Temecula, California

For the California wine region, see Temecula Valley AVA.

City of Temecula
—  City  —
Motto: Old Traditions New Opportunities
Location in Riverside County
Coordinates: 33°30′12″N 117°7′25″W
Country	United States
State	California
County	Riverside
Founded	1859
Incorporated	December 1, 1989
Government
• City Council	Mayor Michael Naggar Chuck Washington Maryann Edwards Ronald Roberts Jeff Comerchero
• City Manager	Aaron Adams (Interim)
• Treasurer / Finance Director	(TBA 2013)
• City Clerk	Susan Jones
Area
• Total	30.167 sq mi (78.133 km2)
• Land	30.151 sq mi (78.092 km2)
• Water	0.016 sq mi (0.042 km2)  0.05%
Elevation	1,175 ft (358.14 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	100,097
• Rank	5th in Riverside County 66th in California 275th in the United States
• Density	Bad rounding here3,300/sq mi (Bad rounding here1,300/km2)
Time zone	PST (UTC-8)
• Summer (DST)	PDT (UTC-7)
ZIP codes	92589, 92590, 92591, 92592, 92593
Area code(s)	951
FIPS code	06-78120
GNIS feature ID	1652799
Website	www.cityoftemecula.org

Temecula (/təˈmɛkjʉlə/) is a city in southwestern Riverside County, California, with a population of 100,097 according to the 2010 United States Census. It was incorporated on December 1, 1989. Temecula is bordered by Murrieta to the north and the Pechanga Indian Reservation to the south. Temecula and Murrieta form the southwestern anchor of the Inland Empire region.

Temecula is nearly equidistant to San Diego, Los Angeles, and Orange County, California, and is served by Interstate 15 (Temecula Valley Freeway) and California State Route 79 (Winchester Road to the northeast and Temecula Parkway to the southeast). This proximity to three of southern California's main economic centers has earned the city the reputation with some as a commuter town.

Temecula is also home to military families from nearby Camp Pendleton, MCAS Miramar, March Air Reserve Base and the Naval bases of San Diego.

History

Pre-1800

The area was inhabited by the Temecula natives for many hundreds of years before their first meeting with the Spanish missionaries (the people are now generally known as the Luiseños, after the Mission San Luis Rey de Francia). The Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians believe their ancestors have lived in the Temecula area for more than 10,000 years. In Pechanga mythology, life on earth began in the Temecula Valley. They call it, "Exva Temeeku", the place of the union of Sky-father, and Earth-mother ("Tuukumit'pi Tamaayowit"). The Temecula Indians ("Temeekuyam") lived at "Temeekunga" – "the place of the sun".

Other popular interpretations of the name, Temecula, include "The Sun That Shines Through The Mist" or "Where the sun breaks through the mist". According to the city website, "Temecula is the only city in California to still retain its original Indian name", although this is not quite accurate—for one counterexample, see Malibu, California.

The first recorded Spanish visit occurred in October 1797, with a Franciscan padre, Father Juan Norberto de Santiago, and Captain Pedro Lisalde. Father Santiago kept a journal in which he noted their seeing "Temecula ...an Indian village". The trip included the Lake Elsinore area and the Temecula Valley.

Today, over 1,000 Native Americans (this may mean tribal members, but includes those whose families were categorized "Spanish" and/or "Mexican" in the late 1800s/early 1900s) live in the Temecula Valley. The wine industry was founded by the Californios; colonial Spanish settlers planted grapes and vineyards well-suited for the climate. The vineyards were then adapted by Anglo-American settlers and European immigrants from Spain, Italy and France in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.^{[citation needed]}

1800–1900

In 1798, Spanish Missionaries established the Mission of San Luis Rey de Francia and designated the Indians living in the region "Sanluiseños", or shortened to "Luiseños". In the 1820s, the Mission San Antonio de Pala was built.

