January 8, 2003 - Top Stories
BY DAVID ROSS
High winds on Monday and Tuesday exacted a high price from both growers and residents.
The winds, which gusted as high as 60 mph but averaged 25-30 mph, made parts of Valley Center, Pauma and Palomar Mountain look like a tornado had gone through.
The main damage for growers, aside from occasional ripped up trees, were that untold avocados in the quarantine area not yet treated for Mexfly infestation were thrown onto the ground.
According to Eric Larson of the San Diego County Farm Bureau, “Those avocados on the ground are a total loss.” They can’t be treated once they have fallen.
He added, “We don’t have figures yet but I expect the damage will be substantial.”
Ingrid Currier, husband Ron and son Dorian Currier of Rincon Springs Road in Pauma Valley woke up at 4 a.m. Tuesday to find that a 70 year old eucalyptus had crushed their garage and two cars (see photo, front page).
“My son lives in a separate building. I was getting up about 4 a.m. to tell him I would feel better if he slept in the main house until the winds died down. I met him at the door. He said, ‘Mom, I think the eucalyptus tree fell on the garage.’
“Thank God it fell away from his room,” she said.
When Matthew Deskin went outside at his home on Moonlight Place he saw that the tree that he and his wife, Jennifer, had planted 15 years ago had fallen and crushed their gazebo.
“It looked like a tornado hit it,” she said.
Every street in the area bears scars from the winds.
North Lake Wohlford Road was shut down most of the day on Monday after a tree brought down a pole past Valley View Casino.
On Pauma Valley Tuesday morning seven power poles were down along Hwy 76.
The farmers are finally getting what they want. The State is going to “nuke” the Mexican fruit fly with an insecticide that is also approved for organic crops.
The State Dept. of Food & Agriculture was scheduled to begin spraying within the Valley Center quarantine area Tuesday night, Jan. 7. Pilots wearing night-vision glasses will fly fixed-wing airplanes about 150-200 feet over 28 square miles centered on the core area where the Mexican fruit fly was first discovered.
Tuesday’s spraying will be just the first of what one state official estimated will be a dozen passes over Valley Center in the next five months, or one application every two weeks. The application was slated to begin at 8 p.m. and continue until about 4 a.m.
The program will utilize the organic compound Naturalyte (active ingredient: spinosad), a naturally-occurring extract from bacteria.
Naturalyte has received all necessary approvals from state and federal agencies for use as an organic treatment.
After the Mexflies have been hit again and again over several months the State will release millions of sterile male fruit flies, at a ratio of about 100 sterile flies to every one fertile fly.
“Naturalyte is our weapon of choice in eradicating the Mexican fruit fly,” said CDFA Secretary William (Bill) J. Lyons, Jr. “CDFA worked with the California Department of Pesticide Regulation to allow for the use of this product. The federal and state Environmental Protection Agencies have both accepted its use. Their cooperation streamlined the approval process.”
“This is a remarkable opportunity to perform large-scale eradication in compliance with organic regulations and philosophy,” said Brian Leahy, President of California Certified Organic Farmers. “I salute government and private industry for making this happen.”
Naturalyte treatments will work in conjunction with later releases of sterile Mexican fruit flies, which will breed any remaining wild flies out of existence.
Three King Air fixed-wing, twin-engine, turbine-powered aircraft will apply the treatments. Pilots, contracted by the State, have for several days been been practice flying in daylight and evening hours to familiarize themselves with local terrain.
VC residents were informed about the program earlier this week in first class mailings.
Info Meeting
Farmers and members of the public who heard about the meeting in time were able to question state officials about the eradication program Saturday afternoon at the middle school.
State officials set up tables staffed by entomologists, environmentalists and a doctor.
Dr. Peter Kurtz, also with the California Dept. of Food & Agriculture, said that spinosad kills insects and worms when they eat it, but doesn’t harm mammals.
It can kill bees if they eat it, but the bait used to attract flies repels bees, he said.
It is not a carcinogen, he said. “It’s a Class E substance according to the EPA. This means it has been shown not to cause cancer.”
No lethal or harmful dose has been established for mammals because none have ever gotten sick from eating the substance, he said. He was also not aware of anyone being allergic to it.
The substance is destroyed by sunlight in days.
Dr. Kurtz was asked by several residents why the state advises people to stay indoors out of the spraying zone and to wash foods that have been sprayed.
VC resident Judy Silverman asked, “If nothing in it hurts you, then why take precautions?
“It’s just common sense,” Kurtz said. “If you can take such precautions why not do so?”
Mrs. Silverman told The Roadrunner, “I’m not happy that the State is going to do aerial spraying. Growers have a right to spray their property. But I’m very unhappy that the residents won’t be able to give their input on this, and that there was very little warning ahead of time. However, I’d be even more unhappy if they were going to spray malathion.”
One resident who, she says, has been getting sprayed by malathion is Dar Rae Drew.
Mrs. Drew, who lives on West Lilac about three miles from I-15, says her two boys, 11 and 12 have suffered the effects of malathion spraying in December by some growers. These private applications, she said, were documented by the County Dept. of Agriculture, Weight & Measures.
“It seems as though every time they spray the boys get sick with coughing, nausea and dizziness and that it becomes bronchitis.” She has also suffered nausea and dizziness after the applications, she says.
The Mexican fruit fly infestation was first detected in San Diego County on Nov. 21. A quarantine was imposed Dec. 5. California Gov. Gray Davis declared a state of emergency on Dec. 18. To date, 228 adult flies and nine larval sites have been detected within the treatment area.
