January 1, 2003 - Top Stories
“Tommy Thomas doesn’t put his money where his mouth is, because he doesn’t say much. But he does put his money where his heart is, and his heart is with the youth of Valley Center.”
Those words were said about Ivor “Tommy” Thomas several years ago by Jeff Mulford when Thomas was “roasted” with love by the Optimist Club in March of 1999, an event attended by 300 friends and admirers.
Mr. Thomas died on Christmas day after a ten year bout, first with kidney failure and then diabetes. He had surgery to amputate a leg on Dec. 5 after which he declined rapidly. He was 67.
Services were Monday at 11 a.m. at Community Lutheran Church in Escondido. Mr. Thomas, a Marine Corps veteran, was interred Dec. 31, at Fort Rosecrans in La Jolla.
Not a rich man, Thomas was rich in friends, and he had an ability to persuade others to help the less fortunate. His own wallet was never closed when someone was in need.
Along the way he collected honors like VC Citizen of the Year (1992, with his wife, Georgine) and Honorary Mayor (1984).
John Bender, a former Optimist president commented, “Tommy was a man with a very big heart who was ready to help kids twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. A very outstanding Optimist, he was two times number one in the world for raising funds for the Optimist International for kids. He started the Optimist golf tournament and the Optimist Scholarship fund for the kids of VC. He would support any fund raiser for kids regardless of what it was.”
People who judged Mr. Thomas by his gruff exterior were missing a lot, said his brother-in-law, Howard Dewes, of North Dakota. “Anybody who ever got to know Tommy couldn’t help but love him.”
Former Roadrunner publisher Van Quackenbush, who knew Mr. Thomas from when he first opened Fat Ivor’s Rib Rack, commented: “How do I remember Tommy? Probably the same as everyone else who knew him.
“There are those who are givers and those who are takers. Tommy was a giver, and whenever there was an organization or a cause in VC that needed assistance, he was there for them.
“I golfed with him once before he became to ill to continue the sport. He was no better than I at hitting that ball, but he went at it as he did everything else.
“He was justly proud of the restaurant business he built and which became famous in the North County.
“It will be interesting to see who will take his place. If there is such a person,” said Quackenbush.
Optimist and VCHS assistant principal Mel Schuler said, “The motto of the Optimists is ‘Friend of Youth’ and Tommy absolutely epitomized that. When any kid had a fund raiser or needed to sell tickets the first guy on the list was always Tommy Thomas. He was a remarkable guy when it came to having passion and love of children. He’s going to be missed. He was a dear friend of mine. He was a special guy. One of the mainstays of VC. I’m not sure that people who knew this guy who was gruff on the outside was so kind on the inside.”
Several subjects are inevitably associated with Tommy Thomas: The U.S. Marine Corps, the VC Optimist Club, his fondness for a brew and his enjoyment of a well-set table. Oh, and yes, his attitude towards making a buck. He was in favor of it.
But his reputation as a penny-pincher was as fictional as Jack Benny’s. His real reputation sprang from his inability to turn a blind eye to a person in need.
“His biggest ambition in life was to help children and people in need. Optimism was his way of life,” said his wife, Georgine.
“Tommy is not the Valley Center Citizen of the Year. He is the Citizen of the Decade, or the quarter century,” Mulford said, also at the 1999 roast.
“The Optimist Club does more work, raises more money and supports more philanthropy than any other service club in Valley Center, and the Optimists’ inspiration is Tommy Thomas!”
Mr. Thomas, and the late Ken Knust and Terry Turmes, helped start the local Just Say No to Drugs program. This became first one of the biggest causes of the Optimists, and then a common project of all VC service clubs.
Mr. Thomas used to talk about how he became interested in the Just Say No program.
A loved one’s life was affected by drugs, and Thomas said, “I wanted to make sure no one else lost theirs to drugs.”
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Ivor W. “Tommy” Thomas was born Jan. 19, 1935 in Mount Olive, Pennsylvania.
He joined the U.S. Marine Corps early in life (1951) and finished high school graduation requirements after being discharged.
