The Valley Center Branch of San Diego County Library, established in 1916, is observing its 86th anniversary this year as it prepares to move on December 4 into a new 12,000 square foot facility at 29200 Cole Grade Road.
With a population of about 100 families, Valley Center welcomed its first library in 1916. That library was actually one shelf of books that a County worker changed once each month.
On Sept. 15, 1916, Clara Holcomb Shelby petitioned the San Diego County Free Library system to establish a library in Valley Center. Mrs. Shelby, who, with her husband, was proprietor of the Valley Center Store and postmaster of the town, was named librarian, and the new library was installed inside her family’s general store which also housed the Post Office. The building was located at the intersection of Valley Center and Lilac roads. At her death in 1923, her daughter, Nellie Chandler, took over the library and post office.
In 1929, Mrs. Doris Davidson Tanner became the librarian and the library moved to the Tumbleweed Restaurant (site of current Fat Ivor’s). Mrs. Tanner held the post until 1946, when complaints about beer being sold and consumed on the premises prompted a move.
On June 1, 1946, the library reopened inside Valley Center Store operated by Walter Pilz and his wife, Martha. The store also housed the post office. The present-day Corral Liquor at Valley Center and Old roads occupies that building. Along with selling groceries and stamps, Mr. Pilz served as librarian. The original one shelf of books had now grown to five. At Mr. Pilz’s death, his wife became librarian, a post she held until 1956 when the store was sold to Taylor B. Smith.
Mr. Smith maintained the library service inside the market until 1961 when the County Bookmobile began making regular stops at the store. The Bookmobile stop later moved to Valley Center Market where it remained until 1970 when a full-service branch of San Diego County Library was opened at 29115 Valley Center Road. The population of the community was 3,850.
Over the years, the branch expanded from one storefront to three, finally occupying 2,700 square feet. Branch managers included Vernese Thompson, Gail Lamb, Joyce Rooney and, since 1996, Sandra Puccio.
Valley Center Branch Library houses a collection of more than 25,000 volumes and related materials, and annually circulates some 36,000 items. Registered card holders number 7,000.
In addition to Valley Center, the branch serves Pauma Valley, Pala, Palomar Mountain and Rincon. Total population of the service area is about 30,000.
By DAVID ROSS
Plans for an almost solid median strip through the Country Town on Valley Center Road has merchants . . .well, divided.
How the median decision making process started with one group, with one agenda and shifted to another group with a different agenda is as meandering as VC Road itself.
Somehow the original seven part median that community leaders hammered out with the County’s Dept. of Public Works three years ago, that included landscaping planted and maintained by the County, and an understanding that no merchant would be forced to have a median in front of his business against his will, took a side road.
That’s what Phil Geddes, former planning group chairman, current VC Design Review Board Chairman, who spearheaded the median project, has been telling the members of the VC Road Safety Subcommittee.
The process was hijacked from the original people who were working on it, he says.
“Ultimately, beyond the planning group input, it became a matter of judgment for Design Review.” he says.
The median now under discussion runs the 3.5 miles from Woods Valley Road to Cole Grade Road.
Geddes notes that the VC Design Review Guidelines, his committee’s bible, adopted 12 years ago by the Board of Supervisors, clearly calls for a median and spells out how it’s to be planted.
It doesn’t spell out where to place the medians.
Geddes and planning group Chairman Larry Glavinic started looking at the problem four years ago.
“A median is a basic thing that we were always going to do.
At the time it was decided that the most practical thing to do to avoid conflict with businesses over access and safety was to limit the amount of median in town,” recalls Geddes.
Dr. Mandayam Rajan, who was the head of the road project, “went along with our desires,” according to Geddes.
“We produced detailed drawings of the seven part median, including the partial solution to the Banbury exit problem, which is left out of the current solution.”
Geddes adds, “The only thing left to resolve was how maintenance would be paid for. We even had Rajan agreed that the County would pay for the plants and watering equipment.”
According to Geddes, “This matter was pushed into the background because Rajan said we had a whole year to play with it.”
February, 2000 the County published an EIR for VC Road widening which showed a two-way left hand turn lane the entire length of VC Road.
During the intervening six months, a median vanished from the County’s plans!
But as recently as a year ago Geddes, Glavinic, Rajan, Doug Isbell, deputy director of Public Works, and Joyce Johnson, general manager of the VC Community Services District (Now VC Parks & Rec.) met to discuss the maintenance issue. CSD declined to participate, fearing liability.
There was also discussion of a gaming tribe paying for maintenance in return for recognition.
Meantime, Geddes left the planning group, although he stayed as chairman of the Design Review Board.
“Somehow, when I left the planning group this whole business of medians arose with a collection of people inside and outside the group who were intent on redesigning the median, as if nothing had ever been done. The subcommittee inserted itself and began thrashing around with road design,” says Geddes.
So who dropped the ball?
