Friday, July 31, 2009

AIRPLANE GOES UP IN MUSUEUM





The one half scale replica of Donald Gordon's airplane, the first motorized flight west of the Mississippi, was put on display this week at the Valley Center History Museum. The plane was a joint project, designed by Joe Proctor and executed by Ira Goode. The photos were taken by Goode.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

AIRPLANE DOWN ON SATURDAY AT GUEJITO RANCH



At 11:18 a.m. Saturday CAL FIRE-Valley Center Fire Department responded to an airplane crash Guejito Road (on the Guijito Ranch) in Valley Center. Copter 10 (Sheriff/CAL FIRE Helicopter) was in the area when the incident occurred as was able to quickly arrive on scene and begin treatment on the pilot. According to the pilot his engine went, he then attempted to land when the plane flipped over and landed upside down. The pilot had moderate injuries, and was transported to Scripps La Jolla by Copter 10 with a Paramedic on board. Nick Schuler of Cal Fire took the photos.

Friday, July 24, 2009

SILLY ACCUSATION

As I said earlier this week, I'm no supporter of term limits, however term limits might help us rid our county of the stupidity that is Dianne Jacob (She Who Must Be Obeyed), another of our supervisors-for-life. I'm also not a supporter of San Diego Gas & Electric's power shut-off proposal.

But Jacob's accusation that SDG&E "stacked" the hearings with supporters of the plan is just plan silly. I attended the hearing that was held at Harrah's Rincon Casino a couple of months ago, attended by a couple of hundred people, and almost no one who spoke was in favor of the plan. Well, there were a couple of safety organizations that spoke in favor, but 90% of the people who spoke, and almost all of the audience, was against SDG&E's plan.

How this could be called "stacking" is beyond me, but it's typical of the kind of ridiculous things that Jacob says. I recall during the wildfires of 2003 that she accused then Governor Gray Davis of delaying fire-fighting resources to San Diego because, she alleged, he was punishing the county for being the birthplace of the recall movement against him!

This is as dumb as some of the things that Nancy Pelosi says about the CIA. But, because no one ever challenges Jacob in her secure district (unlike Bill Horn, who, although he too says ridiculous things frequently, does at least get viable challengers) she can get away with conspiracy theory type pronouncements that would get other politicians pilloried by the public and the media.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

REPORT FROM EDCO MEETING

About 80 people attended Wednesday night's informal meeting about the proposed EDCO green waste facility on Betsworth.

These are Valley Center Planning Group Chairman, Oliver Smith's thoughts on the meeting:



"Tonight's EDCO meeting was interesting. I let EDCO's President and CEO
Steve South know at the beginning that it was not a formal planning
group function but rather an informal opportunity for him and the
neighbors to talk. About 80 people showed up for about 2 hours. Steve
worked his way through a presentation, but it was peppered with
questions shouted out by the audience. For the most part it was civil,
but a couple of comments pushed the civility edge," said Smith.

His notes are below:


- Property purchased in April, 2008. Although there are no permits that
have been formally requested, it appears that they have a letter from
the Water District saying they will be served.
- The compost grinder will be electric inside a building to reduce
noise.
- Plan is for 18 wheelers to come from transfer stations around the
county, 20 trips in and 20 trips out per day plus 2 local trash trucks
with green waste per day plus transports by local community members.
- All incoming green waste will be questioned as to source and only non
quarantine material can be composted. After composting the heat during
the process sterilized the material.
- EDCO will be selling the final compost on site and shipping it out.
- There will be 8-10 people on site, hours planned are 7AM-5PM Monday
through Saturday. They claim they need to conform to this and will n\be
monitored to not go outside the times.
- Composting will be done by aerated covered static piles - after
chopping up the mulch, the pile is covered, air is injected, and the O2
and heat are monitored - it takes about 45 days to process.
- They have no equivalent facilities anywhere else in San Diego County.
- They will be inspected one a month by Dept of Environmental Health.
- There is an old Adobe house on the property that was offered to be
cleaned up and available for FFA an other local groups.
- When asked how the project would benefit the neighbors, the response
was that they felt it would preserve the rural nature of the area and
use of the Adobe house.

TERM LIMITS FOR SUPERVISORS?

