Valley Center resident, 5-year-old Cole Striler, lit the torch with Arnold Schwarzenegger on Aug. 8 at the launch of the Los Angeles Inner-City Games.
Cole and his sister, Lexi Striler (7), attended the opening day ceremonies with their dad, Alex Striler. Alex is a youth marketing consultant who arranged for professional skateboarder and 2003 X-Games gold medallist, Bob Burnquist, to launch the Inner-City Games opening ceremony with Arnold Schwarzenegger, the actor turned Republican gubernatorial candidate.
Schwarzenegger formed the Inner-City Games Foundation in 1995 as a way to reach millions of young people in cities across America. The Inner-City Games reaches out to schools, housing projects, community centers and churches to help youth avoid the negative influences of violence, drugs, gangs and despair through active participation in after school sports.
The 2003 Los Angeles Inner-City Games took place at the Hollywood Sports Park in Bellflower. After speaking to an assembly of over 30 television, radio and newspaper reporters, Bob Burnquist and Schwarzenegger commenced with the torchlighting ceremony, which was aired live on CNN, ABC, Fox and NBC.
To help with lighting the torch, Schwarzenegger held up Valley Center Kindergartner, Cole Striler. Cole’s sister, Lexi, stood beside them.
Cole and Lexi Striler attended the ceremonies with their dad, recently commissioned by Bob Burnquist to create the Bob Burnquist Foundation, a non-profit foundation to educate youth on nutrition, active lifestyles and environmental consciousness.
Since retiring from an investment banking career in 1998, Alex Striler has been a youth marketing consultant specializing in action sports, also called “extreme sports.” Striler moved his family from Carlsbad to Valley Center earlier this year.
“Everywhere you turn today, there’s fast food, junk food and soda for sale. Junk food has become synonymous with the American diet. On an average day, 8 percent of Americans eat at McDonalds. Obesity has become a serious problem. Health care costs related to obesity are greater than those for smoking. Being overweight increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and many types of cancer,” says Alex Striler. “Last month, Coke signed a 5-year deal with the San Diego school system. It’s bad enough that the average child drinks 2-3 cans of soda every day, over 800 cans a year, but now the soda industry is targeting our kids at school. Kids don’t realize that soda consumption contributes to calcium deficiencies, tooth decay, Type-II diabetes and weight problems. When Bob (Burnquist) asked me to create a foundation in his name to help teach children about health, nutrition and active lifestyles, it was a no-brainer.”
Brazilian-born Bob Burnquist (26) lives on an organic farm in Vista. An avid advocate of healthy lifestyles, Bob attempted to spread the word on nutrition with a vegetarian restaurant, Melodia, on Coast Highway in Leucadia. Excessive operating costs forced him to close the restaurant last year. Burnquist has turned down massive sponsorship offers from Coca Cola and refuses to compete on the well-known Red Bull ramp because he does not want to endorse unhealthful products to the millions of young children that watch him compete. Instead, las year, he was featured in the well-known, “Got Milk?” advertising campaign.
Following the Inner-City Games, the X-Games were held in Los Angeles last week. Burnquist added to his arsenal of gold medals with a first place finish in the Men’s Double Vert competition. In addition to over 20 first place finishes in contests around the globe, he won the ESPY nomination for “Action Sports Person of the Year,” OP’s “King of Skate” award, Thrasher Magazine’s “Skater of the Year,” Transworld Magazine’s “Rider’s Polls Awards: Best Skater” (1999, 2001 & 2002) and the prestigious Laureus World Sports Award for “(Action) Sports Person of the Year,” presented to him by Michael Jordan.
With a world-class skate ramp in his back yard, not far from Gopher Canyon Road in Vista, and several acres of organic herbs and vegetables, Burnquist practices the healthy lifestyle that he preaches. A strong advocate of organics and environmental responsibility, Bob intends to use his popularity among youth to influence children to eat better, exercise more and think about the environmental consequences of their actions.
“We’re going to teach kids from all angles. Bob’s high television and magazine visibility will influence his fans by example. If he’s seen drinking water after a good workout, we hope kids will follow his lead,” says Striler. “In addition, my wife, Tammy, is a highly recognized grade school teacher in Irvine. Her contacts within the school system will help us create better defenses wherever the soda industry attacks and targets our kids. With Schwarzenegger’s after school initiative, the public is more aware that kids develop habits in school that will follow them for a lifetime. We want them to learn healthy habits.”
