A Doug's Life: Random thoughts about the big city

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Menifee meanderings…

What does it take to activate a traffic signal at an intersection that badly needs it? More than simply putting up the poles, obviously.

In response to reader queries, we asked City of Menifee spokesman Phil Southard why it’s taking so long to get the red and green lights flashing on the poles at Menifee Road and La Piedra Road – a busy intersection next to a park and middle school. According to Southard, they’re still waiting for delivery of a traffic signal controller cabinet that is needed to automatically operate the signals.

“The traffic signal at Menifee Road and La Piedra Road is a high priority for the City and we will expedite the work as quickly as possible once all of the equipment has been received,” Southard said.

Is this another one of those “the parts are on a ship in the harbor” situations? Who knows…

Congratulations to the Paloma Valley High girls volleyball team, which swept Elsinore Thursday to wrap up its fourth consecutive league title. The players change over the years, but the program’s consistency under head coach Stephen Kaas churns out winners every season. The Wildcats play Millikan at home on Thursday in the first round of the CIF playoffs…

What’s going on with the City of Menifee’s attempt to take control of parks east of the freeway away from Valley-Wide Recreation and Parks District? The City refused to accept a county governing board’s ruling in 2017 that it pay $1 million and agree to a public vote in order to annex the area, yet City officials continue to refer to the takeover as if it will be reality one day. So how do they plan to accomplish this? No answer there…

Speaking of the City of Menifee and Valley-Wide, whatever happened to the Soap Box Derby? I guess asking the two sides to work together to bring back a popular activity is simply too much…

The City made a big deal out of advertising the opportunity for residents to learn about local government by attending a Citizens Academy. Eight weeks later, a group photo of the academy’s first graduating class was posted on the City’s Facebook page. Reportedly, attendees graduated “with a working knowledge of the organizational structure, services, and functions of the City of Menifee and its various departments.”

Good for them. Now maybe one of them can explain all that to me. And I’ll bet their questions always got answered by the right people…

To those of you who have asked us to publish a “legal notice” – the kind of notice tucked away on inside pages of newspapers with “doing business as” statements and the like – I can only say I wish we could help you.

At this time, online-only publications are not allowed to post such notices to satisfy clients’ legal requirements. This has been challenged in some states, but so far the ruling stands. So for the time being, newspapers of at least weekly publication certified to run legal notices are allowed to rake in those profits while the rest of us toil away without that income. (Cue the violins)…

In the Better Late Than Never Department comes the news that the City Council on Wednesday will approve the awarding of a construction contract to begin building the Holland Road Overpass. So I guess the overpass beats the Krikorian Theater in the “race” to see which project starts (or resumes) first…

The annual Menifee State of the City program will take place Thursday morning. I’m not a fan of this event, primarily because it doesn’t portray a true state of the city and it costs $65 for residents to attend. The event used to be free for residents. Is this now nothing more than a fundraiser for the Chamber of Commerce?

To describe the true “state of the city” to residents, the video and remarks should address the challenges as well, and not just the accomplishments. Here’s betting there is no mention of the stalled Krikorian Theater Project and its status, or the efforts to improve public safety and roadwork in the face of traffic congestion and the many traffic collisions of late. Aren’t those factors part of the state of the city?

Apparently that doesn’t matter as long as the City puts on a happy face to the crowd of dignitaries and business professionals who will pay as much as $5,000 to attend and sponsor a table.