January 21

VOLUME 32, NUMBER 1 JANUARY 2021 

Temecula Valley Hospital Nationally 

Recognized with an ‘A’ for the 

Fall 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade 

SEE PAGE 16 

DEAR THIRD DISTRICT 

RESIDENT 

The Riverside County Third District Supervisor’s 

Office is working remotely to answer constituent questions 

about property taxes, COVID-19 restrictions and 

testing, social-service benefits and other County-related 

matters. 

by Chuck Washington 

SEE PAGE 23 

EVMWD AWARDED TOP WORKPLACE 

IN INLAND EMPIRE 

General Manager Reflects on the 

Inland News Group’s Recognition 

Rep. Calvert: Desperately Needed 

COVID Relief Heading to Americans 

Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42) voted along with a bipartisan 

majority (359 to 53) of the House of Representatives to approve 

a COVID relief bill. 

SEE PAGE 14 

SEE PAGE 13 

HEALTH 

TIPS TO PROTECT 

YOUR NECK WHILE 

YOU WORK FROM 

HOME. 

TECHNOLOGY 

NIST – ACHIEVING 

ALIGNMENT 

IN CYBERSECURITY 

3 19 

COMMUNITY 

POWERSTONE’S TIM 

PECKHAM ELECTED 

TO THE GREATER 

INLAND EMPIRE CAI 

23 

AND... 

I NEED TO TALK WITH 

SOMEONE 

DON’T GO IT ALONE

THE VALLEY BUSINESS JOURNAL 

2 www.TheValleyBusinessJournal.com 

January 2021 

JDS FAMILY WELCOMES IN 

2021 

When welcoming in a new year, it is hard not to look back at the last year 

and do a little review, reflecting on the good and the challenging. Although 

it’s difficult to find the right words to describe all that has gone on in 2020, 

it’s fair to say it was daunting, but here at JDS Studios, we like to make 

lemonade out of lemons - creating and celebrating the memorable moments. 

JDS Creative Academy, fueled by go-getters, 

is known for its year-round programs, 

classes, special events and live productions 

including Riverside County’s only news-magazine 

program, Spirit of Innovation.Putting 

our “names” to good use, we got “Creative” 

with our “Spirit” and continued our mission 

of providing career pathways and opportunities 

in visual, performing and digital arts for 

youth, teens and adults. 

At the start of the 2020 stay-at-home order, 

we put our backstage designers to work. 

Normally, they create sets, props, and design 

original outfits for our stage productions and 

television show, Spirit of Innovation, instead, 

they started sewing for a cause and made over 

500 masks that were donated to local senior 

homes, hospitals, and businesses throughout 

the Temecula Valley. 

While working remotely, our 7,000 

square foot building wasn’t being occupied, 

so we partnered with LifeStream Blood Bank 

to host a series of four mobile blood drives, 

collecting over 50 pints to help blood levels 

remain stable at the peak of the Coronavirus 

uncertainty. 

As with so many in the area, all events 

that were planned pre-pandemic had to be 

rescheduled or reinvented like DigiFest Temecula 

. After months of planning, we ended 

up turning our annual April three-day festival 

into an August DigiDay; an eight-hour virtual 

interactive experience with special guests, 

workshops, networking, screenings, entertainment 

and awards! Ironically, we now plan 

to incorporate some of these virtual aspects 

into DigiFest moving forward. 

2021 DigiFest dates are April 16,1,7,18 

- competition submissions are open. Go to 

digifesttemecula.org for information. Like 

Charlie said in Willy Wonka and the Choco- 

late Factory , “You’ve got nothing to lose so 

why not choose to think positive!” Speaking 

of that eccentric man, JDS Creative Academy’s 

2020 Musical Theater Group and JDS 

Actors Studio, joined forces to create the 

first-ever Zoomsical production of Willy 

Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. 

The 50-minute production included every 

aspect of a live stage performance all within 

Zoom! The #JDSFamily is exceptionally 

proud of the performers who brought their 

gifts to the computer screen to entertain in 

these difficult times. 2021 enrollment open. 

Thanks to technology and the internet, 

togetherness still blossomed amid quarantine. 

Another 2020 challenge was how to reinvent 

our Annual Haunted Studio fundraiser for 

Halloween. Pre-pandemic, JDSCA welcomed 

the community into our studios for a haunted 

walk through production with tricks, treats, 

thrills and chills to enjoy the holiday and raise 

scholarship funds for at-risk and foster youth. 

We went into hyper-creative mode, and 

The #JDSFamily put together a 360 degree 

virtual reality immersive experience that went 

right along with our Drive Through Spooktacular 

and Blood Drive. 

As we look into what the new year will 

bring, we anxiously anticipate our fifth DigiFest 

in April, along with creative visual, 

performing and digital arts classes (whether 

they are virtual or in-person), live productions 

in some form, plays and events. We are very 

thankful for the continued community support 

especially in these adverse times and look 

forward to the fresh slate of 2021. 

We are super proud of our team and how 

hard everyone has worked. The #JDSFamily 

wishes everyone blessings and prosperity for 

the New Year ahead!



www.TheValleyBusinessJournal.com 

3 

3 

Your Future Self Will Thank You 

Tips to Protect 

Your Neck While You 

Work From Home 

HEALTH 

by 

Dr. Tina Gottlieb, D.C. 

How and when you move is a huge 

part of creating a strong foundation of 

health. Daily exercise matters, but so 

does how we do our jobs and other daily 

activities. These 3 simple tips can have 

a long-lasting impact on the natural curve 

of your neck and your health. Taking care 

of your neck impacts your posture, reduces 

headaches, and will even increase 

your productivity by reducing fatigue 

and discomfort. 

1. Your computer monitor should be 

at eye level and directly in front of 

you. We want to keep you in a neutral 

position while you work. If you are 

using a laptop, you should be using an 

adjustable laptop riser. They are only 

about $30 on Amazon. When using a 

laptop riser you should also use a secondary 

keyboard and mouse. Laptops 

are great for portability but not great 

for ergonomics. 

2. Look for standing workstation options. 

The 3 main options are to purchase a 

standing desk, use a desktop option like 

a Varidesk, or you can simply utilize 

your laptop riser at a counter or on a 

shelf to implement intermittent standing. 

I always recommend identifying 

tasks that you will do while standing 

to break up your day. At the very least 

stand while on the phone, and brainstorming. 

Studies suggest that men 

who sit more than 6 hours a day have 

a 20% higher mortality rate & women 

have a 40% higher mortality rate. 

3. Hold your phone at eye level. Try to 

avoid having your phone in your lap 

where you are having to flex your head 

and neck forward to look at it. As you 

tip your head forward you increase 

the weight and strain on your neck. 

So even if you tip your head forward 

45 degrees you are now sustaining a 

49-pound weight. It will seem a little 

strange at first but once you get in the 

habit you will feel so much better. 

If you utilize all of these tips and still 

have neck pain, headaches, or Migraine 

Headaches reach out to us for additional 

guidance. 

Tina M Gottlieb, D.C. is an Upper Cervical 

Chiropractor in Temecula. If you 

have any questions please let her know 

951-699-5161, Tina@drtinachiropractic. 

com, www.DrTinaChiropractic.com 

DRTINACHIROPRACTIC.COM 

I always recommend identifying tasks that you 

will do while standing to break up your day. 

Visit us on Facebook: 

@ thevalleybusinessjournal




In this issue: 

Temecula Valley Hospital Nationally Recognized 1 

Dear Third District Resident 1 

EVMWD Awarded Top Workplace in Inland Empire 1 

Desperately Needed COVID Relief Heading to Americans 1 

I Need to Talk with Someone 7 

Addiction and Mental Illness is a Public Health Crisis 6 

Non-Medical Home Care Helps Adults Achieve Quality of Life 9 

Changes to Property Tax Rule: Proposition 19 10 

Choosing the Right Legal Entity for Optimal Tax Strategy 11 

7 Crucial Reminders Before You Take Out an EIDL 12 

Save Money Through the Holidays with EVMWD’s Aquahawk System 13 

Importance of Reviewing Your Insurance Portfolio 15 

Contact Lenses 17 

NIST – Achieving Alignment in Cybersecurity 19 

You Can’t Climb the Ladder if You Can’t Reach the First Rung 20 

Temecula Valley Museum Announces Winning Entries 21 

Don’t Go It Alone 21 

Powerstone’s Tim Peckham Elected to the Greater Inland Empire Chapter of CAI 23 

City of Menifee – Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) 25




5





www.facebook/thevalleybusinessjournal 

For questions, comments, or story ideas, please 

e-mail publishertvbj@verizon.net or call (951) 461-0400. 