Mr. Thomas was in the USMC 19 years, ending as a gunnery sergeant E-7. He was a cook to begin with but ended up in data processing. He was honorably discharged after serving in the Korean conflict and Vietnam War, where he served three tours.
In the Marines he acquired his nickname “Tommy” based on his last name.
Toward the end of his service Thomas was put in charge of cooking for 28,000 Vietnamese refugees at Camp Pendleton.
He and Georgine met in 1967 and married in 1969 after his last Vietnam tour. He came back and they were married four days later.
Mr. Thomas tried several businesses that didn’t pan out until he went to work at a cafe overlooking Lake Wohlford. From there he went to manage the Oakvale Lodge and finally three years later in 1981, he and partner Russ Hoskins, opened Fat Ivor’s Rib Rack in VC. He also opened a Fat Ivor’s in Oceanside with a different partner.
The restaurant was so-called because Mr. Thomas had just gained a lot of weight after quitting smoking.
Success was elusive until Mr. Thomas decided to introduce “all you can eat” barbecue ribs every night. Business took off, and the eatery was written up many times in area lists of great restaurants.
The recipes were all his, from the ribs to broasted chicken to cheesecake, said Billie Dent, who managed the restaurant for a decade, Mr. Thomas could tell after a taste if a chef had deviated from his recipe.
He also did all the cooking at home.
His employees loved him, and he had many who were with him for eight or ten years, a rare thing in the restaurant business.
Flavio Garcia, a cook, has been at Fat Ivor’s 18 years. Fidel Sanchez, also a cook has been there 16 years. Manager Linda Gonzalez has been there ten years.
Fat Ivor’s is decorated with dozens of plaques from children’s organizations and youth sports and events such as Miss Valley Center that he sponsored.
The walls are also covered with pictures of John Wayne. “His dog’s name is JW, and he would watch a John Wayne movie fifteen times in a row,” said his wife. “There was no other actor other than John Wayne. And he was also very proud of Ronald Reagan.”
And of Republicans in general. Mr. Thomas was a Republican through and through, although he had a lot of Democrat friends that he gave a hard time to.
One of his most cherished photos is of him with then-GOP Presidential candidate Bob Dole taken at a Veterans event in Washington D.C.
Shortly after moving to Valley Center, Mr. Thomas joined the VC Optimist Club.
Jack Vosberg recalls, “I met Tommy in 1980 and he came to the club in 1981. At that time we had 14 members and he said, ‘Where are all the members?’ ‘That’s all there is,’ I said.
“The next meeting he brought two new members and the following week he brought another and he kept bringing members. Today we have 67 members.”
By 1983 Mr. Thomas had served on the local Optimist board and as president of the club. In 1984 he was elected Lt. Governor for the California South District and in 1987-88 Distinguished Governor of the the South District. He was Optimist of the Year several times for his district and his club.
As a past governor he chaired the Optimist International Foundation, and, according to Vosberg, tripled the amount raised during his year over the previous year. He also started the Optimist Scholarship Fund that now has $60,000 for scholarships for local high school students.
During his decade-long illness, Mr. Thomas remained upbeat and active.
Friends note that he remained concerned about others. Until the last days he never lost his quick wit, never stopped keeping the nurses on their toes, and when asked how he was doing, he would say, “I’m doing all right.”
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Survivors include his wife of 33 years, Georgine, sisters, Gladys Beckley, of Calgary, Canada and Nancy Moore of Escondido; son, William Sloane, of Oklahoma, daughter, Maile Haxton, of South Carolina; grandchildren, Matthew and Samantha Haxton of South Carolina. He was preceded in death by his mother, Janet Thomas.
Donations may be made to the American Diabetes Foundation, POB 96911, Washington D.C. 20090-6911 and the VC Optimist Club.
Tommy Thomas’s ashes will rest in an urn embossed with the Marine Corps symbol, the dates of his birth and death and this motto: “Tommy Thomas, he loved life and his wife.”
Once more Valley Center growers have acted to spray groves near the core areas of the Mexican fruit fly infestation.
At the same time Sheriff’s deputies have begun patrolling to enforce the quarantine imposed on much of Valley Center and Pauma Valley.
