Youth had just graduated from VCHS
Note: Please see Page B3 for an obituary on Greg Brawner.
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A young man who had recently graduated from Valley Center High School died in a traffic accident June 29, about 7:30 p.m. on Vesper Road, north of MacTan.
Greg Brawner, 18, of VC, was southbound on Vesper, traveling at between 60-70 mph, according to California Highway Patrol spokesman Tom Kerns. He was driving a 2004 Suburu Impreza.
He had a passenger in the car with him, Wyatt Nelson, 18, also of VC.
According to a witness driver, Brawner passed a car on the left and apparently lost control of the vehicle and skidded to the right.
The car left the roadway and flipped, then continued up the embankment and became airborne. That was apparently when both driver and passenger were ejected. Neither were wearing seat belts.
The vehicle came to rest on its wheels in a dirt field. The driver suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The passenger, Nelson, was transported to Palomar Medical Center with moderate injuries.
According to the CHP a bag of marijuana containing about 22.3 net grams was found in the car. No evidence of alcohol was found.
Services for Greg Brawner were held Saturday.
Cathey Anderson, a fourth grade teacher at the Lower Elementary school, was honored by the United States Department of Agriculture at a national convention held in Albuquerque, New Mexico on June 25.
Mrs. Anderson was one of five teachers in the nation chosen by the USDA and the Agriculture in the Classroom national program to be recognized for exceptional work in integrating agriculture into the classroom.
Since she began teaching 11 years ago, Mrs. Anderson has made her classes informative as well as engaging. Her students have had the opportunity to grow many different plants, flowers, and vegetables, care for different farm animals, build and maintain a butterfly garden, operate a daily egg production project, and learn how the agriculture industry affects our lives today.
Mrs. Anderson can see the benefits of making agriculture a steady presence in her students’ learning. Many of the studies require a hands on approach. This type of learning allows Anderson to reach those students who do not learn as well within the confines of a classroom setting, but open up as they apply their school work to an activity. “Agriculture has a way of motivating and captivating all who are involved. It helps my students connect, grow, and feel successful,” she said.
Reacting to this honor from the USDA, she said, “I’m accepting this award on behalf of a lot of people within the school district and in our community. Without their support and involvement, the programs would not have been possible. Basically, to me the award belongs to all of those who have donated their time and/or resources to benefit the students through the ag program.”
That list of contributors is long. With much help from the community and through her own hard work, Mrs. Anderson has not only been able to enrich the learning within her own classroom, but that throughout the whole district. She was the driving force in establishing an annual district wide Salute to Agriculture day for four years. That event has grown to include more history and social studies activities for her fourth graders as well as agriculture studies.
In response to her innovative teaching, the Valley Center Pauma Unified School District has given more funding to support some of the basic agriculture programs within the school district.
From the USDA and Agriculture in the Classroom program, Anderson received $500 and a plaque commemorating her contribution to agriculture awareness in our nation.
By DAVID ROSS
Many Valley Center growers regard it as a threat as serious as the Mexican fruit fly infestation of last year.
The “infestation” they are talking about is the unlimited importing of Mexican Hass avocados, proposed on May 24 by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.
Most of these avos will come from the Mexican state of Michoacan.
It is happening, many growers assert, as a result of a “secret deal” between President George W. Bush and Mexican President Vicente Fox.
Opening California and Florida to Mexican avocados could also bring pests such as the seed moth, stem weevil, and to a lesser extent the Mexfly. Note: Most authorities believe that the Mexfly can’t infest the avocado because of its thick skin.
Area growers will be meeting to discuss this threat on Friday:
San Diego/Riverside Grower Meeting
Friday July 9, 2004
1:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Pala Mesa Resort
2001 Old Hwy 395 Fallbrook
At this meeting local growers will be able to meet with California Avocado Commission board Chairman Jerome Stehly before he flies to Washington D.C. to meet with U.S. trade representatives and San Diego’s congressional delegation.
He will collect comments from growers and give information to them. Computers will be set up at the back of the room so that they can e-mail comments directly to the U.S. The USDA is taking comments until July 24.
Avocado Capital
Valley Center is regarded by many as the avocado capital of the United States. California itself accounts for 85-95% of the annual avocado production, with Florida growing the remainder. Half of the avocados raised in the U.S. come from San Diego County.
Mexico raises 2 billion pounds of avos a year, while 400 million pounds are grown in the U.S. Most of them are consumed at home since Mexicans eat an average of 24 pounds of the fruit a year, compared to two pounds in the U.S.
However, consumption of the “green gold” is expanding. Guacamole, made from avocados, is growing in popularity each year.
Currently Mexican avocado growers can bring their crops into the country October 15-April 15. They are limited to 31 states (Florida and California are among those excluded).
Some form of import restrictions on Mexican avocados has been in effect since 1914. Restrictions were partially eased in 1995.