The Mexican land grants made in the Temecula area were Rancho Temecula granted to Felix Valdez and Rancho Pauba to the east granted to Vicente Moraga in 1844. Rancho Little Temecula on fertile well watered land at the southern end of the valley, which included the village of Temecula, was made in 1845 to Luiseño Pablo Apis, one of the few former mission converts to be given a land grant. A fourth grant, known as Rancho Santa Rosa in the hills to the west of Temecula, was made to Juan Moreno in 1846.

The Luiseño and Cahuilla tribes were involved in the local battles of the Mexican-American War during the following years. In January 1847 in an event known as the Pauma Massacre, Luiseño captured 11 Mexican soldiers, who had stolen some of the tribe's horses. The Californios mounted a military retaliation directed by General Pio Pico in Los Angeles. A combined force of Mexican soldiers and Cahuilla Indians killed 33 to 100 Luiseños (most estimates are 33-40 dead), in an action that became known as the Temecula Massacre.

As American settlers began to move into the area after the war, friction with the native tribes increased. A Treaty was signed in the Magee Store in Temecula in 1852, but never ratified by the United States Congress. In addition, the Luiseños challenged the late land grant claims, as under Mexican law, they were supposed to be able to stay on the mission lands which they had cultivated and settled. They challenged the Apis claim to the Little Temecula Rancho by taking the case to the Land Commission. On November 15, 1853, the Board rejected the Luiseño claim. When they appealed in 1856, the court found in favor of the heirs of Pablo Apis (who had died in late 1853 or early 1854). The Luiseño of Temecula village remained on the south side of Temecula Creek until 1872 when the Apis grant was acquired by Louis Wolf. They were then evicted in 1875.

A stagecoach line started a local route from Warner Ranch to Colton in 1857 that passed through Temecula Valley. Within a year, the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach line, with a route between St. Louis, Missouri and San Francisco, stopped at Temecula's Magee Store. On April 22, 1859, the first inland Southern California post office was established in Temecula in the Magee Store. This was the second post office in the state, the first being located in San Francisco. The Temecula post office was moved in the ensuing years. Its present locations are the seventh and eighth sites occupied. The American Civil War put an end to the Butterfield Overland Stage Service, but stage service continued on the route under other stage companies until the railroad reached Fort Yuma in 1877.

In 1862, Louis Wolf, a Temecula merchant and postmaster, married Ramona Place, who was mixed-race and half Indian. Author Helen Hunt Jackson spent time with Louis and Ramona Wolf in 1882 and again in 1883. Wolf's store became an inspiration for Jackson's fictional "Hartsel's store" in her 1884 novel, Ramona.

In 1882, the United States government established the Pechanga Indian Reservation of approximately 4,000 acres (16 km²) some 8 miles (13 km) from downtown Temecula. Also in 1882, the California Southern Railroad, a subsidiary of the Santa Fe Railroad completed construction of the section from National City to Temecula. In 1883, the line was extended to San Bernardino. In the late 1880s, a series of floods washed out the tracks and the section of the railroad through the canyon was finally abandoned. The old Temecula station was used as a barn and later demolished.

In the 1890s with the operation of granite stone quarries, Temecula granite was shaped into fence and hitching posts, curb stones, courthouse steps, and building blocks. At the turn of the 20th century, Temecula gained a place of importance as a shipping point for grain and cattle.

1900–1989

Temecula, 1909.

In 1904 Walter L. Vail, who had come to the United States with his parents from Nova Scotia, migrated to California. Along with various partners, he began buying land in Southern California. Vail bought ranchland in the Temecula Valley, buying 38,000 acres (154 km²) of Rancho Temecula and Rancho Pauba, along with the northern half of Rancho Little Temecula. Vail was killed by a street car in Los Angeles in 1906; his son, Mahlon Vail, took over the family ranch. In 1914, financed by Mahlon Vail and local ranchers, the First National Bank of Temecula opened on Front Street. In 1915, the first paved, two-lane county road was built through Temecula.

