Valley Center/Pauma Schools will begin Tuesday, Sept. 3.
School Hours:
Kindergarten, early morning session - 8:20 a.m. to 11:55 a.m.
Kindergarten, late morning session - 10:30 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.
Grade 1 - 8:20 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.
Grades 2-3 - 8:15 a.m. to 1:55 p.m.
Grades 4-5 - 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Grades 6-8 - 8:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Grades 9-12 - 7:37 a.m. - 2:40 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Friday (traditional schedule days) and 7:37 a.m. - 2:07 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday (block days).
Pauma - 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Playground supervision begins at 7:30 a.m. at the K-8 schools. Please note the change in the start and end time for the high school this year.
Traffic congestion around the schools the first day is always a problem. Parents wishing to transport their children the first day should plan on arriving well before school begins.
School lunches will be $1.50 for grades K-8 and $2.00 for grades 9-12. Milk will also be available for students bringing their lunches at a cost of 25 cents for milk. Breakfast will be served at a cost of 75 cents for grades K-8 and $1.00 for grades 9-12. It is highly recommended you pre-pay for your child’s lunches. Contact the schools for more information.
Classroom assignments for grades 2-8 will be posted at their respective schools starting Friday, Aug. 23 at 3 p.m. Parents of students in K-1 will receive a letter notifying them of their child’s placement. Students and parents are encouraged to review the posted listings prior to school opening. This will familiarize students with their homeroom assignments prior to the first day.
Parents will receive a packet of information at the end of the first day of school for grades K-8. Please take time and care to fill out this paperwork. Included in the package will be a data card advising how we can reach you in case your child becomes ill at school or in case of emergency. A new data card is required for each student each year, K-12 grades.
Kindergarten teachers will be holding “Getting Acquainted” meetings with their prospective students the last two weeks of August. Parents should receive a letter with the name of the teacher and the time your appointment is scheduled. Please call the Primary School office at 749-8282 if you do not receive the letter by August 26. Just a reminder that K-1 students who ride the school bus home will be brought back to school if a parent is not at the bus stop to pick them up, or unless they have a note on file with the school district. Second grade students who are placed at the Primary School will receive a letter notifying parents of that fact. If you do not receive a letter, you may assume your second grade child is placed at the Elementary-Lower School.
The Tiny Tots Program begins Sept. 3. Registration is Aug. 23, 9 a.m. - noon at the Adobe.
The YMCA and Boys & Girls Club sponsor after school child care and recreation programs. Their phone numbers are 749-7951 for the YMCA and 749-9822 for the Boys & Girls Club. A Head Start Program for 3 and 4 year-olds is also available. Their phone number is 751-0865.
Those with questions regarding the start of school may call their child’s school. The telephone numbers for the schools are: Primary School - 749-8282; Elementary-Lower - 749-1631; Elementary-Upper - 749-8555; Middle School - 751-4295; Pauma School - 742-3741; High School - 751-5500; Oak Glen High School - 751-0455. You can also visit our web page: www.vcpusd.k12.ca.us.
Those with questions regarding the start of school may call their child’s school. The telephone numbers for the schools are: Primary School - 749-8282; Elementary-Lower - 749-1631; Elementary-Upper - 749-8555; Middle School - 751-4295; Pauma School - 742-3741; High School - 751-5500; Oak Glen High School - 751-0455. You can also visit our web page: www.vcpusd.k12.ca.us.
Bus schedules are published elsewhere in this issue. Please clip and save. Bus Evacuation Week is scheduled for the week of Sept. 16.
Many of Valley Center’s 25 new teachers were on hand Wednesday to take a tour of the district. Although not all in the picture, the new teachers are Craig Adams, Angelica M. Arguello, Julie Baker, Shauna Burke, Claudia Carvajal, Antoinette Costello, Debbie Craig, Lisa Eaton, Mary Galanos, Mary Harvey, Martin Hauser, Darren J. Irwin, Kirsten Jackson, Christine MacNeil, Roger McElmell, Amanda Mingst, Leah N. Moores, Jalene T. Nixon, Violeta Rios, Nicole Rose, Michall Saccuzzo, Kathleen Swift, Tina Villalobos, Nicole Wahab and Cori Wurster.
By DAVID ROSS
The VC water board Monday voted to spend an estimated $2500-$5000 to test for chemicals that it is not required by law to test for, but which it has been requested to test for by The San Diego/Imperial Organization for Cancer Control (SANDIOCC) and the local Community Committee for the Valley Center Community Project.
For nearly a year now, since the issue of a possible cancer cluster was raised by several VC residents, the district has been asked to test for carcinogens that are ordinarily not required to be tested for periodically by state and federal regulations.
“We were approached on an informal basis to see if we would do additional testing,” water district Gen. Mgr. Arant told the board.
