About this column:
Well versed in the private, public and non-profit sectors, Gail Paparian brings over 40 years of experience in public relations, marketing, merchandising and especially writing. She has written for large and small businesses, television, print and electronic media.With all due respect to my parents, I have tried to honor your teachings and remain polite; no matter what the circumstances. I believe my mom and dad would waive this dictum if they were here to deal with what has become of the medical profession. The recent tear to the ligaments in my leg have humbled me beyond the physical inconvenience of being able to do just about nothing. I have still not mastered the art of the walker and find my knee constantly turning within the brace causing me unspeakable pain. I have not fully heeded the advice of friends who constantly remind me to be “slow.” …
It was only to be a four day trip to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon in Utah but I was looking forward to the vacation and the opportunity to go on a bus tour with fellow residents of Sun Lakes. My dear friend Pat Manning and I were looking forward to beautiful scenery and sharing a trip full of memories. On the second day (Labor Day, 2011), we were just beginning one of the pre-arranged tours of Zion National Park. I took a few pictures and headed for the ladies room before getting back on the bus. I was somewhat successful in avoiding a jagged place on the step but my shoe hit some sand…
What a difference a week makes. I attended a meeting on Sept. 1, 2011 at the Yucaipa Valley Water District. At the table were electeds including: Banning city council, Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District and the Yucaipa Valley Water District. Roger Berg, Beaumont city council member, piped in that the Beaumont City Council was not at the table and needed to be. For that matter, there were no representatives from Riverside County or the Morongo Band of Mission Indians. Jeff Davis, General Manager of the San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency made a similar presentation to the one he made for the …
There was a study session held on Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at Banning city hall. The meeting was a presentation by the San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency (SGPWA) regarding additional development fees for the pipeline. Since I have an unquenchable thirst for all things water, I attended the session. I thought it might be an explanation of the agency’s recently enacted raise in their rate to the taxpayers of the San Gorgonio Pass. What? Raise taxes without getting a vote of the people? It must be unconstitutional; isn’t it? Sadly, it is legal and known as ad valorem - according to value - and the …
I was hoping that my last spinal fusion would bring the end to my back pain. Dr. David Tahernia of Desert Orthopedic Center/Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage said the fusion of lumbar 5 to sciatic should stop the gut wrenching pain in my back that also radiated down my left leg. I vowed after the second spinal fusion that I would not undergo another surgery. Pain has a way of eroding the spirit as well as causing one to make any decisions that could make the pain go away. True to his word, Dr. Tahernia did fuse and fix the issue at hand. He also warned me that the pain in my back …
Knowing that there is a Banning Unified School District board election in November 2011, I was interested to see which, if any incumbents were running and who the candidates were. Of the three sitting members, Amy Herr and Laurence Silverman have decided not to run, while incumbent Deborah Dukes will run. Because one or more incumbents have not filed, the closing for the nominations has been extended to Aug. 17. I was surprised to read in a press release from the Banning Teachers Association that their executive committee voted on July 30 to unanimously endorse three candidates for the …
Begun over three years ago, the Healing Arts Program is a collaboration between the San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital and the Banning Cultural Alliance. A reception held on Aug. 4, 2011, presented the artists and their work to the community. Many people made it a reality, and special credit for this project can be given to Karen Clavelot, Marilyn Hollis and Charlene Sakurai. Clavelot, recent president of the Banning Cultural Alliance, was passionate about this project and helped make certain it would happen. The hanging of the artwork is an extension of what began as a violin performance. It was…
Back in April, 2011, I wrote a column about a white house in Banning. At a state of the city event held at the Banning White House, I mentioned that it was really difficult for anyone who was disabled to navigate the facility. I recently spoke with Banning city manager Andy Takata and asked him if there were any changes in the status of this property: Residence? Business? Permitted? ADA Compliant, etc.? Takata told me that not much progress has been made but he hoped to have something nailed down soon. By definition, a city manager is like the CEO of a business. The CEO usually answers to …
If I plunk down a $15 at a movie theatre, I have a realistic expectation that I am entitled to see a film. What I don’t bargain for is the insufferable amount of advertising that comes with it, but that’s another story. The same goes when I push the lever on the gas pump, no matter what the price; I am entitled to receive fuel for my vehicle. In a sense, I am vested in the process. I give and I expect to receive. For reasons I don’t quite understand, too many people disdainfully spit out the word “entitlement” when they refer to Social Security and Medicare. Nothing can be farther from the …
In his novel, Thomas Wolfe said, “You can’t go home again.” I agree with his statement and I would add … But you can visit. While I was not born in Solana Beach, Bill and I had nearly 10 years in this seaside paradise. We golfed in local Rancho Santa Fe, walked the beach whenever we could, we became involved in the community. This is much easier to do in a small town where you actually get to know folks by their given names. This past July 1st, I returned to Solana Beach (California) to celebrate its 25th year of incorporation. I was the co-founder of the incorporation group known as CITI (…