By 1947, the Vail Ranch contained over 87,500 acres (354 km²). In 1948, the Vail family built a dam to catch the Temecula Creek water and created Vail Lake. Through the mid-1960s the economy of the Temecula Valley centered around the Vail Ranch; the cattle business and agriculture were the stimuli for most business ventures. In 1964, the Vail Ranch was sold to Kaiser Land Development Company. A later purchase by the group brought the total area to 97,500 acres (395 km²), and the area became known as Rancho California. The I-15 corridor between Los Angeles County and San Diego was completed in the early 1980s and the subdivision land boom began. When Rancho California incorporated in December, 1989, the citizens voted to officially name their city "Temecula".

1990–present

The 1990s brought rapid growth to the Temecula Valley. Many families began to move to the area from San Diego and Orange County drawn by the affordable housing prices and the popular wine country. In 1999, The Promenade Mall opened in Temecula. In 2005, Temecula expanded by annexing the neighboring planned community known as Redhawk. The annexation brought the population to 90,000. After a period of rapid population growth and home construction, the 2007 subprime mortgage financial crisis and the resultant United States housing market correction caused a sharp rise in home foreclosures in the Temecula-Murrieta region.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 30.2 square miles (78.2 km²), of which, 30.2 square miles (78.1 km²) of it is land and 0.02 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.05%) is water.

Climate

Temecula has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa). August is typically the hottest month of the year with December being the coldest month. Most precipitation occurs from November to March with February being the wettest month. Winter storms generally bring moderate precipitation, but strong winter storms are not uncommon especially during "El Niño" years. The driest month is June. Annual precipitation is 14.14 inches. Morning marine layer is common during May and June. From July to September, Temecula experiences hot, dry weather with the occasional North American monsoonal flow that increases the humidity and brings isolated thunderstorms. Most of the storms tend to be short lived with little, if any rainfall. During late fall into winter, Temecula experiences dry, windy north-eastern Santa Ana winds. Snowfall is rare, but Temecula has experienced traces of snowfall on occasion. A rare F1 tornado touched down in a Temecula neighborhood on February 19, 2005.^{[citation needed]}

Climate data for Temecula, California
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	90 (32)	90 (32)	98 (37)	102 (39)	111 (44)	110 (43)	114 (46)	115 (46)	113 (45)	110 (43)	96 (36)	89 (32)	115 (46)
Average high °F (°C)	69.4 (20.8)	67.6 (19.8)	71.5 (21.9)	72.8 (22.7)	77.9 (25.5)	83.0 (28.3)	90.0 (32.2)	91.4 (33)	89.7 (32.1)	81.5 (27.5)	74.9 (23.8)	68.6 (20.3)	78.4 (25.8)
Average low °F (°C)	40.5 (4.7)	42.0 (5.6)	44.9 (7.2)	47.7 (8.7)	53.0 (11.7)	56.5 (13.6)	61.5 (16.4)	61.6 (16.4)	58.8 (14.9)	52.8 (11.6)	45.0 (7.2)	39.8 (4.3)	50.4 (10.2)
Record low °F (°C)	14 (−10)	21 (−6)	25 (−4)	29 (−2)	34 (1)	32 (0)	31 (−1)	45 (7)	40 (4)	30 (−1)	21 (−6)	18 (−8)	14 (−10)
Precipitation inches (mm)	2.59 (65.8)	3.70 (94)	1.13 (28.7)	.90 (22.9)	.25 (6.4)	.03 (0.8)	.08 (2)	.05 (1.3)	.07 (1.8)	.94 (23.9)	1.33 (33.8)	3.07 (78)	14.14 (359.2)
Source #1: weathercurrents.com
Source #2: weather.com

Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.		%±
1860	839		—
1980	1,783		—
1990	27,099		1,419.9%
2000	57,716		113.0%
2010	100,097		73.4%

2010

The 2010 United States Census reported that Temecula had a population of 100,097. The population density was 3,318.0 people per square mile (1,281.1/km²). The racial makeup of Temecula was 70,880 (70.8%) White, 4,132 (4.1%) African American, 1,079 (1.1%) Native American, 9,765 (9.8%) Asian, 368 (0.4%) Pacific Islander, 7,928 (7.9%) from other races, and 5,945 (5.9%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 24,727 persons (24.7%).