He said that the district had taken the position that it would consider such a request if it came from the state’s cancer registry (SANDIOCC) and if a list of chemicals to be tested for was provided.
In April representatives of SANDIOCC and various public agencies held a meeting in Escondido to announce that there was no evidence at that time to show that a cancer cluster existed.
At that meeting Arant was once again requested to do additional testing of the water. He reiterated the district’s requirements that such a request come from the state and provide a list of chemicals to test for.
Recently the Irvine-based cancer registry provided the district with such a list, which includes 89 chemicals, many of which are not regulated by either the state or federal government, Arant said. This was followed up by a request by the Committee for the Valley Center Community Project, which includes elected members Kerry Carr, Penny Gipson, Judith Silverman and Michael Cooper.
Editor’s Note: This group is not affiliated with another organization: Concerned Citizens of Valley Center, which is collecting data independently.
“I said that when those two conditions were met we would take it to the board,” said Arant, explaining why he brought the issue to directors on Monday.
Arant said that to provide a baseline to compare to, the district should not only test water quality within the boundaries of the district, but also test water as it is coming into the system from the two San Diego County Water Authority aqueducts that connect to Valley Center.
“We also want to spend some time and figure out how many of these 89 chemicals that they want us to test for are still in use. A number of them have been eliminated from use,” said Arant.
Staff would consult with the County Dept. of Agriculture on this issue, he said.
Although the district has been urged from time to time to sample water within individual homes, Arant said that’s not necessary because the district has backflow devices at each water meter to keep contaminants from being introduced into the system. “We are going to take our samples from our approved sites, not from individual customers,” he said.
Director Chuck Stone asked how does the district know that its backflow devices work.
“Valley Center has a very active backflow testing procedure,” said Arant.
To sample for the wide array of chemicals requested means dealing with more than one lab, and will cost between $2500 and $5000.
Arant remains skeptical that there is evidence of a cancer cluster, and doubts that any unexpected foreign agents will be discovered in the water, but he recommended making the tests.
“I guess the bottom line is this: Even though [SANDIOCC’s] contention is that there is no statistical evidence of a cancer cluster, and recently we have learned that some of the air quality tests have been negative, I still think it’s prudent to go through this process to assure our residents. We probably won’t find many, if any, of these chemicals,” he said.
He doubts that foreign chemicals can enter the system through the highly-pressurized pipeline system and because all of the district reservoirs are covered, and have been since the early 1990s. “But I think we need to put this issue to rest,” he said.
Testing will be done at 20 points within the system and at two or three locations where imported water enters the system.
Board Pres. Gary Broomell commented, “I feel very strongly that the problem is not here, but I don’t have a kid with cancer. I think we should go ahead with this to assure people that our water is safe, and the community that it’s safe.”
Director Merle Aleshire added, “We ought to at least make an effort to bring it to a closure. I think we have an obligation to be able to confidently say what the quality of our water is.”
Valley Center’s long peaceful streak of more than a year without a murder ended over the weekend when two men and a woman were found fatally shot in a home on the 31000 block Jay Jay Way, just off Rodriguez Road in the West Lilac Area of Valley Center.
Sheriff’s deputies received the call Saturday at 5:57 p.m. when Sheriff’s ASTREA helicopter, which had been searching for 1997 Jeep Wrangler belonging to San Marcos resident Christopher Matthew Caillouette, found the Jeep from the air.
Deputies arrived at the residence, looked through the window and saw a man’s body on the living room floor. They found a woman’s body in the same room. After searching the house they found a third dead body, that of a man, in the bedroom.
Homicide detectives were brought in. They determined that all three had been shot to death, and the layout of the scene led deputies to conclude that all three died as a result of a double murder/suicide. They found a handgun next to the man’s body in the bedroom.
Later authorities released the name of the alleged killer, as being George Organ, born April 6, 1965. He was the resident of the Jay Jay Way home.
According to co-workers of Brecht BMW in Escondido, Caillouette had once lived at the Jay Jay Way house.
Friends and co-workers did not believe that there was a love triangle between Caillouette and Organ, who were old college chums. Caillouette was said to be seeing someone else.
Co-workers called the police on Thursday after Caillouette missed several days of work. Police first went to his San Marcos apartment, and found that his car was gone.
By DAVID ROSS
“This isn’t going to be a yuppie golf course!” declares Charley Schuster, owner of the Woods Valley Golf Club, whose 18 hole golf course is taking shape in front of our eyes just off Valley Center Road across the street from the dairy, and along Woods Valley Road.
“It’s not a country club. It’s in the country and it’s a club, but it’s going to be friendly and natural,” says Schuster.
Friendly and natural, like its owner. Schuster is a lanky Texan, open and talkative, but totally camera-shy. He’s been an oil engineer, scientist and geologist, who has owned and operated other golf courses, and when he visited Valley Center, decided that he wanted to own one here.