Growers last week decided to take the action hoping that they will later be reimbursed by state and federal agriculture authorities. This is the second time that grove owners took matters into their own hands. Seven growers owning orchards in the core areas sprayed at their own expense in late November a few days after learning about the infestation.
The state conducted ground spraying last week in the area where the Mexfly was first discovered, and where most subsequent discoveries have centered. These areas are now designated “high risk areas.”
On Monday about 30 packers and growers representing about 1000 acres met at Castle Creek Country Club to firm up plans for a second spraying. The goal was to be completed by the following Monday, Jan. 30.
According to local growers, this second laydown of malathion laced bait was much larger than the first spraying, which was done when the core or high risk zone was much smaller.
Some growers are complaining that the state hasn’t yet told them what the boundaries of the high risk area is.
“Are we in it or not. That’s what we keep asking ourselves,” one grower told The Roadrunner.
The much larger quarantine area has been known since about two weeks after the infestation was discovered.
Last week Gov. Gray Davis declared a state of emergency, which is seen as being required before an eradication plan can be implemented. Once an eradication plan is announced two weeks must pass before it can be carried out.
Night Patrols
According to VC Sheriff’s Sgt. Ed Wells, night patrols of deputies searching for violations of the quarantine began on Thursday night.
Sheriff Bill Kolender authorized the extra patrols and he will later seek reimbursement from the state.
The patrols have been authorized for 45 days. They will be evaluated every week. At the end of 45 days the department will decide to extend the program, modify it to weekends only or discontinue it, said Wells.
Deputies for the special patrol will come from all over the department, not just the VC substation, said Wells.
“They will roll throughout the area randomly contacting vehicles that are moving through and carrying fruit and other produce to determine if they are in compliance with the quarantine,” said Wells. “They will conduct field interviews, taking photos, not only of drivers but of contents.”
Ag inspectors from the quarantine headquarters at the corner of Cole Grade & Valley Center Roads are on call and will determine whether there has been a violation. The County Attorney General’s office will decide whether to pursue criminal violations, said Wells.
Violations of the quarantine can be an infraction (like a traffic ticket) or a misdemeanor or even a felony, depending on how much fruit is being moved in violation of the quarantine.
Deputies on the special patrol will also be on the lookout for theft of fruit or other produce from the quarantine.
Potentially we could end up with more people trying to steal the fruit knowing that a lot of it is not being picked in order to make a quick buck," Wells told The Roadrunner.
Deputies on the patrol will have specialized training. Many will have gone through the Sheriff’s rural crime school with individual training and resource materials available while on the detail.
Wells emphasized that the deputies are not looking for shoppers bringing fruit home from the supermarket.
“If people have a sales slip and bought it at the market they are fine, as long as they can account for where they got it and where it’s going. We’re looking for people actually violating the quarantine not people who are inadvertently transporting fruit,” said Wells.
Some growers legally transporting fruit may have occasion to drive through the quarantine zone, he noted. “They may be contacted but that doesn't mean they are in violation.”
Wells praised growers within the zone for being “extremely cooperative, both with us and the department of agriculture,” he said.
Deputies will also closely scrutinize the so-called “underground economy.” “This kind of situation always makes us a little leery because of profiteering and the black market. There is the possibility that someone who is disreputable might take advantage of the situation. We are there to stop those people,” said Wells.
So far several people have already been stopped. None were violating the quarantine.
If you suspect that someone is violating the quarantine, you should call the normal Sheriff’s number at 858-565-5200. However if you see a crime in progress that needs immediate action, call 911, said Wells.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department announced this week that an Explorer Scout Program will be starting at the Valley Center Sheriff’s Station.
The Sheriff’s Department Explorer Program, sponsored in cooperation with Boy Scouts of America, provides an excellent opportunity for young men and women who are considering law enforcement as a career.
The Valley Center Station is responsible for patrolling about 378 square miles of unincorporated San Diego County. From the Riverside County Line south to the City of Escondido, and from the I-15 corridor east to Lake Henshaw.
