Saying that plaintiff Michael Aguirre failed to show that the Board of Supervisors broke the Brown Act when it redistricted two years ago, Superior Court Judge Kevin Enright handed a victory to the County on Monday.
It was a low key trial that transfixed policy wonks and legal mavens for three weeks, but failed to stir much of the public’s imagination, although all five of the County’s supervisors were called to the stand.
On Monday Judge Enright handed out the 20 page plus ruling in which the judge praised both sides for skillfully presenting their cases.
Although Aguirre originally brought the case because he felt that the 2001 redistricting gerrymandered districts to the detriment of Hispanic voters, the judge ruled early on that the case was a Brown Act violation case.
The Brown Act governs when elected officials may or may not meet in private.
Aguirre’s lawsuit claimed four Supervisors violated the Brown Act by holding illegal closed sessions to draw new district boundaries.
A high point of the case came when Supervisor Greg Cox testified that he had cut a deal with Supervisor Ron Roberts to protect precincts that he wanted to retain for his district.
Roberts then testified that he conferred with Supervisor Dianne Jacob, but he termed their conversation a “courtesy call.”
Cox testified that he argued with Fifth District Supervisor Bill Horn about his version of the redistricting plan but did not testify that he ever revealed to Horn that he had already cut a deal in his discussions with Roberts.
Pam Slater, the supervisor who opposed the redistricting plan, did testify, but the judge disallowed much of her testimony because the County had not waived the attorney/client privilege giving her permission to tell those truths.
The County in its defense referred to this meeting in the County Administrative Officer Walter Ekard’s office as “impromptu” although the CAO brought in his top aide, along with Cox and his chief of staff, Pam O’Neill and Horn and his chief of staff, Joan Wonsley.
The County argued that even if these were meetings under the Brown Act that they were not “serial meetings” because the various supervisors had introduced separate board letters for the redistricting hearing.
The judge did not see that any of these meetings were “serial” meetings, but rather constituted one on one meetings, which would be allowed under the Brown Act.
Horn Monday praised Enright’s ruling.
“I appreciate Judge Enright’s decision,” said Horn. “We expected the ruling since there was no evidence of wrongdoing by our board. Unfortunately, the losers in this case are San Diego County taxpayers who have had to commit substantial taxpayer dollars to defend a baseless lawsuit. For the second time in ten years, attorney Michael Aguirre sued the County. He lost in 1991, claiming a violation of voting rights. It is fortunate that the courts have once again rejected these groundless attempts by Mr. Aguirre.”
County Supervisors are required by federal law to adjust district boundaries every ten years when the U.S. Census Bureau releases new population numbers.
“We did this by dividing the population appropriately and keeping all cities in the County except San Diego intact,” said Horn. “There were 17 public hearings on the redistricting process. The public knew that Board members could submit their own proposals after the committee had made their recommendations.”
Horn said, “Closed sessions by the Board of Supervisors were properly conducted and they were needed to protect taxpayers from litigation we knew had been threatened by Mr. Aguirre. Mr. Aguirre had threatened the Chairman of the Redistricting Advisory Committee that he would sue the County of San Diego if his map were not approved. The court ruling makes it clear that Mr. Aguirre's action was to further his political agenda.
“A newspaper article quoted Mr. Aguirre as saying, ‘I won $15 million in my last case-I don’t need the money,’ ” said Horn. “If so, Mr. Aguirre can make out a check payable to the County of San Diego to reimburse taxpayers.”
‘She keeps our bubbles level’
By DAVID ROSS
Gina Mitchell and Geraldine McHugh have learned a lot since they put on Valley Center’s first, and very successful, Western Days rodeo last May.
Conventional wisdom says that you learn more from your defeats than you do from your successes. So what have Mitchell and McHugh learned from their first experiment into rodeo, especially since it did so well?
For one thing, they learned that three heads are better than two. They’ve added a third person to their dynamic executive duo: Alison Nolan
“We added new people and the people that we have from last year are better at it,” says Mitchell.
“We learned that our committee is wonderful,” she says. “If you don’t have a great committee there’s no possible way to pull this off. We had teamwork last year and this year the teamwork is even stronger. We’re not just a team we’re a family.”