“Probably me,” admits Geddes. “I’m not a committee person. I was content to bring negotiations to a certain point and leave them and didn’t get involved in the politics.”
His main beef with the subcommittee that is now delving into road design, is that they are not professionals.
“It’s wrong to leave decisions like that to people who don’t have the expertise,” he says.
The subcommittee Geddes refers to is the VC Road Safety Subcommittee, which, since May, has held public meetings and meetings with County officials.
Its members are planning group members Sandy Smith, Andy Washburn, Todd Ruth and Bruce Johnson, and public members Jon Vick, Mary Meade, Brian Bates and Steve Flynn.
It was created on May 13, 2002, after an unsuccessful attempt by some community activists to pressure the planning group to reconsider its support for widening VC Road. Ruth was named chairman (Smith later replaced him).
The energies of those who initially opposed road widening were channeled into planning a safer, more aesthetically pleasing road.
At that same meeting Isbell and Dr. Rajan, road project manager came to the planning group to discuss the road. No medians were included, which the planning group noted and objected to.
Medians reentered the picture in July when southern node businesses (VC Country Town Property Owners Assn.) introduced their proposal for developing the “pedestrian friendly” commercial development.
That occurred concurrently with pressure from residents who wanted more medians to enrich community character and to slow traffic. Medians, trees along road lanes, and narrow lanes all create “friction,” which slows traffic.
The County’s Dept. of Public Works, caught between contending interests, drew a median strip the entire length of VC Road on the map and asked the community to sort it out, says Mrs. Smith.
“The County is asking the community to find a consensus,” she says. “I think honestly, that the County didn’t want to decide, so they drew it all in,” she said.
Where to Place the Medians?
Leon Schwartz, who owns the Valley Building, says he will lose most of his four tenants if a median goes in front of his business.
Some of them operate big trucks and bulldozers that will find it difficult, if not impossible, to make U-turns.
“Three tenants out of four have said they will leave if this median happens,” says Schwartz.
Steve Flynn, chairman of the VC Country Town Property Owners, which plans to poll owners up and down the road starting Friday, thinks most southern merchants favor the plan. “It’s mixed, but I’d say the majority are in favor of it,” he says.
His group was formed to challenge the County’s plans to downsize the southern country town as part of General Plan 2020. It was drawn into the discussion of the median and other aesthetic and safety issues regarding VC Road.
Nicky Lovejoy, manager of California Bank & Trust, has misgivings that boil down to: “Ingress and egress. The median will prevent people from coming and going at ease. I don’t want people to have to go a mile or two to come back to go across the street.,” she says.
Schwartz dislikes the tactics of those pushing the median plan.
“They have no regard for businesses. They want you to defend why it should not go in, rather than them defending why it is going in,” he says.
Schwartz feels that some minds are closed. “The subcommittee has made up its mind.”
“Bottom line,” he says, “My big concern is that meetings were held over a year ago and consensus was made that there were going to be seven medians. It was all agreed upon that there were going to be no medians in front of businesses. Now they want solid medians the whole way.”
Washburn emphasizes that his group wants to work with the businesses.
“We’re trying to find a compromise, a consensus, in terms of medians that while they may not be what everyone wants will be close to what everyone can support it.”
Whatever median configuration is chosen, the DPW has made it plain that funding for maintaining landscaping won’t come from its budget.
“Once we get the design, we need to plan the funding,” says Mrs. Smith. “Whatever we come up with must be funded by the community. We may have money from the County for curbs and pipes. We have to raise the money for the planting and maintenance.”
Once funding is determined, the County has agreed to manage the maintenance, she says.
When the subcommittee was created in May, the planning group stipulated that any changes to the road design not delay the construction or increase the expense of the road.
“I feel comfortable that there won’t be any delay,” says Glavinic. “The jury is out on the other.”
Mrs. Smith insists that “everybody has been very careful to ask the County if this would add delays or that would add expense
“Doug Isbell has said that when they put the construction out to bid there will be options they will ask bidders to bid on. Once the bids are in they will know how much money it will cost. Knowing how much money is being appropriated, it will be revealed whether any money for medians is left over,” she says.
She believes that the map of 3.5 miles of median which the County gave to the subcommittee on Oct. 3 should be viewed as a “maximum, a working copy.”
Bill Jeffrey took over as interim finance director of the VC Municipal Water District after longtime director Jere Jarrell retired in May.
At the last board meeting Jeffrey’s position as permanent finance director was announced.
Jeffrey has been with the district six and a half years. Jeffrey has lived in North County since 1965, although he was born in Chicago.
He was in public accounting before coming to the water district and has a degree in business administration from San Diego State and a CPA certificate.
Jeffrey is responsible for the finance department, with a staff of seven, and the information systems department (i.e. computers.)
He honchos investments, debts, accounts and oversees a budget of over $30 million.
A San Marcos resident, Jeffrey and his wife, Cindy, have two children.