I see that the San Diego County Employees union is going to start gathering signatures to put an initiative on the ballot that would limit the Board of Supervisors, who I lovingly refer to as our "Supervisors for Life," to two terms.

I'm against it, of course. I realize that this is the Holy Grail of the populist wing of the conservative movement, who somehow think that limiting office holders to two-terms (I've even heard a single term, with no possibility of reelection) will make the Republic work better. I don't buy it. We've had term limits in California for a couple of decades and the state's government has only gotten even worse than it was before. Corruption and stupidity will always find a way around artificial limits. Bad people can do bad things with a single term. And if they know they are limited to one term they will just do those bad things faster.

If the people are going to change their government, THEY need to do it, not rely on some artificial means. The people should be able to reelect able officials as many times as they want. I'm even against the president being limited to two terms.

That said, I do think it's time for the people of San Diego County to start holding their supervisors for life accountable. It's disgraceful that we haven't seen any new people on the board for ten years.

I'm suspicious that this two-terms law is being pushed by a public employees union. If they want to get rid of some of the supervisors, then probably the supervisors are doing some good things. Generally speaking, anything that is good for a public employees union is probably bad for the taxpayers at large.

I'll be watching this one closely. It probably won't get any further than the similar petition drive pushed a few years ago by the pot smokers, but we'll see.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

LAWSUIT COULD RESUME AGAINST SDG&E

It's probably safe to say that the general managers of the backcountry water districts and the executives of San Diego Gas & Electric probably don't get together to play golf on their off hours.

Several local water districts, especially Valley Center Municipal Water District, have bitterly fought SDG&E's proposal to turn off the power during red flag days of high winds and low humidity, combined with other factors.

This week, with SDGE&E stating that it's not going to wait for the Public Utilities Commission's ruling on its proposal before putting it into effect on Sept. 1, I asked VCMWD's Gen. Mgr. Gary Arant if that means the water districts are going to revive their lawsuit to keep this from happening.

He told me:

"They say they have the authority to shut off power now, with or without the PUC ruling. It is true, they have the ability to do that, however, what they need from the PUC is a rule modification which gives them tort immunity from doing so. If they had that now had that immunity, why would they have gone to the PUC in the first place.

"They are evidently hell-bent to do this. With their approach and attitude, it is clear that the Emergency Power Shut Off is more about the SDG&E bottom-line and less about community safety.

"The water districts and others participated in the PUC process in good faith as we did in the negotiation process. It seems that SDG&E has as much respect for the PUC as they do for negotiating in good faith.

If they proceed with the shut off plan, then we will exercise any and all other avenues available to protect the communities and people we serve. We are examining our options now, including going back to court right now."

PICTURES OF PALA FIRE



Nick Schuler, the PIO (public information officer) for Cal Fire, just sent over some pictures of firefighters getting the Pala Fire at Pankey Road & Hwy 76 under control. The blaze took off about 1 p.m. and burned about five acres before they stopped its progress. The cause of the Pankey Fire is equipment use – mowing. The operator is cooperating with investigators.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

PART-TIME LEGISLATURE

Those who have read my editorials over the last few months know that passing a constitutional amendment to make the state legislature part-time again is a cause dear to my heart.

An organization has begun to gather signatures to put such an amendment on the ballot. You can find their web site at: http://www.reformcal.com/cms/

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

To Benefit California Life Center

GUITAR BENEFIT—La Cereza Winery and Gallery will host the renowned world musician and guitarist Benise, in a special live performance Saturday, July 18, at 8 p.m.
Proceeds will go toward the California Family Life Center (CFLC), a private, non-profit agency that provides homes, education and care to abused children. Last year, La Cereza and Benise raised more than $15, 000 from the concert to help children of the CFLC.
If you’d like to join Benise and La Cereza Winery for a night of music, passion and romance, reserve your tickets now as last year’s show quickly sold out! For reservations and pricing, call 951-676-1711 or stop by the winery at 34567 Rancho California Road, Temecula.

Monday, July 13, 2009

FIRE DOUSED ON GUN RANGE



A fire that started Monday morning on the gun range operated by Escondido Fish & Game Assn. near the corner of Guejito Road & North Lake Wohlford Road is still under investigation, according Chief Nick Schuler, public information officer for Cal Fire. The fire grew to 3 acres and briefly threatened structures.