“This is the only place I’ve ever been in California where I thought I might like to live,” he told The Roadrunner the other day when he dropped by for a visit.
He plans to run a totally family -friendly operation, not a hoity-toity one.
“The lawn jockey is dead. That means that little statue out front of the country club. I don’t believe in the country club. The dress code at my course is decent. You don’t need to buy a $100 golfshirt to play.
“There will be no alcoholic beverages served. It’s for ladies, gentlemen and children. You can bring your family and children and not be worried about someone saying something that would offend anybody.”
At the same time, you’ll be allowed to play a leisurely game of golf.
“We’re not going to have marshals telling people to hurry up. We’re not herding a bunch of cattle through to make money.
The course is being built by Peerless Golf of La Quinta, a company that does high-end golf courses and remodels.
It will be planted in perennial rye grass with bent grass greens.
The golf course’s exact date of opening is somewhat dependent on the weather, and most likely won’t happen before the beginning of the year, and possibly not until February.
The course will be a “natural” course, sort of a cross between Barona and Santaluz, says Schuster.
“The rough areas will be native grasses and native flowers,” he says.
“I’ve played golf for 50 years and I like a lot of flowers, trees, rocks and water.”
How challenging will the course be?
“It’ll eat your lunch!” declares Schuster. It’ll have plenty of lakes and hazards to challenge the best golfer, but will be fun to play for the novice.
Instead of handicapping the players, Schuster has chosen to handicap the course. “The only difference in people is how far you hit it to get to the green.
“There are no women’s tee boxes. I don’t believe in discriminating. I’ve got a wife and a mother that proves that women are as good a golfers as men!
“There are four tee boxes,” he explains. “If you shoot in the 70s you play from the back tee box. If you shoot from the 80s you play the next tee box. If you shoot in the 90s you play from the third. If you shoot 100 and above you shoot from the front. That way people of different skill levels can play different tee boxes and still shoot par.”
Schuster has hired second generation golf superintendent Marty McGee to oversee his course at the operations level.
He’s brought Pauma Valley’s Glenn Stuart out of retirement to be general manager.
A member of the PGA since 1960, Stuart has owned and operated golf courses for 40 years.
“We’ll be hiring all local people,” Schuster said.
Another thing that will make Woods Valley Golf Club different from many clubs, is that the maintenance equipment will be totally electric.
“There will be no noise or air pollution. I’ve cleaned up hundreds of sites all over the U.S., There’s no sense polluting the environment at this one.”
According to Schuster there was an initial heavy expense to buy the electric equipment.
It was 50% more expensive to buy the equipment initially, but it will be cheaper in the long run. The five riding lawn mowers are all battery operated and will be recharged using solar and wind power.
“The maintenance yard won’t look like a maintenance yard. There will be no hazardous materials like gasoline.”
Schuster just bought 200 mature pine trees for the course. Half of these are already out there.
Schuster is a big believer in family golf, and to encourage kids to pick up the sport, he plans to open the driving range to kids and beginners every day after school.
“I’ve got 17 grandkids and half of them play golf. I’m doing it for the kids and the guys who worked all their lives and didn’t learn how to play.”
As to whether the club will eventually sell memberships, Schuster says, “I’m still praying about that.”
* * *
Golf course Gen. Mgr. Glenn Stuart this week took The Roadrunner on a tour of the course, and answered some questions.
Standing with our backs to Woods Valley Road and looking to the left, the front nine abuts the fence that separates the course from property along Valley Center Road.
He explained that one of the six lakes divides the first hole from the ninth hole.
Stuart: “The course works along the road towards Bates Nut Farm, works into the wooded area and there are quite a few homesites interspersed with the course.”
Roadrunner: How many home sites?
Stuart: “There are 270 home sites, most of them half acre.
“It’s nice soil to work with here. It’s pretty sandy and hardly any clay on it. This will be the practice area (This is the area now occupied by the construction trailer just as you enter the golf course from Woods Valley Road.)
“If there’s any negative here it’s that we are going to have balls that are going to go over the ridge into the first fairway.
“The temporary clubhouse will sit next to the existing trailer. That will be added in 30 to 40 days.”
Q: How big of a club house will it be?
A: “It’s going to be a 40 by 40 modular with a separate unit for rest rooms and we’ll build kind of a patio deck around it for seating outside. We’ll have limited seating in the temporary clubhouse. It’ll be adequate.”
We followed the service road around the perimeter of the course, going towards Valley Center Road.
Q: This service parallels Valley Center Road. Will it be connected at all?
A: They’ve put a gate out there near an existing building to where they’ll be able to get out there.
The Valley Roadrunner
P.O.B. 1529, Valley Center, CA 92082
Tel. 760.749.1112 Fax 760.749.1688
Website: www.valleycenter.com
Email: editor@valleycenter.com
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