By DAVID ROSS
The last two years emergency medical calls by the VC Fire Protection District have increased dramatically over previous years, Fire Chief Kevin O’Leary told the fire board Thursday.
In his report O’Leary gave the following statistics for traffic accidents in VC (see our chart, this page):
1996-127
1997-163
1998-167
1999-136
2000-154
2001-212
2002-196
The slight decrease in traffic accidents answered by the department from 2001-2002 can be explained by the fact that VCPFD no longer responds to accidents at Valley View Casino.
The San Pasqual Fire Dept. and VC Fire District used to respond together. But now each engine company has three firefighters so that has been discontinued.
The big jump was from 2000 to 2001, which O’Leary attributed to the casino and increased traffic accidents at the high school.
“The last two years we’ve increased significantly, almost an additional accident a day,” commented director Dan Thornton.
“There has been a dramatic increase over the last two years in medical responses,” said the chief. “The fire situation remains about the same.”
The focus of the increased traffic accidents are at the major intersections of VC Road & Cole Grade, Woods Valley & VC Roads, Lilac & VC Roads and VC Road & Lilac. “There’s also quite a few in front of Pepperoni’s,” said O’Leary.
The fire board studied a pin map prepared by firefighter Mark Vierorw that graphically shows where the accidents are.
Aside from those intersections the medical calls center around the schools, the mobile home parks and the casino, he said.
By DAVID ROSS
The VC planning group Jan. 21 split on how to react to the County Dept. of Planning & Land Use’s latest version of the VC map, which tosses out VC’s old two acre zoning in favor of much lower densities away from the center of town and higher densities in the Country Town.
Votes were lacking to either endorse or reject the map.
The discussions turned on TDR/PDRs transfer of development rights and purchase of developments, which are methods to compensate land owners whose property is being downzoned. So far the County has made no promise that TDRs will be adopted.
The group voted down 5-7 a proposal by planner Richard Rudolf to endorse the new densities “subject to the conditions that a real, fair and timely equitable mechanism be in place . . .” with six land use changes.
In favor were Laventure, Montgomery, Prime, Rudolf and Yerdon voting for and opposed, Adams, Glavinic, Hancock, Schuler, Shoemaker, Smith and Washburn. Planning member Ron Adair was absent.
A motion by Laventure and Smith to accept map if and only if there is a TDR/PDR mechanism in place was approved 8-4 (Voting for were Glavinic, Laventure, Montgomery, Prime, Rudolf, Smith, Washburn and Yerdon. Opposed were Adams, Hancock, Schuler and Shoemaker).
Mel Schuler introduced a motion that rejected the new map because it is not tied to TDRs/PDRs.
This was approved 7-5 (Voting for was Adams, Glavinic, Hancock, Schuler, Shoemaker, Smith, Washburn and voting against were Laventure, Montgomery, Prime, Rudolf and Yerdon.
However, the planning group cannot take an official position unless the motion gains eight votes, so this vote had no force.
Several planners, including Schuler, Craig Adams and Chairman Larry Glavinic told County Planner Curt Gonzales that the County’s plan to increase the density of the Country Town is impractical without a sewer in place.
VC residents Kenny & Angela Goldberg, Rick Landavazo, Kris Preston, Todd Ruth and Brian Swanson spoke in favor of the DPLU’s rezoning. Christy Bensch, who has written a report on fire services, told the group that, in her opinion, increased population will further tax the fire department’s capabilities.
“The message was clear to the county however: The majority of Valleyites do not like GP 2020,” commented planner Craig Adams after the meeting.
Planner Andy Washburn told The Roadrunner, “An equity mechanism like a TDR program, is critical to the success of GP2020.”
Lael Montgomery said, “I would like to see more dialogue and less debate before the Planning Group votes. Taking more time to discuss the rationale behind our votes would help all of us, and members of the audience get a rounder perspective, I think, on issues, and on the ways we understand them. GP 2020 is tremendously complex. We missed an opportunity to reduce and feather the 1:1 area in the North Country Town which is unfortunate. By itself, I think we have a lot of agreement here.”
