Farmers in Valley Center almost certainly face 30% cuts in their water supply beginning January of 2008.
The Valley Center Municipal Water District has yet to receive formal notification from the Metropolitan Water District (the big agency that sells to all of Southern California) that the cuts will be made, but that is expected soon, possibly within two weeks.
At Monday’s water board meeting Gen. Mgr. Gary Arant updated directors on how the district plans to deal with that situation.
It is dusting off its old water conservation ordinance from the 1990s—with updated penalties—neighbors who want to inform on neighbors they see wasting water can call the district number at 749-1600.
Note: You can see a current version of the district’s implementation plan on its Web site:www.vcmwd.org/
Farmers almost certainly face cuts, while homeowners and businesses won’t (at least yet), because farmers belong to a program where they buy water at cheaper rates with the understanding that it can be interrupted.
This program, called the IAWP (Interim Agricultural Water Program) has been in place since 1991, although it has the word “interim” in it. The program has saved VC farmers an estimated $74 million. The total saved within the Met during that time is about $170 million.
The district will be mailing 1,100 notices to its larger ag customers spelling out the implementation plan and water allocations for 2008.
Two workshops will be held for growers: Dec. 4 & 6, 6-8 p.m. at the Maxine Theater. These will not be board meetings, but attendees will be able to question staff members.
The district will offer irrigation training in English and Spanish so growers can track their consumption month by month.
Staff members are working on internal guidelines on how to deal with appeals.
“We are trying to anticipate as many situations as we can,” said Arant.
Although 30% ag cuts are virtually a given, Monday director Randy Haskell said he had heard speculation that they might be higher.
Arant said there are all sorts of rumors but that the current plan is not to cut residential and business customers before farmers are asked to cut 30%.
“We have already expressed that much beyond forty percent it’s game over for ag,” said Arant.
The San Diego County Water Authority, which buys water from the Met and sells it to agencies such as VCMWD, already has a public relations campaign to encourage residents to cut 20 gallons a day.
It offers rebates for “smart irrigation,” vouchers for high efficiency water machines, and artificial turf at $5-$10 per square foot. There are vouchers to replace or upgrade equipment that uses water.
Arant said the district is getting phone calls from customers informing on suspected water waste, such as sprinklers running all night or in the heat of the day.
It follows up on complaints. Customers will get letters telling them what was observed and what conservation methods they can utilize.
If water rationing is extended to homeowners, wasting water could become an infraction.
“I think there is a growing awareness among the public,” said Arant.
The district is working on computer programs that will help customers track their usage, comparing last year’s to this year’s consumption.
“Communication with customers will be very important,” said Aran t.
VCMWD is also looking at its own operation to see where to cut. It is looking into installing flushless urinals, washing vehicles monthly rather than weekly, and automated sensor faucets, “If we are going to ask our customers to conserve we should do the same ourselves,” said Arant.
If mandatory water cuts for residents are adopted, the district may adopt a block rate so that customers are charged at higher rates the more they use.
This would tend to encourage water users to cut consumption.
The reason the district has never adopted tiered rates before is that it has such a wide variety of types of residence, said Arant.
“You have homes in Hidden Meadows on half an acre and heavy landscaping and two acre parcels in Valley Center.
Most water districts currently have these types of block rates that increase with usage.
“Metropolitan is working very hard to avoid mandatory cuts for residential users,” said Arant. “But they will also heavily push that we need to conserve. If we don’t voluntarily meet the 10 percent then you might see mandatory cuts.”
Directors raised the issue of whether the district should stop issuing new water meters as a response to the growing crisis.
Board Pres. Gary Broomell, who is a grower, said he has heard this suggested by several growers and residents.
Director Merle Aleshire said he had been approached by several residents wanting to complain about their neighbors overwatering.
Arant said that the only way the district could restrict water meters is if the Met calls for mandatory cuts in residential and commercial use.
“But if that happened it would mean that ag is already being cut forty percent. So be careful what you ask for,” he said.
He added that he has told growers who complain that new residential hookups should not be made: “ ‘The reason you got a discount is because you are interruptible, so they will take your water and put it into new meters. The Met has invested millions of dollars in the IAWP for many years so that they can come to you and ask you to cut.’ I don’t get a lot of smiles when I explain that, but that’s the way it works.”
Arant added that farmers should be careful about trying to insist on getting more water.
“There is a pressure to interrupt ag water one hundred percent if there isn’t enough residential water, since farmers are technically being sold ‘surplus’ water,” he said.
The VCMWD board did impose a 90-day water meter moratorium in 1990.