According to Brian Taylor, an entomologist stationed at the Mexfly program headquarters at Cole Grade & VC Roads, this is the largest Mexfly infestation in the state’s history. But it is far from being the biggest fruit fly infestation. That honor belongs to the Medfly, which caused state officials considerable grief during the Jerry Brown administration in the 1970s.
“What’s different about this infestation is the intensity of it, the number of flies found in such a small area,” Taylor told The Roadrunner.
Local farmers attending the meeting seemed mainly pleased that the State has finally implemented an eradication program.
“Yes, it looks worthwhile,” commented local grower Jess Hutchings.
Al Stehly, on whose grove the first Mexfly in VC was discovered, said, “I’m very happy that they are getting started. This is what they needed to do. I don’t know if it would have made any difference to have done it earlier than this.”
Stehly was also happy that Naturalyte was chosen as the pesticide.
“It’s safe, although some people are going to be against any type of spraying. But we have no choice,” he said.
Citrus grower Gary Broomell was not so optimistic. “It’s close to seven weeks too late. They should have done this as soon as they found the first flies.”
Broomell was also critical that the spraying will be concentrated on the “core” of the infestation, while farmers such as he, outside of that area, will have to pay to spray their own crops.
Every Two Weeks
Cliff Ramos, a program supervisor with the California Dept. of Food & Agriculture, told The Roadrunner that Naturalyte will be sprayed every two weeks, weather permitting.
The weather that could force a reschedule would be either rain or high winds. In that event the spraying will occur on the next available good weather day.
The two week scheduling is done to fit in with the two-week life cycle of the insect.
Asked why the spraying didn’t begin as soon as the flies were discovered, Ramos answered, “For us to do an aerial treatment we needed a proclamation of emergency from the governor. We’re going as soon as we possibly can.”
The Mexican fruit fly is native to southern and central Mexico. It attacks over 40 different kinds of fruits, including citrus and avocado. Damage occurs when the female fly lays eggs in the fruit. The eggs hatch into maggots which make the fruit unfit for human consumption.
The Valley Center planning group will begin the new year with several new members, an election of new officers, and many items for its attention at its Jan. 13 meeting.
The group will also consider a resolution from the VC Fire Protection District asking the County to pull out all the stops and do the VC Road widening as soon as possible.
At that same meeting the subcommittee appointed by the planning group to work with the County Dept. of Public Works on both slowing down traffic and making the road more aesthetic with planted medians will give a report. Sandy Smith is the chairman of this subcommittee.
The group will also hold the first public hearing on the shopping center and 71 condominium project proposed for the property that includes Matics Field.
Also on the agenda will be a review of an environmental assessment of the expansion for Valley View Casino.
Because the group has so much on its plate lately, members will also consider whether it should meet more than once a month.
The Jan. 13 meeting begins at 7 p.m. at VC Community Hall. Larry Glavinic is the chairman.
Woods Valley Golf Course will open for limited golf Jan. 20 to members and guests.
The first nine holes will open on that date, followed by the other nine on Valentine’s Day.
Owner Charley Schuster calls it “the first golf course to be both totally organic and pollution free” in California.
Golf memberships will be available to the public until membership limits (250) have been reached, said Schuster.
The first 50 memberships will cost $18,000 with dues of $250/month. The last 50 memberships will sell for $50,000 apiece.
Fifty senior memberships and 50 junior memberships will also be available. Senior memberships (for those 75 and above) will sell for $500 with monthly dues of $200. Junior memberships (18 and under) will sell for $500 with dues of $25/mo.
Memberships may be obtained only from Director of Golf Glenn Stuart at 760-214-3814 or the clubhouse at 760-751-3007. Visits to the course are permitted only by appointment through Stuart.
Golf memberships are non-equity and unaccompanied guests of members are allowed with very broad limitations.
Schuster is giving readers of The Roadrunner first notice of availability, “so that local golfers have the first opportunity to inquire about the golf memberships.”
Opening of the course to full play is dependent on weather, since all of the vegetation is being grown from seed and only organic fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides are and will be used on the course.
The driving range won’t be completed until the widening of Woods Valley Road has been completed, probably in a few months.
In addition to having bragging rights on having a totally organic golf course, Woods Valley Golf Course will use only groundwater and or/reclaimed water which will work in conjunction with the Woods Valley Ranch development’s package sewer system.
“No potable water connection to the golf course irrigation system is a major accomplishment in the conservation of potable water during the current season of drought and water supply questions,” said Schuster.
In addition, total electric maintenance equipment will eliminate the noise and air pollution commonly associated with golf courses. No gasoline, diesel, motor oil or agricultural chemicals will be stored or used on the property.
“This major environmental accomplishment was difficult and expensive,” said Schuster, “but possible and rewarding for the owners of Woods Valley Golf Course, LLC and Newland Communities Group (developers of Woods Valley Ranch).
Schuster added, “The owners of Woods Valley Golf Course, LLC would like to publicly express a special thanks to those representatives of the County DPLU and DPW, the VC Water District, RWQCB and County and STate DHS who made a special effort in understanding and assisting in accomplishing this high level of environmental compatibility.
“A special thanks to the many neighbors and residents (including the staff of the Valley Roadrunner) who, without being asked by us, privately and publicly championed and defended our right to build this natural golf course without unnecessary public bickering and agitation. In fact, the few antagonists last March quickly learned that their objections were being voiced only because they did not have all of the facts,” said Schuster.
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.