May 11, 2005 - Top Stories
By LISA SHARP
Head Football Coach Rob Gilster, who will lead this year’s Western Days Parade as grand marshal, likens Western Days to football. How in the world do they fit?
“Seeing the whole community out on the parade route or just seeing everybody at one event…it unifies the community one day out of the year. It’s like a championship game. If you were a Valley Center resident you would probably be at the stadium and for the same reasons, you’ll probably be on that parade route.”
Gilster has lived 17 years in Valley Center and most of his life in the surrounding areas. He met his wife Robyn at Escondido High School and married her 24 years ago. Together they have raised four children, 17-year-old Paul, 15-year-old Daniel, 11-year-old Lauren and Jared who is eight.
He began his coaching career 21 years ago and has seen the seasons change through football, basketball and track.
“The kids have great opportunities here in Valley Center because it is so small. They can excel in a lot of things,” said Gilster.
From the rural landscape to the friendly faces to the community places, Gilster truly loves living in Valley Center. The man could plug this town on television he is so convincing.
“I love Valley Center. It’s paradise and I would love to live the rest of my life here. I’d love for my kids to be able to afford to raise their families here. It’s just that neat of a community,” said Gilster. “Its amazing how different it is. How nice it is.”
All that aside, Gilster is practically a celebrity these days. Voted Division III State Coach of the Year in 2004 by CaliHiSports.com, he took Jaguar football to CIF this year and came home victorious. And to the victors go the spoils, evident by the Super Bowl-like rings the coaching staff and football players proudly wear (they got the idea in part from the film Friday Night Lights).
The team’s 11-0-2 record is legendary in these parts and rose up from an unlikely group.
“Before the season started, I didn’t expect to do as well as we did,” said Gilster. “We just had different types of guys with different interests, going different directions. But it was really neat that they all decided they wanted to win and they worked really well together.”
Obviously they did. The record, the league title and the CIF championship doesn’t come from a divided team. It comes from hard work, cohesion and commitment to a common goal.
Coach Gilster attributes the season’s accomplishments to a combination of things: great kids, a coach with experience and excellent assistant coaches.
“I think when you do something like we did this past year, you think back; what weren’t we doing the other 20 years? A lot of times it’s just the different combinations and everything matches up,” he said. “I think that’s what happened this year.”
Western Days is one of his favorite events in Valley Center. The cowboys, the country music and the parade…these are a few of his favorite things.
Asked to say what being the Grand Marshal means, a humble Gilster answers “An honored guest.” Then he follows it up with, “To tell you the truth, instead of me being Grand Marshal, I would rather it be the Valley Center football team. I am the leader but I played a small part. We came together and formed this team that accomplished the championship. It is not so much an individual honor as it is an honor for all the people that had something to do with the championship.”
Heart of gold. Nah. Well . . . maybe.
The Chamber of Commerce’s candidate for Honorary Mayor is Brenda Kline, who dropped by the paper this week to explain why she is running.
“I’m running to raise money for our scholarship fund,” she said.
“I’ve been involved in charities since I was 16. That’s how I was raised. There’s nothing more fun than giving back to the community.”
A resident of VC for six years, she owns the Beauty Affair in Pauma Valley and comes from a long line of family members in the beauty business.
She’s also a real estate salesperson at Coldwell Banker and a member of the VC school site council.
In her off hours the candidate loves to go to the desert on weekends and dirt bike. She describes herself as “fun-loving, goofy and honest.”
She’s also got a second home on Palomar Mountain. She loves to go up there and raise money for the fireman’s fund.
Last summer she and current Honorary Mayor Donna Jorgensen “robbed banks” to raise money for Muscular Distrophy.
“I was best bad girl in town,” she said with a grin.
Since all honorary mayor candidates are required to make meaningless, empty promises, the Chamber candidate has come up with some doozies:
“I promise that I’ll plant the median in wild poppy seeds and that through volunteers I’ll help collect poppy seeds,” she said.
Kline is enthusiastic about the poppy. “It’s a natural native plant that comes back every year. It’s beautiful and it would be a signature for Valley Center. I would love to be known as the Poppy Lady.” She’ll even go so far as to wear poppies in her hair.
“I’m the beautiful weed mayor’s candidate,” she says.
She’s also promising that every business in town will have a hitching post.
“We’d like all the horse people to get back into the habit of riding a horse to our businesses. We’ll encourage the businesses to install one,” she said.
“She’s also promising to have the sewer system up and running in six weeks and to build a four lane highway from Cool Valley to the I-15.