EDITOR/PUBLISHER/CEO 

Linda Wunderlich 

Email: publishertvbj@verizon.net 

ADVERTISING SALES INFORMATION 

(951) 461-0400 

CREATIVE DIRECTOR 

Helen M. Ryan 

VP OF DISTRIBUTION 

Dane Wunderlich 

STAFF WRITERS/ 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Gene Wunderlich 

Ted Saul 

Craig Davis 

Stefani Laszko 

Nicole Albrecht 

Julie Ngo 

Tom Plant 

Esther Phahla 

Steve Amante 

Monique deGroot 

Andrea Shoup 

Gloria Wolnick 

Dr. Drake Levasheff, PhD 

Mort J. Grabel, Esq. 

John & Christine Hamby 

Brian Connors 

Tristin Collopy 

Dr. Pat Utnehmer 

Bonnie Woodrome 

Haley Munson 

Criteria for Submitting Articles: 

1. Since the publication of articles is an added public 

relations feature for our advertisers, their articles will be 

given first priority. Other articles will be published on a 

space available basis. 

2. Articles should be submitted as a Word document file. 

3. Articles must be business-oriented and pertain to 

the author’s area of expertise. A photo of the writer is 

appropriate. 

4. All submissions are subject to editing by the publisher. 

5. Send completed articles by e-mail to: publishertvbj@ 

verizon.net 

6. Article and advertising deadlines are the 15th of each 

month for the next issue. 

The Valley Business Journal is a California Corporation. All rights 

reserved. Reproduction in any form, in whole or in part, without the 

written permission of the Publisher is prohibited. The publication is 

published monthly. The opinions and views expressed in these pages 

are those of the writer or person interviewed and not necessarily those 

of The Valley Business Journal. The Valley Business Journal hereby 

expressly limits its liability resulting from any and all misprints, errors 

and/or inaccuracies any advertisement or editorial may contain, to 

the credit of the specific advertising payment and/or the running of a 

corrected advertisement or editorial correction notice.


I Need to Talk with Someone 

by Dr. Matthew Taylor 



7 

While this world has been dealing 

with a global pandemic, I am sure you 

have been touched by it in one way or 

another. 

As a Mental Health and Drug & 

Alcohol Therapist I see the effects of it 

every day in one fashion or another. It 

may seem like there is no hope. 

How are we supposed to move on 

when we just cannot seem to get a break 

from the moment? 

Please allow someone in my profession 

to offer hope when it seems to be no 

hope, let us help you see further when it 

does not seem possible, help you somewhat 

understand when you just cannot 

comprehend, and be your rock in times 

of struggle or grief. 

If you experience any of the following 

emotions or feelings to the extent that 

they interfere with life, therapy may help 

you reduce their effects. I hope this will 

be an encouragement to you today. 

1. Overwhelm. You might feel like 

you have too many things to do or 

too many issues to cope with. You 

might feel like you cannot rest or 

even breathe. Stress and overwhelm 

can lead to serious physical health 

concerns. 

2. Fatigue. This physical symptom often 

results from or accompanies mental 

health issues. It can indicate depression. 

Fatigue can cause you to sleep 

more than usual or have trouble getting 

out of bed in the morning. 

3. Disproportionate rage, anger, or 

resentment. Everyone feels angry at 

times. Even passing rage is not necessarily 

harmful. Seeking support to 

“ 

deal with these feelings may be a good 

idea when they don’t pass, are extreme 

compared to the situation, or if they 

lead you to take violent or potentially 

harmful actions. 

4. Agoraphobia. People with agoraphobia 

fear being in places where they 

might experience panic attacks or 

become trapped. Some people may 

become unable to leave their houses. 

5. Anxious or intrusive thoughts. It’s 

normal to worry about things from 

time to time, but when worry takes up 

a significant part of your day or causes 

physical symptoms, therapy can help 

you deal with it. 

6. Apathy. Losing interest in usual activities, 

the world around you, or life 

in general can indicate mental health 

issues like depression or anxiety. 

7. Hopelessness. Losing hope or motivation, 

or feeling as if you have no 

future, can indicate depression or another 

mental health condition. Feeling 

hopeless from time to time, especially 

after a period of difficulty, is not uncommon. 

But when it persists, it may 

lead to thoughts of suicide. 

8. Social withdrawal. Many people feel 

better when they can spend at least 

some time alone. Introverted people 

may need even more time alone than 

others. But if you feel distressed 

around others or fear being with other 

people, therapy can help you understand 

and deal with these feelings 

Dr. Matthew Taylor, MHRT, AODC, CBT, 

Taylormade Counseling & Consulting 

How are we supposed to move on 

when we just cannot seem to get a 

break from the moment? 

Please allow someone in my profession 

to offer hope when it seems to 

be no hope, let us help you see further 

when it does not seem possible, help 

you somewhat understand when you 

just cannot comprehend, and be your 

rock in times of struggle or grief. 

E 

EVENTS! 

Temecula Chamber of Commerce 

Courses: 

California Relief Grant; How to Start a Small Business; 

Why SEO?; Virtual Coffee Connection; Customer Service 

Made Easy; and more! 

https://members.temecula.org/events 

Murrieta/Wildomar 

Chamber of Commerce 

Voices of Children Online Volunteering; Coffee with the City; 

Networking Breakfast; Chamber Briefing; and more! 

https://business.murrietachamber.org/events




Here’s looking towards 

a brighter new year! 

To our greatly valued advertisers and 

friends. Thank you for your business in 2020. 

We look forward to serving you again in 

2021, and wish you a wonderful new year. 

Linda Wunderlich, 

~ Editor/Publisher/CEO




Non-Medical Home Care Helps Adults Achieve 

the Quality of Life They Deserve 

9 

by John & Christine Hamby 

Regardless of age, background or 

location, most people today have something 

in common: They want independence, 

freedom and quality of life. 

FirstLight Home Care of Temecula 

is designed to help adults achieve all 

those things. 

FirstLight provides quality, affordable 

non-medical home care not just for 

the older adult who is aging in place, 

but also for other adults who need 

assistance with activities of daily living. 

FirstLight is a lifeline for seniors; 

people with disabilities; those recovering 

from surgery, illness or injury; 

Veterans, and new and busy mothers. 

“Non-medical home care fills the 

gap between medically skilled services 

and the everyday tasks that a person is 

able to complete for themselves,” said 

John Hamby, Owner of FirstLight Home 

Care of Temecula. “Our services provide 

the resources needed to sustain our 

clients’ independence and freedom and 

help family caregivers maintain flexibility 

and balance in their own lives.” 

Central to the FirstLight caregiving 

approach is a client-first philosophy 

that matches clients with caregivers 

who fit the personality, needs and 

vision of the client and family. Caregiving 

partnerships are built on trust, 

communication and an understanding 

of a client’s needs. 

“Our caregivers have been there, 

and they understand the challenges 

families face when caring for loved 

ones,” said Hamby. “FirstLight caregivers 

are direct employees, not contractors. 

Plus, we conduct thorough 

screenings and background checks, 

and every caregiver must complete 

our care training program and enroll in 

continuing education courses.” 

Diverse Home Care Solutions 

FirstLight’s non-medical home 

care solutions provide support to people 

with a wide range of needs and 

the resources necessary to help adults 

maintain quality of life. 

Personal Care aids with activities 

of daily living, such as bathing and 

hygiene, walking and mobility, transfer 

and posturing, special diets and meal 

preparation. 

Companion Care provides companionship 

through regular visits, as 

well as medication reminders, light 

housekeeping, laundry services, errands 

and transportation. 

Respite Care allows family caregivers 

to step out of their everyday 

routines and take time for themselves, 

while FirstLight professionals ensure 

loved ones are cared for. 

Dementia Care provides personalized 

care plans to help dementia 

sufferers and their families cope with 

the anxiety, confusion and isolation that 

are often associated with the disease. 

FirstLight Home Care is a leading 

provider of non-medical home care, 

helping individuals achieve the quality 

of life they deserve. Our professional 

caregivers can provide care at private 

residences, independent and assisted 

living communities and other healthcare 

facility settings. 

This article is provided by John and 

Christine Hamby, Owners, FirstLight 

Home Care of Temecula. For more information, 

visit us online at Temecula. 

FirstLightHomeCare.com or call us at 

951-395-0821. 

“ 

“Non-medical home care fills the gap 

between medically skilled services and 

the everyday tasks that a person is 

able to complete for themselves,




With the New Year Comes Changes to 

Property Tax Rules: Proposition 19 Heads 

the List 

As we start the new year with 

cautious optimism, happily bidding 

2020 “Good riddance,” one of the first 

issues for California property owners to 

tackle is how they (and their families) 

will be impacted by Proposition 19’s 

new tax rules. 

• How will it affect you? 

• How will it affect your children or 

grandchildren? 

Prop 19 Goes into Effect February 

16, 2021 

Beginning February 16, 2021, 

many of the property tax rea-assessment 

protections of Prop 13 for real 

estate transfers between parents and 

children will be significantly reduced. 