During this water crisis any areas seeking to be annexed into the San Diego County Water Authority will probably “face tough sledding,” said Arant.
“The attitude is ‘Why should we bring in a large development when we don’t have enough water to serve the homes that we have.”
“Good Neighbors” was the theme of the luncheon hosted by the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians, Oct. 9, at Harrah’s Rincon Resort and Casino.
Five Good Neighbor Awards were presented to tribal and community members.
Honorees were Tom Bumgardner, past president of the Valley Center Chamber of Commerce; the Rincon Reservation Fire Department; Congressman Darrell Issa; Rincon tribal member John Parada; and Judge Anthony Brandenburg of the Southern California Intertribal Court.
“It’s tradition among our tribes to hold gatherings we call ‘fiestas’. Fiestas serve a positive function bringing us together and celebrating our common heritage and culture. Our tribal council thought it would be nice to have something that brought together members of the Rincon Tribe and Valley Center area, and honored the things we share as neighbors,” said Vernon Wright, chairman of the Rincon Band.
Mistress of ceremonies, Geni Cavitt, KGTV 10News and Weather, introduced representatives of five non-profit and public organizations that recently received contributions from the tribal council. Then, introduced the honorees, beginning with the “Good Neighbor Award,” which went to Tom Bumgardner of the Valley Center Chamber of Commerce for his service to the business community and as the driving force behind Valley Center’s annual Western Days. Congressman Darrell Issa, represented by Don McKinney, was awarded the “Good Government Award.”
Gerad Rodriguez, Rincon tribal member and chief of the Rincon Reservation Fire Department, accepted the “Neighbors Helping Neighbors Award” on behalf of the 31-member fire station crew, funded by the tribal government and located on the reservation.
According to Wright, as the fire station has increased its capacity to provide medical emergency and fire suppression services, the reservation fire [department] and EMTs increasingly provide a larger percentage of the mutual aid response to the Valley Center and Pauma Valley communities.
“We are very proud of the fact that the Rincon Reservation Fire Department is bringing a higher level of fire and safety protection to all our neighboring communities,” noted Wright.
John Parada, Rincon tribal member and recreational coordinator received the “Friend of Youth” award for teaching respect for tribal culture to the youth and organizing the tribe’s annual fiesta where children of all ages participate in traditional activities such as the game of peon.
The “Spirit of Luiseño Award” was presented to Judge Anthony Brandenburg, of the Southern California Intertribal Court. According to Wright, the court is historic for Rincon, as it represents the tribe’s ability to enforce its own civil codes and ordinances, in an equitable and independent manner.
“The court, along with our police and security personnel make the laws the tribal government adopts for the reservation and people mean something. Our people told us they wanted this council to make the reservation safer and healthier. And we are doing so,” said Wright.
“In the past, there was no means to enforce tribal laws, like environmental codes and ordinances, either by citing violators or a court hearing,” explained Wright, adding that, “The only enforcement was voluntary or through appeal to the elected members of the tribal council, and that proved to be controversial and politically problematic.
“Now, we can establish law and order, public safety and environmental laws that will be followed, and adjudicated from the court procedures available through Judge Brandenburg. The judge has had a lot to prove since civil court procedures and consequences are new to the Rincon people, both Indians and non-Indians, who live on the reservation. We chose to recognize the judge as he is doing a great job of building credibility for the new court,” he said.
In addition to the Good Neighbor awards, recipients of the Rincon Band’s recent $80,000 contribution to non-profits and the Valley Center-Pauma Valley Unified School District were recognized. Valley Center High School received $40,000; Blue Star Mothers, the North County chapter received $10,000; the History Museum of Valley Center was awarded $10,000; the Southern California American Indian Center, $10,000; and $10,000 was donated to Teen Challenge of San Diego County.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last week signed a bill to keep Palomar Mountain School open this year.
However, the temporary nature of the funding means that the one-room mountain school, the last such operating in San Diego County, may be on its last legs.
That’s rough for a community whose residents’ social lives basically revolve around two things: the school and fire department.
However, this year only seven students are attending the K-8 classroom. The Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District and the mountain community struck a deal two years ago that the classroom could stay open if there were 16–18 students.
Next year there will only be three or possibly four students attending, unless new parents with new kids move into the community or the number of students increases due to some other factor.
Apparently quite a number of the parents who live on the mountain home school their children.
Senator Dennis Hollingsworth (R-Murrieta) announced Monday that Governor Schwarzenegger had signed his legislation to provide supplemental funding needed to allow the school to continue to operate this year.
