teacher National Association sponsored "Year of Collaborative Music."

Staying in theme with the "Year of Collaborative Music," this concert focuses solely on collaborative music making. Performers will include Erika and James Ramos, Julie Johnson, Sunja Kim, Angelica Prodan, Lara Urrutia, and - fresh from their first place win at the United States International Duo Piano Competition - Blanc Et Noir (Diana Muñoz and Jina Silva).

Composers to be featured include William Bolcom, Antonin Dvorak, Manuel Infante, Franz Schubert and Witold Lutoslawski.

About the Summer Piano Camp:
The fourth annual Summer Piano Camp will take place July 25 through Aug. 5 at the University of Redlands. The money raised from the concert will help to provide scholarships to deserving students who wish to attend the camp.

The University of Redlands Summer Piano Camp is a program focused on developing the whole musician through a comprehensive curriculum and focus on collaboration and creative music making in a fun and stimulating environment. In contrast to primarily providing solo instruction and structured practice time, the University of Redlands Summer Piano Camp instead is based on enriching students through courses from the wide spectrum of music education, such as music theory, composition, improvisation, music history, and ensemble skills.

Students all participate in an ensemble of anywhere from 2 to 11 pianists, often involving more than one piano. In addition, they have the opportunity to participate in other unique class offerings which change yearly, including explorations examining music and its relation to art, drama, and even multimedia. A final concert showcases the students' summer efforts, including a documentary which is primarily filmed by the students.

For more information on the Summer Piano Camp, please visit www.redlandspianocamp.com or visit the group on Facebook.

A Riverside kindergarten teacher needs your help. Her son, Nicholas Melton, was born with an immune disease that makes it hard for him to fight off infections. Over the years, he has had multiple surgeries and procedures, but now he needs a bone marrow transplant. He is a fun loving fourteen year old kid, just like the ones you see playing around your own neighborhood. He needs our community's help!

Dianne Bright
Guest Author

Join his parents, Marlene and Dave, as they fight for their son's life. His three siblings are not a bone marrow match for the transplant, so he needs to find a match from someone else. Maybe it could be you or someone that you know! By joining the national bone marrow registry, you increase the chances for Nicholas, or someone else in need, to have a healthy life.

Please show your support by 1) donating blood and/or 2) by getting screened to see if you are a bone marrow match for Nicholas. Life Stream is holding a blood drive and marrow screening at Kennedy Elementary School on Tuesday, February 1, 2011 from 2-7pm in the multi-purpose room. The school's address is: 19125 Schoolhouse Lane, Riverside.

For more information or to set up an appointment call:
Life Stream: 800-879-4484
Kennedy Elementary: Sandy Perry, 951-789-7570 X43261

Cinderella is getting a little fresh competition from a new princess in town. Princess Mirabel, along with her herd of pigs, will be at LifeHouse Theater in Redlands with the youth theater group's new production, "The Princess and the Pigs." Feb. 5 through March 13.

Based on the Grimm Brothers fairy tale "King Thrushbeard," this original comedy brings to life the story of Princess Mirabel, King Atreo's rude and selfish daughter.

Special to The Press-Enterprise

Princess Mirabel (Kari Kennedy) reacts in disgust to the pig of the beggar Pauvel (Jonathan Blair) in LifeHouse Theater's new musical comedy "The Princess and the Pigs" (Feb. 5 - Mar. 13).

The king decides to pair her with a singing beggar and herd of pampered pigs, and Mirabel is never the same.

"The Princess and the Pigs" is written by Melissa Schwartzkopf and directed by husband and wife team, Chris and Cathy Flores.

The show features Kari Kennedy of Rancho Cucamonga as Princess Mirabel, and Jonathan Blair of Riverside will play King Elrick and Pauvel the Beggar.

