April 20, 2005 - Top Stories
The 2005 final line-up for this year’s Rodeo Queen includes six of Valley Center’s finest young cowgirls.
On April 23 at Aerie Park, “Competition Day” will begin at 1 p.m. The girls will display skillful horsemanship and give speeches as they vie for the title of Rodeo Queen.
Kalyn Peirce is a student from VCHS. She’s a 4-H member and a member of the American Dairy Goat Assn. She likes trail-riding, camping, rodeo barrels and poles. She would like to be a school counselor or a riding instructor. She has the energy to give back to the community and to be a good role model to inspire others to participate in community service.
Alexis Boles is a VCHS student who enjoys yearbook, photography, barrel-racing, trail and jumping. She’s president of the school snowboarding club and loves to surf. She would like to be a photojournalist. She’s ambitious, creative and had so much fun with last year’s tryout she’s hoping to make the grade this year.
Sara Stridsberg is a VCHS student and a member of the Jazz Band, snowboarding club, Interact club and Tri-M. She likes barrel-racing and trail-riding. She would like to go into business management, be a horse trainer and own a race horse-breeding farm someday. She considers herself to have good humor and would love to contribute to the community as a VC Rodeo Queen.
Cara Ouellette is a 15-year-old at VCHS and on the Academic League of North County. She is a Valley Center Vaqueros member and a member of the AQHYA. She likes trail, barrels and Western pleasure. She aspires to someday be a geneticist or a research scientist. She’s intelligent, imaginative and loyal. She loves Valley Center and the idea of representing family and country living.
Christine Monreal is a Valley Center resident attending the College of the Sequoia in Visalia. She’s an Ag Ambassador and an equestrian team member as well as a FFA (Future Farms of America) and CGA (California Gymkhana Assn) member. She likes trail barrel, Western pleasure and English riding. She would like to be a paramedic and also to train horses… She’s looking to further her horsemanship skills as Rodeo Queen.
Keira Campbell is a VCHS student, FFA member and plays softball. She enjoys barrels, racing, trail and pleasure riding. She would like to become a commercial airline pilot. She would like to be VC Rodeo Queen and help promote awareness in rodeo.
All six girls have been working hard on the three riding patterns given, not knowing which one will be picked the day of the competition. They have their speeches prepared, their horses ready and will be out April 23 giving their best. Mackenzie Cayford, 2004 and VC’s first Rodeo Queen, will be there to help support the incoming court.
The VC school district, which is ultimately responsible for the All-Tribes Charter School in Rincon, is sounding increasingly grim about the school solving its financial and recordkeeping problems.
At Thursday night’s board meeting Supt. Karen Jobe commented, “It’s not discomfort with their passion or commitment; it’s that we want them to be successful, and there are some significant changes that need to be made.”
The last time the board heard a report on the Charter School, it directed the administration to begin taking oversight of its finances day to day.
Part of that responsibility was to contract with the charter school to provide an assistant whose duty it would be to ferret out where past financial records might be found.
“Money handling is still our biggest issue,” said Mrs. Jobe. “It’s not their intent, not their dedication, it’s how money is handled. We would also like to look at facilities and curriculum.”
In her report the superintendent noted that financial statements for 2002-2003 and 2004 have not been completed or submitted as yet.
Financial records, including employment tax records, are incomplete.
“There are reasons to think that they won’t end their year with positive cash flow,” she said.
Facilities construction has not been completed and there are some facilities that don’t have electricity.
Apparently the school made a loan from its funds to an individual (who has since paid it back).
The school’s application to the state to be accredited to give a high school diploma and extend its classes to grades 9-12 was recently denied.
“Denying charter school administrative officials access to school checkbooks would be part of an overall reining in of odd financial practices,” said Mrs. Jobe.
No representative from the Charter school was at Thursday’s meeting because the school was in spring break last week.
No decision was made Thursday night. The administration will bring recommendations for further action to the May school board meeting.
“We may bring back to you a ‘cure and correct’ letter to send the charter school,” she said.
Down-the-line looms the possibility, however remote, that the district would withdraw the charter school’s charter.
By DAVID ROSS
‘They just killed the town,” said Larry Glavinic, a VC planner, about the Board of Supervisors 4-1 vote to adopt Traffic Impact Fees that hit commercial building in the unincorporated areas much harder than residential construction.
However, supervisors, only two of whom (Horn and Jacobs) represent areas that would be significantly affected by the fees, claimed that they had little choice.
Supervisor Ron Roberts, the lone vote against the fees, predicted that they would “cripple” the building industry.
The fees will take effect June 19.