These photos are provided courtesy of Cal Fire.

FIRE QUICKLY DOUSED ON BETSWORTH


Local firefighters quickly dealt with a fire on Betsworth Road with the call going out about 6:20 p.m. or so Monday afternoon. The photo was taken by one of our readers, Patti Wiberg.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

STRUCTURE FIRE KNOCKED DOWN ON PALOMAR



This afternoon, a few hundred yards or so from my cabin on Palomar Mountain, the U.S. Forest Service assisted by Palomar Mountain Volunteer Fire Department and Cal Fire in knocking down a structure fire that turned out to have in an outbuilding.

The fire started before 2 p.m. on Crestline, which is one of the two main residential areas on the mountain. Just about every fire agency in the area sent units, including air attack planes, to deal with this one, which threatened to spread into the surrounding brush. The mountain has very low humidity right now, so any fire like this is a big threat.

The photo was taken during the fire, and is apparently a small explosion in the outbuilding.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

ROAD RUMOR IS UNTRUE, SAYS COUNTY

A rumor that the County Dept. of Public Works has run out of money to finish the medians on Valley Center Road is not only untrue, it's untrue with an exclamation point!

"The rumor is not true!" Michael Long, project manager for DPW, told me when I forwarded an email that I had gotten from a reader, who had heard something to this effect from some worker with Archer Western, the road contractor.

The plans are to finish the medians and plant low water usage native plants before the end of the year.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

PRESERVE WILL UNVEIL NEW MILL MODEL


Ron Norris, Valley Center artist extraordinaire, recently completed a scale model of the old mill (which now consists of ruins) at Wilderness Gardens Preserve. The County Dept. of Parks & Recreation, which commissioned the model and operates the preserve, will dedicate the model on Aug. 8, 10 a.m. at the preserve. It's 6 ft long and 3 ft high. Light refreshments will be served and Lynne Christenson (County Historian), will give some history on the preserve.

Norris tells me, "I made my first model, out of a willow stick when I was six; now 70 years later I'm getting paid for something I enjoy. Great world, isn't it?"

THE FUTURE OF LIBRARIES

I interviewed the director of the San Diego County library system, Jose Aponte, a few days ago and learned that the libraries will soon start introducing a new technology that will allow the same number of employees to check out many more books as the system grows. They will utilize RFID (radio frequency identification) tags that are already being used in many industries throughout the U.S. The first library in the system to get the tags will be the new Fallbrook Library when it comes online in late 2010. It takes a long time to put the tags on the nearly 2 million books that the system has, so libraries will be gradually added three at a time. Valley Center isn't scheduled yet, so we'll stay in the 20th Century for awhile, but within three years all of the branches will be added.

“The county library system moves 8.3 million volumes a year, with three hundred people. How do we deal with increase and the fact that library useage is up twenty four percent?”
You do it with the same number of people by reworking the workplace, says Aponte.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

SMART GROWTH VS. STUPID GROWTH?

The North County Inland Regional Leadership group, which used to be called the "tribal forum" is collection of people (Larry Glavinic and Terry Van Koughnett are a couple of them) who like to think about ideas, as opposed to thinking about people and personalities. Whether their ideas will ever come to anything is for you (the collective you, not necessarily you the person reading this post right now) to decide.
They meet quarterly. They are holding their next meeting on July 16.

Read about it below:



How to Avoid Stupid Growth

The Intelligent Approach to Sustainable Development



Sustainability of commercial and residential development projects is the key to long-term economic success for communities. Too many projects are designed for a quick return on investment without considering the future health of the local communities. In challenging economic times, and with an aging population and multi-generational transfer of wealth, long-term sustainability is a critical consideration in designing and evaluating every development project.

But what are the barriers to sustainability? Are the regulatory bodies adversaries or partners? Sustainability brings continued tax revenue while promoting continued growth and economic health, so cooperation will benefit everyone. So, how can we create a win-win situation? How can infrastructure be developed to promote mobility and stability? How can we cooperate with government to enhance our future?

The North County Inland Regional Leadership is hosting a forum to address these important issues. On July 16th a panel of business leaders will discuss the issues, opportunities, challenges, and barriers to sustainable growth. Join us for this important event.