'THE PRINCESS AND THE PIGS'The 7:30 p.m. performance Feb. 19 will feature an interpreted presentation for the deaf.
Where: LifeHouse Theater, 1135 N. Church St., Redlands
When: Feb. 5-March 13; 7:30 p.m. Fridays; 2:15 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays; 2:15 p.m. Sundays. There will be a special Thursday performance March 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: Advance: $14 or $18 adults and $7 or $9 children 3-11 (no children under 3 are admitted); tickets cost $1 more on the day of the performance
Information: 909-335-3037 ext. 21, www.lifehousetheater.com

Since the Wii was released on November 19th, 2006, it has been a hit with families around the globe. According to Wikipedia, the game console broke the US record for best selling console in a single month in December 2009. And as of January 2011, Nintendo's Wii remains the leader in overall sales over Sony's PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360.

Dianne Bright
Guest Author

So, why do moms love the Wii? As a mom of three and a recent Wii convert myself, it wins first place in my book. Creating the Mii characters alone provides lots of fun; from eye and hair color to height and skin color, creating your own player is a snap. You can even add a mole to your right cheek or blue eye shadow to your eye lids. Then you can pick your Mii as the character for many of the games that you play.

My son's beloved "QT2 shoes" Mii is a balding, dark-haired, tall and skinny man who wears red lipstick. The kids have even made Mii characters for everyone in our family including one for Nana and Grampy. Grampy's Mii character (in case he ever comes up to play the Wii with us) is a true likeness with gray hair around the sides of his head.

But here are the main reasons I love the Wii. There are six primary benefits of the Wii game system in our household:

First, it gets my middle daughter out of bed (Hallelujah!). Even when loud dance music jams to get the rest of us boogeying into the morning, she lies dead to the world. But as soon as I whisper, "If you get dressed, go potty, and brush your teeth, you can play a little bit of the Wii this morning," she's out of bed like a rocket headed to space.

Second, it involves the whole family. Gillian Sharp of Riverside says that her three kids "love that Mom finally plays video games!" Lisa Heying of Riverside recently purchased a Wii console for her family. She says, "It has been fun interacting as a family playing the Wii."

In our family, it's hard to steal the Wii remotes and the Nunchuks away from our kids, but when Friday night hits, Hubby and I get our game on and the kids move out of the way. My husband always slams me at tennis and I generally pummel him at bowling.

Riverside City College Dance Department will present Lux Boreal Contemporary Dance at RCC's Landis Auditorium at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12.

Lux Boreal Contemporary Dance, based in Tijuana, Baja Calif., was founded in 2002. Directed by Angel Arambula and Henry Torres, the company arrived in the national dance scene shortly after. Their choreography exemplifies a style and personal language unique to the country's Northwest.

Professional choreographers and dancers from Tijuana and other cities have been drawn to work with Lux Boreal to create a refreshing on-stage language that is in contrast to surrounding reality. The company performs in major theatres throughout Mexico and has been developing a strong cultural exchange with California.

Lux Boreal has performed at international dance festivals in Chile, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Brazil, Spain, Latvia, and the U.S. Since 2007, as a result of their constant work in the Mexican national dance scene, Lux Boreal is one of the professional groups that is supported by grants from the National Fund for Arts and Culture through the program, Mexico on Stage.

Lux Boreal uses dance as a vehicle to generate performances that transform their environment through reflection. Through choreography, Lux Boreal seeks to communicate direct and honest themes that deal with obsessions and existential reality.

For tickets, call Landis Box Office at 951-222-8100 or go to www.landispac.com.

The War Between the States will being played out in the hills of Calico Ghost Town over President's Day Weekend, Feb. 19-21. The American Civil War Society, the largest Civil War re-enacting association in Southern California, will bring to life the troop drills, inspections, infantry, artillery and cavalry brigades, as well as the fashions, and soldier encampments depicting the life and times of this historic period.

Battles are scheduled twice daily on Feb. 19 and 20 at 11:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Among the war-specific drills, canon firings, and sharpshooter demonstrations, visitors will also experience the Civil War from the civilian point of view. There will be fashion shows, music -- from brass bands to guitars, banjos and flutes -- and townspeople displaying their crafts and trades. Each day, an Abe Lincoln re-enactor will deliver "The Gettysburg Address."

