April 5, 2006 - Top Stories
Leading with a large American flag, but also carrying flags of Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala, between 220 and 250 students from VC High School, VC Middle School and Oak Glen High School cut class Wednesday morning and marched up and down Cole Grade Road protesting immigration reform being discussed in Washington.
When the students reached the gas station at the corner of Cole Grade & Valley Center Road they were addressed by Joel P. Rivera, a retired associate professor of foreign language at Palomar College.
Rivera said he was mainly there to “make sure that my son, who was in the group, was safe.” While he was there his son asked him to explain to the students about the law being debated in Washington.
The Roadrunner talked to several marchers:
Valerie Gutierrez, a 15-year old sophomore explained, “I’m marching because I’m supporting every culture and immigrant. It’s not right what the senators are doing who want to kick out immigrants and break up families.”
She added, “We’re coming here to get jobs.” She herself is a citizen, she said, although her family is from Mexico. Family values are at the top of the list among Latinos, she said.
Anna Lehew, a red-haired 18-year old senior who, while not Hispanic herself, wanted to support them said, “I’m marching because I believe a country has a right to make its borders secure but this is overkill. This hurts families who are here.”
Joel Rivera, an articulate, 17-year-old senior (the son of professor Rivera) who was a leader of the group, and who coordinated the effort using his cell phone, also stopped to talk.
“We’re marching because we feel its not right to have illegal immigrants as criminals.” He said that he has several family members who would be affected if Congress adopts a law cracking down on illegals. His uncle is in the country illegally, he said.
“In our Hispanic culture family is the most important thing. We don’t think it’s right to separate family members,” he said.
NOTE: See Page A3 for an more extended interview with Rivera.
Asked why the students were carrying flags of countries besides the United States, Rivera pointed out that the biggest flag and the one they were carrying out front, was the American flag.
“We are carrying other flags to show our support of all of our cultures,” he said. “We’re supporting our heritage.”
He added that the students were informed about the issues. “We’re not just a bunch of ignorant high school kids,” he said.
He said that he supports border security and even the “fence” being proposed. “We’re mostly concerned about those who are already here,” he said.
Maria Victoria Hernandez, an 18-year old senior, explained that the march was organized by students who began talking about the issues during lunch.
“We explained it to them and said, ‘Would you guys like to do a march?’ ”
They wanted to do a march that would be unlike ones in Escondido and elsewhere, where marchers were rude and boisterous.
“We didn’t want any violence,” said Hernandez. “We wanted a peaceful little march.”
They did get some hostile comments from a few motorists and others along the way, she said. “We had some people say, ‘Why don’t you go back down south?’ but we didn’t care.”
Exercising their constitutional rights to assemble and protest won’t come without consequences. They will all have to serve Saturday school for being truant, according to the school district.
Schools lose about $$31.46 /day in ADA if students cut class. However, if they make it up during Saturday class the money is recovered.
The marchers were escorted up and down Cole Grade Road by squad cars of the Sheriff’s Dept. and California Highway Patrol, who also kept traffic on the other side of the road. About 20 deputies were also based at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church, in case of trouble.
However, there was no trouble. The students were respectful and followed directions from the police.
When the 190 or so students from the high school returned from their march they were assembled in the stadium. Principal Lucy Haines and Assistant Principal Mel Schuler addressed them and told them of the consequences of being truant.
“You could have heard a pin drop,” Haines told The Roadrunner. “They were that attentive. They were very compliant. They listened. They responded.” She added, “I couldn’t have asked for a better group of students, really.”
That doesn’t mean that the school administration supported the students’ action.
“We did not condone it,” said Haines. “We appreciated that they were respectful of law enforcement. We appreciated that they took direction.”
The school administration had advance notice of the demonstration on Tuesday and had notified the Sheriff’s Dept.
They were part of a nationwide phenomenon that included half a million demonstrators over the weekend in Los Angeles, hundreds in Escondido on Monday and Tuesday and which shut down several Oceanside schools for several days.
According to the school district 190 students were from the high school, 19 were from Oak Glen High School, five were from the middle school, and one was a former student.
Memorial weekend will be upon us soon. As will a little country festival well-known to these parts. But this year will be a little different.
For the first time, Western Days and The Valley Center Stampede Rodeo will be separate entities.
Joined by the volunteers and nonprofit status of the Optimist Club, the Valley Center Stampede Rodeo is headed up again this year by co-chairmen Joyce Holmes, Geraldine McHugh, the rest of the rodeo committee and the board of the Optimists including President John McGlynn, Vice President Tom Taylor, Vice President Ron Wheeler, Treasurer Don McBeath and Secretary Mike Murphy.
Holmes works with the sponsors and volunteers. McHugh works with the cowboys and performances. The Optimists are running the beer garden, selling tickets and just generally stepping up as needed in a volunteer capacity.
“With the hard work of this committee and the Valley Center Optimists working together as a team, it has made this year's rodeo possible,” said McHugh.
The rodeo is funded this year by large sponsors such as Valley View Casino, Countrywide Home Loans, Bud Light, Jack Powell Chrysler Dodge, KSON-FM, Dr. Don Moore, Krueger Realty and Hawthorne Caterpillar.
Smaller sponsors are also lending their support in trade for banners.
The first notable change from last year is that the rodeo will be held this year not at the Community Center as in years past, but at Bates Nut Farm.
