Community Groups Honor Jeff Stone's Service to Menifee

A gathering of about 50 community and business leaders, along with elected officials from cities and districts throughout Southwest Riverside County, listened to Supervisor Jeff Stone offer a farewell and thank you speech last night at Menifee Lakes Country Club.

The event was hosted by Menifee Action Group, a collection of residents who've devoted themselves to ensuring the growth and success of the City of Menifee.

Supervisor Marion Ashley had also been expected but cancelled due to last-minute scheduling conflicts.

Stone's farewell speech was in reference to redistricting within the County of Riverside. Back on August 16, 2011, the Board of Supervisors adopted a new map of supervisorial districts resulting from revised population statistics from the 2010 US Census. The City of Menifee had previous straddled the boundaries of Stone's district and Ashley's district.

Under the new districts, which is set to take effect in 2012, the City of Menifee lies entirely under Ashley's district.

"You're very fortunate to have him as my successor", Stone spoke to the audience about Ashley. "Because, he is going to give you the attention that you want, and he is going to give you the attention that you deserve."

Ashley grew up in Romoland, and oversaw the on-going revitalization of that area, including the new Field of Dreams ballpark, the construction of Eller Park and the Marion Ashley Community Center, as well as a beautification project along Highway 74.

Stone went on to talk about some of the accomplishments he oversaw for his section of Menifee, including widening the Newport Rd Bridge, bringing in Countyside Marketplace, rebuilding Rancho Ramona Park and Sun City Library.

"I believe the Sun City Library is now one the most beautiful libraries we have in the County, and is one of the most utilized", Stone said.


Councilmembers, Darcy Kuenzi, John Denver, Tom Furhman, and Wallace Edgerton, on behalf of the City of Menifee, presented Stone with a large plaque listing several of his accomplishments in Menifee. The Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Menifee Action Group presented Stone with similar awards.

When Stone defeated incumbent Jim Venable as the Third District Supervisor in 2004, Stone moved the district office in East Hemet to Menifee. "I said, I'm going to go where I feel where the County had neglected the most in the past few decades, and that was the unincorporated area of Menifee." Stone explained.

And so began a prerogative to boost the economic development of Menifee.

"We met with developers like Donahue Schriber and tried to convince them that this is where the growth is going to happen in Riverside County", Stone said. "Riverside County is the fastest growing county in the state, it's the second fastest growing county in the country, and most of that is happening right here in the Menifee Valley."

"Menifee will be the next future economic powerhouse in Riverside County, it has the potential the grow twice the size of Murrieta or Temecula", he went on to say.

Under the new districts, Stone will continue to serve the cities of Murrieta, Temecula, Hemet and San Jacinto, but will no longer serve Canyon Lake. Marion Ashley gains the City of Menifee, but will no longer serve Desert Hot Springs. Canyon Lake will be served by Bob Buster.