Calico Ghost Town has camp sites with full, partial or no hook-ups. Camping reservations can be booked directly online at www.sbcountyparks.com. Camping patrons receive up to six admissions per unit to the event. Individual admission for the event is: $10 adults; $5 youth 6-15; and free for ages 5 and under. Tickets can be purchased at the gate.

In addition to camping, Calico has cabins, mini-bunkhouse and a bunkhouse accommodations. Reservations for these must be booked by calling the park at 800-86-CALICO.

Calico Ghost Town is located off I-15 at the Ghost Town Road exit, ten miles north of Barstow.

The Art Institute of California - Inland Empire will host the Best Teen Chef Competition at the institute on April 30. High school seniors graduating in 2011 are invited to showcase their talents at the competition. Applications must be turned in by Feb. 4

Each participating Art Institutes school will crown a local Best Teen Chef and offer the winner a $5,000 scholarship towards a culinary degree program at The Art Institute.

The Best Teen Chef Competition, now in its 12th year, is an opportunity for high school seniors in the U.S. and Canada interested in pursuing a culinary career to experience the industry.

"Evert year we continue to be inspired by the talents of the emerging culinarians that enter the Best Teen Chef Competition. These students show a real love for the culinary arts and an enthusiasm for exploring fresh new meal ideas for friends and family," said Chef James Kellenberger, Academic Program Director of Culinary Arts at The Art Institute of California - Inland Empire.

To be eligible to enter the competition, high school seniors must first submit a completed Entry & Rlease form by Feb.4 to The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California - Inland Empire. Deadline for complete entries is Feb.25.

Selected entrants will progress to a local cook-off competition at the institute on April 30.

To learn how to enter the Best Teen Chef Competition 2011 and to view the competition rules, visit www.artinstitutes.edu/pr.aspx?ID=AI2127 or contact Vincent Japson, vjapson@aii.edu and 909-915-2107 at The Art Institute of California - Inland Empire.

This title gets you thinking about Disney's Pocahontas, right? But, this piece actually has very little to do with Disney movies at all. It is about my little four-year-old and her precious ability to say the right thing at the right time. After big-kid-drop-off today, she and I were heading home when I heard a funny noise in the backseat.

Dianne Bright
Guest Author

I was feeling stressed about the day ahead and trapped inside my own thoughts about a hundred different things. But when I heard her cute little noises, I paused to ask her what she was doing. She confidently replied, "Blowing kisses at the trees."

She frequently brings me back down to reality and out of life's "what-ifs" and worries with some kind of silly word or deed. A mom's day certainly gets hectic for a plethora of reasons, from health issues, to finances, to child-rearing challenges, etc. But, we should all be abundantly thankful that our kids are here to make us smile and laugh through it all.

To think that my daughter really cares for the trees that we drive by while sprinting towards a red light makes me sit back and remember that I'm not alone. No matter what challenge I face, she's there for me with sweet little hands to hold and twinkling eyes.

She's ready to give a comforting hug or a bubble gum flavored kiss. She never turns down the chance to have a refreshing tea party or to snuggle on the couch to read My Little Pony for the hundredth time.

The Riverside Youth Council is looking for nominations for Riverside's 25 Most Remarkable Teens. Nominees must be between the ages of 12 and 20, and live in the City of Riverside (may be away at college). Teens who are chosen will be recognized on Riverside Youth Council's public television program and at the Riverside City Council meeting in the spring.

The nomination period is open through Feb. 18.

Categories include academics, activism, artist, athletics, citizenship, civic involvement, community service, courage to overcome, dance, entrepreneur, fashion design, hobbies, inventor, leadership, musician, performing arts, personal decision, photography, physical act of courage, physical limitation, health condition, family situation, social conscience, technology, visual arts and writing.

Nomination forms are available at www.riversideyouthcouncil.com.

The Banning Library will have a special guest Thursday night. Buster Balloon will entertain children with funny stories and activities at the library's Family Night from 5 to 6 p.m. All ages are welcome to the free event.

Family Night
Where: Banning Library, 21 West Nicolet St.
When: 5-6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 13
Information: www.banninglibrarydistrict.org

Have you ever wondered why it rains so much during the winter and not at all during the summer? Especially lately?