In a nutshell, Prop 19 dramatically 

changes property tax rules for Californians 

around intrafamily transfers of 

real estate, what can be exempted from 

reassessment, and imposes limits on 

other property tax benefits. 

What this means for many Californians 

is that under Prop 19, the act of 

transferring property from parents and 

grandparents to their children or qualifying 

grandchildren will now trigger 

large increases in property taxes due 

to reassessment to fair market value. 

While there are limited exceptions for 

personal residences that children use as 

their primary residence, the differences 

are dramatic. Commercial property 

transfers, such as rental properties, 

would be subject to reassessment to fair 

market values immediately. 

The implications are far reaching. 

Not only will property tax liabilities 

increase dramatically, but in cases 

where the property in question is a 

rental property, tenants can expect to 

see their rents to go up to help offset 

the higher property taxes. 

Hundreds of thousands of Californians 

will be affected. Are you one of 

them? 

What Can You Do to Prepare for 

Prop 19? 

While the tax rule changes resulting 

from the passage of Prop 19 are 

significant, there may be actions you 

can take now to help mitigate their 

impact on your family. 

The most obvious immediate action 

would be to make any planned 

transfer of properties prior to February 

16, 2021. Of course, such a quick 

turnaround may not be realistic for 

everyone. 

In either case, we recommend you 

work with qualified, experienced attorneys 

to explore all of your options and 

select a solution for your family. 

• Is your current estate plan up to the 

test? 

• Under Prop 19’s new tax rules, will 

your children be able to afford to keep 

the property in the family? 

If you have questions about preparing 

for Prop 19, we can help. We are experts 

at estate planning and helping 

our clients secure their assets and protect 

their heirs. Contact the attorneys 

at Shoup Legal, A Professional Law 

Corporation, at 951-445-4114 or www. 

ShoupLegal.com to discuss your unique 

situation today. 

SHOUPLEGAL.COM 

FINANCIAL 

by by 

Andrea Steve Fillingim Shoup 

“ 

If you are trying to think of the perfect 

gift for your family this year, you might 

consider making an estate plan or 

taking other generous steps. When 

you make a simple estate plan you 

ensure your family’s future and 

well-being, and that is a gift that will 

keep giving for many years.




Choosing the Right Legal Entity for Optimal 

Tax Strategy 

11 

FINANCIAL 

Esther Phahla, 

CPA, CTS, MST 

Being a business owner comes with 

a number of substantial benefits: being 

your own boss, pursuing your passions, 

controlling the growth of the company. 

One benefit that’s often overlooked is the 

ability to use a business as a completely 

legal tax shelter. By taking advantage 

of tax strategies designed to protect 

business owners, you can keep more of 

your money that you earned or use it for 

investments rather than lose it every year 

to the IRS. 

1. Many factors go into designing 

an optimal tax strategy, but the important 

first step is deciding which 

legal entity to establish your business 

as. Your choice of a legal entity affects 

multiple aspects of your company’s 

future, including your personal liability, 

tax concerns and profitability. 

Businesses may not be people, but 

they do exist as unique and separate 

entities in the eyes of the government. 

Businesses are a collective enterprise 

that must conform to certain rules 

and regulations that are different than 

those experienced by individuals. 

This is why the government requires 

businesses to be registered and designations 

chosen. 

There are two primary reasons why 

your choice of business entity matters. 

First, your personal liability is affected 

by which business designation you 

choose. For example, if your business 

goes bankrupt, you may or may not be 

protected from having to pay off its debts 

out of your own pocket. Second, the way 

tax laws are applied to the business will 

vary between each legal entity designation. 

This means that establishing your 

business as one entity over another could 

save you a substantial amount in taxes. 

Here are several ways you can operate 

your business: 

1. Sole Proprietor 

2. Partnership 

3. C Corporation 

4. S Corporation 

5. Limited Liability Company 

6. Limited Liability Partnership 

7. Family Limited Partnership 

Some of the items to consider when 

choosing an entity: 

1. The legal status: is the entity separate 

from the owner? 

2. Is the entity taxable separately from 

the owner? 

3. Does the Formation of the entity 

require filing with the State? 

4. Management of the entity. 

5. Continuity of life upon death of the 

owner. 

6. How many owners can the entity 

have? 

7. Who are the eligible owners? 

8. Owner Liability. 

9. Transferability of Ownership. 

10. Ability to raise capital. 

11. Tax Year. 

12. Tax on Formation. 

13. Allocation of income. 

14. Deductibility of Losses. 

15. Self-employment tax. 

16. Fringe Benefits. 

17. Reasonable compensation requirement. 

18. Liquidating and Non-Liquidating 

Distributions. 

19. Capital losses. 

20. Retirement plans. 

There’s more…it’s important to 

know the benefits and drawbacks of each 

business entity type. An Attorney can advise 

you on the legal ramifications. To get 

the best possible feedback in designing 

an optimal tax strategy for your business 

talk to a Tax Strategist. 

Esther Phahla is a Certified Public 

Accountant and Certified Tax Strategist 

in Temecula. She is the Author of tax 

planning books: “Why Didn’t My CPA 

Tell Me That” and “10 Most Expensive 

Tax Mistakes That Cost Business Owners 

THOUSANDS”. She also holds a Master’s 

of Science in Taxation. She can be 

reached at (951) 514-2652 or visit www. 

estherphahlacpa.com. 

ESTHERPHAHLACPA.COM 

“ 

The way tax laws are 

applied to the business 

will vary between each 

legal entity designation. 

This means that 

establishing your 

business as one 

entity over another 

could save you a 

substantial amount in 

taxes.




7 Crucial Reminders Before You Take Out an EIDL 

FINANCIAL 

presented by 

Nicole M Albrecht EA 

Before borrowing any money, 

especially from the government, you 

need to remember to always read the 

documentation involved to be sure you 

know all the ins and outs to what you 

are agreeing to. 

This is even more important when 

borrowing through the Small Business 

Administration’s (SBA Economic 

Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. 

The EIDL offers loans of up to 

$150,000 to businesses in need due 

to the economic dislocation caused 

by the COVID-19 pandemic. 1 Unlike 

Payroll Protection Program (PPP) 

loans, EIDLs are not forgivable—you 

have to pay them back. But for a commercial 

loan, they do come with low 

interest—3.75 percent—and a long 

30-year repayment period. More than 

3.3 million businesses have already 

obtained EIDLs from the SBA. 

To obtain an EIDL, your business 

must sign 

• a loan authorization and agreement 

• a note, and 

• a security agreement. 

These documents contain some 

serious fine print that makes it clear the 

SBA really wants you to pay back the 

loan. Some borrowers have expressed 

surprise at some of these loan provisions. 

But there’s nothing especially 

unusual about most of them—they 

are often required in some form or 

another in commercial loans. But if 

you’ve never obtained a commercial 

loan, you may find some of these provisions 

quite strict—perhaps stricter 

than you’d expect from a loan program 

designed to help businesses struggling 

during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Here are seven things you should 

know about the EIDL requirements. 

You’ll be required to satisfy these 

terms for 30 years unless you repay the 

loan early (there is no early payment 

penalty). 

1. You Can’t Sell Your Business. 

Without permission from the Small 

Business Administration, you can’t 

sell your business. Nor can you merge, 

consolidate, or otherwise change ownership 

or business structure. 2 

This could include removing or 

adding a business partner. This kind 

of restriction is typical in commercial 

loan agreements. The lender doesn’t 

want you to make major changes to 

your business without letting them know 

about it. 

2. You Can’t Make Certain Distributions 

without the SBA’s Consent 

The EIDL agreement provides that 

your business must obtain the SBA’s 

prior written consent before making (1) 

“any distribution of borrower’s assets,” 

or (2) any advance “by way of loan, gift, 

bonus, or otherwise,” to 3 

• “any owner or partner,” 

• “any of its employees,” 

• “any company directly or indirectly controlling 

or affiliated with or controlled by 

the borrower,” or 

• “any other company.” 

Read literally, this provision is quite 

scary. It appears to prohibit, without 

SBA permission, any distributions or 

payments to the owners of a business 

that has an EIDL—including payment 

of dividends to corporate shareholders 

or distributions to owners of LLCs or 

partnerships. 

But SBA officials have stated in 

email guidance that this clause does 

not apply to any distribution of assets 

made in the normal course of business, 

including distributions of net income in 

accordance with the bylaws or operating 

agreement of a company, or distributions 

to owners of a pass-through business to 

cover tax obligations. Thus, it is unnecessary 

to obtain written consent from 

the SBA for these types of distributions. 

This is especially good news for 

owners of S corporations. One of the biggest 

tax advantages of the S corporation 

is that its shareholder-employees may 

receive part of the profit their business 

earns in the form of corporate distributions 

that are not subject to employee 

payroll taxes—a 15.3 percent tax up to 

the Social Security tax ceiling. 