Eric Laventure commented, “We couldn’t even agree to disagree. The stipulation I keep having is that you have to have the equity mechanism. But Curt Gonzales of the County is saying that these are two separate issues. We did have a vote saying that we would agree with a map that had equity mechanisms with it. Not the map, but a map. That could mean anything. I think it’s all a sham anyway. I’ve thought that from day one. Whatever the County is going to give us they are going to give us.”
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The group supporting the County’s rezoning is planning to send a large delegation to the County Planning Commission meeting on Feb. 7, 9 a.m., Department of Planning and Land Use Hearing Room, 5201 Ruffin Road, Suite B, San Diego.
The commission is the last stop on the way to the Board of Supervisors.
The planning commission hearing begins at 9 a.m. and public testimony will be taken at 2 p.m., followed by planning commission comments. The staff presentation on Valley Center will occur tenth in a series of 11 community presentations which start at 9 a.m.
For additional information regarding these hearings call Suzie Vaughn at (858) 694-2954.
Hillbrand Geohardt, an all around cowboy has been with the LA County Sheriffs Dept., for the last 19 1/2years. He will be one of the participants in this year’s VC Western Days Stampede Rodeo.
Geohardt now is working as an emergency pursuit-training officer.
Geohardt was born and raised on a farm in Southern California, where he still resides today.
Seven years ago “Hill,” as he is nicknamed, became a board member for the National Police Rodeo Assn.
For two years he has been the vice president of the organization. Geohardt has made a name for himself in the NPRA industry. He had the most points for the year 2000, for the All-Around Cowboy, and won a beautiful western saddle.
He has been in the top three for the all around cowboy for the last three years. He has won over 45 belt buckles in lots of different events such as calf roping, team roping, businessman calf roping, chute dogging and steer dressing for the NPRA.
He also has competed in LERA (Law Enforcement Rodeo Assn.) in Arizona.
It will be a treat for rodeo fans to watch this cowboy perform at Valley Center’s own rodeo in May.
By DAVID ROSS
Part 3 of a series on VC artists at the Artisan’s Gallery in Escondido.
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Julie Firth-Schafer likes photos that tell a story . . .
Of a child and a grandparent having fun together. Of a tree whose branches spread out like a shaman calling on the Great Spirit.
Firth-Schafer, who has 13 photos at the Artisan’s Gallery, has been taking pictures about six years, since when her first child was born.
“But I’ve only been doing it professionally for about five minutes,” she jokes.
From the Napa Valley in Northern California, she married Jimmy Schafer, who lives on West Lilac 15 years ago. They have two children, both 6, Josh and Sarah.
She’s a stay-at-home mom, which is why photography appeals to her. “I can do it when I want without putting the kids into day care,” she says.
“I like to take candid portraits of people, that’s what I really love to do. It really captures the person in a way that a studio portrait could never do. That’s what I really love. I like to take photos of individuals and families that tell a story about the person. That’s the most interesting subject: people.”
But she also loves landscapes, and, particularly, trees. Some of her favorite tree photos have captured forever the majesty of some of the oaks along Valley Center Road that are being lost to road widening in a couple of years.
“Trees are interesting,” she says. “They have character. They are like people because they are very individual. If you capture them in the right way they have a lot of personality.”
Mrs. Firth-Schafer, whose photos can be seen frequently in The Roadrunner, uses a Canon Elan 35 mm camera. She uses a wide angle lens for landscapes. For people she uses a 200 mm.
“I think people are a lot more natural if you use a telephoto lens,” she says. “If I’m doing children I’ll use 300 mm because you can capture them more naturally.”
She has no plans to open a studio. “I wouldn’t want to have a portrait studio, because I like to take candid shots. I’m just having fun right now.”
She’s been photographing events recently at Bell Gardens Farm. “I really enjoy that,” she says. “It’s a really great place to take pictures because it’s so beautiful and makes a really nice background for candid shots.”
She was inspired to get into photography by her father-in-law, Art Schafer.
“He was never a professional photographer, but he loved nature and he and my mother-in-law raised four boys and traveled to all of the beautiful state parks in the U.S. He captured Yosemite and Mount Lassen. His work was wonderful. Technically he was perfect. He would sit there for hours with a light meter. He had a sensitivity to nature and beauty. He inspired me.”
The Valley Roadrunner
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Tel. 760.749.1112 Fax 760.749.1688
Website: www.valleycenter.com
Email: editor@valleycenter.com
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