The bill, SB 667 was a compromise struck after Hollingsworth was unable to pass a bill to provide permanent “Necessary Small School” funding.
The governor’s office had indicated that it was unlikely he would support permanent funding.
Nevertheless the legislation is a much-needed boost for the district, and was passed by the legislature in the closing days of the regular session.
Palomar Mountain School is in danger of shutting down due to funding shortages experienced by the school district.
Hollingsworth sponsored SB 667 after learning of the school’s financial difficulties. Throughout the legislative process, he worked closely with district officials and the County Office of Education to ensure the bill's passage.
Supt. Lou Obermeyer told The Roadrunner: “We are thankful that the governor signed this legislation and grateful to Senator Hollingsworth for supporting the legislation. However, in the legislative process, the bill was amended to be one-time money so the school district will receive $55,000 for this year’s operating expenses. Since the bill was amended during the legislative process this lets us know that on-going funds are not supported by the governor’s office.”
Dr. Obermeyer made several trips to Sacramento to meet with lawmakers and to testify at the committee hearings.
The senator put a positive spin on the temporary nature of the funding: “I’m thrilled we were able to get these much-needed funds to Palomar Mountain School,” he said. “It plays such a critical role in the Palomar Mountain community, and I am happy to support it in any way possible. We will continue to work to keep the school open and solve this problem for the long term.”
Judi Easton, president of the Palomar Parent-Teacher Club, told The Roadrunner: “The parents of kids at the school up here are fighting hard to keep some type of school up here for our students.
“I personally have talked to the [Pauma School] principal, Mary Gorsuch, about the possibility of allowing some the high school kids (since the school district is K-12) to remain registered at the mountain school and work through an independent study program that the district has. I have been informed that Mrs. Gorsuch was going to discuss this with the principal of the independent study program.
“John Wittenberg is the chair of our committee for keeping the school open. He has some great ideas and we don't plan to give up without a fight!”
Bruce Graves, a longtime resident and community leader on the Mountain, commented, “Two reasons why attendance is too low to support the school. 1) Lou Obermeyer sabotaged attendance at our school by sending us two part-time teachers instead of one good teacher. 2) Local supporters of our school failed to give a friendly, genuine, sincere invitation to the parents of the children from the La Jolla Indian Reservation.”
The school sits on land that is owned by Cal Tech, which operates Palomar Observatory. The land will revert back to Cal Tech if the school ever closes.
Employees of the observatory have over the years often sent their children to the one-room school. At one of the hearings in Sacramento Sen. Hollingsoworth remarked that the state ought to fund the school since it is there to support the observatory.
Without the school in operation, the students will be bused 40 minutes down a winding mountain highway, oftentimes in poor weather, to the nearest school.
The state will provide the funds to the school on Jan. 1, 2008.
Fluoride will be added to the water of Valley Center Municipal Water District beginning Nov. 5.
Letters are being sent out this week informing water users of the new additive in their drinking water.
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral found in surface water (water from snowmelt, rivers and streams) as well as in groundwater.
Fluoride helps teeth resist decay by strengthening the protective layer of tooth enamel and can reverse newly formed cavities. Fluoride has been added to U.S. drinking water supplies since 1945.
Many authorities attribute the decline in the number and severity of cavities among children in the last three decades to this factor.
Any water district that has more than 10,000 connections (VCMWD has about 10,500) is required by state law to put the element into the mix. This law, AB 73, was passed in 1995.
The Metropolitan Water District, the big agency that sells water to all of Southern California, will add the fluoride beginning at the Skinner water treatment plant in Riverside county.
Fluoride occurs naturally to some degree in the water already. The Met will add enough Fluoride to what is considered to be the optimal range for dental health of 0.7 to 0.8 parts per million.
Most dentists say that adding fluoride will mean that more people will have smiles with fewer cavities.
However, few public health issues have stirred up more controversy over the years. Many people are opposed to the addition of fluoridation for a variety of reasons.
Some believe that it is part of a one-world government plot. Others simply feel that fluoride isn’t a healthy additive or would like to have the choice of adding it or not adding it to their diet.
Some are concerned that fluoride should not be mixed in with infant formulas.
Recently the American Dental Assn. included this warning on its Web site: “Recent studies cited in the report of the National Research Council (NRC), ‘Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA’s Standards,’ have raised the possibility that infants could receive a greater than optimal amount of fluoride through liquid concentrate or powdered baby formula that has been mixed with water containing fluoride during a time that their developing teeth may be susceptible to enamel fluorosis.