San Pasqual Tribal Community Hall
Thursday, July 16th, 6pm to 8pm
27518 S San Pasqual Rd
Valley Center, CA 92082

Friday, July 3, 2009

FUN THING TO DO THIS WEEKEND


The hatch of the historic USS Dolphin will be opened by the Maritime Museum of San Diego this weekend for visitors to take a glimpse below the surface and into the past of this fascinating submarine.

Since her launch in 1968, the USS Dolphin has been awarded many firsts in history, including setting the record for deepest submarine dive—still held today—and the first email sent underwater. The opening of the USS Dolphin marks the seventh large, docked vessel to make its permanent home among the Maritime Museum of San Diego’s collection of historic ships and living history.

Last July 4th weekend I had a lot of fun visiting the Midway, the retired aircraft carrier. Although a bit pricey, you get a lot of value for the money if you take advantage of all of the things that you can see. I'm sure the same will be true of the Dolphin. We have a staff member there this weekend who will probably do a write up about her experience soon. Look for it!

Thursday, July 2, 2009

YOU MAY SEE SMOKE

The fire in Riverside County off Rancho California Road, West of. I-15 is sending smoke into the Palomar mountain areas.

The smoke is very visible and can be expected to linger through the night, according to Palomar Mountain Volunteer Fire Chief George Lucia.

However, there is no fire danger in our area at this time.

INCREASED FIRE STAFFING

According to Cal Fire spokesman Nick Schuler the state fire agency will increase staffing in Southern California starting tomorrow at 8 a.m. for the July 4th weekend. Below are the increases for San Diego

§         Additional Chief Officer, 1 PIO, additional staff for the Monte Vista Emergency Command Center.
§         Hand crews in Strike Team formation: This means 8 (16 person inmate hand crews).
§         All prevention/law enforcement staff on duty

This is in addition to Cal Fire's normal staffing of 26 engines, two air tankers, one air attack, two helicopters, two dozers, chief officers etc.

TOPPING OFF CEREMONY


The steel project for Palomar Pomerado Health’s "hospital of the future" will be finished in a special topping off ceremony next Friday on July 10. 

A million pounds of rebar and more than 12,000 tons of steel have been used to build Palomar Medical Center West - the largest hospital project in California.

The image shows what the hospital will look like when it's finished.

MOTORCYCLE DOWN

At 11:42 on Thursday local emergency crews were responding to a report of a motorcyclist down on South Grade at Mile Marker 44 on Palomar Mountain.

SALUTING VETERANS ON THE FOURTH

The Pauma Band of Mission Indians will salute veterans at a 4th of July
celebration in Escondido.

Pauma Tribal Chairman and veteran Chris C. Devers, Sr. will
participate in a flag raising and patriotic tribute along with American
Legion Post 149 and Escondido Mayor Lori Holt Pfeiler at Grape Day Park, 321 N. Broadway, Escondido.

The salute will happen at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Park festivities begin at 4 p.m.
Fireworks at 9 p.m.

CASINO RANKINGS—Valley View does excellently

Valley Center's Valley View Casino just scored one of the highest rankings in the Southern California according to a study conducted by J.D. Powers & Associates.

It came in second with a score of 764. The casino performed particularly well in beverage service. And, of course it is well known locally that Valley View has unbeatable dining (I love the buffet, but the Black N Blue restaurant is to die for!).

The study was the 2009 Indian Gaming Casino Satisfaction Study and it measured satisfaction levels of customers visiting casinos in Northern California, Southern California and Arizona. Casinos included in the study had to have a minimum of 1,000 slot machines. It was based on responses from 2,000 customers.

According to the study the only casino in Southern California that scored higher than Valley View was Barona, with a score of 787.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

SPECIAL FIRE BOARD MEETING

The Valley Center Fire Protection District board will have a special board meeting on Monday, July 6 at 5:30 p.m. at VCFPD Station 72 (on Lilac Road) where the news fire station will be discussed.

The agenda item related to is below:

3. NEW BUSINESS
• To determine the amount of mitigation fees, if any, that the District will commit towards construction of the new fire station for purposes of the A.R.R.A. Fire Station Construction Grant Application.

The public is, of course, invited.