The Census reported that 99,968 people (99.9% of the population) lived in households, 121 (0.1%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 8 (0%) were institutionalized.

There were 31,781 households, out of which 15,958 (50.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 20,483 (64.5%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 3,763 (11.8%) had a female householder with no husband present, 1,580 (5.0%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 1,463 (4.6%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 186 (0.6%) same-sex married couples or partnerships. 4,400 households (13.8%) were made up of individuals and 1,387 (4.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.15. There were 25,826 families (81.3% of all households); the average family size was 3.46.

The population was spread out with 30,690 people (30.7%) under the age of 18, 9,317 people (9.3%) aged 18 to 24, 27,869 people (27.8%) aged 25 to 44, 24,416 people (24.4%) aged 45 to 64, and 7,805 people (7.8%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.4 years. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males.

There were 34,004 housing units at an average density of 1,127.2 per square mile (435.2/km²), of which 21,984 (69.2%) were owner-occupied, and 9,797 (30.8%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 7.1%. 69,929 people (69.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 30,039 people (30.0%) lived in rental housing units.

2000

As of the census of 2000, there were 57,716 people, 18,293 households, and 15,164 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,198.3 people per square mile (848.6/km²). There were 19,099 housing units at an average density of 727.4 per square mile (280.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.9% White, 3.4% African American, 0.9% Native American, 4.7% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 7.4% from other races, and 4.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.0% of the population.

There were 18,293 households out of which 52.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.8% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.1% were non-families. 12.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.2 and the average family size was 3.5.

In the city the population was spread out with 34.7% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 17.2% from 45 to 64, and 7.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. The above average number of young people in Temecula was attributed to an influx of middle-class families came to buy homes in the 1990s real estate boom. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.

According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $75,335, and the median income for a family was $80,836. Males had a median income of $47,113 (2000) versus $31,608 (2000) for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,312 (2003). About 5.6% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

The Outdoor Channel is based in Temecula.

Top Employers

According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	Abbott Laboratories	3,120
2	Temecula Valley Unified School District	2,696
3	Professional Hospital Supply	1,200
4	International Rectifier	584
5	Macy's	319
6	Costco	318
7	EMD Millipore	272
8	Milgard Manufacturing	250
9	Southwest Traders	250
10	Plant Equipment, Inc.	222
11	DCH Auto Group	212
12	FFF Enterprises	184
13	Channell	180
14	Target	176
15	Temecula Creek Inn	174
16	Stater Bros.	170
17	Opto 22	170
18	Sears	170
19	JC Penney	165
20	Toyota of Temecula Valley	160
21	City of Temecula	158
22	Rancho California Water District	151
23	The Home Depot	140
24	Lowe's	134
25	Albertsons	130
*	Pechanga Resort and Casino	3500-4000

Education

Temecula Valley Unified School District

Main article: Temecula Valley Unified School District

The Temecula Valley Unified School District (TVUSD) has schools in Temecula, Murrieta and Winchester, California. The general boundaries extend north to Baxter Road in French Valley, south to the Riverside/San Diego county line, east to Vail Lake, and west to the Temecula city limit. The district covers approximately 148 square miles (383 km²), with an enrollment of approximately 25,000 students (Grades K-12).

Private schools

• Hillcrest Academy
• Linfield Christian School
• Rancho Community Christian School
• Van Avery Prep
• Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac School
• Saint Ives
• Saint Bernaby

Charter Schools

• Temecula Preparatory School
• Temecula Valley Charter School
• River Springs Charter School
• Keegan Academy
• Context Charter Middle School
• It also is serviced by Julian Charter School, a charter school based in the county of San Diego, in the community of Julian.

Politics

In the state legislature Temecula is located in the 36th Senate District, represented by Republican Joel Anderson, and in the 64th and 66th Assembly Districts, represented by Republicans Brian Nestande and Kevin Jeffries respectively. Federally, Temecula is located in California's 49th congressional district, which has a Cook PVI of R +10 and is represented by Republican Darrell Issa.

