Valley Magazine - Western Days Edition June 2014

Western Days Edition 2014 | Valley Magazine 1

Western Days eDition

May 23-25, 2014

Valley Magazine

ParaDe Line-uP

FestivaL MaP

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anD More!

AValley Center Press publication

2 Valley Magazine | Western Days Edition 2014 Western Days Edition 2014 | Valley Magazine 3


Table of contentsValley Magazine6 - Western Days comes to town9 - Event schedule

10 - Everyone loves a parade15 - Parade map16 - Honorary Mayor candidates18 - Grand marshal(s)20 - Parade announcers

24 - Get ready for a festival!27 - Festival map28 - Cattle Call music30 - Best Little Cowboy & Cowgirl32 - History of Western Days34 - Food trucks invade36 - Marshal’s Posse and Floozies

41 - It’s rodeo time!42 - 2014 Rodeo royalty43 - Valley Center Vaqueros44 - Rodeo announcer

You are holding in your hands the very first issue of Valley Magazine, published by the dedicated team at Valley Center Press. Inside

this Western Days Edition you will find maps, sched-ules, and stories on every aspect of Valley Center’s greatest weekend of the year. From the fanfare of the annual Western Days Parade to the VC Marshal’s Posse taking a trip back in time at the festival, there won’t be a dull moment this Memorial Day Weekend. Live music, food trucks, rodeo, art contests and much more await May 23 - 25. Beyond all the fun and excitement of Western Days, this edition also reminds us of the things that define Valley Center: our untamed spirit, our fron-

tier heritage, and our fun and supportive commu-nity. With your help, this will be just the first of many issues of Valley Magazine. Look for our Back to School, Holiday, and Cruisin’ Grand editions in your mailbox soon, all free of charge. Finally, please subscribe to Valley Center Press, which will begin publishing weekly this summer. Visit us at www.valleycenterpress.com and follow us on Facebook for breaking news updates. Have a great Western Days! We’ll see you on the trail.

Michael CraneValley Center Press, Magazine Editor

Valley Center Press reader Danel Duckworth took her paper on the trail with her to Anza Borrego

760-212-6519


VisitVALLEYCENTERPRESS.COM

& like us on Facebook.

Valley Center’s biggest weekend of the yearThe rapid approach of Me-

morial Day weekend can only mean one thing: Val-

ley Center Western Days 2014! The biggest community event of the year returns with three days of festivities, rodeo, and the best pa-rade in San Diego County. The VC Chamber of Com-merce is coordinating the Western Days Parade, Valley Center Press is pulling out all the stops coordi-nating the festival at Valley Center Community Center this year, while the VC Optimist Club is sponsor-ing the Valley Center Stampede Rodeo at the Belanich property adjacent to the community center. With a combination of every-body’s favorite traditions and some new touches, it’s sure to be a week-end of fun and excitement for the whole family. This magazine has stories on all the festivities, maps of the parade route and festival, and a complete schedule of events for the weekend. The festival begins at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 23 at the Community Center with a community prayer around the flagpole. The rest of the evening will be taken up by the Best Little Cowboy & Cowgirl Contest hosted by the VC Republi-can Women Federated, the conclu-sion of the Honorary Mayor’s race, the opening night of the Stampede

Rodeo, and dancing to a DJ at the Community Center Stage. Food Truck Nation America is hosting the Food Truck Alley at this year’s festival, featuring 12 of Southern California’s best food trucks serving everything from barbecue sliders to chili lime shrimp tacos. Be sure and bring an appetite to the festival! For those over 21, the beer and wine garden will feature Valley Center Brewery as the headlining brew-masters. The Western Days Parade will roll through town on the morn-ing of Saturday, May 24. Hosted by the Valley Center Chamber of Commerce, the parade runs along Valley Center Road between Cole Grade Road and Old Road. The parade begins at 10 a.m. Valley Center Road will be closed from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. between Cole Grade and Woods Valley roads. Find your favorite announcer (there are six of them) and sit next to him or her. In addition to the traditional floats, bands, and VC revelry, this year’s parade is themed, “A Home-grown Musical Celebration,” and features a battle of the bands with cash prizes. Parade goers can also make some money in the Horse Dropping Contest, which will be held in front of Portino’s.

Although the parade doesn’t start until 10 a.m., head over to the Old Town Center early for a pancake breakfast, hosted by the Rotary Club of Valley Center. The annual fundraiser for VCHS grad-uating seniors will run from 7-10 a.m. in front of the Community Pharmacy. After the parade, head over to the Community Center for an afternoon of games, live music, vendors, and delicious food. Cat-tle Call Music Event Planning & Producing has a full afternoon of music planned at the Community Center stage, concluding with a performance by Americana song-writer Sara Petite. Catch a special performance of “Valley Center the Sing Along” at the Community Center Stage at 1 p.m., as well as pie-eating con-tests hosted by the Friends of Hell-hole Canyon. VC’s most famous and infamous will be in the dunk tank, a benefit for the VC Fire-fighter’s Association. New to the festival this year will be a K-12 Arts & Crafts Com-petition in the basement of the Community Hall. All students are invited to submit their art and be considered for prizes. There will also be a Kid Zone at the festival, complete with petting zoo, pony rides, and bounce slides.


A community affair Western Days scheduleWelcome to Western Days 2014, a fun,

family-friendly weekend tradition car-ried on for 64 years!

This year, Western Days is brought to you by the Valley Center Chamber of Commerce coordi-nating the parade, Valley Center Press coordinating the Western Days festival, and the Valley Center Optimist Club sponsoring the Stampede Rodeo. Being the first year Valley Center Press has chaired the event, we made sure to keep (or bring back) old traditions and reinvigorate our commu-nity event with a few new additions. These include Food Truck Alley, a Beer & Wine Garden featuring local wineries and Valley Center Brewery with pro-ceeds going to Western Days College Scholarships, an all day music festival on the main stage, pie eat-ing contests, a K-12 Arts & Crafts competition on display downstairs in the Community Center, and of course the Posse and Floozies keeping us enter-tained. On Friday night we look forward to the VC Republican Women coordinating the evening and hearing who our new Honorary Mayor will be, and then all day Saturday we will be dunking the mayor-al candidates and local hero Left-Eddie in the dunk tank to benefit the Valley Center Firefighter’s As-sociation. Working with so many businesses, organiza-tions, and individuals in the past few weeks, I have seen the community come together like never be-fore to create the best Western Days event ever! To-gether we will be able to say that every year for years and years to come and keep the tradition alive! Thank you and see you in the parade!

Dana S. Chisholm Valley Center Press, Publisher Western Days Chairperson

* Be sure to start planning early for Western Days 2015! Deadline to be included in the magazine will always be May 1, but donations and sponsorships will be accepted all year long. Banners on the fence for those that contribute to our community! There’s still time for 2014! [email protected] or [email protected]

5:00 - 5:15 p.m. ——— 15 minutes of prayer at the Community Center flag pole5:30 - 7:00 p.m. ——— Republican Women Best Little Cowboy & Cowgirl Contest at stage7:00 p.m. —————— Valley Center Stampede Rodeo begins next door7:15 - 8:00 p.m. ——— Conclusion of the Honorary Mayor’s race at stage8:00 - 10:00 p.m. —— Dancing to music of DJ Buddha at stage

Ongoing Friday night — Arts, crafts, and service organization booths, Food Truck Alley, Wine and Beer Garden, VC Women’s Club margaritas.

Friday May 23, VC Community CenterFestival gates open 4 - 10 p.m., free admission

7:00 - 10:00 a.m. ———— Pancake Breakfast by VC Rotary Club in Old Town Center8:30 a.m. ——————— Valley Center Road closed from Woods Valley to Cole Grade10:00 - 12:00 a.m. ——— Western Days Parade by Valley Center Chamber of Commerce12:00 p.m. —————— Pie-eating contest sponsored by Friends of Hellhole Canyon near Western Town (also at 3 p.m. if supplies last)1:00 p.m. —————— “Valley Center the Sing Along” on stage2:00 p.m. —————— Parade awards at stage2:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. — Cattle Call Concert at stage: 2:30-3:00 — Sierra West 3:00-3:30 — Megan Combs 4:00-5:30 — Jon Ji 6:00-7:00 — 22 Kings 7:30-9:30 — Sara Petite2:30 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. — Marshal’s Posse Showdown at Western Town Center3:00 p.m. —————— Pie-eating contest sponsored by Friends of Hellhole Canyon at Western Town4:00 p.m. —————— Valley Center Stampede Rodeo begins

Ongoing Saturday — Booths at Community Center, K-12 Arts & Crafts Contest at Community Hall, Kids Zone, Food Truck Alley, Wine and Beer Garden, $100 Hat Raffle, pony rides, dunk tank, and more!