Nolan, who many people may recognize as the office person at VC Fire Protection District office, forms the third leg of this rodeo trio (or is it family?).
Mitchell is chairman and McHugh and Nolan are her co-chairmen, although it’s hard to imagine any of them standing on ceremony.
“Alison organizes us,” says McHugh. “She keeps our bubbles level. She keeps everything organized. She’s hard-working and very efficient.”
The 20-25 member rodeo committee has been meeting every other week since September.
McHugh and Mitchell have always, they say, made a good team.
“We make a great team. Geraldine and I are like peas and carrots. Geraldine excels in the areas that I don’t.
“We make a really good team,” says Mitchell. “We motivate each other. When there’s slack, I’m there to pick it up for her and she picks it up for me.”
They are good at putting their heads together. They pick each other up when they are blue.
“But we would be lost without the rest of our committee,” says Mitchell.
An example of how the job has grown, she points to Jeana Mapston, who did sponsorships last year and this year took on Joyce Holmes and Bobbi Tribble to expand the effort.
How is the rodeo different from last year? Mainly it’s bigger.
“We learned that we needed more bleachers. Last year we had seating for 1500 people when about 2000 actually attended,” says McHugh.
This year it is a NPRA (National Police Rodeo Assn.) rodeo, which will allow local cowboys and cowgirls to enter in six events: team roping, barrel racing, calf roping, calf dressing, mutton busting and bull riding and bronc riding.
Firefighters and law enforcement people that qualify for the NPRA can compete in this rodeo if they buy a day permit for $25 . Later, if they decide to join the NPRA that fee will go towards membership dues.
You can find the NPRA qualifications at their website: www.nationalpolicerodeo.org
Another change is the introduction of Friday Family Fun Night, when everything costs $1 , including entry and popcorn.
Says Mitchell, “Last year it was really nice to see all the families come together and have a really good time and to see all the smiling faces. I felt that since we have such wonderful Western Days festivities that the rodeo needed to be a little bit bigger.”
Another change, also aimed at families, is to have the rodeo in the daytime, instead of at night.
“All of the families are out and about. It fits right in after the parade and before the dance,” says Mitchell.
She adds that having Western Days and the rodeo (which is actually part of Western Days) next to each “goes together like peanut butter and jelly. It’s such a perfect unity.”
Do we get the feeling that the rodeo committee is not getting enough to eat?
Another plus this year is the support of the national Friends of the Rodeo, an organization that helps educate people on the care that animals in the rodeo receive.
It’s hard work to put on an event as large as even a small rodeo, but the committee members never even considered not doing it again.
“We definitely wanted to do it again. The reward of seeing everybody come together as a community involvement event was worth every little annoyance,” says Mitchell.
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The rodeo committee will sponsor another swap meet April 12, 8 a.m.—3 p.m. at VC Community Center.
For up-to-the moment details on the rodeo, check out their website at www.vcrodeo.org and be sure to sign their guest book.
Get entry forms and sponsorships on the website and at The Roadrunner office.
If you want to have a booth at the event, call Western Days Booth czar Justin Salter at 760-443-5773.
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Main sponsors of the rodeo are Valley Center Equipment Rental and Hawthorne Machinery of San Diego.
Gold sponsor is Peltzer Plumbing Sewer and Drain in Valley Center.
Silver sponsor is Harrah’s Rincon Casino. Bronze sponsor is Washington Mutual.
By DAVID ROSS
Oak Knoll Campground is a family experience. No drunken bikers, obnoxious loud mouths, or all night partyers need apply to stay at this oasis away from the city, which sits at the foot of Palomar Mountain, at the 3000 foot mark.
The watch word is quiet, courteous order and consideration for other campers.
“We want to keep the noise down,” says Larry Read, who, with Elizabeth Norris, owns the campground.
The rule is no noise after 10 p.m., no cussing, no rap music, period.
Before ten the cool, clear mountain air is often filled with the smells of barbecue, or with singalongs and guitar playing around the fire ring.
Security is tight at Oak Knoll, where the entrance gate locks down and no one is allowed to check in after 9 p.m. Read, who is something of a computer junkie, has installed security cameras at the entrance, and keeps track of who comes in and out.