Stealthy Deal?
“What we think happened was that Fox and Bush made a deal but it’s not being publicized,” local grower Kermit Kliewer told The Roadrunner last week.
Stehly this week confirmed that in an interview with Commanding Heights (a website), former Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda spoke about being present when such a deal was brokered.
Castaneda is quoted: “[Let’s] take an example. President Fox talked about the issue of avocados. We need to have an increase in the number of states and the number of months [during] which we can export avocados from Mexico, given that they are not declared unhealthy and that there are no NAFTA or WTO regulations that impede the exports. He brings it up with President Bush, gives him a piece of paper. President Bush passes the piece of paper over to Dr. [Condoleeza] Rice. Dr. Rice looks at it and then will pass it on to whoever she has to pass it on. At some point somebody will come back, probably to me or to . . . our trade fellow to say, ‘Look, we looked at the avocado question and this is the deal.’ ”
According to Stehly, “We were expecting it and we’ve been battling this for quite a few years.”
Reduced Risk
The USDA claims that what changed its mind is research conducted in 2001-2002. The research, conducted in Mexico, showed that the risk posed by Mexican Hass avocados was lower than originally believed. Avos that are brought into the country by non-commercial means are more likely to provide a host to pests.
That risk assessment study (125 pages long) concluded “There is an overall low likelihood of pest introduction.” It also concluded, “Prohibited avocados in baggage and cargo pose a substantially greater risk to agriculture than commercial imports of ‘Hass’ avocados from Mexico. Legalizing imports of avocados from Mexico could reduce smuggling of the commodity into the United States.”
To fight the proposal, Stehly and his allies are using science, not emotions.
“We think there are flaws in their science, and we have to go down the high road and show that there are flaws. We think risking California agriculture is a pretty big risk to take,” says Stehly.
Although Mexico would be tripling its export to the U.S., no new fruit inspectors will be hired to inspect Mexican avos, says Stehly.
“Their department continues to oversee inspection with just a handful of specialists. More and more groves will be certified and mistakes will be made,” he says.
Another problem is that the chemicals that Mexican farmers use to treat their fruit are not allowed in the U.S.
“They say the risk is small, but if they show up here, there’s no way to treat them.”
Stehly believes that the Bush administration has brought pressure on the USDA to expand the Mexican avocado presence.
“You know Bush’s love affair with Vicente Fox, which is something I can’t figure out!” said Stehly. “It has come down to an agenda, and the whole process has been speeded up.”
Market Closed to U.S.
Some critics charge that U.S. growers simply oppose outside competition.
Stehly retorts that U.S. growers currently find it almost impossible to ship avos across the border. Although Mexico says it allows American avocados, its regulations make it virtually impossible to export them.
“They talk about free trade, but our avocados are not allowed in Mexico, except for two cities, Tijuana and Mexicali,” said Stehly. The reason given for holding back U.S. exports, he says, is that the Mexicans are afraid of importing pests!
“These are the same pests that are only found in Mexico.”
According to Stehly, San Diego growers decided to test the system to see how long it would take to get a permit through normal channels.
It took a year.
A Fallbrook grower, Eco Farms, also tried to get an import permit. By the time the permit was issued, says Stehly, the commercial sale had been lost.
Campaign to fight
Area avocado farmers plan to put up a tough fight against the proposed USDA rules.
In addition to sending letters to the state’s two U.S. senators and congressmen such as Darrell Issa and Randy “Duke” Cunningham, growers also plan to write to state senators and assembly members.
Kliewer, also a member of the avocado commission board, told The Roadrunner, “We’re going to fight to keep Mexican avocados out of here. Right now the break even price for avocados is 60 cents a pound. In Mexico it’s 40 cents a pound. I pay a guy $8 an hour and they pay their guys less than $8 a day. Their water is cheaper. It’s hard economically for California growers to compete.
Patsy Fritz, who owns a small avocado grove, added, “It is not just a question of ‘good science.’ It’s the additional question of ‘why should we import Mexican avocados when they refuse ours.”
Longtime grower and VC resident Bill Hutchings told The Roadrunner, “I think they are going to set us up for a real disaster. All of our diseases have come out of Mexico, including the thrip and the mite; and if the seed weevil comes in the avocado industry will be finished.
“I don’t know why we cater to the Mexican government. We can’t import into their country without penalty. I really don’t see any reason except that Bush has promised Fox that he would do it. Somebody is getting a political payoff. They are going to wreck the avocado industry. We’re really going to have some problems down the road. They say they are inspecting, but that’s a bunch of baloney.”
Hutchings blames large packing houses, such as Calavo and Westpac, for pushing the proposal.
“You don’t see any protests from Calavo or Westpac, you only see it from organizations such as the California Avocado Commission.”
Although he plans to be part of the fight, Hutchings isn’t optimistic. “I think the USDA already has its mind made up and they are going to do it.”