The Building Industry Assn. of San Diego countered that it has little choice but to sue as a result of the new fees. It claims that, as a result of the fees, that the cost of construction of a commercial project will increase 47% on the average.
“These . . . fees will possibly bring such construction in the County to a halt for an indefinite period of time,” they wrote in a letter sent April 12 to the board.
Fifth District Supervisor Bill Horn, who represents, and is from, Valley Center admitted that the fees were “prohibitive” for commercial builders, but asserted that hundreds of small developers were being held hostage by a de facto moratorium on building.
Over 600 small projects in the unincorporated areas have been held up by the lack of fees.
This is because when the California legislature updated the California Environmental Quality Act, it required that counties take into account cumulative impacts of projects on traffic, and make developers pay for them.
However, the bone of contention over the fees is not that they are being levied, but that they hit commercial growth about ten times more than residential.
The fees are calculated differently for each community, based on how many new roads are expected to be needed to accommodate new growth.
At Wednesday’s hearing in which the fees were adopted, Glavinic was one of many who spoke against the proposal.
The fees are expected to generate nearly $1 billion over the next few decades.
During his testimony, Glavinic told supervisors that the TIF wouldn’t generate money for regional roads. Instead, it will move commercial building to tribal lands.
“We are not going to have a town. They just killed it. If they are going to go smart growth, this is stupid,” he said.
It was a warm day on Saturday when we caught up with Valleyite Steve Vaught in Murrietta. He’s trekking across the United States in search of a goal that eludes many of us: losing weight.
Danyelle Barner achieved the dream of her young life by being crowned Miss Valley Center Saturday night at a lavish pageant at VC Middle School.
Miss Barner, 19, is a sophomore at Palomar College. She is the daughter of Joe and Sheryl Barner.
First Princess was Brittany Byler; Second Princess was Catherine Cunningham and Third Princess was Jenaye Arbelo.
Emily Richardson was honored for writing the best essay as well as winning the cover girl honor for selling the most advertisements in the pageant’s program.
She read her essay, which was a touching exploration of the difference between inner and outer beauty.
Director’s award, given to the most patient, helpful and positive contestant, went to Alida Diaz. Most photogenic was Jenaye Arbelo and Miss Congeniality was Catherine Cunningham.
Contestants were Jenaye Arbelo, 17; Emily Richardson, 19; Catherine Cunningham, 17; Ashley Nigro, 17; Brittany Byler, 18; Alida Diaz, 17; Darcy Gray, 18 and Danyelle Barner, 19.
Former Miss Valley Center 1998 Tamara Damante, currently TV news anchor at KECQ Palm Springs, was MC for the evening.
The theme of Saturday’s pageant was “Rock This Country,” which was illustrated by a dance performed in blue jean cutoffs to the Country Western song of the same name by Shania Twain (not actually present at the event).
Also providing entertainment were students of Anne’s School of Dance, who performed Dance of the Chickens and The Happy Farmers.
After the Western dance, contestants came out on stage and told a little about themselves. Later they appeared in a stunning series of evening gowns and answered impromptu questions.
Miss Barner’s question was: If you could wake up tomorrow having gained one ability or quality, what would it be and how would you use it? Her answer: “I would fly. It would save on gas and give me a lot more time in my day.”
Judges were Sheryl Roush, Dr. Don Wilson, Natalie McPheters, Flint Adam and Debra Pestrak.
“Be Purposeful”
VC’s new queen has two sisters and one brother.
Danyelle is 5’3’’ tall and has brown hair and hazel eyes. She maintains a 3.85 GPA, and is a leader for Young Life, a non-denominational Christian outreach group.
She enjoys riding her horses. Her immediate plans include completing her AA at Palomar, she will then transfer Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo to study architecture.
Her goal is to start her own architectural design firm specializing in extreme residence design. In ten years, she sees herself married, living on a ranch in Montana and self-employed.
She would also like to start a “boys ranch” as an alternative to the juvenile hall system.
Her philosophy in life is “Rather than spending life running desperately to find purpose, be purposeful in each of your footsteps, walk hand in hand with those you love, searching for ways to make someone else’s day, and your purpose will have been achieved.”
Her favorite color is blue. Her favorite flower is the tiger lily, and her favorite food is steak and sautéed mushrooms. She prefers country music. One of her greatest ambitions is to fulfill God’s purpose. She hopes it will include running a boys ranch and helping troubled kids find love, hope and direction.
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The pageant each year is produced by the Valley Center Pageant Assn.
The pageant was directed by Karen Greene and her daughter, Dianna Greene. Dance coordinators were Tanya Cottrell, Keri Salmon and Malinda Lasley. Set design was by Debbie Jockinsen. Tabulators were Tim French and Jim Duff.
The Valley Roadrunner
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