Saturday May 24, VC Road and VC Community CenterParade starts at 10 a.m. | Festival gates open 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.,

Admission $3 per person (with $20 immediate family cap) or FREE with VC Press T-shirt

Sunday May 25, Belanich property by VC Community CenterValley Center Stampede Rodeo only, free admission

11:00 a.m. —————— Gates open at Valley Center Stampede Rodeo12:00 p.m. —————— Valley Center Stampede Rodeo begins, featuring Team Roping


Everyone loves a parade

It’s “A Homegrown Musi-cal Celebration” at the 2014 Western Days Parade, hosted

by the Valley Center Chamber of Commerce. On top of the daz-zling procession of floats, local dignitaries, and horses bedecked in patriotic get-up, the Chamber has introduced a Battle of the Bands to match the theme of a musical celebration. “We’re trying to get local businesses to come out and have their own part of the marching band, kind of like a New Orleans

style band,” said Stuart Holthaus, chairman of the parade. “People can come out with buckets or trash can lids or kazoos or rakes. Just have people be creative, that’s the whole key.” Anyone riding in the pa-rade is invited to participate in the battle and the parade judges will determine the winners who receive cash prizes. Prizes range between $100 and $300 depend-ing on the size of the band. “We’re just trying to come up with a fun way to make it enter-

taining and get the businesses in-volved,” said Holthaus. Another new element of the parade this year is the horse drop-ping contest, where contestants can win prizes if they pick the correct spot where the droppings will land. Just stop by Portino’s be-fore the parade to pick your spots. Each guess costs $2 and rewards $10 if a horse hits the mark. Long-time employees of the Valley Center Pauma Unified School District Camille and Di-ane Martineau will be leading the parade as this year’s grand mar-shals. If you see them thank them for their years of humble service to our community. The Escondido Mounted Pos-se will be carrying the colors at the front of the parade, followed by nearly a hundred other entries. Among the many musical guests will be performances by the Val-ley Center High School Marching Band and the Valley Center Mid-dle School Jazz Band. The parade will follow Valley Center Road from Cole Grade to Old Road, where it will conclude near the Community Center. The

road will be closed for about half an hour after the end of the pa-rade. VIPs riding in the parade will include County Supervisor Bill Horn, State Senator Joel An-derson, Assemblywoman Ma-rie Waldron, Miss Valley Center April Lackpour, 1st Princess Julie Pregler, Junior Miss 1st Princess Danielle Yates and 2nd Princess Taylor Pennell, Rodeo Queens Renee Terbush, Briana Garcia, and Lacey Bainbridge, and 2013 Citizens of the Year Martina Day and Frank Holtz. Winners from the Best Little Cowboy & Cowgirl Contest will also be invited to ride in the pa-rade, as well as Valley Center’s newest Honorary Mayor. The Al Bahr Shriners will be back again, as will many of Valley

Center’s service clubs. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. and continue until noon. To make way for the parade, Valley Center Road will be closed on May 24 from 8:30 a.m. until 12 p.m. Suggested detours: Northbound—Woods Valley east (right) from Valley Center Road to N. Lake Wohlford. Then north (left) on N. Lake Wohlford to Valley Center Road. West (left) on Valley Center Road to Mac-Tan. MacTan north (right) to Fruitvale. Fruitvale west (left) to Cole Grade, north (right) on Cole Grade which will connect with Hwy 76 in Pauma Valley. Southbound—Cole Grade to Fruitvale, east (left) on Fruit-vale to Mac Tan. MacTan south (right) to Valley Center Road.

Valley Center Road east (left) to Lake Wohlford. N. Lake Wohl-ford south (right) to Woods Val-ley. Woods Valley west (right) to Valley Center Road or continue down N. Lake Wohlford past the lake to the intersection of Valley Center Road at the bottom of the grade. The team of the Valley Center Press will be riding in VC-1, Val-ley Center’s first district-owned engine. The 1959 Crown Fire-coach was first donated to the district in 1985, and is now used by Mike McDonald for training, parades, and other community events. Give us a big wave! The Valley Center Chamber of Commerce is still looking for volunteers to help with setting up for the parade. To volunteer or learn more, call 760-749-8472.

Courtesy of John YeagerThe Escondido Mounted Posse will lead the 2014 Parade.

Courtesy of Anita BaranowskiThe Valley Center High School Roaring Jaguar Marching Band.


Parade line-up1. Valley Center Chamber of Commerce Welcome Banner2. Escondido Mounted Posse3. Grand Marshals Diane and Camille Mar-tineau4. SD County Sheriff Senior Volunteers5. Senator Joel Anderson6. Supervisor Bill Horn7. Valley Center Press8. VCHS Band9. 2013 Citizen of the Year10. 2013 Citizen of the Year11. Honorary Mayor12. San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians Sponsor Banner13. San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians 14. San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians15. San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians16. Ridgeview Church17. Valley Center Rodeo Queens Renee Ter-bush18. Valley Center Rodeo Queens19. Junior Queen Briana Garcia20. Red Throne Events21. Branch 22 Tractor Club22. Little Barn Bakery23. Valley Center Vaqueros Young Riders24. Vaqueros Drill Posse25. Miss Valley Center 2014 April Lackpour26. Miss Valley Center 1st Princess Julie Pregler27. Jr. Miss Valley Center 2014 Ashley Her-zler28. Jr. Miss Valley Center 1st Princess Dani-elle Yates29. Jr. Miss Valley Center 2nd Princess Tay-

lor Pennell30. Valley Center Community Church31. Pauma Valley Insurance Agency32. Valley Center Brewery33. MyRon L Parade T-Shirt Sponsor Banner34. Valley Center Marshal’s Posse & Floozies35. The World Kuk Gung Federation36. Stuart Prout37. Ken Gosselin38. San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians39. Valley Center Trails Association40. Friends of Hellhole Canyon41. Hellhole Canyon Stables42. Western Heavy Equipment Rental43. Western Heavy Equipment Rental44. Western Heavy Equipment Rental45. Western Heavy Equipment Rental46. Western Heavy Equipment Rental47. Western Heavy Equipment Rental48. Western Heavy Equipment Rental49. Broken Rock Ranch Business Banner50. Cosmic Solar51. Gary Martinet52. Valley Baptist Church53. Miss Poway Kayla Hoppe54. Miss Teen Poway Estephannia Colon55. Miss Junior Teen Poway Carley Matz56. Miss Teen Poway Princesses Summer Wineteer, Katie Burns, Kendra O’Connell, Julianna Riley, Blaire Bass and Sylvia Roy57. Cub Scout Pack 61958. Armstrong Feed and Supply59. Majestic Acres60. Jayden Soliz61. Chenoa Olney-Ortiz62. Dominick Joseph Welch

63. World’s Tallest Cowboy64. Valley Center High School Principal Ron McCowan65. Valley Center High School ASB66. Jags United67. Dos Valles Garden Club68. Mike Barton69. Indian Health Council70. Indian Health Council71. Indian Health Council72. Valley Center Republican Women73. North County Conservative74. 4H Homesteaders 75. 4H Homesteaders 76. 4H Homesteaders 77. 4H Homesteaders 78. VC Last79. Valley Center Relay for Life80. Stepping Stone Resources

81. Harrah’s Resort and Casino Sponsor Banner82. HiCaliber Horse Rescue83. Harper’s Fiesta Farms/Highway Star84. Elena Juarez85. La Jolla Band of Luiseño Generations86. Valley Center Girl Scouts87. VCMS Band88. Pauma Valley Community Church89. Oak Glen Ravens90. SD County Sheriff Senior Volunteers91. Al Bahr Shiners92. VC Women’s Club 93. Miss Vista Scholarship Pageants94. Miss Vista Scholarship Pageants95. Miss Vista Scholarship Pageants96. Valley Center Fire Department97. San Pasqual Fire Department98. Rincon Fire Department

Courtesy of John YeagerThe Valley Center Republican Women Federated sit on their famous “Miss Liberty” float.