If your S corporation takes out an 

EIDL, it may distribute part of its profits 

to the shareholders as distributions without 

obtaining SBA approval. But note 

that you are explicitly prohibited from 

paying EIDL proceeds to shareholders as 

dividends or distributions. 4 EIDLs may 

be used to pay employee payroll and other 

operating expenses, but not dividends. 

You do need to obtain written SBA 

approval for distributions or advances 

outside the normal course of business. 

For example, SBA approval is needed to 

borrow money from your business. 

3. You Have Record-keeping Obligations 

EIDLs come with many record-keeping 

obligations. First, you must obtain 

and itemize receipts and contracts for 

loan funds spent and retain them for three 

years. 5 The SBA can request your itemization 

and copies of receipts at any time. 

Planning point. It’s wise to place 

your EIDL funds in a separate bank 

account so you can easily keep track of 

how they are spent. 

You must also “maintain current and 

proper books of account in a manner satisfactory 

to the SBA” for the most recent 

five years. You must keep these records 

until three years after the loan is paid off. 

Your books must include financial 

and operating statements, insurance policies, 

tax returns, and records of earnings 

distributed and dividends paid. You must 

also keep records of all compensation 

paid to officers, directors, shareholders of 

more than 10 percent, members, partners, 

and proprietors. 6 

You must furnish your financial 

statements to the SBA within three 

months after the close of your fiscal year. 

Moreover, the SBA may require you to 

provide an “accountant’s review report” 

prepared by an independent public accountant 

at your expense. 7 Such a report 

will likely cost several thousand dollars. 

A bank typically wouldn’t require an 

accountant’s review report for a loan of 

this size. 

You also authorize the SBA to inspect 

your records. 8 

4. You May Have to Give Other 

COVID-19 Payments to the SBA 

EIDLs are intended to cover disaster 

losses not compensated by other sources—for 

example, insurance, grants or 

loans from other government agencies 

or private organizations, and any legal 

claims you may have. 

If you receive payment from any 

such other sources to help defray your 

COVID-19-related losses, you are required 

to notify the SBA. The SBA will 

then determine, at its sole discretion, 

whether the payments are a duplication 

of benefits. If so, you must give SBA the 

money, up to the outstanding balance 

of your loan. 9 This is not a provision 

you’ll find in a standard commercial loan 

agreement. 

Example. The owners of the Lucky 

Diner obtain a $150,000 EIDL. They later 

recover $100,000 from their business 

interruption insurance policy. They must 

notify the SBA of the insurance recovery, 

and the SBA may require them to use 

all or part of it to repay their EIDL. But 

you may obtain both a PPP loan and an 

EIDL as long as you don’t use them for 

the same expenses. 10 

5. You Must Preserve Your Collateral 

for Loans of More Than $25,000 

The SBA requires collateral for 

EIDLs of more than $25,000. But your 

collateral need not be equal in value to the 

EIDL. You won’t be turned down if you 

have little or no collateral. The SBA does 

not require that you pledge real property. 

Rather, it obtains a security interest in all 

tangible and intangible personal property 

your business has or acquires or creates 

in the future. Your collateral includes 

present and future inventory, equipment, 

deposit accounts, promissory notes, negotiable 

instruments, and receivables. 

This is called a “blanket lien” because 

it covers all your business personal 

property. To perfect its lien in your 

collateral, the SBA files a UCC-1 financing 

statement with the secretary 

of state for the state where your business 

is located. 11 Blanket liens are very 

commonly required for commercial 

loans, especially when no personal 

guarantee is required, but they are the 

most intrusive type of lien. 

With the exception of selling your 

inventory in the ordinary course of 

business, you may not sell or otherwise 

dispose of your collateral without 

the SBA’s prior written consent. 12 If 

you have a desire to do so, you need 

to apply to the SBA loan servicing 

center and ask it to release the SBA’s 

lien on the collateral you wish to sell. 

The SBA is under no obligation to 

release its lien, but it will ordinarily do 

so if your remaining collateral is near 

in value to the outstanding balance 

of your loan—or if it is clear your 

business can repay the loan based on 

its profits and cash flow. 13 

Example. Evergreen Tree Removal, 

Inc., obtains a $150,000 EIDL 

from the SBA that is secured by the 

company’s assets, including a crane. 

Evergreen decides to sell the old crane 

and purchase a new one. To get this 

done, Evergreen must ask the SBA 

for permission to sell the crane and to 

release the SBA’s lien on the asset. If 

Evergreen sells the crane without SBA 

permission and a lien release, the SBA 

will be legally entitled to repossess it. 

Also, your business may not further 

encumber your collateral without SBA 

consent. 14 Since the SBA’s blanket lien 

applies to all your business personal 

property, you’ll have no unencumbered 

personal property to offer a 

lender as collateral. 

This is not unusual. Many businesses 

have liens on all their assets. 

But depending on the total value of 

your collateral and the amount of your 

SBA loan, you may find it more expensive 

to obtain additional loans. Finally, 

within 12 months after you sign the 

EIDL agreement, your business must 

obtain hazard insurance, including 

fire, lightning, and extended coverage. 

The insurance must be for at least 80 

percent of the insurable value of your 

colleterial. You must send the SBA 

proof of your insurance coverage and 

keep it in place throughout the term 

of your loan. 15 

The collateral requirements are 

stricter than you would typically face 

when getting a line of credit or bank 

loan of $150,000 or less. 

6. You Should Buy American 

You promise to purchase only 

American-made equipment and products 

with the loan proceeds “to the 

extent feasible.” 16 

7. There Are Penalties for Violations 

If you breach any of the terms




Rep. Calvert: Desperately Needed COVID Relief Heading to Americans 

Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42) 

voted along with a bipartisan majority 

(359 to 53) of the House of Representatives 

to approve a COVID relief bill. 

“At long last, desperately needed 

COVID relief is headed to American 

families,” said Rep. Calvert. “For months 

I’ve been working with my colleagues to 

get a bipartisan deal done to address the 

serious health and economic impacts of 

the pandemic. I’m grateful a bipartisan 

deal is now finally in hand after Democrats 

dropped their political demands to include 

trillions of dollars for programs unrelated 

to the pandemic. I can’t help but think of 

the pain and economic damage that could 

have been avoided if Speaker Pelosi had 

chosen a path other than holding critical 

aid hostage for her liberal ‘wish list.’ 

Combined with Gov. Newsom’s unscientific 

lockdown policies, Democrats 

have caused avoidable devastation to a 

growing number of our small businesses 

and workers. The relief being provided by 

this bill can’t come soon enough for these 

Americans in need.” 

COVID Relief Provisions 

Small Business Relief: 

• The bill extends the Paycheck Protection 

Program (PPP) to give small businesses, 

many of which have their operations 

severely impacted due to no fault of their 

own, forgivable loans to keep them open 

and employees on payroll. The bill gives 

businesses experiencing severe revenue 

reductions an opportunity to apply for a 

second draw PPP loan. 

• In addition to previously eligible businesses 

and organizations, the bill expands 

PPP eligibility to 501(c)(6) 

organizations, including chambers of 

commerce. The bill codifies federal rules 

that ensure churches and faith-based 

organizations are eligible for PPP loans. 

• To help our struggling restaurants, the 

bill includes a 100-percent deduction 

for business meal food and beverage 

expenses provided by a restaurant that 

are paid or incurred in 2021 and 2022. 

Currently, the deduction is available for 

only 50 percent of such expenses. 

• Specific resources are provided for 

entertainment venues, movie theaters, 

and museums that are experiencing significant 

revenue loss, as well as another 

round of airline employee and contractor 

payroll support. 

Protecting the Health of Families as 

America Reopens: 

• Expanding upon the vaccine doses already 

acquired through Operation Warp 

Speed, the bill includes $20 billion for 

the purchase of additional vaccines that 

will be available at no charge. 

• The bill also includes $8 billion to facilitate 

vaccine distribution as well as $20 

billion to assist states with testing. 

• To support our hospitals and medical 

centers the bill provides a $20 billion 

distribution from the existing healthcare 

provider relief fund, and $250 million 

for the continued expansion of telehealth. 

Direct Assistance for American Families 

in Need: 

• The bill provides direct aid to Americans 

with another round of Economic 

Impact Payments. Adults will receive 

$600 each and $600 per child. To ensure 

the payments only go to those most in 

need, there is a phase out for individuals 

with more than $75,000 in income and 

$150,000 for couples. The bill includes 

safeguards to prohibit illegal immigrants 

from receiving checks. 

• To help those out of work and suffering 

under Gov. Newsom’s lockdowns, the 

bill temporarily extends a number of 

unemployment programs created by 

CARES Act that were set to expire on 

Dec. 31, 2020. The bill provides unemployed 

individuals an additional $300 

per week for 10 weeks from December 

26, 2020-March 14, 2021. 