Public services

Public safety

Temecula provides police service in cooperation with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department via a contract with the department fulfilled through its Southwest Sheriff's Station, located in the unincorporated community of French Valley, just immediately north of the city of Temecula, east of State Route 79. The station is adjacent to the Riverside County Superior Court's Southwest Regional Judicial District Courthouse and Southwest Detention Center, one of the five regional jails in Riverside County. The sheriff's station is currently commanded by Captain Andre O'Harra, who also serves as Temecula's Chief of Police.

Temecula contracts out for fire protection and emergency medical services (EMS) with the Riverside County Fire Department through a cooperative agreement with CAL FIRE (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection). Temecula currently has five fire stations with five paramedic engine companies, one truck company and two CAL FIRE wildland fire engines covering the city.

American Medical Response provides paramedic ambulance transport to an emergency department.

Public libraries

• Grace Mellman Community Library
• Temecula Public Library

Cemetery

The Temecula Cemetery is operated by the Temecula Public Cemetery District. Land for the cemetery was originally donated by Mercedes Pujol in 1884 from the estate of her husband, Domingo Pujol.

Places of worship

• The Temecula Mormon Cultural Center by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, representing what is thought the largest Mormon percentage community in California, the legacy of the San Bernardino LDS (Mormon) colony and settlement of the San Diego Mountain Empire as a part of the proposed State of Deseret in the second half of the 19th century. (See also Mormon Corridor and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in California). The current church is 25,000 square feet in size, but with the center it will be 98,000 square foot in size.
• The Temecula Islamic Mosque and Cultural center site was approved despite the high amount of controversy brought on by some worried residents. The news report was broadcast nationally. The site is 25,000 square feet in size.
• The Calvary Baptist Church Bible Complex is a 35,000 square foot church and cultural center to be erected outside the city limits in property which is a grape vineyard.

Tourism

Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival

Wine Country

Main article: Temecula Valley wine

More than 40 years after Richard Break and Leon Borel first planted 56 varieties of wine-making grapes in five different locations for the newly formed Rancho California Development Corporation, the Temecula Valley has become recognized as a full-fledged appellation. In 1967 John Moramarco planted the first 1,000 acres of commercial winegrapes for Brookside Vineyards and Winery. Today there are more than 35 wineries and more than 3,500 acres (14 km²) of producing vineyards. The wine country is east of historic Old Town Temecula, with a variety of tasting rooms. The annual Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival is held at nearby Lake Skinner. The festival offers live entertainment, hot air balloon rides, and wine tasting, with many of the area's local wineries represented.

Golf

Golfers can use one of the nine local golf courses including Pechanga's Journey, Redhawk, Temecula Creek Inn, Temeku Hills, CrossCreek, Pala Mesa and the SCGA Member's Course (in nearby Murrieta).

Sports

Temecula was a proposed city for a charter membership in the California Inline Hockey League based in San Diego then to Los Angeles. The California Inline Hockey league was a grassroots minor league professional Inline hockey league with clubs based in the state of California but later added two teams in Nevada. The CIHL awarded the city of Temecula a club which was to be a part of the CIHL's first season in 1995. The club was named the Temecula Desert Rats and they were going to be members of the CIHL along with the San Francisco Seals, Santa Barbara Sandsharks, Los Angeles/Sacramento Golden Bears, High Desert (Adelanto) Rattlers later moved to Las Vegas, Fresno Fire who merged with the Bakersfield Bombers, Orange County Crushers, Sacramento/Reno Express, Carson City/Modesto-Stockton Mavericks, Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay Tritons, and a proposed team in San Diego (the San Diego/San Jose/Golden Gate Goals) which like Temecula suspended operations for 1995. Temecula's reason for suspending operations was because no suitable rink was available for the club and was the reason the club moved to Phoenix, Arizona for the 1996 season. The team was going to be called the Phoenix Desert Rats, but the team reappeared in Palm Desert, California to become the Palm (Springs) Desert Rats, to replace the Roller hockey team the Palm Desert Silver-Cats who later relocated to Ontario, California, to represent the Riverside-San Bernardino area. The CIHL folded in 1999 with the remaining teams: the California Desert Rats, Inland Empire InlinE-men (Ontario), (Orange) County Web Warriors (also the name of a team in Pro Beach Hockey) and SouthLand Sun-Dogs of San Diego and Del Mar, California (Solana Beach).