This is a vast and very diverse area, offering a mixture of cultures and communities deputies come in contact with daily. Just traveling along the State Route 76 corridor is a rich blend of history and communities.
From Pala and Pala Reservation just east of the I-15 corridor, to the Pauma Valley community and Indian Reservation, then all the way past the La Jolla Indian Reservation east to Lake Henshaw, deputies encounter a wide variety of situations.
Traveling up to Palomar Mountain, you can see the world famous Palomar Observatory and the expansive recreational facilities throughout that mountain resort.
Traveling back along the Valley Center corridor, you pass through the Rincon Indian Reservation, the San Pasqual Indian Reservation and the greater part of Valley Center itself. If you take Lake Wohlford Road, you will see the rest of the San Pasqual Indian Reservation, as well as the Lake Wohlford resort and recreational area. This is a very diverse set of communities that VC deputies experience on a daily basis.
Young Explorers, who range in age from 16 to 21, are needed to volunteer for this program. Each member of the unit volunteers at least 20 hours a month to the program.
The Explorers gain experience with ride along assignments, assist with community functions and receive additional training with other Deputy Sheriffs and Explorers.
Explorers also provide assistance in the administrative office by answering telephones, filing and learning office procedures.
As the Explorer gains confidence and experience, they may be tasked with handling routine reports, traffic control, using the radio, and assisting deputy sheriffs as might be needed in a variety of situations. The Explorers also gain knowledge that can help them to achieve a position either as a deputy sheriff with the department or as a law enforcement officer with another agency. This program offers motivated young adults the opportunity to succeed in whatever they strive for.
Deputy Jason Ballard, who is a former Explorer himself, will be the station advisor in charge of Explorer supervision. Sergeant Ed Wells will be the supervisor in charge at the Valley Center Station providing assistance as needed.
“Deputy Ballard was selected from various candidates for this position. Deputy Ballard is highly motivated because he knows firsthand how much this program can benefit the individual Explorer as well as assisting the deputies in the field,” said Wells.
Potential Explorers must go through an application and background process. Explorers attend a condensed version of the Academy and purchase their own uniforms. Explorers who are in school must maintain at least a “C” average. For more information or an application to become an Explorer, call Deputy Jason Ballard at 760-751-4451, or Sgt. Ed Wells at 760-751-4426.
Local historians have known for some time that Edward, Prince of Wales, who would later become King of England, was an occasional visitor to Valley Center in the 1930’s. Now there are newly-discovered photos to go along with the lore. They will be placed on permanent exhibition at the new Valley Center History Museum which will open early in 2003.
The recently found color photos, taken about 1933 at Melrose Ranch in Valley Center, depict the Prince and the American divorcee, Mrs. Wallis Simpson. In the 1930’s, Edward was a frequent visitor to the 640-acre estate which was developed and built in the 1920’s by Lord Sommerville, an English nobleman who is believed to have come from Scotland, site of Melrose Abbey.
Local historian Bob Lerner, spokesman for the VC History Museum, said archival data suggests that the Prince met and courted Mrs. Simpson while visiting the Valley Center estate as well as the Hotel del Coronado in whose archives the photos were uncovered. In 1936, Edward ruled for 11 months as King Edward VIII until he abdicated the throne to marry Mrs. Simpson. He then became the Duke of Windsor.
At Melrose Ranch, the couple would be tended to by butlers, maids and servants who cared for the 18-room Mediterranean-style main house and its guest houses and formal gardens. Newspapers of the era described the estate as a “Southern California showplace.” In 1944, Warner Bros. filmed outdoor scenes for “Uncertain Glory” starring Errol Flynn on the property. With its lush grape vineyards, the Valley Center estate was a stand-in for war-torn France.
Archival data in the Valley Center Library’s local history collection shows that subsequent owners of the property included John Vogel, an Orange County merchant and real estate broker. In 1948, he sold the property, reduced to 400 acres and renamed Hidden Valley Ranch, to John and Cecil Hedrick. The Hedricks made their home at the ranch until the mid-1950’s when they sold the property which then became Dr. Jensen’s Hidden Valley Health Ranch. The estate was later acquired by Hugh Goode who operated a commercial dairy.