Reopening Schools for In-Person 

Learning and Addressing the Impact 

of Lockdowns: 

• To safely resume in-person education 

the bill includes $82 billion in funding 

for schools and universities, including 

$2.75 billion in designated funds for 

private K through 12 education. 

• The bill provides $10 billion for grants 

to childcare centers to help providers 

safely reopen and give families more 

childcare options as working parents 

head back to the workplace. 

• While significant progress has been 

made over past several years in treating 

13 

opioid addiction, many of the positive 

trends have been reversed because of 

impact of COVID lockdowns. To address 

the problem the bill includes $4 

billion for substance abuse treatment 

and prevention programs. 

Keeping Families Fed and in their 

Home: 

• To ensure Americans have food on 

the table, the bill provides funding for 

the Commodity Supplemental Food 

Program, a program that serves over 

700,000 older Americans monthly. 

• The bill includes $25 billion in temporary 

and targeted rental assistance 

for individuals who lost their source of 

income during the pandemic. 

of your loan agreement, you’ll be 

in default, and the SBA can demand 

immediate payment of all that you 

owe. The SBA also can sue you in 

court for what you owe and/or can 

collect against your collateral. 17 The 

SBA will also report your default 

to credit reporting agencies, likely 

resulting in a drop in your business’s 

credit rating. 

Your legal woes can be even 

worse if you misapply your EIDL— 

for example, if you use it for personal 

expenses. In this event, you’ll be liable 

to the SBA for an amount equal 

to one-and-a-half times the original 

loan. You also face criminal and civil 

liability if you made false statements 

or misrepresentations to the SBA. 

The penalties can include treble damages, 

fines, and even imprisonment 

(though this is highly unlikely except 

in cases of blatant fraud). 18 

Takeaways 

SBA EIDLs can provide your 

business with a badly needed cash 

infusion of up to $150,000. But these 

low-interest commercial loans have 

to be paid back, and the SBA imposes 

numerous legal requirements 

on borrowers for the life of the loan. 

Here are important highlights from 

the article: 

• During the life of an EIDL, you 

can’t sell your business or make 

unusual distributions of its assets 

without SBA approval. 

• You must keep itemized receipts of 

how you spend your loan money 

and maintain detailed books and 

financial records showing how you 

run your business. 

• If you borrow more than $25,000, 

you’ll have to pledge all your 

business property (other than real 

estate) as collateral and insure it. 

You can’t sell or otherwise dispose 

of your collateral without SBA 

approval. 

• If you obtain other loans, grants, or 

insurance proceeds to cover your 

COVID-19 losses, the SBA may 

require that you use the money to 

pay off your EIDL. 

• The SBA makes you promise to 

buy American products for your 

business whenever feasible. 

• If you violate your EIDL agreement, 

you have to pay huge fines 

and the SBA will report you to 

credit bureaus. 

For more information, please 

contact our office at (951) 719-1515.




EVMWD Awarded Top Workplace in Inland Empire. General Manager Reflects on the 

Inland News Group’s Recognition. (continued from page 1) 

When individuals think of “top 

workplaces”, a variety of images come 

to mind—flexible schedules, casual 

Fridays, retirement funds, or even an 

office snack bar. But while these perks 

are great, we believe it is something 

greater that sets a company apart. At 

Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District 

(EVMWD), it is the commitment 

of skilled staff who are passionate 

about what they do and excited to make 

a difference in their community. 

Our employees play a crucial role 

in ensuring safe, reliable drinking water 

supplies and efficient wastewater 

treatment. Operations staff work 24 

hours a day, 7 days a week to ensure 

our system is functioning properly and 

water meets all state and federal safety 

standards. Engineers, administrative 

professionals, customer service representatives, 

and numerous different 

roles work together to meet current and 

future needs while providing outstanding 

customer service. 

But they don’t stop there. Throughout 

the past year, EVMWD employees 

found countless ways to go above and beyond 

their typical duties. As COVID-19 

first began to impact our community, 

several employees worked with their 

families to sew and distribute cloth face 

masks. 

One employee made over 200 masks 

with the help of her mother, standing in 

line at 7 AM to purchase material and 

using her free time to sew. These masks 

were donated to EVMWD staff, local 

hospitals, and friends at no cost. 

Nearly 50% of employees made voluntary 

contributions throughout the year 

to fund an Adopt-A-Family program, 

partnering with Lake Elsinore Unified 

School District to identify families in 

need. Funds were used to purchase gifts 

for local families who faced illness, loss, 

or extreme need. Staff generously gave 

their personal time and resources, all for 

the sake of bringing joy to fellow community 

members. 

We could go on and on about the 

amazing work EVMWD employees do. 

After a rough year that challenged many 

of us beyond our imaginations, we are 

left with one lingering emotion above all 

the rest: gratitude. We are grateful for the 

hard work, dedication, and expertise of 

our staff. We are grateful for the opportunity 

to serve our wonderful customers 

in the Elsinore Valley region through our 

role as their water provider. And finally, 

we are grateful for the honor of being 

named a 2020 Top Workplace. 

As we enter 2021, we look forward 

to continuing to provide a workplace that 

attracts and retains skilled professionals. 

It is a privilege to call these many talented 

individuals our EVMWD family. 

Greg Thomas, General Manager 

“ 

Nearly 50% of 

employees made 

voluntary contributions 

throughout 

the year to fund an 

Adopt-A-Family 

program




Importance of Reviewing Your Insurance 

Portfolio 

15 

Happy New Year to my friends, 

family, customers, and fellow neighbors 

here in Southwest Riverside 

County! 2020 was a tumultuous year 

for the majority of us, so there is nowhere 

to go but up in 2021. 

I have mentioned the importance 

of reviewing your insurance portfolio 

in the past and it has never been more 

significant, especially with the unfortunate 

insanity that we have all had to 

endure this past year with Covid-19. 

Several small businesses in our 

community have suffered, particularly 

restaurants and those in the hospitality 

industry, including our wineries and 

hotels. 

Yes, sadly, we have lost several 

people to this horrible epidemic as 

well. A major worldwide pandemic is 

the last thing that any of us anticipated 

in 2020. With that being said now, 

is the time to contact your insurance 

agent/broker and set up an insurance 

portfolio review. 

Insurance is definitely not a tangible 

product and most people do not 

get excited about paying premium to 

a company that you likely will not 

have to use. 

Nevertheless, the right policy in 

place will give you the peace of mind 

that if anything does happen, you will 

be covered and properly indemnified. 

I personally recommend that you 

consider reviewing your policies on 

an annual basis with your agent. This 

“ 

Honestly, not reviewing your insurance 

portfolio can cost you much more in 

the future, and that is something that 

is preventable. 

can be done in person, by telephone, 

or even via Facetime or Zoom these 

days. A good run insurance agency 

will ask all the pertinent questions 

to maintain proper coverages within 

your insurance portfolio, whether it is 

your personal lines, life, or business 

insurance. 

Reviewing your policies will ensure 

that there are no gaps in coverage, 

and all eligible discounts are properly 

included. 

Honestly, not reviewing your 

insurance portfolio can cost you 

much more in the future, and that is 

something that is preventable. Life 

constantly changes, please call your 

local insurance professional today to 

set up a review. 

Craig Davis is an agent for Farmers 

Insurance and the owner of Craig Davis 

Family Insurance located at 27645 

Jefferson, Suite 113, in Temecula. He 

may be reached at (951) 699-1776. 

cdavis@farmersagent.com 

CDAVIS@FARMERSAGENT.COM 

INSURANCE 

by by 

Craig Steve Davis Fillingim 

Hired someone new? 

Launched a new product? 

Won an award? 

Invented something? 

Re-opened? 

Have a new service? 

Share your news with us! 

The Valley Business Journal 

publishertvbj@verizon.net




Temecula Valley Hospital Nationally Recognized with an ‘A’ for the 

Fall 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade 

(continued from page 1) 

Temecula Valley Hospital was awarded 

an ‘A’ in the fall 2020 Leapfrog Hospital 

Safety Grade, a national distinction 

recognizing Temecula Valley Hospital’s 

achievements in protecting patients from 

harm and providing safer healthcare. The 

Leapfrog Group is an independent national 

watchdog organization committed to 

healthcare quality and safety. The Safety 

Grade assigns an ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’ or ‘F’ 

grade to all general hospitals across the 

country and is updated every six months. 

It is based on a hospital’s performance 

in preventing medical errors, injuries, 

accidents, infections, and other harms to 

patients in their care. 

“Attaining our eighth Leapfrog A, 

along with our recently announced Leapfrog 

Top Hospital Award, is a reflection 

of the exceptional care delivered by our 

Healthcare Heroes,” said Darlene Wetton, 

CEO of Temecula Valley Hospital. 