Temecula is also known as the home for the Freestyle Motocross group Metal Mulisha with members such as Brian Deegan, Jeremy "Twitch" Stenberg, and Ronnie Faisst living in or near Temecula.

And formerly had the Murrieta Bandits of the America-Mexico Soccer League, but they represent nearby Murrieta and play games in Lake Elsinore.

Old Town Temecula

Old Town Temecula

"Old Town Temecula" is a collection of historic 1890s buildings, antique stores, hotels, specialty food stores, boutiques, gift and collectible stores, and antique dealers. Old Town is also home to such events as car shows, western days, and summer entertainment. On weekends, Old Town also hosts a growing nightlife.

Old Town is also home to the Temecula Museum which features exhibits about the local band of Native Americans and the local natural history and city development. The newly completed City Hall is located in Old Town.

Pechanga Resort and Casino

In 2001, the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians built the $262 million Pechanga Resort and Casino complex. Linked together in an architectural design that subtly highlights the tribe's Luiseño culture, the facility includes: an 85,000-square-foot (7,900 m²) casino, 1,200-seat bingo hall, 515,000-square-foot (47,800 m²), 13-story, 522-room hotel and 38,800-square-foot (3,600 m²) convention center, 1,200-seat showroom, 200-seat cabaret lounge, and seven restaurants. The new casino also features 2,000 slot machines, 60 card tables and over 50 poker tables.

In 2004, a new gaming area was completed. It is almost 400,000 square feet (40,000 m²) in area, including a new nightclub, Silk, and the Round Bar. Silk has a capacity of 1600 people and has five bars inside the club. The Round Bar features California's largest glass structure. The new casino also features a new sportsbar and restaurant, Kelseys, and five new eateries at the Festival of Foods.

Pechanga Resort and Casino is Temecula Valley's largest employer, with about 7,500 people employed.

Festivals

• Temecula Bluegrass Festival
• Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival
• Temecula Valley International Film and Music Festival
• Temecula Valley International Jazz Festival
• Children's Matsuri
• Temecula Street Painting Festival
• Dutch American Heritage Day
• Taste of the World
• Temecula Rod Run – Old Town Temecula

Sister cities and schools

Temecula maintains international relations with two cities, Leidschendam-Voorburg in the Netherlands and Daisen, Tottori in Japan.

Margarita Middle School is the sister school to Daisen-cho, Japan. The three high schools, Temecula Valley High School, Great Oak High School, and Chaparral High School switch off sending students to the Netherlands while they all share hosting. The Dutch students have usually come during October, but came in May in 2010, and the American students go during Spring Break. Margarita Middle sends a delegation every other year during Spring Break, while Daisen sends a delegation every year during the summer. The sister cities celebrated their 13th year of cooperation this year.

The city recently dedicated a Japanese Garden at the centrally located Temecula Duck Pond to honor the 10th anniversary of the city's relationship with sister city Daisen.

The Temecula Duck Pond is also home to an art piece entitled Singing in the Rain. It was commissioned by the city of Leidschendam-Voorburg as a gift to the city to commemorate the resilient American spirit in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks. The piece depicts a mother and her children bravely pedalling a bicycle into the strong headwinds of a storm. The statue stands as a lasting tribute to the strength and courage of those who refuse to be broken by brutality and terrorism.