Families are invited to visit the Highland Sam J Racadio Library and Environmental Learning Center for Family Science Exploration on Saturday, January 15 at 10:30 a.m. to explore the Water Cycle.

The entire family will journey to the Science Lab where a silly song will help everyone remember the cycle and the different forms water can take. Children can "get their feet wet" building models to explain how water travels through the air and back to the ground.

The program begins promptly at 10:30 a.m. and children must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information about this Family Science Exploration visit http://www.sbcounty.gov/library.

If you like trains, this is the weekend to visit the San Bernardino County Museum. The museum's annual "Train Days" will take place Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 15-16 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The museum will be filled with large and small model train layouts, real railroad artifacts, and activities for the whole family. The Pacific Coast Modular Club, Orange County Modular Railroaders, Antelope Valley N-Scalers, and Southern California Traction Club will install huge layouts with running trains, scenery, and miniature buildings. Other models will include a traveling circus, a monorail, trolleys, and an American Flyer train.

"Visit the circus, operate a little locomotive, and design a logo for your own train," said museum educator Nancy Kirkwood. "Folks will also enjoy seeing historic and recent railroad artifacts, including tools, train lanterns, and switch stands. We will have real train engineers and railroad workers for visitors to talk to as well."

Families can play "The Train Game" and learn about train signals, and can create their own paper locomotive and train logo to take home. Visitors will also see the restoration progress being made on the museum's Southern Pacific locomotive 2825 and AT & SF caboose 1333 in the courtyard.

The San Bernardino County Museum is 2024 Orange Tree Lane in Redlands. Admission is $8 (adult), $6 (senior or military), $5 (student), $4 (child aged 5 to 12), and children under five and Museum Association members are admitted free. Parking is free. Food will be available from 9am to 5pm. For more information, visit www.sbcountymuseum.org.

This week I covered a lot of road again, visiting Banning, San Jacinto, Hemet and Murrieta.

I saw the Dorothy Ramon Learning Center in Banning for the first time. The center is dedicated to maintaining and sharing the cultures, languages, history and traditional arts of the American Indian nations of Southern California.

I met founder and president Ernest Siva (Cahuilla/Serrano), who is busy, busy planning for an expansion of the center into the old downtown Post Office building next door that was recently purchased. He also plans to expand into two adjacent lots on the other side of the building, with an ethnobotanical garden.

I also saw the Western Science Center in Hemet for the first time, where I learned a brand new charter middle school, Western Center Academy, is halfway through it's first year at the center.

Western Science Center houses a museum with a focus on paleontology, archeology, culture and earth science history, as well as research labs and a curation facility. Nearly 1 million specimens, artifacts and documentation are housed at the center.

Principal Paul Bailey was going through a shipment of 100 new iPads when I arrived Wednesday. He said by next semester they hoped to have enough for the entire student body.

Another stop this week was the Golden Era Golf Course in San Jacinto where I met volunteer Keith Lundy. For the last several years he has organized a free golf clinic for disabled veterans. After running into some budget problems with the VA hospital, he expanded the program to mentally and physically challenged adults with the Exceed program. This year's clinic began last month and Lundy has 12 students training for a tournament in June.

Lundy is a retired non-combat Army veteran who simply saw a TV blurb on a similar program in the Long Beach area and decided he could do something similar in San Jacinto. So he did.

My last stop of the week was at Oak Grove Center in Murrieta, a non-public school that works with students who are at-risk and have emotional and learning disabilities. About a year and a half ago, the school began a new autism program and now the Perris campus is adding a new class because the response has been so great.

The Murrieta campus has two low-functioning autism classes that house students aged 8 to 15, as well as a high-functioning class that does vocational training. The Perris campus class will have a combination.

On Thursday I met with the Teacher Cheryl Monahan, and Counselor Pam Shey for a tour of one of the classrooms. It was amazing. The kids learn sensory lessons, manners, sing songs, do writing activities, computer lab, etc. Each student has a picture schedule customized to their ability. The schedule may have cartoon pictures, photos or written words.

This week sounded a little tough since the students just returned from winter break, but everyone was in good spirits.