January 11, 2006 - Top Stories
The clearing of trees along Valley Center Road in preparation for the road widening is about 75% completed, according to project manager Brendan McNabb.
A total of about 550 trees will be cut down. The last of the trees will fall in a couple of weeks, by mid-January, said McNabb.
“Now we’re ready to start on the real work of the project,” said McNabb.
That work of widening Valley Center Road to four lanes with medians and turn lanes from about Banbury to just past Cole Grade will directly impact the lives of any VC residents using the roads for up to three years.
It could be less, said McNabb, who noted “we finished the last one ahead of schedule.”
Because so many businesses and residences along Valley Center Road will be affected by the widening, the county Dept. of Public Works plans an open house on Phase II Feb. 7, Tuesday, 6-8 p.m. at VC Community Hall.
“The focus,” said McNabb, “will be to introduce the contractor and county staff and talk about issues during construction and walk the public through the project and open lines of communication.”
Valley Center’s varied microclimates play host to a cornucopia of farming activities, including 14,829 acres devoted to avocados, 3,823 planted in various citrus, and even three acres of sugar cane—yes, sugar cane.
Valley Center has exactly 21,434 acres of agricultural land, according to a recent study by the VC Municipal Water District.
The water district, using various sophisticated techniques was, for the first time, able to establish accurately how much ag land there is in the district, and what it is devoted to.
Each ag user was identified. The amount of acreage planted and what it was planted in (or in the case of chickens and cows, what was being raised) were noted.
As noted above, VC has 14,829 acres in avocados, which is appropriate since the area is considered the avocado capital of the world.
Grapefruit occupies 414 acres; lemons, 338 acres; mixed citrus, 703 acres; oranges, 2,368; flowers, 1,534 acres; miscellaneous fruit, 475 acres; pasture, 77 acres; misc. fruit and vegetables, one acre; nursery, 524 acres; nuts, 32 acres; poultry, 106 acres; sugar cane, three acres and vineyard, 30 acres.
It’s the most comprehensive and complete study of farming in Valley Center in the history of the water district, and provides a fascinating snapshot in time of an agricultural district in transition.
The study was needed in order to recertify the Metropolitan Water District’s Interim Agricultural Water Program, which provides farmers with water at significantly cheaper rates than domestic and industrial water customers. However, in order to get the lower prices the district must certify the number of ag users.
The Valley Center Rodeo Committee invites all Valley Center Girls between the ages of 13 and 20 to apply before Jan. 31 for the 2006 Rodeo Queen Contest.
The winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship and the title of Valley Center Rodeo Queen 2006.
All contestants will be judged in a competition that includes a speech, and an evaluation of personality and horsemanship to determine who will wear the crown this year.
The winner will succeed this year’s queen, Cara Oulette, whose term is winding down.
The Rodeo Queen will be involved with many community events and activities to support community service and represent the horsemanship and grace that the young women of Valley Center have long demonstrated.
In addition to an awards ceremony the new Queen will be honored at the Valley Center Stampede Rodeo and the Western Days Parade, which will be held during the Memorial Day weekend.
All interested contestants may pick up applications for entry at Krueger Realty and return to Crystal Damico, 13944 Oakwood Glen Place, Valley Center, CA, 92082 on or before January 31, 2006 with the application fee of $50.00. Call Crystal at (760) 224-5436 with any questions.
Yes, Virginia, there was a Santa Claus for the VC Parks & Rec. district last month.
The little district got a surprise infusion of capital for the next three years or so.
VCP&R has revenues comparable to a well-heeled gumball dispenser, although less than a slot machine. It has run deficits for a couple of years and early last year toyed with getting rid of Adams Park because it couldn’t afford to run it.
Last week the board signed an agreement with Archer Construction, the contractor for the VC Road widening Phase II project to rent part of the district’s parcel at the corner of Valley Center & Lilac Roads (next to the fire station).
According to Parks District Gen. Mgr. Joyce Johnson, “They [Archer] will use the facility for as long as they need it, at least four acres of it.”
The parcel is nine acres. That leaves five acres for event parking and other uses. The back of the property is used for access to the Little League ballfields.
The district has been talking to the construction company about renting the property for about a month.
Point man was board member Tom Bumgardner, who has been working on a committee that was in contact with road project manager Brendan McNabb of the county’s Dept. of Public Works.
“I talked to Brendan and asked him to have the contractor call me once the County picked them. I figured they would need some property as a construction headquarters,” said Bumgard-ner, who is also president of the VC Chamber of Commerce.
Rent will be $1750/month. If Archer needs additional land the district will charge them more.
“We have another inquiry too, but we are not sure we can accommodate them,” Mrs. Johnson told The Roadrunner.
The infusion of money couldn’t come at a better time. Last year about this time the district sent out a distress signal to the community asking for help in making up the $15,000 a year that Adams Park is losing.
The Rincon Tribe came to the rescue for that year with a check for $15,000. Other community groups and volunteers lined up to help also.
The Archer rental will generate $21,000 annually for the next three years, maybe longer.
“It will help with funding difficulties,” said Mrs. Johnson.
“We need additional funds coming in if only for a few years. So we are happy about that,” she said. “We want to eventually build a community center there but we know we can’t do that for a few years, so that works out just right,” she said.
Bumgardner, who brokered the deal with Archer, has been the lone voice on the five-person board asking each month that the salaries of the general manager and office staffer be cut 25% and criticizing any proposed pay raises.
He said he hopes the extra money will only be used for maintenance, and not salaries.
“Everything we get for rental should go for maintenance. We’re already spending too much money on the office staff,” he said.
Lou Obermeyer’s first day as superintendent of the VC-Pauma Unified School District was Tuesday. Dr. Obermeyer’s first school board meeting will be this Thursday, 7:30 p.m. We will have an interview with her in next week’s edition.
The Valley Roadrunner
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Tel. 760.749.1112 Fax 760.749.1688
Website: www.valleycenter.com
Email: editor@valleycenter.com
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