It’s a formula that must be working since Oak Knoll was voted one of the best campgrounds in Southern California by an organization that rates camping experiences. It’s also listed in AAA.
The ultra-clean and ultra-maintained campground (and that includes the bathrooms!) sprawls on 15 acres which have 46 spaces, including spaces for RVs. Campsites are nestled among giant, old California Live Oaks. All the sites offer shade, fire tubs, picnic tables, water and electrical hook-ups. Many have a sewer hookup.
The campground also has a 60 by 30 foot swimming pool, a recreation center out of Mayberry RFD plus a very well-stocked country store. There’s also a coin laundry, propane filling station and dump site.
Oak Knoll is just about to enter its busiest time of the year. People will be driving up in droves to experience the hiking, mountain biking and just sitting around and relaxing in the mountains. They will come from all over, but especially from Los Angeles. International visitors are also numerous.
During summer, the campground is packed seven days a week.
This is the fourth season that Read and his partner Elizabeth Norris have owned the campground, although it has been at its present location in one form or another since the 1940s. In those days it was kinda famous for being the base of operations of UFOologist George Adamskii.
When they first bought the campground, it was, to be frank, in a mess. They spent tons of sweat equity and real equity to fix it up.
All of this, says Read, “was not in our plans.”
It was even a fluke that they came to visit the campground. Read, a professional singer/guitarist who has performed for 25 years, including several successful gigs on TV’s The Gong Show when he was younger, and Norris, visited the campground in their motor home.
The place was run down. There was no store in operation. The clientele was often less than desirable.
They got to know the owner, Elmer Anderson, who wanted to retire. They saw the potential. “It’s a work in progress and we’re still working on it,” says Read.
Sensitive to their customers’ desires, their policy is that after an item is requested twice at their country store they will stock it.
“Our prices are equal to Ralph’s or Vons,” says Read, who proudly points out that during the camp season that they stock frozen meats, drinks and a “huge supply” of ice cream.
The rec room is something out of a Norman Rockwell painting. You can sit and play checkers, chess or ping pong or just chew the fat as you shoot pool . You can borrow from their collection of videos, or read books from their free library.
There’s a also a full video arcade.
Outside you can play horseshoes or throw a few curve balls at the softball diamond or watch the little ones play in the playground just for them.
The campground has a large hall, larger than any comparable hall in VC, that is available to be rented.
If roughing it in your tent or RV doesn’t appeal to you, the campground now has log cabins that it rents for $95 a night.
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Tent spaces rent for $25/night and RV hookups for $35. Call 742-3437 visit their website at www.oakknoll.net/ or write them at:
Oak Knoll Campground
P. O. Box 192
Palomar Mountain, CA 92060
Exotic Newcastle Disease has been found on a third Armstrong egg ranch, this one on MacTan.
Nancy Armstrong, owner of the Armstrong egg ranches last week confirmed to The Roadrunner that the seventh farm in San Diego County to test positive for the disease was one belonging to her family.
Other farms in VC where the disease has been found are the Gross Ranch on Cole Grade Road, the Fluegge Egg Ranch on Twain Way and the Ward Egg Ranch on Fruitvale. The disease was first discovered in San Diego County in Ramona last December.
Nearly 20 backyard chicken ranches throughout the county have also been identified.
The Armstrongs have had to destroy chickens on two other farms, one on Cole Grade and another on Lilac.
Mrs. Armstrong talked about the challenges of dealing with the chicken-killing plague.
“We do everything we can do to prevent it. We don’t really know where it’s coming from. Nowadays all chickens are routinely checked. The government has a lot of control over what we do, over how we feed our birds.”
The disease is spread through the mucus or feces of birds that are infected with it.
The government even takes charge once the disease is discovered. Inspectors take over the operation until the birds are “euthanized.”
This third ranch Armstrong ranch to be hit had about 56,000 birds on it, but, according to Mrs. Armstrong, they were hens towards the end of their productive lives.
Although farmers are reimbursed for a fraction of the birds’ value, Mrs. Armstrong says, “You wouldn’t wish it upon your worst enemy. It’s kind of a scary thing because you don’t know where it ends.”
The Armstrongs have a total of six ranches.
So far, nearly 500,000 infected chickens in San Diego County have been killed.
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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