“The appropriate amount of fluoride is essential to prevent tooth decay. But fluoride intake above optimal amounts can create a risk for enamel fluorosis in teeth during their development before eruption through the gums,” said the ADA Web site. It recommends using ready-to-feed formula for the first year of life.”
Local dentist Dr. Steve McHale, DMD, told The Roadrunner: “I think it’s great! When children are having their permanent teeth formed, fluoride should make them harder and when they erupt into their mouth more resistant to decay.
“The main key is in the development process of main teeth. If fluoride is incorporated into the enamel structure it has been shown to be more resistant to decay and stronger.
“And for people who can’t afford polyvifluor vitamins this will be a wonderful help for them at no cost to their children to have better teeth,” he said.
Dr. McHale added, “I don’t think there has ever been a real worry about fluorosis, too much fluoride given to people where there is too much fluoride in the water. You don’t have to worry about that when it’s incorporated into the water supply. The water district will keep the levels right.”
Skye Berger and Nick Stehly were honored at the Homecoming festivities as king and queen. See more photos B-4.
The owner of two dogs that almost killed a Valley Center veterinarian, Nancy Matthews, nearly a year ago, will stand trial on Nov. 13.
Pedro Torres, owner of the two boxers, was ordered in September to stand trial on two felony counts for allegedly failing to protect the public from the dogs. The maximum sentence if convicted is three years.
The prosecution contends that Torres was responsible for the attack because he allegedly ignored previous warnings from County Animal Services.
According to the department bite reports were filed for the same residence and dogs in 2004. Some of those who were attacked at that earlier date testified at the September hearing.
The prosecution said Torres did not act on instructions on how to control the animals.
Torres’s attorney contends that he is not at fault because he did repair his fence after the 2004 incident. Also, it was Torres’s adult son, who was visiting at the time, who inadvertently allowed the dogs to escape by leaving the gate unlocked.
The dogs were put down shortly after the attack last November.
Torres is also being sued in civil court by the Matthews family.
Dr. Nancy Matthews, a beloved Valley Center veterinarian known for rescuing horses during the 2003 Paradise fires, was unable to save herself from the two boxers who escaped from their enclosure on Sierra Rojo & Incredible Lane.
One of the dogs lunged at the youngest of her two boys. When she instinctively rushed between them, it turned its attention to her—and was then joined by the other boxer. Both then attacked the mother while the horrified children were unable to help.
By covering her face and rolling into a ball Dr. Matthews kept the dogs from tearing her face, but she suffered grievous injuries to the rest of her body. She ended up with about 100 bite marks and scars of varying sizes.
Dr. Matthews had been walking in the neighborhood with her small sons, then aged 7 and 9, when they were attacked. They had walked or jogged by the fenced in area many times in the past without incident.
During the attacks Dr. Matthews lapsed in and out of consciousness as the dogs fought over her. She later felt a sensation of being eaten alive.
She begged her boys to run away so they wouldn’t see her die.
Eventually Torres’s wife came out and drove the dogs back into the enclosure. Because she didn’t speak English she didn’t call 911, however she offered a cell phone to Dr. Matthews, who was somehow able to call her husband.
Dr. Matthews later spent several hours in surgery, and six days in the hospital, and nearly a year later, still feels her injuries.
Her family’s health insurance covered some, but not all, of the cost of treating the injuries.
Those injuries include deeply severed muscles in both arms, both legs, the pectorals and shoulders and scar tissue mixed in with the back muscles.
“I also have pain in my spine,” she said. “When I swallow I have pains that are like shocks.”
There were about $50,000 in out-of-pocket medical and related expenses that were not covered, Dr. Matthews told The Roadrunner this week.
According to calculations made by her husband, Matt Matthews, that when you take into acount what insurance has paid, what the Matthewes paid, related expenses and loss of earnings easily add up to $250,000.
The attack left Dr. Matthews with a fear of dogs that keeps her from working in her chosen profession. Although she is a horse doctor, she can’t avoid dogs when she visits horse ranches.
“If I keep the right side of my body steady I feel pretty good, and then I’ll do things I shouldn’t and get shocking pains. There’s no way to be careful and work on horses,” she said.
Dr. Matthews says that while she feels sympathy for the Torres family, she wants something to be done so that this sort of thing doesn’t happen again.
“What happened to me was the worst thing imaginable. To be ripped apart,” she said.
“I don’t want it to happen to anyone else. It’s not that I don’t feel for the Torres family. I feel bad for them. We need to move forward, examine this thing so that what happened to both of our families doesn’t happen to someone else.”
The Valley Roadrunner
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Tel. 760.749.1112 Fax 760.749.1688
Website: www.valleycenter.com
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