Striler would like to see a youth center or public action sports park in Valley Center that gives kids a safe and fun place to go after school. “Valley Center is a wonderful outdoors community, but there’s no centralized place for kids to hang out or work up a sweat. I wonder if it’s possible to get several local businesses, or maybe the casinos involved in creating a sports park for our children. I bet I could get several pro athletes to help design the facilities for free,” he said.
By DAVID ROSS
After giving the VC fire district a 90-day notice last month to find another paramedic provider, Sycuan Ambulance may be interested after all in continuing to serve VC, Hidden Meadows, Pauma and the Backcountry.
At Thursday’s fire board meeting Chief Kevin O’Leary told the Valley Center Fire Protection District board that he and directors Mike Pacheco and Stan Johnson met in a prebid conference on Aug. 18 with representatives of several public and private fire agencies who are interested in bidding for the contract.
The timeline is critical, he said. “There’s a lot of interest, but with the timeline being so short I’m nervous about it. I don’t want the service interrupted at all.”
O’Leary noted that Sycuan has indicated some interest in continuing the service that it gave notice it was pulling out of just a few weeks ago. However, Sycuan hasn’t officially sent a letter to that effect.
Until that happens, the district will continue with the process of taking bids for the contract.
“Hopefully next week I’ll have a letter from them saying that’s what they want to do,” he told the board.
Until a service provider is found for the paramedic service, Sycuan has agreed to extend its contract by one month to November.
Although Sycuan initially told the district it didn’t intend to extend the two-year contract because it wants to exclude the Lake Henshaw area from the area served by three ambulances, the VC district has insisted that Henshaw must be included.
VCFPD, which contracts to the County to provide the service, and then subcontracts to Sycuan, is required by the County to serve the entire region that includes VC, Pauma, Hidden Meadows, Palomar Mountain and Lake Henshaw.
“They [Sycuan] have been working very hard to try to keep the contract,” O’Leary told directors. “They’ve come up with a plan that their chief is reviewing and they have asked whether or not we would consider it. I said we would consider it and bring it back to the board.”
Director Mike Pacheco said that the public has misinterpreted the fact that Sycuan gave a 90-day notice that it was not renewing the two-year contract.
“A lot of this is a formality and Sycuan may have a black eye when they were following what the current contract says,” he said.
Director Stan Johnson asked if the district is doing anything to ensure that it gets more notice next time.
“It has been said if we had reviewed this with them at a public meeting, that dissatisfaction with the current contract would have come out and we wouldn’t have had just 90 days to work something out,” said Johnson.
O’Leary agreed. “The agreement we had allowed for a 90 day notification and that’s not sufficient. Our next agreement will have a 120 day notification. We are discussing with the County performance bonds and things that we may want to put into the next contract.”
New Positions
The board voted to approve two new positions: fire prevention specialist and benefits and district administrative assistant.
In arguing for the fire prevention specialist District Administrator Joy Justis told the board, “It is no longer possible to have one part-time position do all that is required.”
The position will cost the district about $41,805, including benefits.
Mrs. Justis pointed out that fire prevention fees went from $18,865 in 2001 to $33,890 last year, which is enough to pay for the position.
She noted that the workload for this position has increased dramatically since the building moratorium was lifted on VC several years ago.
“VCFPD just received the highest quarter of mitigation fees to date of $81,810,” she wrote in her report.
“This includes only one-fifth of the homes being built on the Woods Valley project and ten homes from two other major projects. We are not seeing any downturn in building. VCFPD currently has over 250 homes being built and they will all need inspecting.”
The board also approved in principle the benefits and district administrative assistant position, although the full price of this position has not yet been determined.
The Cemetery District is seeking the public’s help in restoring 75 bronze veterans’ markers.
Last November during preparations for the 2002 Veterans Day Ceremony, the Valley Center Cemetery District board found that the markers need extensive maintenance or repair.
A survey found 75 markers with a variety of restoration items that need attention.
The work ranges from a simple cleaning to a complete removal, sandblasting, repainting and reinstallation in a new concrete base.
Many of the markers, without any borders at all, have sunk into the ground over the years and need to be raised, repainted and reset in new concrete borders.
Others have concrete borders that are cracked, broken and just falling apart.
The board would like to include new in-ground flower vases for the veterans’ markers and to provide a flag holder in each concrete base.
As funds become available, the board would like to restore as many of the markers as possible for each year’s Veterans Day Ceremony.
Markers in the worst condition will get the initial restoration and then continue on until all the veterans’ markers are restored.
The Veterans’ Marker Project will allow the community to honor Valley Center Veterans who rest here from the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea and Viet Nam.