Proposed projects

• In 2006, the city approved a proposed, six-story hospital on State Route 79 South at Country Glen Way, near De Portola Road. The hospital has opened since then – as the Temecula Valley Medical Center.
• The Southwest County College Education Center. On the NE corner of State Route 79 and I-15 facing the I-15/215 interchange. It would have classes from Chapman College, Riverside Community College, ITT Technical Institute of San Bernardino, Santa Barbara Business College and University of San Diego.
• The Inland Empire Amphitheatre. A proposed 6,000-seat outdoor venue theater for concerts, stage plays and other events. The site was on the west side of the I-15/ 215 interchange either in Temecula or nearby Murrieta where the city limits meet. The project has never been approved due to poor environmental impact reports.
• Chargers' Coliseum. In the mid-2000s, the city of Temecula did not approve a new professional sports stadium. It could have housed the NFL's San Diego Chargers to represent all of Southern California, including the Los Angeles area.

Notable residents

• Nate Adams, freestyle motocross rider
• Merle Allin, electric bass player and the older brother of the late punk rock singer/songwriter/performance artist GG Allin
• Tim Barela, comic strip author
• Maurice Benard, actor, currently on General Hospital
• Rob Brantly, Major League Baseball catcher, attended Temecula Chaparral High School
• Allen Craig, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman, caught last out of the 2011 World Series
• Timmy Curran, professional surfer
• Terrell Davis, retired Denver Broncos Pro Bowl running back
• Brian Deegan, freestyle motocross rider and founder of Metal Mulisha
• Larry Fortensky, last husband of Elizabeth Taylor
• Erle Stanley Gardner, author, wrote over 100 of the Perry Mason novels at his Temecula ranch, "Rancho del Paisano" between 1931 and his death in 1970
• Sarah Hammer, professional racing cyclist and two-time Olympic silver medalist
• Christy Hemme, pro wrestler and manager
• Dan Henderson, mixed martial artist and Greco-Roman wrestling Olympian
• Reed Johnson, Chicago Cubs baseball player
• Troy Lyndon, CEO of Inspired Media Entertainment and developer of the first 3D Madden NFL game
• April Matson, actress from Kyle XY
• Sydnee Michaels, LPGA Tour golfer
• Antonio Pontarelli, rock violinist, Grand Champion of NBC's America's Most Talented Kids
• Jerry Yang, 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event winner

In media

• Temecula was the setting of a 1996 made-for-TV movie of couples visiting the area's wine country, entitled A Weekend in the Country directed by Martin Bergman and co-written by Bergman and Rita Rudner, with actors Rita Rudner, Christine Lahti, Jack Lemmon, Dudley Moore, Richard Lewis and Betty White.
• "Beachhead", the pilot episode of the 1960s TV series The Invaders, was filmed in part in Old Town Temecula and prominently featured the exterior of the historic Palomar Inn Hotel.
• Temecula was the setting of the 2009 comedy The Goods.
• Temecula was also shown in the episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians where Bruce and Scott get to bond, they visit Lucille's Barbeque.
• The album Bitte Orca by Dirty Projectors contains a song called "Temecula Sunrise", named after the town.
• The vineyard scenes in the final episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation were filmed in Temecula.

Ronald Reagan and Temecula

In a March 1983 speech to the U.S. Olympic Committee, President Ronald Reagan praised the community and their "can-do" volunteer spirit:

There are many similar stories right here in California, the folks in a rather small town, Temecula. They got together and built themselves a sports park, held fundraising barbecues and dinners. And those that didn't have money, volunteered the time and energy. And now the young people of that community have baseball diamonds for Little League and other sports events, just due to what's traditional Americanism.

At the time of the speech, Temecula was six years away from becoming a city and many projects were completed by community leaders and volunteers who provided money, labor and equipment.

Reagan also owned a 771 acres (3.1 km²) spread in nearby Tenaja where he contemplated building a ranch. He bought the land in 1968 and sold it 11 years later.

On the 22nd anniversary of the speech, in 2005, the Rancho California Sports Park was named after Reagan.

Further reading

• Hudson, Tom (1981). A Thousand Years in Temecula Valley. Temecula, California: Old Town Temecula Museum. ISBN 978-0-931700-06-4. LCCN 81053017. OCLC 8262626.  LCC F868.R6 H83 1981.

External links

• City of Temecula
• Temecula Valley Convention and Visitor's Bureau
• Temecula Unified School District
• Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians