With its second successful Farmers Market out of the way the San Diego Farm Bureau sponsored event appears to be well on its way to becoming a community institution.
The market is held each Thursday, from 3 p.m. until around sundown.
The market continued to grow this week. There was an additional local flower grower with sunflowers and brightly colored zenias
The grower, who was wearing her Jaguar shirt, works for the school district part-time and had to hurry to get her flowers before the market started.
There was also a new produce vendor with a wide selection including corn, melons, brussels sprouts and very good fresh strawberries.
For those who might like to get a strawberry crepe at the market, we can tell you that the strawberries are fresh! The proof? As this reporter stood next to the crepe vendor she say the vendor run out and have to go get a fresh supply of berries.
Two Paws Up was also there this week with lots of healthy goodies for your favorite dog as well as lots of other supplies for other four legged friends.
More new vendors are expected next week. There was a rumor that there might be a vendor with hummus next week and the Artisan bakers are expected bring even more goodies next week.
Here’s a baking idea that arose spontaneously from folks at the market: Someone was commenting on how good the Asian pears are and someone else standing there said they are also really great for baking. This reporter bets that they are really great in tarts!
Live entertainment is provided each Thursday at the Farmers Market.
This time Bob & Debra Sasse aka The Rhythm Wranglers, provided revised lyrics for the old favorite: Kansas City.
“GOING TO VALLEY CENTER” (to the tune of Kansas City)
Chorus:
We’re going to Valley Center
Valley Center, here we come
We’re going to Valley Center
Valley Center, here we come
They got some farm fresh produce there
And we’re gonna get us some
Standing on the corner
Cole Grade & Vine
Standing on the corner
Cole Grade & Vine
With my Valley Center honey
and my fresh picked produce so fine
Well… get fresh with your neighbor
Get fresh with your friends
Get your farm fresh produce
You’ll be coming back again
(chorus)
Well… make that trek each Thursday
From 3 until dusk
It’s the best deal in town
You know you can trust
(chorus)
Vendors are still being accepted. Call Casey Anderson at 745-3023 or email him at casey@sdfarmbureau.org. He also has applications for participating in the VC market.
Debra Sasse is coordinating entertainment at the market and she is looking for musicians. If you are interested, call her at 749-8522 or 215-9349.
The Valley Center Rotary Club’s largest fund-raiser of the year, the third annual Wine Tasting, will be held this Saturday, 4–6:30 p.m. at Harrah's Rincon Casino & Resort in the Bordeaux Room.
Rotarians are gathering wines from all over the world for this event.
New this year will be an art auction with local and international artists with pieces of artwork from all media.
Also new are three carving stations with beef tenderloin, turkey and smoked salmon. Cost is $40 per person or $75 per couple.
There is also a $300 Harrah’s VIP package which includes two tickets to the event and a hotel room at Harrah’s that night. Silent auction items include a seven-day Hawaiian vacation and a weekend getaway in Vegas.
Buy tickets from any VC Rotarian, the Community Pharmacy, California Bank & Trust, The Roadrunner, A-1 Irrigation or at the door.
Questions? Call 760-638-6638.
Scout Troop 673 did their usual job of putting flags along Valley Center Road for Patriot Day, Sept. 11, but they ALSO put them along Cole Grade Road. VC Road was particularly challenging this year because of the extensive roadwork.
School officials were happy with the results of last spring’s STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) tests, which the state released recently.
Note: The results of the STAR testing results for 2008 will be posted on our Web site: www.valleycenter.com/
The results are an alphabet soup of STARs, AYPs, APIs and other such esoterica that parents might need a Rosetta Stone course to understand, but which add up to a simple enough result: scores are improving.
Although, as usual, English Learners, i.e., students whose native language isn’t English, pulled down the overall school scores districtwide.
“You can see a nice healthy growth, up to 779,”announced Assistant Supt. Mary Gorsuch, who explained the scores to the VC-Pauma Unified School District board at Thursday night’s meeting.
The target is 800. “We are closing in on that target,” As part of the state’s testing program, districts and individual schools are expected to increase their API (Academic Performance Index) base scores a given number each year, with the final goal to be 800. Three schools exceeded that number.
For the first time in several years, the district now has no schools in Program Improvement Status.
The district’s growth in API scores over the last six years has been from 692 in 2002 to 779 this year.
Valley Center High School grew 19 points in API this year, the highest growth in the district.
Several schools in the district beat that 800 goal, including VC Primary, at 842; the Lower Elementary, at 806 and Lilac School, at 848.
The school to achieve the most dramatic increase during that time was Pauma Elementary, which went from 561 in 2002 to 719 this year.
“We are 13 points above the county and 39 points above the state,” said Mrs. Gorsuch.
Some of the highlights for the elementary grades included 4th grade writing scores, when 23% were proficient in 2007, this year 50% were proficient.
For English Learners in grades 2-5, 22% were proficient in ‘07 while 26% were proficient in ‘08.
Elementary students exceeded the AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) criteria for math.
In the high school ever VCHS subgroup exceeded AYP criteria.
Among English Learners in grades 9-1, 18% were proficient in ‘07 while 36% were proficient in ‘08, a 22% increase.
In math every high school subgroup exceeded the AYP criteria.
Science scores also increased significantly.
In Biology, 52% were proficient in ‘07, while 74% were proficient in ‘08.
In Chemistry, 43% were proficient in ‘07 while 54% were proficient in ‘08.
The graduation rate of the class of ‘97% was judged to be 96%, above the state target of 83% and the statewide graduation rate of 80%.
According to Mrs. Gorsuch, next year’s focus will be on English Learners and increasing Math skills in all 12 grades.
This will include implementation of a three year English Learner Grant from the San Diego County Office of Education which will include increased teacher training and structured English immersion.
Enrollment numbers
may be plateauing
Enrollment, which has been steadily declining for the past six years, may be starting to level off, according to Supt. Lou Obermeyer, who gave the cautiously optimistic news to the board Thursday.
“We are at 79 more students than we had anticipated, although we are still down 49 students, and I wouldn’t want people to get the perception that we are out of the woods yet,” said Dr. Obermeyer.
“But the numbers are starting to flatten out. One of the biggest increase was in the middle students, they have an extra 88 students, from outside of the school district, most of them are sixth grade.”
Those new students did not transfer in from the Lilac School or from the now closed upper school.
The primary school, too, is over its projections for enrollment. The elementary school is over projections by three students.
The high school is down 30 students from last year. Lilac School is 42 more than projected.
For a century the elementary school in Pauma Valley has been educating the people of that small, rural community.
You are invited to join them for a celebration of 100 years of learning Friday, Sept. 19, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
The celebration will be held at Pauma School, 33158 Cole Grade Rd., Pauma Valley.
There will be a slide show presentation of over 100 pictures of educational history and also entertainment from local performers.
All are welcome – bring your Pauma School memorabilia to share!
For further information, please contact Pauma School at 742-3741 or Asst. Supt. Mary Gorsuch at gorsuch.ma@ vcpusd.net.
The County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved the following Community Projects Grants recommended by Fifth District Supervisor Bill Horn:
1. $56,000 to Friends of the Valley Center Library to construct a pathway, purchase new furniture, supplies and educational materials associated with youth and teen programs at the Library in Valley Center.
2. $4,000 to Valley Center Parks & Recreation District for marketing, food, venue, supplies, and entertainment costs associated with a free “Concert in the Park” event.
3. $2,000 to Valley Center Art Assn. to provide art scholarships and art supplies for students in Valley Center schools.
For details on these grants, refer to Agenda Item 8 on the County Board of Supervisors Sept. 16, 2008 meeting (www.sdcounty.ca.gov/cob/bosa/index.html).
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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