Logo design by Miranda Knight.

Photo by Michael Crane


Ten for Honorary MayorWith ten candidates fight-

ing tooth and nail (and hoof) to claim Valley

Center’s most esteemed position, the 2014 Honorary Mayor’s race is com-ing down to the wire. After weeks of “throw downs” and tireless campaign-ing, the winning candidate will be an-nounced at 7:15 p.m. at the Commu-nity Center on Friday, May 23. Valley Center Press has profiled each of the candidates in full over the past several weeks. Included here are excerpts of those interviews.

Bobbie Weiss This is Bobbie Weiss’s second time running for Honorary Mayor, representing the VC Women’s Club, of which she is the president. “My platform as candidate for mayor is for people to slow the heck down on Valley Center Road,” she says. “If you slow down you can see what Valley Center has to offer. And so, buy local.” She also promotes the idea that Valleyites should support and buy from the businesses in their town. To help promote that she is willing to don a chicken costume and employ a twirl-ing sign to be the official greeter of VC.All money she raises will go for a scholarship for one young woman graduating this year from VCHS.

Denette Stewart The Rotary Club is being rep-resented by Denette Stewart, who explained her electoral strategy: “My platform is that I will promise you anything, as long as you show me the

money!” This tactic is of particular value to Mrs. Stewart, since she is se-nior vice president and manager of the Escondido office of California Bank & Trust. She also wants automatic scoo-pers on the Heritage trail for the ani-mals, water fountains at Hellhole Can-yon and approval on all loan requests, but only at Nicky Lovejoy’s office! “We are raising money for the mayor’s race, and what we keep will go for scholarships and our local and in-ternational service projects,” she said.

Francis the Mule If you want a candidate who won’t budge on the important issues, then Oklahoma Francis is your mule. “He is more of a green party can-didate,” said Julie Picot, his owner and campaign manager. “He believes in all equines in Valley Center having green pastures to run around in.” The famed mule is campaigning on behalf of the Valley Center Vaque-ros Equine Education Foundation for the second year running. “He promises that he’ll run a half-assed campaign,” said Picot.

Gina Roberts Gina Roberts, who was the last

minute choice to carry the VC Kiwan-is Club banner, says her official slogan is “Let’s make a big change in our lives.”She is a consulting engineer with a company that builds mobile sand bag-ging machinery that turns out thou-sands of sand bags as long as there is sand available. She considers that this access to “sand bagging,” technology alone may uniquely qualify her to be a politician. She does have one serious goal as mayor: “I want to see all of the service clubs get together for a joint fundrais-ing effort.”

John Yeager John Yeager, a.k.a the Mortgage Daddy, is the Chamber of Commerce’s candidate for Honorary Mayor. “My platform is that Mortgage Daddy bucks will become legal tender if I’m elected,” said Yeager. Holders of Mortgage Daddy bucks will be able to use them to pay their mortgage, or if they save up enough of them, to pay their water and electric bills. The Chamber is raising money for Yeager’s candidacy at the Honor-ary Mayor “throw downs” as well as by selling advertisement on the Pancake breakfast place mats that will be sold at the Rotary Club’s pancake breakfast at

Valley Towne Center Saturday morn-ing before the Western Days parade.

Marian Klein Marian Klein, president of the Valley Center Friends of the Library, is running for Valley Center Honor-ary Mayor with the feisty slogan, “The book stops here!” As mayor she vows to put a li-brary card in the hands of every child and a book on every nightstand. “I will rid the town of book thieves and enforce harsh penalties for late returns of a library book! I will eradicate book rot and dog-eared books. ” She adds that she is a good bookkeeper as well. “I’m particularly running against the mule, who is running a negative campaign. He’s a nay-sayer!” she adds. “I know you’re not supposed to beat a dead horse, but I can beat a live mule!”

Marcia Townsend Never one to hold grudges against the voters for not electing her Honor-ary Mayor last year, Marcia Townsend is out pounding the pavement again as the candidate for the Republican Women’s Club. Previously known as the “ornery” mayor candidate, this time she has a new slogan. “They are going to keep running me until I win!” she said. Townsend has decided to give some of the money that her campaign raises to the American Cancer Society.

“My main promise to the citizens of Valley Center if I’m elected is more music,” she said. “We could start by having more concerts at the park. I promise to dance the night away.”

Larry McKenzie Larry McKenzie is running for Honorary Mayor as the representa-tive of the Valley Center Aid Group, a 501 (c)(3) that has in the past ten years been responsible for giving $100,000 to people in need in this community. The Aid Group’s current project is raising money for the Nyberg family who were badly injured in a car acci-dent. “Their situation is one that any-one of us could find ourselves in,” said McKenzie. “This Honorary Mayor’s race really isn’t about us raising mon-ey, it’s about community.” Since an Honorary Mayor’s can-didate is always supposed to make promises, McKenzie promises, “to make all of the property values go up!”

Sharon Briscoe Sharon Briscoe is representing Relay for Life in the Honorary Mayor’s Race. Her platform is “to Paint the Town Purple!” She refers, of course, to the fact that purple represents Valley Center Relay for Life’s ambition to enlist as many people as possible in the battle against cancer.

“Many businesses in Valley Cen-ter tie purple ribbon on their signs; residents tie purple ribbons on their mail boxes,” she says. “It’s a way to show your support.” The 4th annual VC Relay for Life will be held June 21 at Bates Nut Farm. To find out more, email her at [email protected]. Hermit of Hellhole Canyon Perhaps the most reluctant candi-date ever to run for Honorary Mayor, the Hermit of Hellhole Canyon pres-ents a chance to vote for a candidate who is least likely to cause any prob-lems in office. “When elected I promise to rep-resent all the wildlife, plants, people and rocks of Valley Center to the best of my ability as I communicate with all of them,” said the Hermit. “Of course, they’ll need to find me first!” The Friends of Hellhole Canyon chose the Hermit to be their candidate because he is highly representative of many Valley Center characteristics such as fierce independence, a strong love of nature and a deep desire to live far from dense neighborhoods and strip malls. “You can get by fine around here, but you need to think like a sage,” said the Hermit.

*All illustrations by Mark Brock.

Bobbie Weiss Denette Stewart Francis the Mule Gina Roberts

John Yeager Marian Klein Marcia Townsend Larry McKenzie Sharon Briscoe Hellhole Hermit


Grand Marshal Martineau(s)

Longtime Valley Center residents Camille and Diane Martineau will share the title of grand mar-

shal in the 2014 Western Days Parade. Both employees of the Valley Center Pauma Unified School District who are retiring at the end of this year, the Martineaus were completely taken aback by the invitation to lead the pa-rade. “We’re surprised to do it and we’re honored to do it,” said Camille. “It’s normally someone that’s high pro-file. We’re definitely not high profile.” Diane and Camille may not be politicians or celebrities, but anyone who has stepped into the VCPUSD’s main district office has likely had their day brightened by Diane’s sunny dis-position. She is a human resources assistant for the school district, where she has worked since Sept. 1989.

Camille has also had an enor-mous influence on the community. As an agriculture teacher at Valley Center High School and Middle School, he has taught hundreds of students about agricultural mechanics since taking the position in 2001. “They are both real shy, both wonderful members of the commu-nity who we felt ought to be honored,” said Stuart Holthaus, chairman of the parade. Camille and Diane first met when he was 14 and she was 12. Camille was a native of Olga, North Dakota and Diane was from Lynwood, California, but fate brought them together when both were living in Escondido. “He was selling World’s Finest Chocolate bars for University High School and he came by my house,” said Diane. Camille was friends with

Diane’s brother, and the pair soon hit it off. “I swept her off her feet,” said Ca-mille. They were married in 1969. The Martineaus always enjoyed visit-ing family in Valley Center, and they finally moved up the grade in 1978. They have never once thought about moving away and they still relish the tight-knit community and rural feel-ing of the town. “When we moved up here I used to kid Diane that my arm gets tired of waving because you waved at ev-erybody,” said Camille. “It’s just good people willing to help you out.” Between raising six children in Valley Center and another six grand-children currently in Valley Center schools (out of a total 12, soon to be 13), Camille and Diane have been ac-tive in countless local organizations over the years. They have supported local sports like Little League, soccer, and ice hockey, stayed involved at St. Stephen Catholic Church, and been active in 4-H for the past 45 years. Since the parade is Diane’s favor-ite part of Western Days, she should fit right in at the head of the revelry. Camille also looks forward to Valley Center’s biggest weekend every year as a way to reconnect with old friends and neighbors. Diane had these words for all the parade-goers: “I hope they enjoy their Western Days like we do every year, and I hope they keep supporting the Chamber and the different organizations that sponsor it. We’re glad to be up here. It’s home!”