“We are really excited to be at Bates this year,” said McHugh. “It’s just a better space with more room, less traffic and easier access for parking. It’s a larger area and we have outgrown that small corner we have been in by the community center.”
Western Days begins as usual on Friday night with the rodeo, continues with the Honorary Mayor’s race, and ends with live entertainment.
Venders will then set up their booths for food and exhibits. Saturday night will be the rodeo and annual dance.
Aside from the change in sponsorship, partnership and location, the rest of the festival is very similar to what Valley Center residents have attended in the past.
Both rodeo performances, Friday and Saturday night, will kick off with a crowd favorite: Mutton Bustin’.
From there local competitors are invited to compete in calf roping, women’s breakaway, chute dogging, team roping, broncs, barrels and bull riding.
As usual the National Police Rodeo are the sponsors, providing the rodeo with guidelines.
After all, if you are going to get on a bucking bronc, you are going to need some guidelines.
Present this year will be pro rodeo clown Mike Hayhurst. He has performed at several rodeos in the area including the Lakeside Rodeo, Mule Days and the Del Mar Fair.
Friday night’s dance will commence to the sounds of Hillbilly Noise. Saturday night will continue with the Working Cowboy Band.
Vendors will include Silhouetters West, Hat Man, Aztec Embroidery, Cool Medics, Maria’s Texano Hats and Belts, R&M, Charles Kettle Corn, California Quivers, Casa Reveles, Sorrentino’s, Jags, Wrangler BBQ Pit and Budweiser.
For more information on the 2006 Valley Center Stampede Rodeo or for entry forms go to www.ValleyCenterRodeo.com or attend a meeting every other Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at Krueger Realty. The next meeting is April 5.
Now that it’s April, planning for Western Days, during the Memorial Day weekend, is “going like mad,” to quote Tom Bumgardner, who is both Western Days co-chairman with Kim Peters and chairman of the parade committee.
There is no particular theme this year (2004’s theme was “United We Stand,” for example), just “Valley Center Western Days 2006,” which will be emblazoned on T-shirts and advertisements.
These shirts are in production, according to Bumgardner.
Other committee members are Charlie Smith (also on the parade committee), J.R. Peters (in charge of T-shirts, production and sales) and Lavonne Johnson (booths).
Forms for the parade are now available at the following locations: Valley Roadrunner, Community Pharmacy and Bear Valley Feed. For information on the parade, contact the Chamber of Commerce office at 749-8472 or Bumgardner at 419-2717.
If you’d like to be a vendor, contact Mrs. Johnson at 760-212-0738. She is also in charge of bringing in the carnival with rides for the kids.
New this year: Valley Centeropoly (a variation on Monopoly) will be sold at Western Days.
Other Western Days facts:
• One of the 4-H clubs will again serve the customary barbecue lunch at VC Community Hall.
• The VC Women’s Club will be in charge of the beer garden.
•There will be a dance Saturday night.
• The “mechanical bull” will be at the event again.
•Former Honorary Mayor Donna Jorgensen and current Honorary Mayor Brenda Kline, working with the Chamber Ambassadors, are coordinating this year’s Honorary Mayor’s race. As in past years it will include the annual Turtle Drop.
• Mrs. Peters, who is also in charge of entertainment for the festival, has booked four bands. Their names have not yet been released. Profiles of the bands will appear in these pages in coming weeks.
A grand marshal has not yet been found, although Bumbgardner says that they have “several really good leads.”
“We are tentatively considering having a karaoke contest on Sunday with cash prizes,” he added.
In addition, the Rotarians will cook up flapjacks and other delicacies on Saturday morning before the parade. The Lions Club will do their traditional Sunday morning breakfast.
Because the County’s road widening project will have the the corner of Cole Grade & Valley Center Road torn up in the days leading up to the parade, Bumgardner is working with the County and the contractor, Archer Weston, so that the road will be open the Friday before the parade.
The Sheriff’s Dept. will do road closures this year (a change from last year when the California Highway Patrol was in charge) while the Lions club will put out road signs and bring them back.
The school administration will recommend Thursday that the VC-P school board renew the charter of the All-Tribes American Indian Charter School for another five years.
The school district has been studying this issue for over a year. Although there have been some potholes in the road, the district’s objections to the charter renewal have been met, Supt. Lou Obermeyer told The Roadrunner on Friday.
The school, which is located on the Rincon Reservation near the intersection of Hwy 76 & Valley Center Road, will be required to meet the following conditions for renewal of its charter:
• Hire an outside consultant to work with the administration to guide and strengthen skills for a minimum of 25% of the school days.
• Agree to cancel its credit card.
• Receive accreditation from WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges) by the end of the school year.
• Continue reimbursement for Valley Center-Pauma Unified staff time.
One condition for renewal of the charter that the administration did not end up insisting upon was the replacement of the school’s principal, Mary Ann Donahue.
According to Dr. Obermeyer, the hiring of the outside consultant to “mentor” the tribal school administration addresses that issue.
ALSO ON THE agenda will be the vote on whether to approve district goals for 2006-2007.
The proposed goals were first aired at the board’s annual workshop in February.
These goals include enhancing career pathways for students.
Part of achieving that goal will be to apply for two grants, totaling up to $400,000, that would be used for career education in the field of agriculture. The grants would be for the middle school and high school.
The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at the VCHS media center (library). The public is invited.
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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