“Our staff and physicians provide high 

standards of care to the community. I am 

very proud of how our team demonstrates 

patient safety in everything we do at Temecula 

Valley Hospital, especially during 

a very challenging pandemic year.” 

“We are extremely grateful to hospital 

leadership and healthcare workers 

who have remained steadfast in prioritizing 

patient safety as our nation battles 

COVID-19,” said Leah Binder, president 

and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. 

“This ‘A’ is a testament to the care and 

commitment of those who work for Temecula 

Valley Hospital. With the current 

pandemic exposing existing flaws within 

the U.S. healthcare system, we appreciate 

you putting patient safety first. Lives 

depend on it.” 

Developed under the guidance of a 

National Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital 

Safety Grade uses up to 27 measures 

of publicly available hospital safety data 

to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. 

acute-care hospitals twice per year. The 

Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is 

peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and 

the results are free to the public. 

Temecula Valley Hospital was awarded 

an ‘A’ grade today when Leapfrog 

updated grades for fall 2020. To see Temecula 

Valley Hospital’s full grade details 

and access patient tips for staying safe 

in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade. 

org and follow The Leapfrog Group on 

Twitter and Facebook. 

About The Leapfrog Group 

Founded in 2000 by large employers 

and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group 

is a national nonprofit organization driving 

a movement for giant leaps forward 

in the quality and safety of American 

health care. The flagship Leapfrog Hospital 

Survey collects and transparently 

reports hospital performance, empowering 

purchasers to find the highest-value 

care and giving consumers the lifesaving 

information, they need to make informed 

decisions. The Leapfrog Hospital Safety 

Grade, Leapfrog’s other main initiative; 

assigns letter grades to hospitals based 

on their record of patient safety, helping 

consumers protect themselves and their 

families from errors, injuries, accidents 

and infections. 

About Temecula Valley Hospital - 

Temecula Valley Hospital (TVH), 

with a 5 Star Medicare Hospital Compare 

rating, brings advanced technology, 

innovative programs, patient-centered 

and family sensitive care to area residents 

featuring 140 private patient rooms. TVH 

is the first Universal Health Services 

Hospital Emergency Department in the 

country to achieve accreditation from the 

American College of Emergency Physicians 

(ACEP) as a Geriatric Emergency 

Department. TVH specializes in advanced 

cardiac services, stroke care, general and 

surgical specialties, and orthopedics as 

a recent Blue Distinction® Center Designation 

for Quality in Knee and Hip 

Replacement Surgeries. TVH is nationally 

recognized for Patient Safety by the 

Leapfrog Group, with a 2020 and 2017 

Top Hospital Award and eight ‘A’ Grades 

for Patient Safety. For more information, 

please visit https://www.temeculavalleyhospital.com/about/news


Contact Lenses 

by Pat Utnehmer 



17 

Have you ever wanted to change 

your eye color? When it’s warm and 

you don’t want to deal with glasses 

slipping or fogging up would you like 

another option? Are there activities that 

you participate in that glasses aren’t a 

comfortable choice? Many people don’t 

realize that they may be great candidates 

for contact lenses 

Contact lenses prescribed by a licensed 

Doctor of Optometry are worn 

safely and comfortably by millions of 

people worldwide and have a long history 

of providing wearers with a safe 

and effective form of vision correction. 

While contact lenses provide many vision 

benefits, they are not risk-free. Your 

Doctor of Optometry can help you better 

understand how to get the full benefits 

of your contact lenses and reduce your 

chances of developing problems. 

Contact lens-related eye infections 

and other injuries can lead to long-lasting 

damage but often are preventable. Clean 

and safe handling of contacts is one of 

the easiest and most important measures 

patients can take to protect their vision. 

Hygiene is the most important aspect of 

successful long-term contact lens wear. 

Many common contact lenses care 

mistakes, including failing to clean and 

store lenses as directed by a Doctor of 

Optometry and sleeping while wearing 

contacts, can increase the chance of 

getting bacteria in the eyes and causing 

infection. Serious eye infections can lead 

to blindness and affect up to one out of 

every 500 contact lens users per year, and 

even minor infections can be painful and 

disrupt day-to-day life. 

All contact lenses, even purely cosmetic 

ones, are considered a medical 

device and require a prescription. If contact 

lenses are right for you, your Doctor 

of Optometry will provide you with the 

lenses, lens care kits, individual instructions 

for wear and care and follow-up 

visits over a specified time. 

What about makeup and contact 

lenses? You can wear contacts and cosmetics 

safely and comfortably together 

by following these helpful tips: 

• Put on soft contact lenses before applying 

makeup. 

• Put on rigid-gas permeable (RGP) lenses 

after applying makeup. 

• Avoid lash-extending mascara, which 

has fibers that can irritate the eyes. Also 

avoid waterproof mascara, which cannot 

be easily removed with water and may 

stain soft contact lenses. Replace mascara 

at least every three months. 

• Avoid applying eyeliner along the watermark 

of the eyelid. 

• Remove lenses before removing makeup. 

• Choose an oil-free moisturizer. 

• Don’t use hand creams or lotions before 

handling contacts. They can leave a film 

on your lenses. 

• Use hairspray before putting on your 

contacts. If you use hairspray while 

you are wearing your contacts, close 

your eyes during spraying and for a few 

seconds after. 

• Blink your eyes frequently while using a 

hair drier to keep your eyes from getting 

too dry. 

• Keep false eyelash cement, nail polish 

and remover, perfume and cologne away 

from lenses. They can damage the plastic. 

• Choose water-based, hypoallergenic 

liquid foundations. Cream makeup may 

leave a film on your lenses. 

Contact lens prescriptions generally 

expire on a yearly basis, unless otherwise 

determined by your Doctor of Optometry. 

Prescriptions for contact lenses and glasses 

may be similar but are not interchangeable. 

Seeing your Doctor of Optometry 

annually for an in-person, comprehensive 

eye exam will not only assess your vision 

and need for updated prescriptions, but 

it may also help identify and lead to a 

diagnosis of other health concerns such 

as hypertension and diabetes. 

Come in and see us for a comprehensive 

eye exam and discuss personalized 

options for your eyes. 

Dr. Patrick Utnehmer, Promenade Optometry 

& Lasik, (951) 296-2211. 

“ 

The topic of cybersecurity is often met with 

an “it’s not going to happen to me” attitude 

even though you’ve probably received 

breach notification emails from companies 

you’ve given your personal information to. 

Visit us on Facebook: 

@ thevalleybusinessjournal



18 January 2021




NIST – Achieving Alignment 

in Cybersecurity 

19 

TECHNOLOGY 

by 

by 

James 

Steve 

Laszko 

Fillingim 

Technology has always been a 

dynamic market. Traditional focus has 

moved from a hardware/software to 

virtualization and the cloud but data has 

clearly been designated as the true prize 

and in the unpatrolled world of the Internet, 

it is up to you to secure it. You can 

have the fastest car in the lot but take it 

down a dirt road and you’re in trouble. 

The difficulty with protecting data thus 

far has been the lack of standardization of 

how to go about protecting it but the Cybersecurity 

Framework (CSF) developed 

by the National Institute of Standards 

and Technology (NIST) is providing the 

foundation that has been missing. 

Though the NIST is part of the 

Department of Commerce, companies 

are not mandated to follow any of their 

standards unless you work with the 

Federal Government and it is a contractual 

provision. The value of the CSF to 

non-government serving businesses is a 

common language around cybersecurity 

and future proofing your security posture 

for regulations to come. Both the 

California Consumer Privacy Act and 

the New York Department of Financial 

Services Cybersecurity Regulation use 

NIST guidelines in their framework and 

many other states are rolling out new 

laws forcing business to have formal 

cybersecurity policies 

The topic of cybersecurity is often 

met with an “it’s not going to happen to 

me” attitude even though you’ve probably 

received breach notification emails 

from companies you’ve given your 

personal information to. In 2018 alone 

5 billion sensitive records were compromised. 

Picture for a moment how your 

business would be affected if you had to 

send your employees and customers an 

email that their personal information had 

been compromised. Will they trust you 

moving forward? What will you need to 

do to repair the relationship? What will 

the government fine you for the breach? 

The NIST framework can be applied 

to any size business. Getting your arms 

around the basics is the best way to start 

building your cybersecurity posture. The 

core of the framework is broken down 

into 5 functions: 

Identify – Think through all of your 

systems, people, assets, data and capabilities. 

Protection – Implement your safeguards 

and conduct ongoing maintenance. 

Detect – Processes and procedures for 

timely detection are crucial to mitigate 

loss. 

Respond – A cybersecurity response 

plan details out the how, who and what 

when there is no time to waste. 

Recover – Create a plan to be resilient 

and restore operations back to normal. 