Pancakes before parade

Bring an appetite with you the morning of the parade for the annual Western

Days Pancake Breakfast, hosted by the Rotary Club of Valley Center.

The breakfast takes place on Satur-day, May 24 from 7-10 a.m. in the Old Town Center parking lot, right in front of the Community Phar-macy. “It’s something that Valley Center Rotary has been doing for decades I think,” said Greg Carl-son, VC Rotary’s director of com-munity service. “We have a full breakfast — pancakes, eggs, sau-sages, and then milk, orange juice, coffee — and the proceeds go to a scholarship fund. We give out scholarships to Valley Center High School graduating seniors.” Conveniently located near the start of the parade route, Rotary’s breakfast offers a hearty meal for a

good cause. The cost of the break-fast is $9 for adults and $6 for chil-dren 12 and under. Carlson estimates Rotary raised around $4,000 at last year’s pancake breakfast for their schol-arship fund. With a new grill in the arsenal to keep the line mov-ing, this delicious tradition is great way to fill up before settling in to watch the parade. “We’re able to keep the food rolling and keep the people happy,” said Carlson. The Rotary Club of Valley Center meets every Monday at noon at the community hall. For more information, visit www.vcro-tary.org. Camille and Diane Martineau will be grand marshals in the 2014 Western Days Parade.

Courtesy of VC Rotary


Choose your favorite 2014 Parade announcerOne of Valley Center’s most

beloved traditions, the annual Western Days Pa-

rade, is set to launch on Saturday, May 24 at 10 a.m. With countless colorful floats, local dignitaries, a battle of the bands, and a horse dropping contest, the 2014 parade has something exciting in store for everyone. The theme of this year’s pa-rade is “A Homegrown Musical Celebration,” featuring perfor-mances by several local school bands, including the Valley Cen-ter High School Jaguar March-ing Band and the Valley Center Middle School Thunderhawk Jazz Band. There will also be a New Orleans-style Battle of the Bands, with groups of all sizes playing unusual instruments in a compe-tition for cash prizes. The parade will be led by some local VIPs, including the newly installed Honorary Mayor and local royalty such as Miss Val-ley Center April Lackpour, First Princess Julie Pregler, Junior Miss (JM) Ashley Herzler, JM First Princess Danielle Yates, and JM Second Princess Tayler Pennell. Rodeo Queens Renee Terbush, Briana Garcia, and Lacey Bain-bridge will also take their place in the first ranks of the parade. County Supervisor Bill Horn and Assemblywoman Marie Wal-

dron are also expected to make an appearance. Grand Marshals Camille and Diane Martineau will lead the 2014 parade. The dazzling procession of floats, fire engines, horses, classic cars, and more will make up most of the parade line-up, providing local businesses and organizations an opportunity to show off their best stuff. Judges will sit along the parade route marking up points for the best floats, musical performances, and more. Trophies will be handed out at the conclusion of the parade. There will be six parade an-nouncers spread out across the route, which runs along Valley Center Road between Cole Grade and Lilac roads. Diane Conaway will be at the intersection of Valley Center and Cole Grade roads. Bill Trok will be in front of Val-ley Center Community Church. Suzie Durant will be at Shoe-maker Realty. Charles Carr will be at Por-tino’s near the corner of VC and Miller roads. Cathy Davis will be at VC Road and Chaparral. David Ross will be at the cor-ner of Valley Center and Lilac roads.

Diane Conaway Diane Conaway is a Realtor with RE/MAX United and she has announced the parade for nine years. Named Valley Center’s Cit-izen of the Year in 2010, Conaway supports the town through her in-volvement with the Valley Center Pauma Music Boosters. She will also be selling hamburgers for the Boosters at a booth inside the ro-deo.

Bill Trok Bill Trok is pastor of Rid-geview Church and this will be his fourth year announcing the parade. He and his wife, Sharon, have four children who have gone through Valley Center Schools. He helped found Ridgeview 15 years ago, and he is also chaplain for the VC Sheriff ’s station.

Suzie Durant Suzie Durant is a co-owner Realtor at Krueger Realty. She has lived in Valley Center for the past 15 years, and this will be her fifth year as an announcer. She has two children, a recent VCHS graduate and a VCHS junior. She will be working at the rodeo this year as she has for the past 11 years.

Charles Carr Celebrated author and long-time resident Charles Carr will be

announcing his 13th parade this year. Carr is an award-winning author and columnist for the San Diego Union Tribune, The Califor-nian, and many more papers and magazines. He is also president of Art Animates Life, a non-profit which has raised thousands of dollars for many needy San Diego charities. This year, Carr’s wife, Marsi, will share his announcing duties.

Cathy Davis Cathy Davis is a local realtor at 5-Star Realty with her husband, Bob Davis. They are empty-nest-ers now that their children are away at college, but their grand-kids at Valley Center Elementary School still keep them busy. This will be her fifth year announcing the parade.

David Ross David Ross is the editor-in-chief of the Valley Center Press and this will be his 30th West-

ern Days as a writer of news and opinion in Valley Center. You can recognize him by his familiar frontier fringed buckskin jacket that he bought for his time as pa-rade grand marshal, and which he keeps in pristine condition just for this event. Drop by his micro-phone and say hi! If for no other reason than to keep him confused about what parade entry comes next!

The parade starts at 10 a.m. but spectators often arrive as early as 7 a.m. to get in place before the road closes at 8:30 a.m. Get there bright and early for

the pancake breakfast, hosted by the Rotary Club of Valley Center in the Old Town Center parking lot from 7-10 a.m. The parade typically runs for a couple hours along the length of Valley Center Road. There is no shortage of colorful characters among the ranks (keep an eye out for a giant elephant), as well as lo-cal celebrities. After the parade ends, head over to the VC Community Center and the adjacent rodeo grounds for the many vendors, food trucks, exhibits, perfor-mances, beer and wine garden, and live music.


Miss Valley Center Prayer at the flag

Join us for just 15 minutes of praying together as a community for unity in our community, for the guests that will be joining us in our Valley Cen-

ter home, for the safety of all the participants who are competing in the rodeo, and for our Western Days weekend to go smoothly, safely, and we bring us to-gether again next year for a fabulous fun-filled family weekend. All area pastors are invited to lead us. Meet at the flag in front of the Community Cen-ter. There will be a fire truck with a large flag in front of the Community Center, with much thanks to George Lucia and our firefighters volunteering at Western Days! If you are unable to join us, take a minute wher-ever you are to pray with us at 5 p.m. Friday evening. If you are attending Western Days and do not wish to participate, please plan to “take a break” for 15 minutes to respect those who do.

15 minutes of prayer at the Community Center at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 23

After a beautiful pageant at the Max-ine Theater on the evening of March 15, April Lackpour was crowned

Miss Valley Center 2014 and Ashley Herzler was crowned Junior Miss 2014. There was a field of four contestants in the running for the title of Miss Valley Cen-ter 2014, and nine entered in the Miss Junior Valley Center Contest. Julie Pregler was named Miss VC First Princess, while Danielle Yates was Junior Miss First Princess and Tayler Pennell was named Junior Miss Second Princess. Video of the pageants and a full gallery are available online now at www.valleycen-terpress.com.

April Lackpour was crowned Miss Valley Center 2014 on March 15.

Ashley Herzler is the 2014 Junior Miss Valley Center.