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Stehly told The Roadrunner: “It’s very important that people make comments. If they think the comments are not important, they are wrong. We don’t want to take chance of these pests showing up just down the street from our groves.”
Send comments to the USDA at the following address: Docket No. 03-022-3, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Include the comment and three copies. CONTACTS FOR THIS STORY
Call Tom Bellamore at CAC
Jerome Stehly
Chairman California Avocado Commission Board
760-731-6517.
638-3443
619-223-9163
Bill Hutchings 742-3331
First in a series
(Much of the information in this series is courtesy of the VC Municipal Water District’s historical files).
First comes the breath of life. Then comes water. Without water there is no life for long.
The people of Valley Center brought life, in the form of water, to this arid mesa 50 years ago this week. That was when the Valley Center Municipal Water District was created.
Of course, there had been a community in Valley Center for 90 years before water was piped in. But it was strictly limited in size by the water sitting in aquifers or rain barrels, or seasonal streams.
The bringing of water from an aqueduct made possible the vast orange, lemon and avocado groves that still dominate our landscape, even though they are slowly being supplanted by homes and lawns.
They were taking advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity to hook onto the aqueduct that was being extended into San Diego County. The pipeline, which entered the County near Fallbrook, fortuitously, intersected the edge of Valley Center.
This is how it began:
The Beginning
In February, 1953 a group of VC property owners held a public meeting to discuss water problems and the possibility of obtaining Colorado River Water through the San Diego County Water Authority and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
In May of 1953 a committee was formed to hire an attorney, request donations from the 640 land owners in what would eventually become the 58,100 acre District service area. The donations were to cover legal costs.
In October of 1953 the San Diego County Water Authority board voted to accept the “Valley Center-Jesmond Dene Area” into the authority provided that the land owners formed a water district and paid annexation and other fees.
A month later the Metropolitan Water District passed a similar resolution.
In July 12 1954 voters approved the formation of the Valley Center Municipal Water District by a vote of 406 to 63.
A few months later voters also approved joining the San Diego County Water Authority and Metropolitan Water District.
The first VCMWD budget, passed on Aug. 22, 1955 for two fiscal years 1954 -1955 and 1955 - 1956 was for $72,590.75. The board set the tax rate on an assessed valuation of $2.9 million. That first board consisted of Pres. Melvin H. Seay, and directors B.H. Armstrong, Francis E. Jaggers, Rupert E. Lyon and Edward F. Saul.
That same month voters approved a $1.6 million dollar bond issue to construct three connections to the San Diego County Water Authority aqueducts, 245,900 lineal feet of pipe from 6 to 18 inches in diameter, three reservoirs totaling 3 million gallons in capacity and five pumping stations to serve the Cole Grade-Valley Center, Rancho Lilac, Kuchel Mesa, Hauck Mesa, Moosa Canyon, and Jesmond Dene Areas.
In January of 1956 the district issued $1.6 million in bonds to build Valley Center’s first water facilities. It would be the beginning of a decade-long program of building that would put in place a large part of the water system that exists today.
In April of 1956 the district was issued its first Water Supply Permit by the State of California Dept. of Public Health Bureau of Sanitary Engineering.
In June of 1957 the board adopted a budget of $131,161.70.
In August the board heard complaints from property owners about “dire shortage of water”underlining the need for more system improvements.
In 1960 the board authorized the first acquisitions of several private water systems that had existed prior to the creation of the water district, including the Pfau and Circle R Water Systems, Sherwood Land Company/Valley Center Farms in 1961 and the Jesmond Dene Water Company in 1962.
In those same years the district began approving the creation of improvement districts for specific areas of the water district. At this writing most of the improvement districts created in this decade have been paid off.
The first of the improvement districts approved was U-1, approved in January, 1963. “U” District improvements were finance by bonds sold based on property tax assessments for repayment.
In 1963 VCMWD built the 70 foot high, 500,000 gallon capacity Hauck Mesa Reservoir, dramatically expanding its storage capacity.
In November, 1964, voters approved a second bond issue of $1,750,000 by a 4 to 1 vote, 435 yes to 109 no.
April 8, 1965, VCMWD sold and installed its 1,000th water meter. That year it sold 7,233 acre feet .
The next month, VCMWD celebrated its 10th year of existence and 100th year of Valley Centers founding. It dedicated its first large reservoir, 25-acre foot, T.M Cobb Reservoir, with over 100 people in attendance.
The event was attended by many water dignitaries, including Hans Doe, then former President of the Irrigation District's Association(ACWA), and current member of the San Diego County Water Authority and Vista Irrigation District Board's of Directors.
In addressing the crowd, Doe said “there would be no water shortage as the Feather River Supply(State Water Project) would be here in plenty of time.”
TO BE CONTINUED
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.