She added, “If you see me on the street, give me a poppy seed, or drop by my office and bring me a poppy. Please, no bagels with poppy seeds or poppy seed dressing. And don’t call me poppy, call me mommy!”
The main event raising money for the Kline Candidacy will be the Turtle Drop on May 22, 1 p.m. at VC Community Center.
The cost is $5 per turtle or $20 for a family. The turtles are dropped from the ladder of a fire truck onto a target. The turtle closet to the bullseye wins the $500 grand prize. Second place is $300 and third place is $100.
No actual turtle is harmed during the contest.
CORRECTION— Although the article and photo on last week’s front page correctly stated that Tribal Chairman John Currier of the Rincon Tribe (shown above, right, with Parks & Rec. Pres. Eric Jockinsen) made the donation of $15,000 to Adams Park, the huge top headline incorrectly credited another tribe. The donation from the Rincon band will keep the park, administered by the VC Parks & Rec. District, going for another year. We regret the error.
The schedule has been announced for the 4th annual Western Days Rodeo, and it’s a packed event!
Friday, May 27
•Gates Open @ 5 p.m.
•Grand Entry @ 7 p.m.
•Mutton Bustin’
•Calf Roping
•1st Set of Bulls
•Women’s Breakaway
•Chute Dogging
•Team Roping
•Rainbow Riders
•Broncs
•Barrels
•2nd Set of Bulls
Saturday, May 28
•Gates Open @ 2 p.m.
•Grand Entry @ 4 PM
•Mutton Bustin’
•Calf Roping
•1st Set of Bulls
•Women’s Breakaway
•Chute Dogging
•Team Roping
•Rainbow Riders
•Broncs
•Barrels
•2nd Set of Bulls
The rodeo is being coordinated by a dedicated bunch of cowgirls and cowboy volunteers including Geraldine McHugh, Joyce Holmes, Theresa Trogdon, Shawna Whitaker, Michelle and Marco Fernandez, Jeana Mapston, AJ Mapston, Elton Howerton, Ray Winger, Owen Trogdon, Pat Heily, Hill Goedhardt, Sandy Clemans, Vern Peltzer and Bob Snow.
Some of the special additions to this year’s rodeo to enhance the attendees’ pleasure is the increase of the Mutton Bustin’ event.
There are now ten kids allowed to enter instead of six per day, to accommodate for the high demand.
Dalton’s Roadhouse will be catering the VIP section. (Buy your tickets early–this section may sell out.) Jag’s Diner and Casa Reveles will also be serving their fare to the rodeo patrons.
Parking this year is thanks to the Valley Center Municipal Water District and is available across from VC Community Center.
The Optimist Club will be assisting in the parking. Friday night entertainment will be provided by the country dance band, Hillbilly Noise.
There will also be special appearances from The Rainbow Riders, a female equestrian drill team from Ramona, Daryl “Table Legs” Knight, the rodeo clown and Doc Boene, announcer.
Sponsors include Valley View Casino (which is also supplying the daytime security), Hawthorne Machinery (who has been with the rodeo since the first year), Countrywide Home Loans, Peltzer Plumbing (also with the rodeo since day one), Jack Powell Dodge, Markstein Beverage, KSON Radio and many others.
Another high point during the rodeo will be the flag ceremony performed by the Valley Center Rodeo Queen and her court (who will all be named this weekend).
There are still openings in all events, but Saturday performances are filling fast. The deadline date is May 12 for all entrants.
Call Joyce Holmes directly for all last minute participants at 749-0999 Ext. 105.
The Rodeo Committee will be presenting a scholarship to one hard working high school senior for volunteering at the rodeo as they have in the past.
Volunteers are always needed and always appreciated. If you are able to volunteer this year, call Joyce Holmes as soon as possible.
Tickets are available this week at Boot Barn (Oceanside, Temecula and San Diego), at Hawthorne Country Store and Cowgirlz in Escondido and in Valley Center at Krueger Realty and Terry’s Hay and Grain.
For More information log on to www.Valleycenterchamber.org
These three sisters and one daughter donated their long hair to Locks of Love. Nicole and Cassidy Nowak of VC (center), Lisa Grover (left) of Las Vegas, NV and Melinda Bradley ( right) of Whittier are the clipees. This is the second time that Cassidy, Melinda and Lisa have donated their hair. It takes nine pony tails to make one wig for a child with cancer. To learn more go to www.locksoflove.org. Sherry Bumgardner did the honors on all four ladies.
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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