Sept. 4 was the first dress rehearsal for next month's re-aluminizing of the 200-inch mirror at Palomar Observatory.
Last week the Palomar Observatory staff lowered the 17.5 ton top of the aluminizing chamber into place. They moved the chamber in on Thursday to perform some tests in preparation for the re-aluminizing that is scheduled to begin Oct. 5.
The re-coating is generally done every two years. It was on March of 2001 that the 200-inch mirror last got a new coating of reflective aluminum.
Moving the 14.5 ton mirror and carefully placing the 17.5 ton top of the aluminizing chamber above it is delicate work. The whole process, including returning the mirror back into the telescope, is scheduled to take just five days, but will most likely be done in two or three. It will begin on Sunday, Oct. 5 and by the night of Friday, the 10th an astronomer will again be using the 200-inch telescope for research.
The mirror’s thin coating of aluminum is just 1,000 atoms thick. The purpose of this structure in the 530 ton telescope is to position this tiny layer of aluminum so as to focus light from distant objects on to the astronomer’s cameras.
The growth of the Valley Center Adult Education program in its first year has “flabbergasted” the director of the program, Denise McAndrews.
Mrs. McAndrews reported on the program’s progress at last month’s Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District board meeting, handing out carnations to each trustee to symbolize the growth of the program.
The program was initiated last year as part of the district’s unification process.
She noted that the program will be adding classes this year, including ROP (Regional Occupational Program) courses in administrative clerk skills, food services, janitorial, construction, automotive security, fire, health and safety.
Last year, the first year of the adult education program, 762 students enrolled.
They took courses in math, English, life science, physical science, U.S. government and history, fine arts, GED test preparation and economics. Other courses included English as a second language, computing, citizenship, gardening-floral, landscaping, carpentry and bus driving.
By DAVID ROSS
The VC-Pauma school board Thursday night will take final actions to set up a Mello-Roos funding district for the Woods Valley Ranch development.
The board will consider approving an ordinance authorizing the levy of a special tax from the district, and authorize the issuance of special tax bonds and other legalities associated with setting up the district.
The school district is the lead agency for the Mello-Roos. The new district will also provide funding for road improvements and a signal light at the intersection at Woods Valley & Valley Center Roads and park fees to the County and for sewage disposal system to be owned and operated by the VC water district.
The school district will receive $2.5 million from the arrangement. The water district will get $3.2 million and the county Dept. of Public Works will get $2.6 million.
The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. at the VC High School library (media center). Patrick Simpson is president of the board.
Abigail Johnson, a home-schooled third-grader who recently moved to Valley Center with her family from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was the winner of a national writing award, the Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators contest. She won third place in the national contest.
As one of her prizes for her story and drawings entitled Not our Typical Silent Night, the young author received a set of audiovisual materials that she presented to the Valley Center Library this week.
Reading Rainbow is an Emmy award-winning production of public broadcasting. More than 43,000 students in grades K-2 submitted illustrated stories to public broadcasting stations all over the country.
Abigail’s story was written about the bonfires that occur on the levees of Louisiana during the night before Christmas.
It begins when her dad takes the family on an adventure:
“It was Christmas Eve. My brothers and I were helping Mom make cinnamon rolls when Dad came in and told us to load up in the van. ‘Where are we going?’ we asked. ‘We're going to experience a Cajun night before Christmas,’ he replied.
“Singing carols while we drove helped pass the time as we excitedly wondered what the night would be like. Mom told us the Mississippi River levee would be full of bonfires. The bonfires would light the way for ‘Papa Noel’ (the Cajun version of Santa Claus) to find homes in Louisiana's bayou country.”
Abigail also illustrated her story with colorful drawings, done against a black backdrop.
Abigail is the daughter of Susan and Dave Johnson.
She donated ten books and the audiovisuals and movies made from the books to the library.
They included several award-winning titles such as Stellaluna by Janelle Cannon of Carlsbad, Desert Giant by Barbara Bash, Watch the Stars Come Out by Diane Goode, Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman and Legend of the Indian Paintbrush by Tomie de Paola.
You can find Abigail’s story online at http://pbskids.org/readingrainbow/contest/.
Local Rotarians are honoring the memory of those who died in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 by asking that everyone light a candle to commemorate the event and to promote international goodwill.
Ann Godwin of VC Rotary commented, “As we approach the anniversary of 9/11 please join us once again in lighting a candle for international understanding, goodwill and peace on Sept. 11. We believe that this is an event which should never be forgotten, and we must ensure that future generations are kept fully aware of the horrific dangers of intolerance, racism and fanaticism.
“Although the ‘Light a Candle’ campaign was originally launched by Rotarians for Rotarians, we would like to see it extended to people of goodwill all over the world as an active way of demonstrating their rejection of intolerance, racism and fanaticism.”
You can prepare you and your family to deal with an emergency, and help your community at the same time by taking CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training.
Valley Center CERT classes start Saturday, Oct. 4. The location will be announced later once VC’s CERT team knows how big a room it needs to reserve.
Classes are listed below:
Disaster Preparedness: 9 a.m.- noon. The class helps to prepare you, your family, and neighborhood for the various disasters that may occur in Valley Center.
Team Organization and Disaster Psychology; 1- 4 p.m. The class helps you to recognize psychological stress in family members, neighbors and fellow CERT volunteers, and apply psychological first aid after an incident. It also introduces the structure and operation of CERT teams during a disaster.
Teachers and administrators, business and community leaders, and whole families are encouraged to come to these first two classes to do your part in making sure everyone in our community is prepared for any disaster.
Five additional classes are offered to become a CERT responder A $5 donation per family will be requested in class. More information and all training materials may be downloaded for free at: http://www.vccert.org. These same manuals will be available for $5. in class.
Sign up by Sept. 15 so organizers can know what size classroom to reserve. The class location will be on the web site and the answering machine.
You can register online at: or call 751.1040 and leave your name and contact information, as well as number of manuals needed.
Marge Smith, who for nine and a half years has been secretary of the Valley Center Chamber of Commerce, retired this week. Monday was her last day.
Mrs. Smith cited health reasons for giving up the position and the need to spend more time with her husband, Neal.
She has overseen the Chamber at three offices, including the last, which opened at its current location in November.
She has seen VC change during that near-decade. “A lot more people in Valley Center. That’s for sure.”
If it had been up to her she would have kept the job until “they dragged me out feet first.”
However, “I was needed elsewhere.”
She enjoyed the job every day because every day meant meeting new people.
“One of my favorite things was to plan the installation dinner each year and we always had a good turnout for it. I need to be around people.”
Sometimes people have called Mrs. Smith up with the darndest requests!
“The other day someone called me up and asked me to pick up a couch that had been dumped on Betsworth. I get calls about things that I know nothing about or that are even remotely related to the Chamber.”
Nevertheless, the cheerful Mrs. Smith has always been happy to help people when she could.
“The main purpose of the Chamber office is to keep people informed of what’s happening. The Chamber is good for business and good for public relations.”
The Smiths have lived in Valley Center for 13 years, although they briefly lived in VC in the 1940s shortly after they were married. Before going to work for the Chamber she worked at a law firm in San Diego.
The Chamber will begin interviewing this week to fill the position, although obviously no one can take the place of Mrs. Smith.
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.