Photos by Dan Kidder


Get ready for a festival!The 2014 Western Days

Festival will combine gourmet food trucks, ser-

vice group booths, non-stop live entertainment, a kid’s zone, a dunk tank, and much more for two of Valley Center’s finest days of the entire year. Hosted by the Valley Center Press, the festival will showcase the best our town has to offer on May 23 and 24. “Our goals are to keep the old traditions and bring in new fun ones,” said Dana Chisholm, publisher of the Valley Center Press. Starting the weekend off will be 15 minutes of prayer at the flag in front of the Community Center. Area pastors will lead the community in praying for the safety of the rodeo participants, a smooth Western Days, and unity in our community. Friday night continues with the Best Little Cowboy & Cow-girl Contest on the Commu-nity Center stage at 5:30 p.m. Cheer on these rugged tykes as they show off their skills at rop-ing, riding, and swaggering into town. The conclusion of the Hon-orary Mayor’s Race will take place at the stage right after the Cowboy & Cowgirl contest. Be sure and grab a bite from the ad-jacent food truck alley, hosted by Food Truck Nation America, be-fore finding VC’s shrewdest poli-tician. At 8 p.m. DJ Buddha will

take the stage for two hours of dancing to your favorite country hits and more. After the parade on Satur-day, the festival will be in full swing with more booths than you can count. Cattle Call Music has a day-long concert slated for the Community Center Stage, concluding with a performance by Americana songwriter Sara Petite at 7:30 p.m. The crew from Valley Cen-ter’s Fire Station 72 will be host-ing a dunk tank with some of VC’s famous faces walking the plank, including Left Eddie and the candidates for Honorary Mayor. All proceeds from the tank will benefit the Valley Cen-ter Firefighter’s Association. Stop by the Western Town at 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. for a good

old fashioned gunfight, enacted by the VC Marshal’s Posse. The Gunfighters and Floozies will be out making havoc all weekend long. There will also be a Kid Zone at the festival, featuring a petting zoo, pony rides, and small at-tractions such as a human-sized hamster ball for walking on wa-ter and bounce slides. Wrist-bands for the games will be on sale for $15 early in the day and $10 in the afternoon. The Valley Center Trails Association and the Friends of Hellhole Canyon will be host-ing a pie-eating contest at 12 and 3 p.m. in front of the Western Town (as long as pies last). Valley Center Brewery will also be out in force as the head-lining brewer of the beer and

wine garden, located in the gaze-bo next to the community center.New to the festival this year will be a K-12 Art Contest downstairs in the Community Hall. Student artists of all grade levels are in-vited to submit their work to be judged for prizes. Admission to the festival is free Friday night, but will cost $3 per person on Saturday with a $20 maximum for immediate family. Anyone sporting a Valley Center Press t-shirt gets in free. Shirts can be purchased at the Valley Center Community Phar-macy or the VC Press office, lo-cated at 29010 Lilac Road. There will be free parking in the property used by the Vaque-ros on the other side of Station 72.

Courtesy of Kathy AmesCourtesy of LaVonne NorwoodThe Valley Center Marshal’s Posse and Floozies will take festival-goers back to the Old

West with staged gunfights, jailbreaks, and holdups throughout Western Days. The Kids Zone at the Western Days festival will feature pony rides, a petting zoo, and an assortment of attractions, including this human hamster ball for walking on water.


K-12 Arts & Crafts showAmong the many

new attractions at this year’s Western Days Festival is an art

competition for Valley Center students. The K-12 Arts & Crafts Competition will offer young artists the opportunity to display their work and win cash priz-es in a competition with peers. Sponsored by the Valley Center Town Council, the competition will take place downstairs in the Commu-nity Hall on both May 23 and 24. All artistic mediums are welcome, whether it’s photography, painting, sculpting, or any other show of creativity. “I think it’s a good way to give

them some recognition and a taste of an accomplishment with something re-ally tangible attached to it,” said Nancy Layne, founding member of the Town Council. “If they’ve got something they did that they’re particularly proud of, then enter!” Interested artists need to drop their work off at the Community Cen-ter by May 22. Judges will evaluate the entries during Friday night’s festivities, and the gallery will then remain open for the duration of the festival with awards posted. “The judges are the firefighters at the station right next door,” said Layne.

The competition will be broken up into categories by age, with at least one Valley Center firefighter from Sta-tion 72 assigned to judge each category. Depending on the number of entries, Layne hopes to be able to give out at least four prizes as well as several hon-orable mentions. Aside from a great platform for students to display their work and earn some money, it’s sure to be a diverse gallery of superb student art. To learn more about the K-12 art competition, contact [email protected]. All submitted entries should be picked up by 6 p.m. on May 24.

Festival booths* Danel Duckworth, Jewelry, Décor & More* Morrison Creation * Scentsy Wickless Candles* Origami Owl Personalized Jewelry* The Pampered Chef kitchenware and cookbooks* California Coast Builders; with waterfall display* Vien Thanh, Arts and Crafts, hand-made jewelry with gems* Cosmic Solar, Inc. w/activity for kids* Starnino Bath Fitters w/ water games* Soleil Communications/WelkRe-sorts w/coloring & crafts* Red Throne Events w/ face painting and costumes* Sweetly Sauced – homemade pre-serves, pie fillings, etc* Calvin Christian School – kid crafts and balloons

* VC Trails Association – photocut-outs and crafts activities for kids* Friends of Hell Hole Canyon – pie eating contests for kids* Live the Dream – Native American with beading crafts for kids* Cruisin Juice-Shaved Ice, Smooth-ies, Lemonade, Nachos, cotton Candy, and coffee* Niederfrank’s Ice Creams Inc., Sorbet, Rootbeer Floats, Hot Fudge Sundae, Water* Country Kettle Corn-Kettle corn and Bottled Water* Matheny’s Wagon Works-Sausage sandwhiches* Oscar the Hat Guy - hats* VC Fire Fighters Assoc. Station 72 – dunking booth* Town Council – K-12 Arts & Crafts Competition Downstairs in Commu-nity Center

* Mercy Ambulance - First Aid Sta-tion* Valley Center Vaqueros* Pauline Curtis’ group (?)* Republican Women – Wandering $100 Hate Raffle raising money for DC trip* Valley Center Women’s Club – wine margarita’s *Chamangos & Gourmet Candy Apples*Super Q Food Truck*Leila’s Tacos*Urban Eats*Tabe BBQ*Devilicious*Haad Sai Thai Food *Chubby’s Food Truck*Two For the Road*Pierogi Truck*Soul Cal Pit Stop*My Tornado Potato*Mexicalbi

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Sara Petite to headline Cattle Call concert

Americana crooner Sara Petite will top a diverse line-up of music at the

Western Days festival, coordi-nated by Cattle Call Music Event Planning & Producing. From bro-ken-hearted songwriters to coun-try bands that will get you up on your feet, a full set awaits festival goers on Friday night and Satur-day afternoon. The music will kick off on Fri-day night at 8 p.m. with DJ Bud-dha taking the stage at the Com-munity Center for two hours.