Beyond the potential for loss of business 

and reputation damage a data security 

breach in itself can cost you a significant 

amount of money from data recovery 

to fines. By working through the NIST 5 

functions to begin your framework, you’ll 

be able to clearly gauge your acceptable 

risk level and plan out where action is 

needed in your environment. While this 

can be done in house, depending on your 

particular talents, an outside specialist 

will be able to assess your infrastructure 

from a different perspective and is usually 

the best source for up to date information 

and process control. Whatever your path, 

it needs to get done. 

Mythos Technology is an IT consulting 

and management firm that provides 

Managed Technology Services including 

hosted cloud and compliance solutions. 

For more information, please visit www. 

mythostech.com or call (951) 813-2672. 

MYTHOSTECH.COM 

Get 

MAXIMUM 

Exposure for 

YOUR BRAND 

“ 

The topic of cybersecurity is often met with 

an “it’s not going to happen to me” attitude 

even though you’ve probably received breach 

notification emails from companies you’ve given 

your personal information to. 

Contact us for advertising opportunities 

in The Valley Business Journal. 

publishertvbj@verizon.net 

(951) 461-0400




You Can’t Climb the Ladder if You Can’t Reach the First Rung 

REAL ESTATE 

by 

Steve Fillingim 

by 

Gene Wunderlich 

Our housing market is booming, 

making it a rare oasis in the midst of 

this pandemic. As past newsletters have 

pointed out, record low interest rates, the 

desire for larger homes to provide office 

and classroom space, and the desire to 

escape crowded urban settings, have 

put our local housing market on track 

to exceed the previous two years sales 

volume at a time when the economy was 

in much better shape. But a darker side 

of the market is emerging, one being 

temporarily held together by rent relief 

measures, eviction moratoriums and 

mortgage forbearance options. What 

the eventual outcome is when those 

programs wind down is subject to a very 

broad range of opinions. Surprise! 

Time may prove me wrong but I’m 

not anticipating a significant increase in 

foreclosure activity in the near future. 

Forbearance and deferral will allow 

most delinquent homeowners to recover 

eventually, though there will undoubtedly 

be some who have endured long-term 

job loss or loss of a business that will lose 

their home. But given the decade long 

run-up in pricing, most homeowners are 

sitting on a wealth of equity, assuming 

they learned a lesson the last time around 

and haven’t refi’d their way to insolvency. 

A recent estimate by the National Association 

of Realtors® shows that people who 

bought a home a decade ago have over 

$120,000 equity in that home today. That’s 

on average, not California, which is even 

higher. Statistically the average homeowner 

today has a net worth approaching 

$300,000. If pressed, these homeowners 

can still sell for a profit rather than forfeit 

their homes to the bank. 

However, the housing disparity disproportionately 

falls on renters who, prior 

to CV-19 had a net worth of just over 

$3,000. According to recent Census data, 

about 1 in 6 renters are behind on payments, 

have exhausted their resources, and 

may be facing homelessness as eviction 

moratoria expire. Many of those folks had 

aspirations of homeownership, have been 

saving for a down payment, and have seen 

that dream disappear along with their jobs 

and their savings. When the single largest 

component of household wealth is home 

equity and that wealth transfer from generation 

to generation, this impact on a large 

subsection of our population will have 

long-lasting implications for the market 

that will play out for a decade or more. 

But those are future worries and 

challenges for people way above my pay 

grade. All I can do is track the current local 

market and try to keep some perspective 

on the broader picture. 

Sales for the last half of the year 

continue to outstrip last year. Though as 

expected sales declined 14% month-overmonth, 

they still exceeded November 

2019 sales by 20% (832 / 1,033). This 

increased our year-over-year margin to 4% 

over 2019 (10,182 / 10,576). Extrapolating 

from pending sales volume, I expect 

we’ll finish the year well ahead of the past 

two years. Not quite on par with the nearly 

12,000 units sold in 2017, but in solid 

company with 2016’s 11,600 sales. Not 

bad for a CV-19 driven, lockdown hampered, 

season. Of course we continue to 

cannibalize our inventory to support these 

sales, notching the 6th consecutive month 

where sales have exceeded inventory. 

With just 738 homes available across 

the region, one would have to journey all 

the way back to May 2013 to find less 

inventory, and sales were not nearly as 

strong then. With just 3 weeks inventory 

on average, buyers today have only 1/3 the 

number of homes to select from as they 

did just one year ago (738 / 1,960). While 

not exactly robust by historic standards, 

last year’s 2.4 month inventory looks 

very hefty by comparison. Indeed the rest 

of the state is enjoying a 2 month unsold 

inventory and nationwide the figure 

In November absorption increased 

from 99% to 120%, meaning for every 

new listing that came on the market, we 

sold 1.2 homes. Temecula sold 1.6 for 

every new listing and Canyon Lake sold 

2.1. It’s interesting to speculate how much 

stronger our market could still be IF 

we just had more homes to sell. When 

homes are staying on the less than a 

week and generating multiple offers, 

it’s safe to assume there are a lot of disappointed 

prospective buyers out there. 

Of course, when these supply/demand 

elements combine, the inevitable 

happens, as it continues to here. Median 

price edged up another 2% monthover-month 

and posted a 12% gain 

year-over-year ($399,555 / $454,278). 

That extends our year-to-date median 

increase to 8% ($386,460 / $421,688). 

Temecula matched its highest median 

again this month at $555,000 while 

Murrieta posted its highest median this 

year at $525,000. With 15 sales in excess 

of $1,000,000, Temecula’s average price 

remained above $600,000 for the fourth 

consecutive month as did Canyon Lake, 

with 7 sales of $1,000,000+. 

And distressed properties represent 

0% of our market. That’s an amazing 

statistic on its own. 

So since we’re all locked down until 

sometime next year or maybe 2022, I’ll 

take this opportunity to wish you all 

a most happy holiday season, a very 

Merry Christmas and a prosperous and 

HEALTHY New Year. 

Gene Wunderlich is Vice President, Government 

Affairs for Southwest Riverside 

County Association of Realtors. If you 

have questions on the market, please 

contact me at GAD@srcar.org.




21 

Don’t Go It Alone 

There is much talk these days about 

being in this together and that you are not 

alone. It’s a great concept and one that 

can be carried into the business world. 

When working with potential entrepreneurs 

I will give the suggestion to 

form a board of advisors to bring a different 

set of eyes to their business operation. 

Similar to a corporate board of directors, 

a small or medium business panel meets 

to provide guidance for the owner. 

The committee may be made up of 

as many as desired but limiting it between 

four and six members will likely 

encourage efficiency and participation of 

everyone. Candidates need to be considered 

trusted advisors and not necessarily 

from the same business segment. 

Outsiders of the industry can see 

what improvement will be beneficial 

through the eyes of a customer. Individuals 

asked to participate on the council 

might include personal friends familiar 

with the company vision and other entrepreneurs 

who have faced similar issues. 

They can provide valuable information 

and direction from their own experience. 

Investors may be good candidates 

as long as they are looking out for the 

long-term good of the company and not 

just getting their investment back. 

Meeting on a regular basis will be 

important to ensure ideas can be implemented 

at the right time. It can be good 

practice to hold meetings offsite such as 

in a restaurant providing a meal as a perk 

for the volunteers. 

But until face-to-face meetings are 

once again feasible, tele-conferencing 

can work just as well. Preparation should 

take place prior with a specific agenda 

that includes the current state of the 

business, new ideas for growth and the 

mitigation of risks and threats. 

Other topics to cover may be improving 

quality, creating a better customer 

experience and reducing employee turnover. 

Be sure to bring a clear list of where 

help is needed. 

The mission of the board should 

be clear and include initiatives such 

as sharing of information and ideas, 

learning from the experiences of others 

and provide the owner with suggestions 

on how to succeed in the marketplace. 

Compensation expectations need be 

addressed upfront. 

While monetary gifts may not be 

possible, quid pro quo might be sufficient 

to interest someone to be involved. 

Most importantly will be that everyone 

involved can be trusted not to share confidential 

information. 

Ted Saul is a business coach that assists 

with Business Planning. He holds a master 

certificate in project management and 

has earned his MBA from Regis University. 

Ted can be reached on LinkedIn or 

emailing TedSaulBiz@gmail.com. 

TEDSAULBIZ@GMAIL.COM 

by 

by 

Ted Saul, 

Steve Fillingim 

Sr. Staff Writer 

The best 

WAY 

to 

“ 

They can provide valuable information 

and direction from their own experience. 

Investors may be good candidates as 

long as they are looking out for the long-term 

good of the company and not 

just getting their investment back. 

LAUNCH 

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23 

Powerstone’s Tim Peckham Elected to the 

Greater Inland Empire Chapter of CAI. 

He will operate from Powerstone’s New 

Office in Temecula 

Temecula office is Powerstone’s 6th in California. A complete team will 

work from the office scheduled to open in January. 

