Image Up Advertising & Design

10 | SUN CITY CORE COURIER | DECEMBER 2024 | By Menifee Mayor Bill Zimmerman My final days serving as your Mayor have arrived, and I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the privilege of serving and representing you. I'm grateful for the warm welcome that the Civic Association has always extended to me and the many friendships I've gained over the years. Sun City will always hold a special place in my heart. Looking back, some of us have sung karaoke together as well as enjoyed classic car shows and parades, square dance events, synchronized swimming shows by the Aquarians, theater performances, and numerous social activities by all the interesting clubs. We have also joined together when needed to have our voices heard collectively to protect our neighborhood. An event in Sun City that's very special to me has been hosted each year by the Quilts of Valor to drape handmade quilts over our military veterans and surround them with love and show our appreciation. As I remember these special times, I'm reminded that what makes a community thrive is the people that live there. We are blessed to have so many friendly volunteers that really care about Sun City. I see them organizing events, setting up the room, welcoming guests, and ensuring everything goes smoothly. These are the hometown heroes that make this place shine. One of my favorite quotes is by Ronald Reagan. He said, "There is no limit to what a person can accomplish, if they don't mind who gets the credit." So, let's remember to thank those that we see rolling up their sleeves and volunteering to improve the lives of others. I believe this social dynamic is what Del Webb had hoped for in his vision for Sun City's lifestyle. Every day I'm asked, "what are you gonna do now?" I will have more time to offer toward the things that kept my wife and me busy prior to being Mayor, such as volunteering with our Historical Association and Museum, the Arts Council, Boys & Girls Club, Antelope-Menifee Rural Center, Rotary Club, and Chamber of Commerce to name a few. For me, I'm comforted by the fact that our city's financial position is solid today. Over the last six years, we have been fiscally conservative and prudent in building a 40 percent reserve fund and a policy to 'pay in full' our pension liabilities each year. Your City Council has demonstrated fiduciary responsibility, and I hope that future elected officials will continue in this direction. I'm also pleased that we're taking steps to create Sun City's first public park (green space) for seniors to enjoy together. I mentioned Menifee's history museum. We hope you'll stop by to visit some Sunday afternoon. Let's go way back in time to consider who inhabited this place prior to the 1800s. One of the earliest documented records we have is Luther Menifee Wilson's mine claim in 1880. Prior to his arrival were indigenous peoples — Native Americans who hunted and foraged to exist here for centuries. They found water flowing in our creeks, and the hills were teeming with dove, quail, and rabbit. They gathered chia seeds that grew naturally here. There are documented ceremonial sites, petroglyphs and pictographs, flakes, slicks, and bedrock mortars in this area. These sacred sites are to be respected and preserved. Today, we're fortunate to have majestic coast live oak trees (Quercus agrifolia) still standing tall in Menifee that are hundreds of years old — some that existed right here around the time of the early Spanish explorers and the establishment of the Missions along California's coast. By Mayor Pro Tem Bob Karwin I am pleased to report a major beautification project coming to Sun City. On Oct. 15, we opened bids for the landscaping and improvements of the Cherry Hills median that runs in front of the SCCA campus. Weather permitting, we are expecting work to begin before the end of the year, with the project fully complete by the end of February. Since 2021, we have spent approximately $4.5 million on infrastructure improvements in Sun City. These include the installation of ADA compliant crosswalks and curb ramps along Cherry Hills Boulevard from Bradley to Norwood, a traffic signal at Murrieta and Sun City Boulevard, and resurfacing of Murrieta Road from McCall to Salt Creek, and there is more to come. On Oct. 11, we celebrated the expansion and grand reopening of our dog park at E.L. Petersen Park on Murrieta Road, on the south side of Salt Creek. The park is fenced in for off- leash recreation, and there are separated areas for small and large dogs. This facility has benches, dog fountains, waste bag stations, and shade trees. The proposed new park on Portsmouth behind Faith Lutheran Church is still in the design phase, so this is the closest dog park to Sun City for the time-being. Finally, there has been a lot of speculation as to the future use of the former golf course properties. I can confirm to you that, as of this update, the property owners, Ambient Communities, have not submitted any requests for rezoning or development plans to the City. City Council meetings are held at City Hall on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 6 pm and are open to the public. You can also watch online on our YouTube channel. Feel free to email me at bkarwin@cityofmenifee.us. Thank you, Sun City! Sun City Beautification

• Cover