After the conclusion of the Hon-orary Mayor’s race, DJ Buddha will play a mix of dance, country western, and crowd requests. On Saturday the music starts at 2:30 p.m. and continues until 9:30 p.m. True to Western Days tradition, many of the musicians play in a country vein, but that doesn’t mean any two bands will sound alike. “I have a real mixture of dif-ferent kinds of music,” said Jim-mie Cline, trail boss at Cattle Call. “They’re going to have a little bit

Cattle Call MusicMay 23 – Community Center Stage8:00-10:00 p.m. DJ Buddha

May 24 – Community Center Stage2:30-3:00 p.m. Sierra West3:00-3:30 p.m. Megan Combs4:00-5:30 p.m. Jon Ji6:00-7:00 p.m. 22 Kings7:30-9:30 p.m. Sara Petite

May 25 – Rodeo VIP Tent2:00-3:30 p.m. Podunk Nowhere3:30-6:30 p.m. Alice Wallace

of country, there will be a little bit of pop, and there will be some classic type stuff going — some good old 50s to 70s rock music. It’s a good mixture.” San Diego-based songwriters Sierra West and Megan Coombs will start the afternoon. West has a more Americana style whereas Combs is more pop-oriented. Jon Ji takes the stage at 4 p.m. He will perform a mix of cov-ers and original songs, mostly in his vein of sly bluegrass, or as he describes it, “cowboy bebop and gypsy crawl.” Indie/folk rock duo 22 Kings will perform second-to-last. The pair just completed their cross-country “Mohawks Across Amer-ica” tour and they look forward to bringing their soothing harmo-nies to the Western Days festival. The big act of the night comes

on at 7:30 p.m. with Sara Petite performing with her back-up band. Winner of Best Americana Performer at the San Diego Mu-sic Awards last year, Petite has picked up momentum recently with national airplay on Sirius XM’s Outlaw Radio. “Very good songwriter, one of the best in San Diego,” said Cline. “It’s very much music that wants to get you up and dancing.” On Sunday there will also be two bands playing in the VIP tent at the Stampede Rodeo. Coun-try band Podunk Nowhere will be playing at 2 p.m. and Orange County yodeler Alice Wallace will begin playing at 3:30 p.m. Cattle Call is a music event planning and producing company that coordinates events and musi-cians across Southern California. If you like what you hear at West-

ern Days, be sure and stop by the 3rd Annual Valley Center Music Festival at Bates Nut Farm on June 7, also produced by Cattle Call as a fundraiser for local school mu-sic programs. For more information on Cattle Call, visit www.cattlecal-levents.com.

Sara Petite, courtesy of John Hancock Photos


Best Little Cowboy & CowgirlThere may be an age require-

ment to participate in each of the rodeo events, but it’s

never too early to learn how to be a bona fide cowboy. The fourth an-nual Best Little Cowboy & Cowgirl Contest will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, May 23 at the Commu-nity Center stage. Since returning to the West-ern Days line-up four years ago at the request of David Ross, editor of the Valley Center Press, the Valley Center Republican Women Feder-ated has hosted the contest each year. Young cowboys and cowgirls in preschool through 3rd grade are invited to participate in this free and fun competition. “The kids are judged on their

cowboy duds and their swagger into town,” said Delores Chavez Harmes, contest coordinator. “They’ve got to call in the doggies from out on the range, and then they are judged on lassoing steer heads.” The contestants will sit on saddled-up hay bales and try to rope a steer head on an opposite bale. Then it’s time to giddy up for the stick pony races. “The parents and the guests are just rolling with belly laughs; it’s just so much fun to watch,” said Chavez-Harmes. Judges for the Best Little Cow-boy & Cowgirl Contest will in-clude such local public servants as Waskah Whelan, Secretary of State Candidate Pete Peterson, Assem-blywoman Marie Waldron, Dis-trict Attorney Bonnie Dumanis,

and Board of Equalization Candi-date Diane Harkey. “There’s one trophy for the best cowgirl and one trophy for the best cowboy,” said Chavez-Harmes. The winners also have the opportunity to ride on the famed Miss Liberty float, the nine ft el-ephant the GOP women bring out each Western Days. Last year around 15 kids partici-pated in the competition, with the rodeo queens helping to keep the contest moving along. Pre-registration is not re-quired for the contest. For more information, call (760) 749-6555, or email [email protected]. After the contest, be sure and stick around for the conclusion of the Honorary Mayor’s race, start-ing around 7:15 p.m.Courtesy of Park Place Photography Courtesy of Park Place Photography

Mikayla Cavaliere ropes steer heads at the 2013 Best Little Cowboy and Cowgirl Contest.


Old West lives on at museumWestern Days recalls

the pioneer days of Valley Center for one

weekend each year, but the old western history, tradition and spirit of the town is on exhibit year round at the local history museum. Wyatt Earp and John Wayne are among celebrated persons with a connection to Valley Cen-ter along with the woman who started the California Gold Rush and a number of cowboy and ro-deo stars. The museum at 29200 Cole Grade Road is open Tuesday through Saturday from l to 4 p.m. Admission and parking are free.

Actor John Wayne, who once lived, shopped and rode horse-back in the Valley Center Pauma area, has an unusual connection to Western Days. In 1971, he was considering an invitation to serve as Grand Marshal of that year’s Western Days Parade, but a newly-diagnosed illness pre-cluded his participation. He died a few years later. The legendary folk hero Wy-att Earp also had ties to Valley Center where he would visit his niece, Peggy McNally. She was said to be as colorful a charac-ter as her famous uncle. McNally road is named for her. Visitors to the museum will also see the world-famous Cali-fornia Grizzly Bear exhibition featuring the only grizzly on exhibit in San Diego County. In

1866, the largest grizzly every killed was taken in Valley Center, giving the town its original name of Bear Valley. Another popular feature is a fully-furnished 1862 settler’s cabin. The “model home” shows what it was like to live in the old west after President Lincoln signed the Homestead Act and thousands of people came west. Art aficionados can view origi-nal oil paintings by famed West-ern artist Marjorie Reed and cowboy artist C.M. Russell, said to be the greatest painter of the Old West. Many of the models in Russell’s paintings were rodeo star Edgar Wright of Valley Cen-ter. A thoroughbred exhibit re-veals the local connection to three legendary horses: Seabis-

cuit, Seattle Slew and Secretariat. Other displays focus on the era from 1857 to 1912 when stagecoaches were common on local roads; and the year 1884 when the Great Valley Center Cattle Drive took place. Rare gems, stones and min-erals from area mines comprise another popular exhibit which features documents dated 1900 from Tiffany which had a gem expert on site for many years. Finally, visitors can learn about historic Rancho Guejito, the last remaining intact Mexi-can land grant ranch dating to 1845 when California was part of Mexico. For more information, call (760) 749-2993 or visit the mu-seum Web site at www.vchistory.org.

This mud wagon coach, built about 1850, served as an ambulance during the Civil War, then made its way west to Valley Center where it provided transportation between Valley Center and Escondido from 1880 to 1910. The History Museum features a permanent exhi-bition on early stagecoaches that served the area along with route maps. There are tentative plans to house this coach inside a proposed new wing at the museum.


Food trucks invadeHot off the success of their

April 5 Food Truck Fes-tival at Bates Nut Farm,

Food Truck Nation America will be hosting the Food Truck Invasion at Western Days. With an eclectic mix of 12 food trucks serving ev-erything from fish tacos to zucchini fries, there’s sure to be something to satisfy every appetite. “We have the finest top gour-met food trucks coming in, some of them that were from the Valley Center Food Truck Fest,” said Scott Lucks, food truck aficionado and founder of Lucks Media Group. “It’s very, very diverse. I want everybody to have a little bit of everything.” There will be four trucks at the festival on Friday from 4-10 p.m. and ten trucks at the festival on Sat-urday from 10 a.m.-10p.m. Devili-cious, Haad Sai Thai Food, My Tor-nado Potato, Mexicalbi, and many more will set up camp on the east side of the Community Center, in the parking lot closest to Fire Sta-tion 72. “Of course, since it’s Western Days and American food, we’re bringing Super Q (barbeque) for two days,” said Lucks. Lucks de-signed the Food Truck Invasion to make sure there will be no repeti-tive food trucks either day, ensur-ing plenty of variety. Food Truck Nation America is also coordinating the wine and beer garden, which will be located in the gazebo next to the Community Hall. The garden will feature Valley

Center Brewery as the headlining brewer. The Brewery, which plans to open their tasting room in June, will have five of their beers on tap, including the Cumbres Pale Ale. Orfila Vineyards & Winery will be supplying much of the wine for the garden. Lucks also hopes to

bring in other wine and beer makers to provide more variety. Drinks will cost between $6 and $8. The beer and wine garden will be open from 4-10 p.m. on Friday, and 12-10 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, visit www.foodtrucknationamerica.com.

Photos courtesy of Scott LucksDevilicious will be one of 14 food trucks at the festival.