Asked about his goals for the finance department, Jeffrey said, “The main function of the department is to support the directions of the general manager. I see my goal as protection of assets and preservation of capital.”
Asked the main challenge to that job, he didn’t hesitate: “The master plan calls for $35 million in pipeline in the next ten to 15 years. The challenge will be finding a way to finance that. We recently hired a consulting firm to help us prepare that plan. They will report back early next year.
“What we are looking at is how much we can afford to build. The payment alternatives are either to issue debt or pay as you go.”
The disadvantage of debt is you have to pay interest. Its advantage is that you can stretch payments over the life of the pipeline.
“The advantage of pay as you go is that you can write a check and not pay any interest. The disadvantage is that you have to have the money to do it,” says Jeffrey.
About his new job, Jeffrey says, “I really enjoy working here. It’s a great place to work. Good people and very well managed.”
By DAVID ROSS
The VC Fire Protection District wants to coordinate an effort among community agencies to make Valley Center Road safer.
The district answers most traffic accident calls along VC Road. At the board’s last meeting it authorized director Dan Thornton to contact other agencies in town to see if they can be persuaded to speak in one voice about the concern.
At the top of the fire district’s list of concerns is pressuring the County to go forward with the widening of Valley Center Road as soon as possible.
Currently the Dept. of Public Works time line calls for the widening to be broken into two phases. The first phase, from Woods Valley Road down the grade to Escondido, is set to begin construction sometime next year.
The second phase is due to begin construction in summer of 2004, according to the latest reports.
The fire board believes this time line is too slow.
“We want to push now for some sort of resolution as soon as possible,” Thornton told The Roadrunner this week.
Another goal is to get broader coverage of Valley Center by the California Highway Patrol, said Thornton.
Currently there is considerable CHP coverage from 2 a.m. - 6 a.m., when a lot of casino traffic impacts the roads. The fire board would like to get that extended 24/7 to bring down the average speed on VC Road and discourage accidents.
A third goal is to fastrack the installation of traffic signals at key intersections, the main one being the intersection of Valley Center & North Lake Wohlford roads (in front of VC Middle School and the fire station).
“We also want to petition the County to do a study of the average speed of motorists along Valley Center Road,” said Thornton.
The speed limit along a road is generally set using an average speed of the traffic. However, there are special circumstances where the County will lower the speed limit, Thornton says. But the first step to that is determining current speeds.”
“Do it once, do it right, do it now!” is the message that we want to convey to County leaders such as our supervisor, Bill Horn, “Thornton said.
Academic Performance Index scores announced
New school Supt. Karen Jobe Thursday night had a quiet agenda and little controversy for her first board meeting since taking over from retiring Supt. Jeff Mulford.
Academic Performance
Trustees heard a report on the school’s Academic Performance Index from Assistant Supt. Sarah Clayton.
The school district receives news of its test scores in three phases.
The first was the results of the Stanford Achievement Test (SAT) announced a few months ago.
The next scores to be reported are the Academic Performance Index, which are given in two phases.
The first phase was given Thursday and it shows whether schools have met their targets in growing towards the 800 score that all schools in California are supposed to be striving for.
The second phase of the API scores will be the base report, coming out in January, that will rank similar schools. In other words, VC schools will be compared to schools that have similar socio-economic factors.
According to Dr. Clayton, Pauma Elementary School “grew tremendously.” (see chart on Page 1). The lower elementary school had a minus growth of 20. The upper elementary met growth targets. The middle school went down 15 points. The high school was two points short of its goals and the primary school made its growth on target.
“I have some personal opinions as to why some of the schools did poorly,” said Dr. Clayton. “There was a flu bug that was going on during testing. One of the tests went to the state in a plastic bag. Yet we have a testing schedule that we have to adhere. There is a possibility that we had a lot of students who weren’t feeling well in the middle school.”
She added, “We look at trends over time. I’m not too concerned over the dips but if they are to continue we would have to look at it very carefully.”
She noted that the schools look at the test results for each site very carefully.
Principals meet with every teacher in the district to plan how to improve test scores. “We do take it seriously,” she said.
Next year the state will administer a brand new test called CAT 6.
Well Testing
The board approved hiring HP labs to analyze water tests that will be conducted at three school district wells and one well on a softball field owned by VC Park & Rec. District.
In one of his last acts as superintendent, Supt. Jeff Mulford met with members of the group concerned with a possible cancer cluster in VC.
They asked the district to test for MTBE in well water. MTBE is a gasoline additive.
Tests will be conducted at two wells at the entrance to the lower elementary lower school (one of which is currently inactive) and the well at the Gang Ranch (elementary school farm). Also tested will be the well at Scibilia Field, owned by VCP&R.
“The concern centers on the idea that if the El Niño comes and ground water rises, will MTBE be an issue,” Mrs. Jobe told the board. “We have had no indication of that, this is just a precaution.”
Testing will be done three times this year at each well. Each test will cost about $95.
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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