It is always productive to see local chambers of commerce work together and that’s exactly what happened on Thursday, June 30, 2011. The chambers of Banning, Beaumont and Calimesa pool their resources and put on an informative mixer held at the Elegant Affair in Banning. There were well over 100 people in attendance, which I took as a good sign. For some of the nuts and bolts, Guy McCarthy has covered it in his patch.com article. Steve Glynn of Waste Management and Barbara Spoonhour of Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) were there to outline legislation and offer guidance and …
Live government in action remains the best show in town and the Tuesday, June 21 meeting of the Beaumont city council was no exception. Councilmember Nancy Gall had the unmitigated gall to go outside the Beaumont Loop to seek information; in this case she went to the IRS to get a ruling about the Beaumont Charitable Foundation. "The charity exists legally and the charity can receive funds legally and the reason why it can is because unlike other charities that are founded by private organizations we are a tax-exempt organization to begin with,” said Beaumont city attorney Joe Aklufi. For more…
Because I am a life-long student of policies and procedures, I attended a joint meeting Wednesday of the Banning city council, the planning commission, the parks and recreation committee and the economic development committee. I have sat through meetings to remind elected and appointed officials of the complexities of following the Ralph M. Brown Act - California's open meeting law, and parliamentary procedure. My main reason for attending the recent joint meeting was to see what, if anything, the Banning city council would do or might do about the process of selecting a mayor. Banning is a "…
A few years ago, I asked Katryn Robinson of Renaissance Pet Resort & Spa to help me understand what a blind person goes through on a daily basis. Fortunately, I was able to return from a few minutes in darkness while those who are sight impaired cannot. Her golden retriever Wally had been a guide-dog-in-training until an injury forced him out of the program. After Katryn gave me brief instructions on how to hold and command the dog and its harness, we were off on a rough patch of sidewalk on Ramsey Street. Katryn was right there to give me assurance as Wally steered me down the street. Every …
I attended the commencement of the Class of 2011 at Nicolet Middle School on June 1, 2011. It was not a middle school graduation; it was appreciation to those 42 “walking” (down the aisle) graduates of the Banning Adult School. In fact, nearly 100 will graduate by the end of June. I was proud to volunteer with fellow members of the San Gorgonio Pass Rotary club as ushers. Our Rotary, through the leadership of Art Welch, has served as mentors for the Junior Achievement Program. One of the reasons I became a writer was because I hated public speaking and for the record, I still do! It has been …
Semper Fi, Mr. Bill I attended a deeply moving dedication ceremony on May 26, 2011. Held at the Highland Springs Medical Plaza, the unveiling of a memorial saw families and members of the public gather to honor fallen Marine Lieutenant Joshua M. Palmer and Army Specialist Michael A. Dahl, Jr. Each was killed while defending our American freedom. The sheer emotion of the event concluded with the playing of Taps and the Raising of the Flag. There wasn’t a dry eye around, including mine. When I was a kid, I remember Decoration Day, now known as Memorial Day. Dating back to the 1860s, the last …
Acronym, according to Merriam Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, “a word formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or a major part of a compound term.” The beginning of my love/hate relationship with acronyms came to a head in 1985. I was in the shower, a place I considered private and a bit of a sanctuary. There were no cell phone and no cordless phones. If there were; I would have had them. In marches Bill Paparian to tell me that Jack was on the phone and needed me to get him some figures from the ERA--- fast. As I turned off the water and started toweling…
From the pictures I’ve seen on patch.com and Facebook, it looks like lots of people attended the recent Art Hop in Banning. There were multiple events going on that day, including the Banning Chamber of Commerce golf tournament I played in. I’ve been to every Art Hop since the beginning and it appears to be growing and drawing more people. If they had held in on a Saturday AND Sunday, think of how many people could have attended and how much business could have been brought to Banning. Now there’s something worth considering. With a myriad of activities …
I am not happy when anything interrupts my Sunday ritual. From 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. I am plugged into 60 Minutes and have been so for many years. I was about to grumble when the program was interrupted on May 1, 2011. Having spent many years in the television production industry and unfortunately, having seen too many national tragedies announced on TV (when president Kennedy was shot, comes to mind), I knew that a scrolling banner announcing the president was about to speak on a Sunday night was significant news…and it certainly was. I had given up hope that the world would ever see Osama bin …
Through the generosity of the Western Riverside Council of Governments, I had the opportunity to visit two places I want to live in! They're called Southern California Edison Smart Energy Experience located in Irwindale, and the Frontier Project Green Building Facility in Rancho Cucamonga. For those of us who are "electric toy junkies," these places are wonderland! Edison services more than 14 million customers - yes, Beaumont, you're there - and has begun installing 2.5 million "smart connects" that run on wireless radio chips and dispense real time energy tips while your appliances are …