Marshal’s Posse and Floozies

T he Valley Center Mar-shal’s Posse Gunfight-ers and Floozies are

getting ready to do their thing for Western Days again — holding up banks, shooting up parking lots, and gener-ally giving folks a rip-roaring good time! The Marshals Posse is made up of local men and women who come out to re-enact the spirit of the Old West for a few days each year. In the early days the men

were on horseback and would ride through town perform-ing mock holdups, robberies and hangings. So if they were referred to as The Old Tim-ers or High Sheriff Milo Tay-lor or the Marshals Posse, the purpose remains the same: to bring attention to Western Days, have fun, and remem-ber our heritage. Today’s members of the Posse and Floozies volunteer their time and either make or purchase authentic outfits,

circa 1800s. They are frequently asked about their weapons. They are real but use blank ammo. Armed with .22s, .45s, and 12 gauge shotguns, the Posse usually fires about 50 to 60 rounds each time they stage a gunfight. Weapons safety is an in-credibly high priority. Before each show at the Communi-ty Center they give a safety briefing and demonstration. As in the past, mock hold-

ups and robberies will start on Saturday, May 17 at Smokey’s Late Wohlford Café, then again on Thursday, May 22 at Shain Fitness, El Valle Market, V.C. Market, Joe’s Feed, Lilac Foods, and Casa Reveles. In past years the Posse has posted a schedule of events of where their fights were going to take place, but last year an anti-gun group used that in-formation to park a vehicle to try to stop the activity from happening. For that reason they will not be listing exact times this year. On Friday, May 23 the Posse will be at the California Bank and Trust, Town Center Market, Pala Gas, Armstrong

Courtesy of Kathy AmesThe VC Marshal’s Posse and Floozies capture the spirit of the Wild West.

Feed Country Junction, Por-tino’s, and Fat Ivor’s. On Sat-urday, May 24 the Posse will take over the intersection of Valley Center and Cole Grade road at approximately 9:30 a.m. There will also be per-formances all along the pa-rade route. Come out and see the Pos-se at their western town at the Community Center on Satur-day afternoon for jail breaks, bank robberies, bar fights and of course, some good old fashion gun fights. For more information or to contribute to the posse, contact Craig Ames at 760-457-5223 or [email protected].

Courtesy of Kathy Ames


Sing along to stories from Valley Center’s pastThe audience participa-

tion play “Valley Cen-ter the Sing Along,” will

take center stage at the Com-munity Center Stage at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 24. Part-nering local history with fun folk songs, the Valley Center League of Extraordinary Ac-tors will bring VC History to life at the Western Days Fes-tival. As Valley Center High Schoolers careen their way up mountains, down can-yons, through creeks, parades,

schools and churches, they ex-perience such quirky histori-cal events as Native Americans singing a Cupeno Bird Song, the shooting of the Great Bear, Nate Harrison singing with the Primary School Guitar Club, and the preparations for a Quincenera. The play cele-brates Valley Center’s cultural diversity and appreciation for school, church, agriculture, sports, gaming, nature, patri-otism, and music. Originally performed for the Vaqueros Hoe Down two

years ago, this year’s show by the Valley Center League of Extraordinary Actors includes cameo appearances of Jubliee the Magnificent Mini Horse, the Primary School Guitar Club, the Valley Center High School Drum Line, and of course, the Great Bear of Val-ley Center. The plot follows four Valley Center High School students on assignment to go to dif-ferent Valley Center water sources collecting water sam-ples from local creeks, such as

the San Luis Rey River, Keys Creek, Moosa Creek and Gue-jito Creek. At each creek, the kids see a part of VC history that is accompanied by a sing along song: Pala Indians singing “Pala Bird Song,” the Griz-zly Bear shot by Jose Castro, Nate Harrison singing “Going Up to Palomar,” “De Colores” at a Quincinera, “America the Beautiful,” and “Valley Center My Home Town.” The play is a celebration of the diverse population groups in VC: Native American In-dian, Hispanic, and Anglo. It also explores much of Val-ley Center’s quirky folklore such as the killing of the big-gest grizzly bear in CA, Henry

Rodriquez, the La Jolla In-dian who walked down Palo-mar, Nate Harrison, the freed slave who pioneered Palomar Mountain ‘Born a Slave, Died a Pioneer,” why we have a Castle on Old Castle road, and how the Valley Center Large Ani-mal Safety Team rescued 100 abandoned miniature horses . Directed by Maggie Ryan, the Valley Center League of Extraordinary Actors include Neha Curtiss, Cash McCor-mick, Vivianna McCormick, Perry Curtiss, Alex Nichols, Kimberly, Sevan Soghomo-nian, Holly McCormick and Carol Mellor. The show is free. Best to bring a lawn chair and a voice to Sing Along!

-In 1950, the first event was called Valley Center Country Fair.-In 1961, the name was changed to Western Week.-In 1968, the name was changed to Western Days & Country Fair.-In 1970, the first parade was held.-In 1971, the first grand mar-shal rode in the parade.-In 1980, the name Western Days was adopted.-In 2001, the fist rodeo was added to Western Days.

The History of

Valley Center

WESTERn DAYS


Rodeo schedule It’s rodeo time!

The Valley Center Stampede Rodeo is back with another round of Wild West contests

for its 13th annual season. Classic rodeo events like bull riding, barrel racing, calf roping, mutton bustin’ and more are all on the schedule for May 23, 24, and 25. The rodeo is sponsored by the Valley Center Optimist Club and will once again be on the Belanich property adjacent to the Commu-nity Center. As always, the National Police Rodeo Association (NPRA) is handling most of the scheduled competitions. “We’re basically running the same rodeo that we’ve run for the last 12 years,” said Stan Ware, NPRA Arena Director. “If I was only going to go to one rodeo in a year, this one would be it.” The NPRA will bring in their own regular contestants who com-pete year-round for prizes and mon-

ey, as well extend an invitation to lo-cal contestants looking to get in the arena. Although the NPRA keeps a portion of the entry fee from the regular pros, 100 percent of the en-try fees paid by local contestants will go back to their prize monies. Bareback and saddleback bronc riding take us back to the original days of rodeo, when the everyday ranch work of breaking wild horses eventually turned into a competi-tion. Tie-down roping and team-roping also have their origins in frontier life, when ranchers would have to get hold of a calf to brand it or see to its injuries. And then there’s bull riding. Al-though less practical in origin than its fellow rodeo contests, it’s perhaps the most exciting and the biggest crowd pleaser. “It’s basically man against a 2,000 lb animal that doesn’t want him on his back,” said Ware.

Barrel racing, women’s break-away, and shoot doggin’ will also be included in the rodeo events. The toughest little cowboys and cowgirls will also have their chance to prove their grit. Mutton bustin,’ one of the most entertaining events of the rodeo, consists of an ambi-tious youngster between the ages of 4 and 7 holding on to a sheep with all they’ve got as it rides around the arena. Gates open at the rodeo at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 23 and the show begins at 7 p.m. On Saturday the gates will open at 2 p.m. and the rodeo will start at 5 p.m. Sunday gets underway at 11 a.m. General admis-sion tickets cost $15, and children 5 and under get in for free. There are also VIP tickets which include a ca-tered dinner and preferred seating for $40. Sunday is free admission. You can purchase tickets at the gate or in advance at Armstrong Feed & Supply, Shain Fitness Center, or through the Valley Center High School Drama class, which will re-ceive 20 percent of the ticket pro-ceeds. To learn more about the rodeo or submit entry forms, visit www.vc-stampede.com.

Photo by Dan Kidder

Located on the Belanich property next to VC Community CenterGeneral admission: $15, VIP: $40, children under 5 get in free

Friday, May 23

Saturday, May 24

Sunday, May 25

Gates open at 5:00 p.m. and VIP Dinner begins at 6:00 p.m.Rodeo begins at 7:00 p.m. with Shoot Doggin,’ Saddle Bronc, Bareback Bronc Barrel Racing, Bull Riding, Women’s Breakaway, Mutton Bustin’ and moreFREE DANCE Friday night

Gates open at 2:00 p.m. and VIP Dinner begins at 3:00 p.m.Rodeo starts at 4:00 p.m.Rodeo begins at 7:00 p.m. with Shoot Doggin,’ Saddle Bronc, Bareback Bronc Barrel Racing, Bull Riding, Women’s Breakaway, Mutton Bustin’ and moreFREE DANCE Saturday night

Gates open at 11:00 a.m. - Free admissionTeam Roping sign-ups at 11:00 a.m. and Team Roping event starts at 12:00 noon

Photos by Dan Kidder


VC Rodeo royalty Valley Center Vaqueros

The Vaqueros and West-ern Days go together like steak and potatoes!