Powerstone Property Management 

Inc. a full-service property management 

firm, today announced that Tim Peckham, 

PCAM, CCAM-LS, CMCA, AMS, CA- 

MEx, has been elected to join the board 

of the Inland Empire Chapter of the 

Community Associations Institute (CAI). 

Additionally, it was announced that Mr. 

Peckham, Director of Community Management, 

will be located in Powerstone’s 

new IE office in Temecula. 

Powerstone’s CEO, Rene’ Decker 

stated: “I’m very excited for Tim to be on 

the local CAI board, it’s a great organization. 

I’m sure that Tim, with his many 

years of experience, will be a great asset.” 

He adds: “I’m also happy to announce 

that Tim will join the team at our 

new office in Temecula. Powerstone has 

been active in the Inland Empire for some 

time and opening the office was needed in 

order to continue to provide exceptional 

service to our clients. It simply made 

good business sense.” 

Powerstone has significantly grown 

over the last few years and one key strategy 

has been to open service offices in 

areas where the company can have a local 

presence, be involved in the community 

and be closer to their clients. 

Chief Client Officer Kendrah Kay 

says: “We’ve made a deliberate effort to 

constantly review and upgrade the quality 

of our service. Because we maintain such 

a high-quality level, Clients continue to 

stay with us and that makes it easier to 

grow.” 

She adds: “Our branch office system 

reinforces our commitment to the communities 

we serve. Our being responsive, 

proactive and present increases our client 

satisfaction tremendously.” 

The other offices include: The Bay 

Area, Coachella Valley, North Orange 

County, San Diego, and the headquarters 

in Irvine. 

The Temecula office is located at 

27450 Ynez Road, Suite 307, Temecula, 

CA 92591. 

For more information please use the 

following contact information: Direct: 

951-823-1020 / Main: 951-823-1011 / 

Fax: 949-716-3999. 

DEAR THIRD DISTRICT RESIDENT 

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 

Staff members are available Monday 

through Friday from 8 a.m. to 

5 p.m. Please call 951-955-1030 or 

send an email to d3email@rivco.org, 

and someone will be in touch with 

you promptly. You may also visit our 

Facebook and Instagram pages (@supervisorchuckwashington) 

and Twitter 

page (@SupWashington). 

There is no doubt that many of us 

will count 2020 as one of the hardest 

years of our lives. Many have lost 

family members. Others have lost their 

livelihoods. And our kids have lost 

many of their traditional childhood 

experiences. 

Now that our most cherished holidays 

have passed, most of us can’t help 

but to think of the quality time we’d 

like to spend with our families. 

We ask that you make sacrifices 

this year to keep one another safe so 

that we can celebrate life with our families 

in 2021. Remember to stay home 

as often as you can and wear your mask 

and practice social distancing when 

you go out in public. 

Thank you for all that you do to 

make Riverside County a special place 

to live. 

Sincere regards, Chuck Washington 

“ 

We ask that you make sacrifices this year 

to keep one another safe so that we can 

celebrate life with our families in 2021. 

Remember to stay home as often as you 

can and wear your mask and practice social 

distancing when you go out in public.







25 

City of Menifee – Notice of Funding 

Availability (NOFA) for the Community Block 

On an annual basis, the City releases 

a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) 

for use of the grant funds from the U.S. 

Department of Housing and Urban Development 

(HUD). The funding objectives 

are to develop viable communities 

through public/private partnerships by 

providing decent affordable housing, a 

suitable living environment, and expanded 

economic development opportunities 

principally for persons of low and moderate 

income. 

The City of Menifee is pleased to 

announce the release of its 2021/2022 

Community Development Block Grant 

(CDBG) Applications. 

An information booklet explaining 

the federal and local goals for the CDBG 

Program, outlining eligible activities, 

eligibility criteria, and including the 

required application with completion instructions 

is in the city’s website: https:// 

www.cityofmenifee.us/421/Programsand-Grants. 

City staff is available to answer 

questions related to this NOFA and provide 

technical assistance to any agency 

wishing to submit an application. All 

applications must be received no later 

than 1PM, Tuesday, February 2, 2021. 

For more information, please contact 

Edna I. Lebrón, Sr. Management Analyst, 

City of Menifee at (951) 723-3713 or 

elebron@cityofmenifee.us. 

Temecula Valley Hospital Earns 2020 Leapfrog Top Hospital Award 

for Outstanding Quality and Safety 

Highlighting its nationally recognized 

achievements in patient safety 

and quality, Temecula Valley Hospital 

was named a Top General Hospital nationally 

by The Leapfrog Group. Announced 

today, the Leapfrog Top Hospital 

award is widely acknowledged 

as one of the most competitive awards 

American hospitals can receive. 

The Top Hospital designation is 

bestowed by The Leapfrog Group, a 

national watchdog organization of employers 

and other purchasers known to 

be one of the toughest standard-setters 

for health care safety and quality. 

The quality of patient care across 

many areas of hospital performance is 

considered in establishing the qualifications 

for the award, including infection 

rates, practices for safer surgery, and the 

hospital’s capacity to prevent medication 

errors. The rigorous standards are defined 

in each year’s Top Hospital Methodology. 

This is the second time that Temecula Valley 

Hospital has received the Top General 

Hospital Award, previously in 2017. 

“Receiving the Leapfrog Top Hospital 

Award is an honor that our physicians 

and staff should be very proud of,” said 

Darlene Wetton, CEO of Temecula Valley 

Hospital. “Receiving the award for the 

second time is a testament to the dedication 

of our Healthcare Heroes. As our 

nation faces unprecedented challenges, 

Temecula Valley Hospital continues to 

demonstrate our commitment to patient 

safety and quality.” 

Over 2,200 hospitals were considered 

for the award. Among those, Temecula 

Valley Hospital was one of only 

29 hospitals across the nation to receive 

the Top Hospital award in the General 

Hospital category. Hospitals that are 

selected as a Leapfrog Top Hospital have 

shown a caliber of performance that all 

hospitals should aspire to. Top Hospitals 

have achieved true excellence in quality 

and safety and only a select few in the 

nation are honored with the Leapfrog Top 

Hospital designation. 

“Being recognized as a Top Hospital 

is an extraordinary feat and we are 

honored to recognize Temecula Valley 

Hospital this year,” said Leah Binder, 

president and CEO of The Leapfrog 

Group. “Despite the extraordinary 

pressure and strain of the COVID-19 

pandemic, Temecula Valley Hospital has 

demonstrated an unwavering dedication 

to patients and to the Temecula Valley 

community. We congratulate the Board, 

staff and clinicians whose efforts made 

this honor possible.” 

To qualify for the Top Hospitals distinction, 

hospitals must rank top among 

peers on the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, 

which assesses hospital performance 

on the highest standards for quality and 

patient safety, and achieve top performance 

in its category. To see the full 

list of institutions honored as 2020 Top 

Hospitals, visit www.leapfroggroup.org/ 

tophospitals. 

About The Leapfrog Group 

Founded in 2000 by large employers 

and other purchasers, The Leapfrog 

Group is a national nonprofit organization 

driving a movement for giant 

leaps forward in the quality and safety 

of American health care. The flagship 

Leapfrog Hospital Survey collects and 

transparently reports hospital performance, 

empowering purchasers to find 

the highest-value care and giving consumers 

the lifesaving information, they 

need to make informed decisions. The 

Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, Leapfrog’s 

other main initiative; assigns letter 

grades to hospitals based on their record 

of patient safety, helping consumers protect 

themselves and their families from 

errors, injuries, accidents and infections. 

About Temecula Valley Hospital 

Temecula Valley Hospital (TVH), 

with a 5 Star Medicare Hospital Compare 

rating, brings advanced technology, 

innovative programs, patient-centered 

and family sensitive care to area residents 

featuring 140 private patient rooms. 

TVH is the first Universal Health Services 

Hospital Emergency Department 

in the country to achieve accreditation 

from the American College of Emergency 

Physicians (ACEP) as a Geriatric 

Emergency Department. TVH specializes 

in advanced cardiac services, stroke care, 

general and surgical specialties, and orthopedics 

as a recent Blue Distinction® 

Center Designation for Quality in Knee 

and Hip Replacement Surgeries. TVH is 

nationally recognized for Patient Safety 

by the Leapfrog Group, with a 2020 and 

2017 Top Hospital Award and seven ‘A’ 

Grades for Patient Safety. For more 

information, please visit https://www. 

temeculavalleyhospital.com/about/news




YOUR LOCAL CHAMBERS 

Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce 

www.temecula.org 

Murrieta/Wildomar Chamber of Commerce 

www.MWCoC.org 

Menifee Valley Chamber of Commerce 

www.menifeevalleychamber.com 

Lake Elsinore Valley Chamber 

www.lakeelsinorechamber.com 

Hemet/San Jacinto Valley 

Chamber of Commerce 

www.hsjvc.com




27 

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January 21

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