Councilman Steve Manos Lake Elsinore, District 2

Governor Newsom echoed these views, but the California Teacher's Union is pushing for another 100 days of distance learning.

Six more weeks of winter! Cute tradition.

#COVID #Vaccine - Today, Thursday, at noon (12 p.m.) the County will open up six upcoming COVID-19 vaccine clinics. The Clinics will be in Lake Elsinore, Perris and Indio. Those in Phase 1A, 1B and those 65 or over can attempt to register for these clinics online at https://www.ruhealth.org/covid-19-vaccine. PLEASE NOTE: This is a County administered program. Please dial 2-1-1 for assistance. Please know that the website has also run into many problems and could have challenges due to demand.

Attention all small business owners! The deadline to file for the first round of California's Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant program, offering businesses up to $25,000, is approaching quickly. The California Office of the Small Business Advocate will accept applications until January 13, 2021. $500 million in grants are available. ... You can begin preparing your documents at CAReliefGrant.com. Hope this message helps someone.

I'm out for lunch! Yum!! Such a beautiful day here on Main Street at Lake Elsinore's Main Street Kitchen & Tap. We are so lucky to have these businesses hanging in there through adversity.

ATTENTION! This is important information for anyone that uses the Railroad Canyon Interchange. This week there will be several major closures that will impact the Railroad Canyon exit and surrounding streets. Starting tonight, January 4, Summerhill Drive Southbound #2 Lane will be closed until Friday night, January 8, for work to move fire hydrants. ... Starting on Wednesday night, January 6, Railroad Canyon Eastbound #2 Lane will be closed for traffic signal work on the Southbound Ramp Intersection. This lane will not reopen until after the major work is completed on the next closure, which is... Starting on Friday night, January 8 at 9 PM and continuing through Monday, January 11 at 4 AM, there will be a 55 hour full closure of: - The Railroad Canyon Southbound On Ramp (to pave the on-ramp and the connection between the ramp and Railroad Canyon Road). - Night closures of the Southbound Off Ramp. - Night closures of the I-15 Southbound Freeway Lanes #2 and #3. These will be a significant interruptions. We are reminding motorists to allow extra travel time and use Main Street as an alternate on-ramp. If the work cannot be performed the weekend of January 8 due to rain or other factors, RCTC will skip the weekend of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday and reschedule the work for the weekend of January 22. Feel free to share this information.

We have lots of work to do in 2021. When we stand united everything is possible.

I know that everyone is tired of hearing about the virus, but information is power. There's a story going around the past few days in all types of media. Scientists have determined that a recent strain of COVID coming out of China is far more virulent than the original. It spreads faster by increasing the viral load in the nose and mouth. I'm not one to believe that the government has all the answers, especially about COVID. I don't support the lockdowns - they're ineffectiv...e and have so many contradictory tenets that it's hard to get behind what the governor has put forward. That said, while the known survival rate for COVID is very good for most people, the virus IS a nasty illness and could mutate to become more deadly at any time. Why put yourself or your family in harm's way? Considering the state of our hospitals and this new information, it makes good sense to take a few extra precautions to protect yourself and your family. 1. Wash your hands. The things you touch (like money) can get you sick, too. 2. Limit your exposure to others as much as possible, especially for the next few weeks. 3. Take extra precautions prior to visiting family this holiday, like getting tested. 4. If you feel sick, stay home from work and get tested. 5. If you've been in contact with someone that's been sick, get tested. 6. If you have COVID let the people at risk around you know and stay home. 7. If you have surgical masks, properly fitted N95s, or a mask with certified filters, use them in high risk indoor environments. 8. Try not to let people cough or sneeze around you. Imagine standing far enough away so that you'd stay outside of a person's breath if it were cold enough outside to see their breath. 9. I'm told that the testing at Diamond Stadium is now done by mouth swabs. No more brain tickler. My wife and I get tested regularly to help protect others. It's a prudent way protect your loved ones. Stay safe everyone!