As a local club of horse enthu-siasts, The Vaqueros will be out in force during the West-ern Days Parade and Rodeo. The Vaqueros Group is comprised of children and adults with a shared passion for horses. Monthly general meetings provide members

with information about horse care and local horse activities. Shows range from gymkha-na and rail shows to Cowboy Challenges. Clinics on roping, mounted shooting and other subjects are also offered. The equestrian park lo-cated at the corner of Valley Center and Lilac Roads will be central to all of the weekend activities.

Renee Terbush, 17, was crowned the 2014 Valley Center Rodeo Queen on April 12 at Hidden

Oaks Ranch. She will be riding in the Western Days Parade along with Ju-nior Queen Briana Garcia, 15, and Ju-nior Miss Lacey Bainbridge, 9. Renee Terbush is a senior at Val-ley Center High School and was the 2013 Valley Center Junior Rodeo Queen.

She has been riding horses since the age 7 and started out riding Eng-lish but over the years she found that the Western discipline suited her bet-ter. She is secretary of the 4-H Home-steaders and participates in their archery group. Renee is also a mem-ber of the Valley Center High School Band. For the past 3 years she has en-joyed volunteering at the Escondido Humane Society and is involved in

helping feed the homeless. After grad-uating High School Renee plans on at-tending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and obtaining a degree in business. Briana Garcia is a sophomore at Valley Center High School. Coming from generations of cattle ranchers, Briana has grounded her heart in the western lifestyle and its values. Briana is an active member with the Val-ley Center Vaqueros and their Young Riders Group. She also enjoys soccer, going to the beach and baking. After graduating High School Briana plans on obtaining a degree in agricultural business and majoring in animal sci-ence, focusing on cattle. Lacey Bainbridge attends Valley Center Elementary School. Lacey has been riding for 8 years and is very ex-perienced in endurance riding. When she isn’t riding horses she loves to play softball and basketball, volunteer at the AG Farm and the Valley Center Garden Club. Lacey’s future goals are to earn scholarships to go to USC of SDSU for softball. The VC royalty will preside at this year’s Valley Center Stampede Rodeo.

2014 Valley Center Rodeo Queen Renee Terbush. Photos by Michael Crane

Briana Garcia is the 2014 Valley Center Junior Rodeo Queen. 2014 Junior Miss Rodeo Queen Lacey Bainbridge.

Courtesy of Christie Switzer PhotographyMadelyn Wagner rides with the Vaqueros at a recent Cowboy Challenge.

Several groups from The Vaqueros are presenting during the parade:

The Young Riders — Chil-dren will be both riding horses and on our float. The Vaqueros — Adult Va-queros members will also be present on horses and the float. Both Young Riders and Vaque-ros can be identified by their red logo polo shirts. The Drille Posse — The new formed mounted drill team will be making their first parade performance during the Western Days Parade. The gals will be dressed in white shirts with the Drille Posse Logo.

Western Days Festival The Vaqueros will be man-ning a club information booth at Western Days. Please stop by and meet the members and learn more about the Club.

Rodeo The Vaqueros will also have a booth at the Rodeo and be present to answer any and all your questions and hopefully sign you up as a new member!

Rodeo Barrels Join The Vaqueros on Sun-day, May 25 for barrels. There will be three classes based on age and an open jackpot class. Pre-entry is a must. Details will be online soon at www.valley-centervaqueros.com.


PRCA and California Circuit Announcer Doc Boené will re-turn to the Valley Center Stam-

pede Rodeo this Western Days for his ninth straight year announcing. Boené (pronounced Bonay) brings his own brand of magic and humor to the rodeo spectators while promoting the sponsors and vendors

during the dead time between events. Not only does Boené come from a rich ranching heritage — he also has a working knowledge of the cowboy lifestyle. He manages a com-mercial cattle operation on the Loop Ranch in Keene, California. His understanding of the cow-boy way of life makes it possible for him to convey the thoughts and feel-ings of the cowboys to the fans in the grandstands. When he’s not covering between 35 and 40 events a year as a profes-sional announcer throughout the Western United States, Boené enjoys hunting and other outdoor sports. He is the official voice of the Bad Bulls tour that stops each year in Te-

hachapi on July 4 and the LaGrange Rodeo, which is the largest one-day rodeo in the west. He was again voted the An-nouncer of the Year by the Pacific Coast Quarter Horse Association for the twelfth straight year and con-tinues to announce various AQHA shows including the West Coast Con-gress and the prestigious Sun Circuit in Scottsdale, Arizona. In addition to the ASHA circuit, Boené has announced most of the major draft horse, mule, and donkey shows on the West coast. Prepare yourself to participate as Doc Boené brings the arena ac-tion up close and live for fans in the stands.

Rodeo announcer Thank you! Be sure to support the local businesses and organizations that stepped up to the plate at the last minute to make sure the Western Days Festival was a huge success! From Friday night through all day Saturday, it would not have happened without the folks included in this magazine. Sponsors were given ad space as a big thank you. So please say thank you to advertisers and sponsors for bringing you Western Days 2014!

A HUGE Thank You to Supervisor Bill Horn and his staff for working tirelessly to get us $15,000 at the last hour to even make Western Days possible.

Lilac Hills Ranch Valley Center Posse & FlooziesCHP & CHP Youth Keep it LocalEDCOVaqueros & Valley Center Views Properties, LLCValley Center Fencing Compa-ny/Controlled Entrances Inc.Essential Support Services

San Diego K-9 Security and Protective ServicesClairemont Equipment RentalFun ServicesLucks Media Group/Food Truck Nation AmericaCattle Call, LLCValley Center Town CouncilCountry Kettle CornPauma/Valley Insurance

California Bank & TrustArmor Fabrication & Fence CompanyFriends of Hell Hole Canyon & Valley Center Trails Associa-tionValley Center Firefighter’s As-sociationMercy AmbulanceValley Parks & Rec

And a very special thank you to Jeanne Offenhauser, David Ross, Dan Kidder, Nikki Nowak, Michelle Wick, Michael Crane, and Aaron Simpson at Valley Center Press for pulling together to make this happen in a few short weeks! Your patience and resilience continues to amaze me! And to Heather Beer, Office Manager and Western Days Coordinator Extraordinaire for the long nights and early mornings and all the work so many will never see, but so many will benefit from. Thank you!

Dana S. ChisholmValley Center Press, PublisherWestern Days Chairperson


Western Days 2015Start planning NOW! May 22 and 23, 2015 will be our new “best Western Days ever!”

It doesn’t take a village, but it does take a whole town to put together our best Western Days ever each year. So, get involved now, and get your paperwork, sponsorships, booth reservations, shows, arts and crafts and more on your calendar and started. We will be holding a “debriefing” meeting in June every year, and you are invited to come share your ideas and thoughts. Email [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.

Want to get involved?

Committee Contact Western Days – grounds, fencing, lights, generators, permits, coordinating activities

Valley Center Press [email protected] - Heather [email protected] – Dana

Booth Space – all booths must have an activity for the kids. Space is limited, so book EARLY

Posse & Floozies/Western Town

[email protected]

Social Service Group Booths – dunk tanks, pie eating contests, win-a-fish, etc. Prayer at Flag

[email protected]

Arts & Crafts Booths

Danel Duckworth, Jewelry, Décor & More [email protected]

Food Vendors & Food Trucks Beer & Wine Garden

Scott Lucks [email protected]

Business Booths

[email protected]

Kids Korner -games, rides, entertainment [email protected]

K-12 Arts & Crafts Fair

Nancy Layne [email protected]

Music & Stage Entertainment

Jimmie Cline, Trail Boss, Cattle Call LLC [email protected] 760-975-8089

Deadline to be included in the Valley Magazine, Western Days Edition, is May 1, 2015; sponsorships, games/rides/booths/crafts, social service club or organization – any and all plans to be included in the magazine MUST be submitted by May 1 every year to make the print deadline.

May 1 DEADLINE

48 Valley Magazine | Western Days Edition 2014

Valley Magazine - Western Days Edition June 2014

Documents

valley center community

excitement of western

western days editionmay

great western days

issue of valley magazine

issues of valley magazine

valley center stampede

annual western days