Now at 115 acres, the property has been owned since 1997 by Arie de Jong and his wife, Anneka, who brought back the name Melrose Ranch and restored the site, including the planting of new vineyards. Arie, whose first job at age 11 was delivering milk in Valley Center, later became owner of Hollandia Dairy.
The VC History Museum, which is nearing completion, will share a four-acre site with a new County Library branch at 29200 Cole Grade Road. The museum will showcase the history and heritage of Valley Center through rare documents, photos, artifacts and memorabilia dating to 1795.
Things that made us laugh and cry
Part II
This is our annual wrap up of the year. But since it was SUCH a year, we invite readers to send us their own assessment of 2002 and what stories they think were at the top (no more than a paragraph, please!) that we’ll publish in the next few weeks.
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April
The Valley Center Community Services District was renamed the Valley Center Parks & Recreation District — Sergeant Don Continelli retired from the Sheriff’s Dept. after 31 and a half years of service — VC deputy sheriffs started moving into their new, 6,000 square foot substation at the corner of Ahern Ranch & N. Lake Wohlford roads — Escondido’s Marilyn Joy Sheperd, a Sept. 11 survivor, was named Western Days Parade Grand Marshal — Sherman Finger of Pauma Valley donated $100,000 to the VCPUSD Performing Arts Theater in memory of his late wife, Mickey — There was no evidence of a cancer cluster in VC, according to the state agency responsible for monitoring cancer in Southern California and the County Health Dept. — Dr. Jeff Mulford, Superintendent of VCPUSD, received the Marcus Foster award.
May
VC reservist Aaron Garcia was voted Firefighter of the Year by his fellow members of the VC Firefighters Assn. — The Historical Committee of the VC Library held its once-in-a-decade history tour — Valley Center High School math teacher Peggy Sellers suffered a concussion when she was struck from behind after she entered her classroom to get some papers — Grangetto’s Farm & Garden Supply celebrated 50 years in business — The Valley Center Country Town Property Owners Association formed, consisting of business and property owners along the VC Road corridor between Woods Valley and Lilac — Supt. Jeff Mulford announced he would retire in January of 2003 after 23 years with the school district, 11 of those as superintendent — The VCHS boys’ volleyball team captured the Valley League title after going undefeated in 10 league games — Darrell Carr, a VC resident since 1980, was named as one of the two new Sheriff’s sergeants at the new VC substation — VCHS Athletic Director Jerry Fenton announced that he would retire as AD at the end of the year and resume his role as just teacher and coach — Ground zero for traffic accidents in VC was narrowed to North Lake Wohlford Road and its intersections with Woods Valley and Valley Center roads, according to accident statistics presented at a fireboard meeting — Valleyites got their first look at the GP 2020 land use map for Valley Center — VC kissed another Western Days goodbye, one that boasted the event’s first rodeo and the largest parade in its history.
June
The David T. & Doris E. Staples Foundation donated $250,000 to help build a high school performing arts theater — A jury held that VC’s Renee Dawson was 90% responsible for the car accident that took her life and that of her high school sweetheart, Isaac Lawson —After nearly three years of meeting at various schoolrooms around town, Ridgeview Church finally got a permanent home when it moved into the 3.5 acre site on North Lake Wohlford Road, formerly occupied by Horizon Christian Fellowship and before that by Grandview Church — Designed by VC artist Robert Freeman, a seal honoring the contributions of California’s Indians was placed next to the Great Seal in Sacramento — VCHS cross country and track coach Mike Cummings, who is also a math teacher, took over as Athletic Director for the retired Jerry Fenton — VCHS graduated 323 students — An aging water main on Valley Center Road burst, flooding three businesses in Old Town Center — Pauma Valley’s Donald & Darlene Shiley donated $10 million toward building the University of San Diego’s new Center for Science and Technology.
— To be continued...
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
Copyright © 2002, Palomar Community Newspapers, dba Valley Roadrunner. All rights reserved. This content may not be archived, retransmitted, saved in a database, or used for any commercial purpose without the express written permission of the Valley Roadrunner.