Cemetery Board Pres. Sean Johnson told The Roadrunner: “We have set a goal of $10,000 to complete this project and we ask all Valley Center individuals, families, business and service organizations to take this very special Valley Center Veterans’ Marker Project to heart and donate the funds necessary to complete this project. A special account will be set up at the local bank to handle the funds.”
Out of respect for the families of the veterans the board wants to contact and hear from as many of the families, descendants and friends of the veterans in order to allow any input that they may have on this project.
Contact the Valley Center Cemetery District at 749-1186 with any input or information that you may wish to contribute.
The names of the veterans, the war they took part in and their date of death are listed below:
Everett Agee, WW2, 1969; Alvin Allen, WWI, 1975; Paul Leland Allen, WW2, 1980; Ina Armstrong, WW2, 2000; Breckenridge H. Armstrong, WW2, 1988; I.D. Arnold, WW2, 2000; David Avila, VN, 1979; Lionel R. Bernardin, WW2, 1976; Lecil F. Boosey, WW2, 1995; Arthur Conklin, WW2, 1969;
Maxine Daniel, VN, 1999; Paul W. Davis, WWI, 1971; Theodore N. Dubois, WW2, 1987; Frank Duce, WWI, 1979; Joshua Field, WW2, 1983; John Finley, K, 1987; Lyndon Fisher, WW2, 1984; Jesus Garcia, VN, 1976; Florencio Gonzales, K, 1997; Roscoe Goodenough, WW2, 1995; Arthur Griffin, WW2, 1995; George D. Hall, WW2, 1971; Harold W. Hanson, WW2, 1976;
Robert Henry Harris, WW2, 1966; Paul Hayes, VN, 1997; Donald Earl Henry, Sr., WW2, 1980; Benajah, Holcomb, CW; Donald H. Howe, K, 1978; Earnest H. Howe, VN, 1975; William C. F. James, CW, 1907; William F. C. James, CW; Lawrence T. Kearny, WW2, 1976; Danial Nette Koven, WW1, 1941; James Andrew Lawrence, WW1, 1976; George Linne, WW1, 1980; Georgia Loud, WW2, 1979; Emmerson Loud, WW2, 1987;
Sgt. S. J. Mallicoat, CW; Lon Victor Mast, K, 1986; Lawrence W. McGee, K, 1984; Harvey Mitchell WW2, 1978; William E. Mooney, WW2, 1973; Raymond Morack, WW2, 1983; Charles E. Moroney, Jr., WW2, 1990; Danial Nette Nellekoven, WW1, 1935; George Nichols, WW1, 1941; Herbert Sidney Nuss, WW2, 1970; Ernest Pozzi, WW2, 1993; Williams T. Reynolds, WW2, 1990; Manuel B. Rios, WW2, 1977; George Rogers, WW1, 1963;
Harry Simpson, WW2-K, 1975; Dexter Stead, WW2, 1999; Clayton R. Stevens, WW2, 1999; Samuel Sutter, CW; Earl Sypes, K, 1990; Clifford Tallman, WW2, 1995; Charles M. Tschiderer, WW2, 1980;James Walter Vanzandt, VN, 1988; Henry Veach, WW2, 1983; Charles E. Wakefield, WW2, 1979; James Walsh, WW1, 1970; Arnold Williams, WW2, 1970; Arnold Williams, WW2, 1996; Paul W. Wilson, Jr., VN, 1983; Joseph J. Winiarz, K, 1976; Joseph Wisnieski, WW2, 1996; Constance Wisnieski, WW2, 1994; Ronald Zace, WW2, 1998.
The Rev. Joseph Andrew Patronik, 51, has been appointed rector of St. Francis Episcopal Church, Pauma Valley. He will assume his duties Sept. 7.
The Rev. James Estes retired in September 2002. After ten months of prayer, study, interviews, and meetings, the Search Committee of St. Francis brought their recommendation for a new rector to the Church Vestry on July 7.
Father Joe will arrive from New Jersey, where he is Rector of Holy Trinity Church in South River, with his wife, Leslie, and their 11-year-old son, Andrew.
In 1973 he received a Bachelor of Science, Agriculture, at Ohio State University in Columbus. In 1980 he received a Master’s of Business Administration at the University of Santa Clara.
His secular experience includes being publisher and bookstore owner with prior employment as product manager, supervisor and sales representative at Armour Food Company, South San Francisco, California.
In 1988 he received a Master’s of Divinity at Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley, California. He was chaplain of Washington Episcopal School, Bethesda, Maryland; rector of St. Peter’s-by-the-Sea, Morro Bay, California; assistant at Christ Church, Portola Valley, California; and interim rector and school chaplain of St. Bede’s, Menlo Park, California.
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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